Editorial – In this series, we will be looking back on the past ten years of the Eurovision Song Contest and in this first article we will be looking at the year 2007. This was the 52nd edition of the show and would be the last time a single semi final would be used to determine a Grand Final…
True Fantasy
Host:
Helsinki, Finland (YLE)
Venue:
Hartwall Areena, Helsinki, Finland
Debut:
Czech Republic
Georgia
Monetengro
Serbia
Returns:
Austria
Hungary
Withdrawals:
Monaco
Winner:
Serbia
Last Place:
Ireland
Eurovision 2007 saw 42 participating countries permform to suceed 2006 winners Lordi who brought Eurovision to Helsniki with their song “Hard Rock Hallelujah”. It was the first show to be aired in High Definition and nine million votes were cast in the Grand Final that saw Serbia take the Trophy at their debut*
*This was Serbia’s debut as a state indepentant from Montenegro.
Semi Final
The Top 10 from the previous year saw automatic qualification to the Grand Final along with the Big Four. The final 10 would need to qualify from the semi final. 2007 would be the last year this system. The 2006 semi finalists were (Qualifiers in pink):
01 Bulgaria Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankoulov “Water”
02 Israel Teapacks “Push the Button”
03 Cyprus Evridiki “Comme ci, comme ça”
04 Belarus Koldun “Work Your Magic”
05 Iceland Eiríkur Hauksson “Valentine Lost”
06 Georgia Sopho “Visionary Dream”
07 Montenegro Stevan Faddy “‘Ajde, kroči”
08 Switzerland DJ BoBo “Vampires Are Alive”
09 Moldova Natalia Barbu “Fight”
10 Netherlands Edsilia Rombley “On Top of the World”
11 Albania Frederik Ndoci “Hear My Plea”
12 Denmark DQ “Drama Queen”
13 Croatia Dragonfly feat. Dado Topić “Vjerujem u ljubav”
14 Poland The Jet Set “Time to Party”
15 Serbia Marija Šerifović “Molitva”
16 Czech Republic Kabát “Malá dáma”
17 Portugal Sabrina “Dança comigo”
18 Macedonia Karolina “Mojot svet”
19 Norway Guri Schanke “Ven a bailar conmigo”
20 Malta Olivia Lewis “Vertigo”
21 Andorra Anonymous “Salvem el món”
22 Hungary Magdi Rúzsa “Unsubstantial Blues”
23 Estonia Gerli Padar “Partners in Crime”
24 Belgium The KMG’s “Love Power”
25 Slovenia Alenka Gotar “Cvet z juga”
26 Turkey Kenan Doğulu “Shake It Up Şekerim”
27 Austria Eric Papilaya “Get a Life – Get Alive”
28 Latvia Bonaparti.lv “Questa notte”
Grand Final
The Grand Final consisted of 24 artists. These were the 10 qualifiers from the Semi Final, the Big Four and the Top 10 from the previous year.
The Big Four: United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain
The 2006 Top 10: Finland, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Sweden, Lithuania, Ukraine, Armenia, Greece and Ireland.
The Full Running Order of the Grand Final are below…
01 Bosnia and Herzegovina Marija Šestić “Rijeka bez imena”
02 Spain D’NASH “I Love You Mi Vida”
03 Belarus Dmitry Koldun “Work Your Magic”
04 Ireland Dervish “They Can’t Stop the Spring”
05 Finland Hanna Pakarinen “Leave Me Alone”
06 Macedonia Karolina “Mojot svet”
07 Slovenia Alenka Gotar “Cvet z juga”
08 Hungary Magdi Rúzsa “Unsubstantial Blues”
09 Lithuania 4Fun “Love or Leave”
10 Greece Sarbel “Yassou Maria”
11 Georgia Sopho “Visionary Dream”
12 Sweden The Ark “The Worrying Kind”
13 France Les Fatals Picards “L’amour à la française”
14 Latvia Bonaparti.lv “Questa notte”
15 Russia Serebro “Song #1”
16 Germany Roger Cicero “Frauen regier’n die Welt”
17 Serbia Marija Šerifović “Molitva”
18 Ukraine Verka Serduchka “Dancing Lasha Tumbai”
19 United Kingdom Scooch “Flying the Flag (For You)”
20 Romania Todomondo “Liubi, Liubi, I Love You”
21 Bulgaria Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankoulov “Water”
22 Turkey Kenan Doğulu “Shake It Up Şekerim”
23 Armenia Hayko “Anytime You Need”
24 Moldova Natalia Barbu “Fight”
The Top 10
10 Moldova Natalia Barbu “Fight”
09 Hungary Magdi Rúzsa “Unsubstantial Blues”
08 Armenia Hayko “Anytime You Need”
07 Greece Sarbel “Yassou Maria”
06 Belarus Dmitry Koldun “Work Your Magic”
05 Bulgaria Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankoulov “Water”
04 Turkey Kenan Doğulu “Shake It Up Şekerim”
03 Russia Serebro “Song #1”
02 Ukraine Verka Serduchka “Dancing Lasha Tumbai”
01 Serbia Marija Šerifović “Molitva”
Marcel Bezençon Awards
Artists Award: Serbia “Molitva” performed by Marija Šerifović
Composer Award: Hungary “Unsubstantial Blues” performed by Magdi Rúzsa
Press Award: Ukraine “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” Performed by Verka Serduchka
The Barbara Dex
The annual contest where fans can vote for the worst dressed of the year. This year the award went to second place contest winner Verka Serduchka who would become one of the contests most iconic participants.
