Worst Eurovision Winners Ever – Hundreds of people have voted for their personal Top 5 of the Worst Eurovision winners ever. The 5th place of each voter got one point, the 4th place 2 points and so on, the first place thus getting 5 points. The result is a ranking of all 60 Eurovision winners. In the coming days we will reveal the Top 15 of your voting. Today we continue with the second Italian winner: Toto Cutugno.
Toto Cutugno represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 in Zagreb. He had won the San Remo festival in 1980 and had come second six times in subsequent years. His Eurovision entry in 1990 was “Insieme (1992)”, a song about the unification of Europe. The year 1992 refers to the birth of the European Union. Cutugno sings “Insieme, Unite Unite Europe” in the chorus and was supported by the Slovenian band Pepel in Kri, who represented Yugoslavia in 1975. After the song became a moderate hit in several European countries. His 14th place in our voting may have to do with his performance as host of the 1991 contest, which is still seen as possibly being the worst ever.
Here is the winning performance of 1990:
Do you agree that Toto is one of the worst winners? And if you voted for him, why did you?
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I love this song… but ok ^^ that’s democracy
I don’t love it but I like it a lot.
Never really understood the appeal of this song. I am indifferent to it.
I really can’t think of a single reason Italy 1990 would be featured here. Toto Cutugno was probably one of the worst presenters in the history of the contest but he is a confident performer and the song is very good IMO actually. I would prefer either of the runner ups to be honest (although with a more restrained stage performance from France) but still a worthy winner in a so and so year.
It’s definitely in my bottom of 90 but surprisingly I don’t hate it either when you compare to Sweden 91 or Ireland 92…
Btw, my 1990 top 3:
1. Belgium (the country that is a love or hate affair for me almost every year)
2. Spain
3. France
@ Morgan: I have Yugoslavia in 5th place.
I voted Toto into my bottom 5, and I don’t exactly know why I don’t like it. He’s a fine performer, but there’s something about the composition (and I can’t identify what) that really turns me off of the song. It might be its anthemic qualities (I was never a big fan of anthems, whether I agree or disagree with the message is irrelevant).
I expected it to be much higher. 4th place in my vote – tacky and noisy imho.
I am indifferent to this song. But it is definitely not one of the worst winners ever.
As of the 1990 contest. In my opinion it is the oldest contest that doesn’t look dated. And I think it was the first year that the performers tried to look a bit classy, with black as the predominant color.
Unfortunately nobody told Maywood that Dynasty dresses were not cool anymore. That combined with the trumpetist screwing up, sealed the faith of the Dutch entry.
My winner, the very laid-back mediterranean song from Turkey.
Anno domine 1990, the year I was born.
Well, 1990 was the year when everybody saw some kind of a re-birth of Europe, due to the fall of the Berlin Wall. And we got songs from Germany, Austria and Norway pointing that out too. And Italy. I like this one quite much. It is anthemic and powerful, and also well-performed, even though I don’t like these kind of lyrics. My favourite of that year is Spain, but Italy is in my Top 5. And yes, choosing Toto as the host for next year must be one of the biggest mistakes in Italian TV history.
I don’t know what’s wrong with people voting on this site. In my opinion, this is one of the BEST songs
This Song was my Number1 in this Poll.
It has pretty nice Melody & great, powerful Vocals.
But I voted it, because of the Lyrics. I can’t remember a more political Song in ESC History. Why did they ban “We don’t wanna put in” & this not?
With the Subtitle “1992″, Toto refers to a Treaty that’s blamable for Financial Crisis we have today…no, Ketils “Brandenburger Tor” was much better Iron-Courtain-Fall-Song without Politics. I love it until today & even wrote a German Version for it:)
Eulenspiegel, I was born in Carolas Year 1991. I’m still a little proud, that in my Year, there won such a great Song;) even if some don’t like it…
Darling, if this is your opinion you still have a lot to learn about sub-prime mortgages and state spending deficit. The PIGS would have financial problems regardless because they can’t keep a fiscal discipline.
That’s the Problem: In Germany, Politicans say, that, that the PIIGS are blamable themselves, too, but that’s not true. Because of this Treaty, German Products got too cheep, while Greek Products got too expensive. No Matter of the fiscal Discipline. Or do you think Germans have them? With more than 2.000.000.000.000 debts? But let’s stop getting political here:)
That is an extremely silly comment in every possible way. I want to mention just one thing: The lyrics of Italy 1990 aren’t more political than Nicole’s ‘Ein bißchen Frieden’ or countless other ESC songs. The fact that you obviously do not like European integration does not make ‘Insieme’ a bad song. Art should never be judged ideologically …
This is a reply to Lucky 12b’s comment.
“Ein bißchen Frieden” or even “Push the Botton” don’t speak about a concrete political Happening. That I’m no Fan of this Happening is only the 2nd Point.
“Integration” & “Unification” is something very different. The 1st means, that everybody can live & work were he wants, that’s great. The 2nd means, that Countries have to make Laws they, & especially their Peoples don’t want. Not even Germany or the USA have a Centralized Bank, & they are Independent States. How should this work for EU?
But let’s stop getting political here. I don’t like the Lyrics & the Lyrics belong to the Song, & so I can vote for it. I think, you have Voted for all my Favourite Winners, too (if you are the same togravus like in esctoday, than I’m pretty sure;)
Italy 1990 was one of the worst song in that contest and why it won is still beyond me.As for the singer, well he obviously thought he was the special one. His overall manner was LOOK AT ME I AM SO PERFECT AND SPECIAL and he quite simply is an annoying person.
An anthemic esc song.I can see why it won although i just find it ok.Spain was fantastic in 1990!Azucar Moreno and “Bandido”.
I absolutely love this song and has so for many years – one of the best winners in my book! But the year after he was absolutely terrible as a host but that a different thing…
Hello. I really disagree. I saw this contest in 1992. He simply was the best. It was the first Eurovision I ever had seen.
With best wishes
Ieva
Latvia
A few years ago, there were a few comments about the “possible” or “likely” or “unlikely” return of Italy to Eurovision. Most people said, “not gonna happen, get over it and move on”. Still, we all know what happened in late 2010, against all odds… If you don’t want them out of Eurovision, think before voting for this.
If the Italians are so sensitive that the voting of a blog community is enough criticism for them to withdraw, the station would need some growing to do before participating in a continent-wide competitive event anyway.