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 first and only winner from Greece.
In 2005 Greece sent Helena Paparizou, born in Sweden as a child of Greek immigrants, to Kiev. As a member of the laiko and Eurodance band Antique, she rose to fame and represented Greece in Eurovision 2001 coming third. Antique disbanded in 2003 and Paparizou embarked on a solo career. She was internally selected in 2005 and presented three songs to the Greek public. “My Number One” was chosen as the entry. It is a dance song featuring traditional Greek music elements. The song’s arrangement includes bouzoukis and a solo featuring a Cretan lyra. The lyrics are about the singers lover who is praised as being her “number one” and the “only treasure” she’ll ever have.
Here is the winning performance:
Do you agree that Helena Paparizou is one of the worst winners of all time? If you voted for her, why did you?
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I have to disagree once again. In the dark esc era of televoting and with all the regional factors that led to this win “My Number One” is probably one of the acceptable winners. The song is nothing to write home about (a representative of the ethno pop I usually detest) but Helena is a classy, confident and extremely talented performer, probably the last of those Greece has provided to esc ever since. She truly makes something out of this song and there are definately much worse winners…
who the f… voted for this song to be undeserved needs really to visit an eardoctor!!!! My God!!!
I did, It’s beyond horrible, choreography is SHITE, she is SHITE singer, and song (composition) is the worst of all, it’s a BIG TRASH FOR GARBAGE BIN! Dress is also horrible, her lips are fake and disgusting, hair is shite..everything is AWFUL and CHEAP! Singing is beyond terrible, and sounds like screaming cat! AAAAAAWFUL!! YUCK! :/
ehm… ok
Delete it, I don’t care, it’s important for me to write what I think!
for the first time we agree
Greece 2005 among the worst esc winners?! well, whatever
Anyway it’s my 8th most favourite Greek entry ever. Generally this kind of music is not my cup of tea, but given the trash we had to deal with in the ESC during the 00′s, this was the best thing we could have, in terms of its’ particular music genre (mainstream eurodance pop).
Btw, I don’t think that Antique had anything to do with what we call in Greece “laiko” music
Greece 2005 does not belong anywhere near a worst of list imho. Yes, the song is a rather generic shake it! number and the lyrics could have been written by any mildly talented 5 year old … but Helena is a charismatic and competent live performer who transformed this ethnopop song into highly entertaining 3 minutes. I like the melody and the fact that you can tell that it is a Greek song too. The worst thing about Helena’s victory probably is that Greece thought that they had found the recipe for success and with only two expections (2006 & 2012) sent songs in the same style. Unfortunately, none of them came even close to the sexy classiness Helena exuded in 2005. In fact, they were all utter cr*p, with the exception of ‘Opa’ perhaps. I can understand that song’s apeeal even hough it does not do anything for me.
Btw, the second Helena had finished in 2005, I knew that I had seen the winner.
The song has never been in my personal 2005 top 10 though, mainly because of the lyrics.
“The worst thing about Helena’s victory probably is that Greece thought that they had found the recipe for success and with only two expections (2006 & 2012) sent songs in the same style”
Douze points for this!
…although I think you mean 2006 and 2011
Oh, you spotted the mistake … I am commentling here while preparing dinner. Multitasking …
I meant 2006 and 2011 of course. 2012 was the worst of the lot!
2009 and 2010 are in the same category, lo and behold. Probably the recipe is called “entries that don’t meet my personal taste”?
Off topic: Turkey has confirmed for 2013. Yay!
http://myeurovisiondiary.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/turkey-confirms-for-2013/
The post is copy/paste from escXtra.com.. here is the original post: http://escxtra.com/2012/07/participation-in-2013-confirmed-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=participation-in-2013-confirmed-2
That’s most pleasant news! although I had no doubt on this tbh.
I hope for sth similar to their efforts of the last three years; can’t wait for a fourth year in a row with Turkey in my top10
I voted for this.
Why I voted for this:
First off the lyrics are way too repetitive, simple and boring, with Helena’s “sexy” dance, just made it more suggestive than it already was. Basically it was selling me that cheapfullness. This type of song was sent by Greece every year after that, best examples are Kalomira’s and Eleftheria’s. It’s not selling me a song, but the singer and how she looks, how she’s dressed and how sexy she can look. Eh, no thanks. More focus on the song please.
Second, the song only lasts about a minute and a half, then it repeats itself. The solo is even repeated. It’s like they got lazy with it and just focused on how they could display it.
The only positive aspect of the performance, was when Helena danced together with the guys and when they lifted her to imitate a lyra. It looked really pretty, but enough to make it worthwhile.
And yes, she could sing, but the song and how is was projected weights more.
This is ridiculous. No way this is one of the 15 worst songs ever to win eurovision.
Nor is it one of the best winners ever. (The Congrutalions show in Copenhagen were it was voted 4th best winner.)
Greece 2005 as a song us just acceptable. But the performance was memorable and it somehow screamed winner. I was rather surprised how low the margin was with which it won. During the first part of the voting, when the semifinalists voted, it didn’t seem as if it would win.
