Eurovision Song Contest in the 1970s

For those that live around Europe (Australia included), once a year since the 1950s the Eurovison Song Contest is held. This contest is to find a group that will be the best of the best in Europe, and is voted by every participating country. Needles to say the politics of the region play very high.

With all its many flaws it brings in a huge live TV audiences of around 100 million people.

The music is so hard to categorise, as almost anything seems to go.


1970

 Ireland won that year with "All Kinds of Everything", performed by Dana in the city of Amsterdam. The winning song became a huge single hit too, with over two million sold. It was even a hit in Malaysia.

The runner up that year, and a No. 2 single in the UK, was Mary Hopkin, who found fame  in the 1960s with "Those Were The Days", after winning a TV talent contest. This time she sang "Knock, Knock Whos There?" The song was picked by the British public after the TV show "Its Cliff Richard" had a weekly spot called "A Song For Europe". Mary was the last entry.

1971
Monacao was the winner this year with "Un banc,un abre,un rue" by Severine. The programme came from Dublin at the height of the troubles with the UK, and it was RTE televisions very first colour broadcast too. The UK entry that was year was Irish born Clodagh Rogers, who, despite death threats sang "Jack In The Box" This reached No. 4 in the UK charts.

1972
This was the year for Luxembourg to win with Vicky Leandros singing "Apres Toi. Vicky was infact born in Greece, but she did not hold that agianst herself with this song. Apres Toi means in French "After You". It was relaesed as a hit single in the UK under the title "Come What May".The single reached No. 2 there.

The UK entry was the New Seekers with "Beg Steal or Borrow". Not as big a hit as "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing", but a nice tune.

More hits from the Eurovision Song Contest next time.