The Poll
During that years Eurovision “Bubble”, everyone has their favourite song but years later, you look back and realise how good other sings in the contest were. Winning songs aren’t seen to be good songs ten years later so I, true to fashion, will include a poll for you to vote for what song you thought was the best that year. Click here to go to a poll that will take you to Google Drive.
Just watched the semi-final… Not a very good experience, unfortunately…
I don’t think I would take any of these songs to a desert island. 😊
If I had to choose the 10 songs that should go to the final, they would be:
1- Czech Republic
2- Israel
3- Croatia
4- Albania
5- Latvia
6- Georgia
7- Serbia
8- Iceland
9- Cyprus
10- Hungary
Btw, have you noticed the resemblances of Switzerland 2007 – Romania 2018 and of Slovenia 2007 – Greece 2018 (in terms of staging)?
I hope that among the other 14 songs I’ll find something special.
Good idea, Jade!
2007 is about my favourite German entry:
I still remember vividly Roger’s live performance – pure class and talent.
Avat, have you heard this version of ‘Amar pelos dois’?
P.S. – I recognize the studio.
It was the interval act of depi evratesil :) They sound really sweet😀
Speaking of ESC 2007, I always thought there was too much talk about regions back then. It is true that no western and northern European countries qualified from the semi final, but none of them really deserved so anyway, except perhaps Iceland. Eurovision is not about having a 50/50 distribution between regions, but about having the most significant entries, and in 2007 the western countries in the semi disappointed (there were some good ones among the directly qualified which I personally think should have done better).
That being said, I am glad they introduced two semi finals afterwards, but that is mainly because 28 songs in one show is way too much, and with only ten songs qualifying, it is much more difficult to make it through.
That’s right, Anders. Most of the western and Northern songs in the semi are awful. Not that the others are much better, but Portugal, Norway, Denmark or Switzerland, just to give 4 examples, are embarrassing.
Denmark in particular was awaful. I can live with Portugal and Norway, but the do little for me, and Switzerland was just dumb.
Of course, we can always argue that Turkey was just as awful and got to the final…
I don’t think Turkey was awful. I like the beat and the guitar ostnate :)
(*guitar ostinate)
EXACTLY ! I really wanted to say the same thing !
Seriously now did fans really want Switzerland, Denmark, Norway etc through? As PJ added they were awful and embarassing.
Switzerland was one of the bookies’ favourites if I remember correctly, but I never understood it. Maybe it was just that DJ Bobo was a well known singer.
It was. Another typical fanwank. They simply thought “Hey let’s just repeat Lordi’s success but with Vampires this time”
And the live performance. Ugh. It makes me cringe.
It has always been silly to base results on regions. Fact is that almost all Western and Nordic countries sucked in the mid-noughties whereas many Eastern and Mediterranean countries made real efforts. However, I still think that Germany and Sweden deserved better in the final, just as Norway deserved to do better in 2006. Nevertheless, I think that those 3 songs did not fail because of the flags they represented but because the music simply did not appeal to people across Europe.
I agree with that.
Not those you mention but the Netherlands and Portugal not making it was a travesty compared to some who did like Latvia or the FYRoM… Switzerland and Cyprus not making it despite being favourites was completely understandable on the other hand.
ONLY Iceland was robbed imo and perhaps Netherlands which is the typical entry juries would have around 10th nowadays and televoting among last!
I think Netherlands was a big disappointment. It is nowhere near “Hemel en aarde” f.e.
I agree, but current juries would still fall for it.
Hm, possibly. I’m not 100% sure, but it’s not impossible.
What do you think of EST that year?
Estonia?
Yes. Do you like Partners in crime?
Well I think it is one of those songs that don’t do anything bad. On the other hand it doesn’t really do anything good either. Rather anonymous. Not a bad composition, but it doesn’t stand out.
I prefer it to Netherlands, both song and performance-wise, fe
I agree. But not so much more than that.
Hello guys,
it’s been a while, but I’m glad to be back for such a nice occasion, to be able to reflect on past contests.
Great idea!
At the time I didn’t think that 2007 was particularly strong year, but actually with an average of 6.16, it is the 3rd best contest of the decade on my list.
Only 2002 and 2005 were stronger, imo.
My favourite was Germany (9/10), with an excellent song, and a great, true artist, late Roger Cicero.
Germany, in my opinion had an excellent decade, they only dissapointed in 2008.
Winner Serbia placed second in my list (9/10) which is still the only time I ever placed them in top 10 (although on many occasions they narrowly missed my top 10).
My least favourite of 2007 was Slovenia (3/10).
It is, for me, one of the worst performances of all times, so fake and artificial, without any artistic value.
The song itself has a nice enough tune, this is why I gave it 3/10, in stead of 0/10.