Latvia was leading almost during half of the voting!! Walters & Kazha should have won! Chiara was AWESOME as well..I wish she has won!
Another of my FavouritesXD
I hate this song. I hate it with a passion. Every time I think about how this song won the contest, I get a little more angry on the inside.
This reaction is completely irrational and hard to explain, but “My Number One” is easily one of the worst winners to me.
May I join the club?
Gosh, how I dislike this song. And perhaps even more since everybody was going nuts over this in Sweden back then. The song was played over and over and over again on the radio, which made me even more staunch in my dislike of this Anastacia goes bouzouki, added with these stage-filling backing dancers doing some standard routines and so on and on…
Why couldn’t Helena have entered with a song like “The light in our soul” instead? THAT was a good song and it was played way too little afterwards. This is fair and square one of the worst winners ever!
Then, I shall teach you the club’s secret handshake. LOL
I’m not a big fan of “The Light in our Soul” either, but I like it a smidgen more than “My Number One.”
“Then, I shall teach you the club’s secret handshake”
Can it be fiddling in the air while shouting “hey”?
Hmmm…. Sure. We’ll go with that.
BRAVO Pat!!
lol 
Not worst winner, but easily one of the worst songs, when I hear those vocals i wanna PUKE, it’s so shaky and awful! 
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Greece 05 is included in the list.I have to disagree though.The song and the performance was a clear winner back then and even though it’s not an esc classic,it was an instant hit.I remember the first time i listened to the song,i thought “this is a winner”!It was a good and contemporary tune for the 2005 context but nowdays it wouldn’t win,most probably.
I have never liked it much. It sounds priggish and too calculating to me. However, it is not one of the worst.
Not the brightest star among them all, but not a candidate for rock bottom either. Let alone the moronic lyrics, she could really sing and performed the song with perfect confidence. However, if Greece continues sending the same song every year, I’d be glad if they don’t win again for some time.
Awful live performer and overrated by gay ESC fans! YUCK! This song is only good for gay ESC fans! This choreography is SHITE, in the USA they laugh to shite choreographies like this! She sings like screaming cat, looks like the cheapest SLUT and hair is UGLY as HELL! YUCK!
Definitely the worst winner and one of the worst song! Earlier I thought Dana International is the worst winner, but now when I watched this after many years (I have never watched or listened again this shit after it won ESC) I say this is worse than Dana by far!
Dear Marko,
Why do I get the feeling that all this delirium tremens of yours (I can’t find a better word to describe the use of terms like: shite, slut, overrated by gay esc fans, screaming cat etc, from your side) has to do with the fact that:
1. You are a renowned hater of Greece, not only regarding the esc, but in general (You have repeatedly called Greece, and I quote: ” a horrible country” and since I have been reading your comments for the last 2 and a half years now, in esctoday in the past, and on this site later, you have never uttered a single positive word re: anything related to Greece whatsoever (it’s your firm right though).
2. you consider a total disgrace the fact that an “inferior Greek”, with origins from an “uncivilized” country of the south like Greece, as Helena was born in your beloved, sophisticated, civilized and “western” Sweden and has a successful career.
Such a foul language shows one thing (to say the least): lack of manners.
PS: to the rest of the users of this site, I deeply apologize for my temper, but there comes a moment that a human being runs out of patience, and believe me 2,5 years of patience is a very long time.
Number 1 and 2 are both not true, you missed many positive things I said about Greece, BUT I don’t care, that is your problem! And i think that about 2005 winner and that’s it, it’s even worse than I explained, but OK, she sang so bad and without breath!
And i didn’t criticize 2012 Greece at all, if i criticize songs you like DEAL WITH IT! How many times you criticized song I LOVE with many bad words! pfff. :/
And I will go to Greece this year at seaside vacation in September probably! LOL
Just ignore him… that’s the worst punishment of all for him.
Because of songs like this everybody hate ESC (except hardcore fans) and I know so many ppl who laugh at ESC from many countries, I also start to hate ESC because of songs and shitty performers like this one! In the USA they would laugh to this song, poor singer and choreography!
Now I’m sure that it’s not that she doesn’t want to represent Sweden in ESC, but it’s vice versa, Sweden doesn’t want her at all, I’M SURE 100%! SHE SUCKS AS HELL!
Now that you are officialy not an ESC fan anymore, you are even more passionate than before …
Btw, why should anyone in Europe give a toss about what people in the USA think about songs competing in a European event?
LOL because USA is the most important in the world music and especially choreography, only USA makes good choreography, 90% of choreographers are from the USA!! LOL You see that in the most important country in Europe – Germany they pay every year to USA composers to represent them! LOL What do you think that your Andorra is important or Pasha Parfeny from Moldova! hahahah maybe to pay to Pasha Parfeny to compose! LOL I would pay him, maybe 2 dollars, hardly more! ROFL
I accidentally clicked on your profile and saw your rankings for this year’s Eurovision entries… Amazing how you gave so many countries 10/10 and now hate the contest… You should go into politics, maybe…
I didn’t visit my profile at all after ESC, I will delete it soon, don’t worry, it’s not valid any more..
