Eurovision's highest charting songs in the UK
For many Eurovision entrants, the Grand Final is their big moment, but once it's over… what next? If they're lucky, it can be a huge boost to their career and give them at least one international hit.
One of the toughest markets for a Eurovision act to crack is the UK – the main obstacle being the language barrier. While mainland Europe has long enjoyed a wealth of languages in each country's chart, Brits usually need a little more persuading before they'll jump on board with a song that's not in English – although there are exceptions, as this list of foreign-language Number 1s demonstrates.
The UK's own Eurovision entries have a long and proud history of chart success, but when it comes to our international friends, how do they measure up? We look at a selection of Eurovision hopefuls who managed to break the UK charts.
Loreen
Swedish entry Loreen had an instant hit on her hands when she romped to victory at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. Loreen was Sweden's fifth win over all, but their first in 13 years. Peaking at 3, Euphoria has 462,700 UK chart units, including 26 million streams.
Loreen redefining "absolutely going for it" during her 2012 performance of Euphoria. (Image: Andres Putting)
Then in 2023, Loreen did it all over again! Her second shot at the contest, Tattoo, turned out to be a success as she became the first woman (and second person overall) to win Eurovision twice! It then flew to Number 2 on the Official Singles Chart the following week.
Måns Zelmerlöw
Yep, Sweden again. They're pretty good at this Eurovision thing. Barely had Loreen caught her breath than Sweden won again, in 2015 in Austria. Måns's Heroes just missed the Top 10, at 11, and has the honour of being the most recent Eurovision song to go Top 40. While he's not scored any hits since, Måns Zelmerlöw (above, in main image) has become a popular figure in Eurovision coverage, co-hosting both the 2016 contest and also the UK's own contestant selection show the following year.
MORE: Can you avoid nul points in our Eurovision quiz?
The Common Linnets
2014 was one of the most popular years for Eurovision songs charting in the UK, with eleven entries making the Top 100. Highest of them all, peaking at 9, was Calm After the Storm; a rootsy, atmospheric, wistful ballad by The Common Linnets which didn't actually win in Denmark, but was the only entry from that year to go Top 10. In fact, it's the most recent Eurovision song to make the Top 10.
Only one other non-winner has charted higher and, like The Common Linnets, it was the Dutch entry – Mouth & Macneal's I See a Star reached Number 8 in 1974, the year they came third to… ABBA. Wonder what happened to them.
The Common Linnets
Conchita Wurst
The actual winner of Eurovision 2014 was the unforgettable Austrian star Conchita Wurst, whose melodramatic ballad Rise Like a Phoenix sent a message of acceptance, strength and positivity – all standard Eurovision fodder. The twist was that Conchita was an alter ego dreamed up by drag artist Thomas Neuwirth, who performed in a very glamorous dress with a full beard. The reactions from some countries were a stark reminder that prejudice is still very much active and a real problem, but Conchita won the show anyway, and went on to peak at 17 in the UK.
Conchita was only too keen to answer the "hands up if you just won Europe's hearts" shout-out. (Rolf Klatt)
MORE: Where every UK Eurovision entry has charted
Dana International
Dana International's soaring dance banger Diva won in 1998 - when the UK last staged the show - and peaked at Number 11 on the Official Singles Chart.
Despite being attacked by parrots, Dana International managed to perform her winning song again. (Shutterstock)
Johnny Logan
Irish entry Johnny liked winning the contest so much in 1980 that he came back in 1987 and did it all again! He had a Number 1 with his first winner What's Another Year, and hit Number 2 with his second Hold Me Now.
Johnny Logan in the standard "early 80s hunk" uniform, performing his 1980 winning song. (Shutterstock)
Nicole
German entrant Nicole holds the honour of being the most-recent non-UK Eurovision winner to top the charts here. Her rerecorded English version of 1982's emotive winning song Ein bißchen Frieden – re-titled A Little Peace – spent two weeks at Number 1. Nicole actually won the contest in the UK; we won the previous year with Bucks Fizz. This may be the key to having a Eurovision hit here, what do you reckon?
