Top 10 Most Famous Eurovision Contestants
Eurovision isn't just a glitter bomb of sequins, modulated key changes, and politically awkward voting blocs. It's also been a bizarre springboard, comeback stage, and surprise stopover for some seriously big names.
Since 1956, this annual festival of musical chaos has seen everything from fresh-faced unknowns who blew up after their performance to already-established stars who decided, for reasons known only to them and perhaps their managers, to throw their hat into the Eurovision ring. Some used the contest to revive their careers. Others used it to launch into the stratosphere. A few made people go, "Wait, they did Eurovision?"
Vote for the ones you think are truly the most famous Eurovision contestants of all time.
-
ABBA
ABBA were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972. The group consists of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.
ABBA became one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music, particularly during the 1970s and early 1980s.
A very famous example: The Swedish band won in 1974 with "Waterloo." They then went on to be very popular around the world and had many hits.
-
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion is a Canadian singer and businesswoman. She's best known for "My Heart Will Go On," the theme song of the 1997 film Titanic, which was the first film in history to gross over $1 billion worldwide.
I definitely think she was bigger than ABBA, given how she was so big in both singles and albums. Also, I think it's ironic how the most famous Eurovision winner was not actually from Europe.
One of the most surprising examples: The Canadian singer represented Switzerland when she was younger, in 1988. She sang "Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi" and actually won that year.
-
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer known for her distinctive husky voice, which resulted from an operation to remove vocal nodules in the mid-1970s. She rose to fame with hits such as It's a Heartache and Total Eclipse of the Heart. Tyler has enjoyed a long-lasting career spanning several decades across... read more
A recent example: In 2013, she decided to represent the UK. She had an amazing career in the '80s with hits such as "It's A Heartache," "Holding Out For A Hero," "Total Eclipse Of The Heart," etc., but actually received a low placing with "Believe In Me," finishing 23rd.
-
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva is a Spanish singer and songwriter. In 1983, he was recognized for having recorded songs in the most languages worldwide. By 2013, he was celebrated as the Latin artist with the highest record sales in history.
Oh, wow, I had heard of the top 2, but I did not realize that the others had been in Eurovision. Yes, Julio Iglesias is definitely one of the most famous. I think he might also be the most famous Spanish-language music act, or do you think someone else is?
One of the most famous Spanish singers internationally, he represented the country in 1970 with "Gwendolyne" and earned a good 4th place. He then became even more popular.
-
Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John was a British-Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner who amassed five number-one and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles, along with two number-one Billboard 200 solo albums. She died of breast cancer on August 8, 2022, in Santa... read more
A young Olivia Newton-John represented the UK long before "Grease" in 1974. She sang "Long Live Love" and earned a good 4th place. As a fun fact, she competed against ABBA, making it definitely a year with popular artists.
-
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard is a British pop singer, musician, actor, and philanthropist. He first achieved fame in the 1950s and has since sold over 250 million records worldwide. Richard was knighted in 1995 and remains one of the most successful musical artists in UK history.
A very popular artist in the '60s (Cliff Richard & The Shadows), '70s, and '80s: He actually represented the UK twice. He earned 2nd place for "Congratulations" in 1968 and 3rd for "Power To All Our Friends" in 1973.
-
Katrina and the Waves
Known especially for "Walking On Sunshine," the band won in 1997 with "Love Shine A Light" for the UK, their last victory in the contest thus far.
-
t.A.T.u.
-
Maneskin
-
Loreen
Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui, known professionally as Loreen, is a Swedish multi-genre singer, songwriter, and record producer. Representing Sweden, she won the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku with her entry "Euphoria."... read more
-
?
Conchita Wurst
Conchita Wurst is the stage persona of Austrian singer Thomas Neuwirth, who was born on November 6, 1988. Neuwirth gained international attention when he won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix." Conchita's image as a bearded drag performer became a symbol of tolerance... read more
-
?
Sakis Rouvas
-
Baccara
Baccara, known for hits such as "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" and "Sorry, I'm A Lady," represented Luxembourg in 1978 with "Parlez-Vous Français?" They earned a 7th place finish and continued to be successful.
-
Engelbert Humperdinck
One of the most recent examples: Engelbert represented the UK in 2012 with the ballad "Love Will Set You Free," which actually received a pretty low placing, 25th. He was very successful internationally in the '70s, especially with songs like "Release Me."
-
Helena Paparizou
-
Blue
Blue is an English boy band formed in 2000 and consists of members Antony Costa, Duncan James, Lee Ryan, and Simon Webbe. They achieved widespread success in the early 2000s with hit singles such as All Rise, One Love, and Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word featuring Elton John. The band has reunited... read more
-
Jedward
-
Eleni Foureira
-
Mahmood
-
Lena Meyer-Landrut