That’s my point. I’ll say it with Céline: On ne change pas (One doesn’t change)
not that quickly in any case…
Most Fans like this Competition especially, because it is NOT American. We hear this boring American Stuff all the Year, but at Least 1 Week, we have the Chance to hear Music from Malta or Moldova. If you prefer American Stuff, you are lucky to watch VIVA, MTV of however Music Channels are called in your Country & don’t be rude to us.
PS: NDR (Northern German Television) buys Composers from abroad (most are not from America) & many German Fans are angry, exactly because of this.
But generally I think ESC lost its European favour in recent years (due to ‘jury’ mainly). :/
Watching the 2011 contest, I hardly can recall that it is EUROvision.
SWEDEN-vision perhaps, with most songs penned and produced by swedes
Yes, that’s so true. That’s 1 of the Reasons, why I hate the Jury-Rule…but nevertheless, we hear at Eurovision something different than the Rest of the Year, & even MIXULAs Sweden-Vision is better than America-Vision for at east this 1 Week:)
Choregraphy is not music, and the USA aren’t known for their music.
Their stars are commercial crap, just like ABBA and just like everything made to sell millions of CDs with no artistic purpose to uneducated ears.
Nothing different with Greece 2005 (that sucks as well)
What would you see as having artistic purpose for example?
OMG what a haircut!!
(( I’m scared to death, please human rights organizations delete all videos of her performance from internet so children of teh word don’t have nightmares! :’(
And that fake ethnic music, it’s disgrace for everything, it’s shame, and after first chorus when she looses breath completely and sings so bad live, OMG, I would like I dream this! I hate this! It’s horrible! that fake ethnic music is shame for real music!
But the worst thing is that Toggie likes this shite! That doesn’t make sense at all, and makes this world bad place, because I lost all hopes! LOL
Don’t exaggerate, please. As I have said above, I like Helena Paparizou but not the song. ‘MNO’ certainly is not high art but it qualifies as competent entertainment in my book.
You are pathetic! I’m sorry but I had to say that. Someone should study your behavior. What happened to you as a child? (Or are you still one?)
I mean M of course!
I’m pathetic and you are from Greece! Right? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Good night folks and i wish you the great time with Paparizou and her wonderful song! hahaha xD
YUCK!
I’m from Estonia and I don’t like the song either.. has nothing to do with that. The way you act is simply disgraceful. and I think you should really realize that.
Hahaha and look at your face on the picture/avatar which site “gave” to you! Who tells me! LOL
I don’t want to argue with you, good night!
Someone should ban “M – Right By My Side”. Everyone have their right to have their opinion, but this person is just trolling.
They can ban me without a problem, Anonymous!
But I have 4 thumbs up and 4 thumbs down for comment, I don’t see that many ppl disagree with me, half agree and half disagree!
I also absolutely hate it. Every shake it female winner from 2002-2005 are rather bad but to some level, in 2002 I absolutely love the song (and 2001-2002 was when I started looking at esc online and I knew the songs before esc for the first time and Latvia was my runnerup in 2002 behind France I was glad it won instead of Malta, Estonia or the Uk) and the live is funky cool but the vocals are not awesome… in 2003 Sertab on the contrary makes the best of the best live and even her vocals (more than bad in rehearsals) were spot on, but the song itself is that ethno pop that brings us one step closer to doom… in 2004 it went wrong, the song is nothing to write about and the vocals are bad, but overall the show did come out pretty awesome, leather, fur, savages, I get it… in 2005 I dislike everything;:the song is definitely the stupidest of them all, the live is the sluttiest most irrelevant (when the boys write down a 1 on the floor I wanna puke by so much cheese) and Helena makes sure we all understand that his is about her legs and shakyness more than her voice… I did vote for Greece 2005 because it hit rock bottom for Esc and if Lordi did not manage to win, we might have gone for 5 more like that, now only Greece, Cyprus and a few Eastern-European countries still think it’s a formula to win!
One of the songs that won only thanks to its diaspora voting (and it’s a fact, not stupid assumption btw, considering Malta came second).
I agree, one of the last bad winners alongside Azerbaijan 2011.
There is no song that can win eurovision only based on its’ diaspora.So,it’s not facts.It is just your opinion.
Well ”My number one” it is not among my all time best ESC entries but in 2005 it was a very well deserved winner. Only Hungary could claim the trophy from Greece that year, IMO.
There are so many new articles available. Greece 05 is all about the stage presentation and understandably almost nothing about the weak song. There were immensely better songs on offer, such as Monaco 05.
… which came 2nd to last in the semi. That’s televoting …
Tout de moi sound like English Céline Dion singing a French song (if you get what I mean ^^)
I must say that I never pictured Ms. Dion singing ‘Tout de moi’, but I see your point.
Indeed.
I rank Greece 2005 with 7/12.
Hungary was my winner that year followed by Switzerland !
lol obviously there are many haters of Greece/Helena here. She was clearly the best in 2005, she had everything and the song was extremely catchy and modern. It was so entertaining and that is what Eurovision is about. It is a pity she won in Kiev, the worst Eurovision edition in 00s and the worst audience ever.
Hungary, Romania, Israel and Switzerland had great songs that year.