Nicole strums at both the guitar and your heart strings with her plea for peace. (Sten Rosenlund)
ABBA
Little-known, low-key, niche quartet ABBA… okay, just kidding. Eurovision's true success story, the hugest of the huge, ABBA took home the trophy in 1974 – staged in the UK that year too! – and spent two weeks at Number 1 with their entry Waterloo. It was the first of nine chart-topping singles and albums, including their greatest hits ABBA Gold, which is the second biggest selling album of all time in the UK. All time. Ever. See ABBA's full UK chart history.
Dana
But before ABBA, there was Dana! The first international Eurovision song to top the UK chart came from our Irish neighbours. Singing All Kinds of Everything, Dana was Ireland's first ever winner – they went on to become record holders for the most wins, with seven – and spent two weeks at the top following her 1970 win. Dana went on to score five more Top 40 hits.
Duncan Laurence
Proof that Eurovision still turns out successful popstars, Duncan Laurence landed in the Top 100 with his 2019 winning song Arcade. Two years later, the track found success on TikTok, sending it into the UK Top 40 for the first time, peaking at Number 29. The song now stands as the most-streamed Eurovision song of all-time, with 30 million plays in the UK alone.
Käärijä, Alessandra
Following the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, Sweden's winner Loreen, Finland's disco-metal second place contestant Käärijä, and Norway's entrant Alessandra all landed in the Top 10 alongside the UK's Mae Muller - all at the same time! This marked the most Eurovision songs to simultaneously land in the Top 10, ever.
The highest charting international Eurovision entries in the UK
YEAR | SONG | ARTIST | PEAK | COUNTRY |
1958 | VOLARE | DOMENICO MODUGNO | 10 | ITALY |
1959 | PIOVE (CIAO, CIAO BAMBINA) | DOMENICO MODUGNO | 29 | ITALY |
1960 | TOM PILLIBI | JACQUELINE BOYER | 33 | FRANCE |
1964 | NON HO L'ETA (PER AMARTI) | GIGLIOLA CINQUETTI | 17 | ITALY |
1968 | LA, LA, LA | MASSIEL | 35 | SPAIN |
1970 | ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING | DANA | 1 | IRELAND |
1971 | UN BANC, UN ABREW, UNE RUE | SEVERINE | 9 | MONACO |
1972 | COME WHAT MAY | VICKY LEANDROS | 2 | LUXEMBOURG |
1973 | WONDERFUL DREAM | ANNE-MARIE DAVID | 13 | LUXEUMBOURG |
1974 | GO | GIGLIOLA CINQUETTI | 8 | ITALY |
1974 | WATERLOO | ABBA | 1 | SWEDEN |
1974 | I SEE A STAR | MOUTH & MACNEAL | 8 | NETHERLANDS |
1975 | DING-A-DONG | TEACH-IN | 13 | NETHERLANDS |
1978 | A-BA-NI-BI | IZHAR COHEN & THE ALPHABETA | 20 | ISRAEL |
1970 | MILK & HONEY | GALI ATAI | 5 | ISRAEL |
1980 | WHAT'S ANOTHER YEAR | JOHNNY LOGAN | 1 | IRELAND |
1982 | A LITTLE PEACE | NICOLE | 1 | GERMANY |
1987 | HOLD ME NOW | JOHNNY LOGAN | 2 | IRELAND |
1993 | IN YOUR EYES | NIAMH KAVANAGH | 24 | IRELAND |
1996 | THE VOICE | EIMEAR QUINN | 40 | IRELAND |
1998 | DIVA | DANA INTERNATIONAL | 11 | ISRAEL |
1999 | TAKE ME TO YOUR HEAVEN | CHARLOTTE NILSSON | 20 | SWEDEN |
2006 | HARD ROCK HALLELUJAH | LORDI | 25 | FINLAND |
2007 | DANCING LASHA TUMBAI | VERKA SERDUCHKA | 28 | UKRAINE |
2009 | FAIRYTALE | ALEXANDER RYBAK | 10 | NORWAY |
2010 | SATELLITE | LENA | 30 | GERMANY |
2011 | LIPSTICK | JEDWARD | 40 | IRELAND |
2012 | EUPHORIA | LOREEN | 3 | SWEDEN |
2013 | ONLY TEARDROPS | EMMELIE DE FOREST | 15 | DENMARK |
2014 | CALM AFTER THE STORM | THE COMMON LINNETS | 9 | NETHERLANDS |
2014 | RISE LIKE A PHOENIX | CONCHITA WURST | 17 | AUSTRIA |
2014 | UNDO | SANNA NIELSEN | 40 | SWEDEN |
2015 | HEROES | MANS ZELMERLOW | 11 | SWEDEN |
2019 | ARCADE | DUNCAN LAURENCE | 29 | NETHERLANDS |
2021 | ZITTI E BUONI | MANESKIN | 17 | ITALY |
2022 | SNAP | ROSA LINN | 21 | ARMENIA |
2023 | TATTOO | LOREEN | 2 | SWEDEN |
2023 | CHA CHA CHA | KAARIJA | 6 | FINLAND |
2023 | QUEEN OF KINGS | ALESSANDRA | 10 | NORWAY |
©2023 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.
Have we missed one? There's a lot of Eurovision out there. Let us know in the comments.
Article Image: Andy Von Pip/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Look back at every UK Eurovision hopeful ever:
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ED
Edward D
Come on 'Official Charts'! Four years after comments were first added there are still errors in this list: the Israeli winner in 1979 - not 1970 as it says here - was the band Milk & Honey won with song 'Hallelujah'. Also, didn't Maneskin take part in 2021 & not 2012 as it says here?
Could do (a lot) better.
AD
Alberto Díaz
Rosa Linn - Snap (peaked at number 21 in the Official Charts last year) and was No. 20 in the final of Eurovision 2022
IS
ian spencer
This year's winner, ZITTI E BUONI by Måneskin, is missing
Henk Brugge
Wonder what happened to Mouth & MacNeal? They were very successful in the early 1970s in Europe, especially with their million selling 1971 hit song called 'How Do You Do'; it even reached the USA Top 10 later in 1972. After their Eurovision entry 'I See A Star' they released one more song ... before parting ways, mid 1974.
Maggie MacNeal represented The Netherlands at the 1980 Eurovision with a song called 'Amsterdam', ending 5th. Big Mouth enjoyed some further charts successes as a duo with his wife Little Eve. He passed away at 67 in 2004.
Will
What about Ooh Aah Just a Little Bit by Gina G?
Tweeter_f
This article is about the non-UK entries that have charted.
There's a link in the text of the article above for the corresponding article detailing the UK entries.
Will
Oh okay
Mia Kugler
The man on the picture is Duncan Laurence, NOT Mans Zelmerlöw
Tweeter_f
So...no one noticed that the main image is of Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands, and not Måns Zelmerlöw of Sweden, as the text states?
Sakis Gravanis
Wow no entries at all between 2000-05 and 1988-92
Simon Burman
1993 Sonia got to number 15 with Better the Devil You Know!
Sakis Gravanis
Unfortunately it wasn't a number one in Eurovision
Phil Crittenden
You've missed out Bucks Fizz and Katrina and the Waves!
M
Melisalove
More find here https://tinyurl.com/Eurovisions-highest-charting
Simon Alcaraz
I think Why Me by Linda Martin also charted in the UK after her win
Mark Wislen
1974 was the only Year, that the entire finishing Top 4 Eurovision Songs, all reached the Top 20, of the UK Chart. ABBA were 1st, for Sweden, and 'Waterloo' was a UK No.1 Hit. Gigliola Cinquetti was 2nd, for Italy, with 'Si', and the English version - 'Go' - was a UK No.8 Hit. The Male/Female Duo, Mouth & MacNeal were 3rd, for The Netherlands, and 'I See A Star' was also a No.8 Hit. Finally, the UK Entry, by Olivia Newton-John, was 4th and 'Long Live Love' was a No.11 Hit. Olivia didn't like her Song, and ABBA thought that Mouth & MacNeal were going to Win. 'Waterloo' remains the only Winning Eurovision Song to reach the USA Top 10 - No.6. The only other 2 Eurovision Entry Songs, to reach the USA Top 40 were: 'Save Your Kisses For Me', by the UK's Brotherhood Of Man. (USA - No.27 in 1976), and 'Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit', by Gina G. That came 8th, for the UK, but it was a far bigger Global Hit than the Irish Winning Song. It was a Top 10 Hit in 11 Countries, and Top 30 in 4 more. Including No.12 in the USA. So, it joins ABBA's 'Waterloo', in being only 1 of 3 USA Top 20 Hits, by Eurovision Song Contest Entries...(The Italian Entry, from 1958, was a USA No.1 Hit, but it only came 3rd in the Contest. An Orchestral adaption, of the Vicky Leandros 1967 Entry, for Luxembourg, (4th in the Contest), was also a USA No.1 Hit, in 1968. But, it was not Vicky's Entry. It was an Instrumental cover, by another Artist. Which is why ABBA's 'Waterloo', remains the highest Charting Winning Entry, in the USA, with its No.6 Peak).
Richard
The 1973 Spanish entry, Eres Tu, was also a US Top 10 hit (#9).
Mark Wislen
Thanks Richard. I forgot about 'Eres Tu'. That came 2nd in 1973. It is one of my favourite ESC Entries. A further USA ESC 'connection' is that, Mouth & MacNeal came 3rd in the 1974 ESC, with 'I See A Star'. That was a No.8 UK Hit. It was not a USA Hit, but the Dutch Duo, did reach No.8 there, in 1972. That was with 'How Do You Do'. Roxette had a 1992 Hit, with a Song with that same Title, but it is not a cover of the 1972 Hit. The Roxette Hit had an exclamation mark in the title - 'How Do You Do!'...
Dean Scapolo
Volare by Domenico Modugno was a US #1 hit in 1958, it came 3rd in Eurovision 1958, and went on to sell 5 million in the USA alone.
And, as said, Eres Tu was also a top ten US hit foi Mocedades, from 1973. These 2 and Waterloo are the 3 biggest Eurovision hits in history for SALES.
Brotherhood of Man did make the US top 40, but that was primarily due to airplay, Cashbox & Music Vendor placed their hit at about #49, and their charts are based solely on sales.
Canada's biggest Eurovision hits were Waterloo and Eres Tu, followed by Congratulations. Their charts began in 1966.
Richard William Crane
Well by my reckoning the Official Charts are missing the following non-UK chart entries
1958 Italy Domenico Modugno "Volare" # 10
1959 Italy Domenico Modugno "Ciao, Ciao Bambina (Piove)" # 29
1960 France Jacqueline Boyer "Tom Pillibi" # 33
1964 Italy Gigliola Cinquetti "Non L'eta Per Amarti" # 17
1968 Spain Massiel "La, La, La" # 35
1971 Monaco Severine "Un Banc, Un Abre, Une Rue" # 9
1972 Luxembourg Vicky Leandros "Come What May" # 2
1973 Luxembourg Anne-Marie David "Wonderful Dream" # 13
1974 Italy Gigliola Cinquetti "Go" # 8
1974 Sweden ABBA "Waterloo" already listed but re-charted at # 20 in 2004
1977 France Marie Myriam "L'oiseau Et L E'nfant" # 42
1979 Israel Milk & Honey featuring Gali Atai "Hallelujah" # 5
1983 Luxembourg Corinne Hermes "Sl La Vie Est Cadeau" # 89
1984 Sweden Herreys"Diggi-loo Diggi-ley" # 46
1985 Norway Bobbysocks "Let It Swing" # 44
1992 Ireland Linda Martin "Why Me" # 59
1994 Ireland Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan "Rock 'n' Roll Kids" # 83
1995 Norway Secret Garden "Nocturne" # 90 (didn't chart until October 1995)
2003 Turkey Sertab "Everyway That I Can" # 72
2004 Ukraine Ruslana "Wild Dances" # 47
2007 Russia Serebo "Song #1" # 99
2008 Greece Kalomoira "Secret Combination" # 71
2009 Iceland Yohanna "Is It True" # 49
2009 Germany Alex Swings Oscar Sings! "Miss Kiss, Kiss, Bang" # 85
2009 Finland Waldos People "Lose Control" # 100
2010 France Jessy Matador "Allez Olla Ole" # 81
2010 Belgium Tom Dice "Me & My Guitar" # 85
2011 Azebaijan Ell & Nikki "Running Scared" # 61
2011 Sweden Eric Saade "Popular" # 76
2011 Denmark A Friend In London "New Tomorrow" # 78
2012 Cyprus Ivi Adamou "La La Love" # 77
2013 Malta Gianluca "Tomorrow" # 66
2013 Sweden Robin Stjemberg "You" # 72
2013 Norway Margaret Berger "I Feed You My Love" # 80
2014 Denmark Basim "Cliché Love Song" # 46
2014 Iceland Polla Ponk "No Prejudice" # 70
2014 Malta Firelight "Coming Home" # 82
2014 Switzerland Sebalter "Hunter Of Stars" # 85
2014 Armenia ArmaMP3 "Not Alone" # 88
2014 France Twin Twin "Moustache" # 89
2014 Finland Softengine "Something Better" # 93
2014 Norway Carl Epsen "Silent Storm" # 97
2015 Russia Polina Gargarnia "A Million Voices" # 97
2016 Sweden Frans "If I Were Sorry" # 61
2018 Israel Netta "I'm Not Your Toy" # 49
2018 Cyprus Eleni Foureia "Fuego" # 64
A
Anonymous
The Herreys peaked at 46 in 1984 with Sweden's winning entry that year, Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley.
https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21666/herreys/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diggi-Loo_Diggi-Ley
1
1999
How about Marie Myriam just outside the Top 40 at 42 in 1977?
Christopher Leavy
How did you miss Brotherhood of Man's "Save Your Kisses For Me"? Wasn't that the top song of the YEAR in 1976?
Glasgow1975
Also a UK entry - this isn't about them . . .
Mark Wislen
It was the UK's Best Selling Single of 1976. ('Dancing Queen' was 4th. That ABBA Hit, has now outsold every other UK Hit, from 1976, in the UK). The Brotherhood Of Man ESC Entry was the World's 3rd Best Seller of 1976...
1
1999
I seem to recall Brotherhood of Man being No 1 for ages in 1976!
Glasgow1975
UK entry - this is about 'foreign' songs
Mark Wislen
It had 6 Weeks at No.1. There were 2 other 1976 Hits, that were also 6 Week Chart Toppers. 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', by Elton John & Kiki Dee, and 'Dancing Queen', by ABBA.
etin
what is best selling eurovision song in uk?
Stewart Welsh
The best selling single is Save Your Kisses For Me from 1976.
etin
I am wondering imaani & where are you now's sales
Conner Harper
The UK entry has never made it on the charts, perhaps Michael Rice could be the first?
Glasgow1975
What nonsense. Admittedly they have done poorly recently but Gina G had a huge hit, even broke America, to name just one UK entry that proves you completely wrong.
Glasgow1975
There's even an article linked in the description for UK Eurovision Entries chart history ffs
B
Brian
Olivia Newton John hit #11 with Long Live Love, the same year that Abba won.
R
Roger
Gigliola Cinquetti who is mentioned below for 1974 runner up, won in 1964 with Non L eta which reached number 17 in the UK. Spain’s Massiel won in 1968 with La La La which got to 35 here, and in 1971 Severine won for Monaco with Une Banc, Une Arbre, Une Rue which made it to no. 9 here. A poorly researched article.
R
Roger
Actually a poor list missing quite a few. Vicky Leandro won for Luxembourg in 1972, the English language version of the song Come What May reached no. 2. In 1973 Anne Marie David won again for Luxembourg and the English version of the winning song Wonderful Dream reached no. 13. Probably others too
R
Roger
Israel Halleujah by Milk and Honey, winner in 1979 and reached top 5
AB
Andrew Brown
What about Italy 1974 Gigliola Cinquetti with Go Top 10 runner up to Abba