My guilty pleasure of the year was UK, 16th place with 7/10.
I don’t really like it that much, I just don’t hate it as most of people do. :-)
You will also find Spain and Denmark in my top 10, but that is not my guilty pleasure :-)
I really do think that both songs have quality :-) (especially Spain).
I gave 6/10 to Armenia (and placed it on 22. place).
At the time I didn’t know that Armenia would later become my single least favourite ESC nation of all times (with an average of 3,8), and that thie would be their highest placement on my list for many years (surpassed only this year, when I had “Qami” in my 11. place with 7/10).
Back in 2007 I was living in Croatia, and was very dissapointed with the outcome of the national final Dora.
However, over the years CRO 2007 grew a lot on me, and it is now on the 7. place of my 2007 list (8/10), and it also became my 5th best Croatian entry of all times.
Here is my TOP 10:
01. GERMANY — 9/10 — (Frauen regier’n die Welt – Roger Cicero)
02. SERBIA — 9/10 — (Molitva – Marija Šerifović)
03. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA — 8/10 — (Rijeka bez imena – Marija Šestić)
04. SPAIN — 8/10 — (I love you, mi vida – D’NASH)
05. BELARUS — 8/10 — (Work your magic – Koldun)
06. CROATIA — 8/10 — (Vjerujem u ljubav – Dragonfly feat. Dado Topić)
07. DENMARK — 8/10 — (Drama queen – DQ)
08. MOLDOVA — 8/10 — (Fight – Natalia Barbu)
09. ICELAND — 8/10 — (Valentine lost – Eiríkur Hauksson)
10. HUNGARY — 8/10 — (Unsubstantial blues – Magdi Rúzsa)
Hi Goran. Do you really think that DEU05 was good or even decent?
Hi Tooggie,
I don’t think that we would ever agree on both DEU 05, and HRV 05. :-)
“Run and hide” was never in my top 10, but I do think it is a decent entry. Over the years in went down on my list a bit.
I forgot to add 2002 and 2003 as very dissapointing, too.
I liked all other German entries from 2001 to 2010, especially 2007, 2006 and (yes!) 2001.
I meant to write
*don’t think we COULD ever agree… :-)
I love 2007 and like 2001, 2004 and 2006. It seems that we agree more than one would have thought. :)
Speaking of ABBA the other day,Cher sounds great singing “Fernando” :
Cher sounds great singing anything. That’s why she have had number 1 hits in US every decade since 1920’s! 😃
I love her but i don’t think she’d appreciate the 1920’s bit of your post.lol
She has great sense of humor and self irony, so coming from a huge fan, I think she would take it as an honor, which it was 😃
yes she does!
I’m very glad to read this comment!!!
Cher sounds fabulous but I was a bit concerned by how she moves in the film – seemed to be with more difficulties than my 83year-old father – bad arthritis maybe? Her wit and charme sharp as ever, mercifully!
She plays Meryl Streep’s mom.Could it be because of that and not an actual difficulty to move?At least,i hope so.
I don’t think so unfortunately – it wouldn’t really fit the character and it really seemed like the kindof laboured movements older people often have. You see that quite a bit actually; actors/actresses whose face still looks younger than they are (and whoever does Cher’s work does an amazing job) but their range of movement shows their age. Anyway, Cher rocks! Glad she keeps coming back; when I had the chance to see her live in 2000, it was supposed to be the final tour!
Wildfires burning the most beautiful Athens suburds seems that have already claimed 2 lives.A difficult night. :(
*suburbs
Oh my. :(
We are preparing for the next heat wave too. 2 weeks ago we had a burning vineyard. I don’t remember that happening before.
In Northern Greece we have a very cool summer with lots of rains like today.
You enjoy summer then, I guess. Northern Greece doing Sweden while Sweden is doing Greece … the world is falling to pieces. LOL
So sorry to hear this, Dimi.
It’s just dishearting seing all these places burned to the ground.
It is. It’s always very tragic.
Sorry to hear that! Stand strong!
Thank you.
I fear for the worst.
There are many similarities with the 2007 incidents from what I read and watch. Especially in Mati and Rafina where many people seem to have been caught and engulfed by the flames as they were desperately running to the sea to save themselves.
I fear for the worst.
There are many similarities with the 2007 incidents.
Especially in Mati and Rafina where many people seem to have been caught and engulfed by the flames as they were trying to run to the sea to save themselves.
Indeed.I dread reading the news in the morning. :/
My thoughts too…
Are you watching Alpha?
There are no words actually…
No.I just follow the newsfeed.Those long live broadcasts are nerve-racking.
Their reporter said that he has been counting dead bodies in charcoaled cars in just one street…
Yes,i just read that the death toll is rising and things will get worse.It’s a nightmare.
That is heartbreaking news. :(
It’s terrifying news! As I said to Dimitris, you need to stay strong!
Thank you.
Not again… Sad to hear about that. I remember last year Michos was very worried with some members of his family living around Athens, I think. Hope everything is OK.
Yes,that was a big fire too bit with no human casualties.It’s different this time around with purportedly many victims.Hope it won’t be verified.
Hi PJ. My family is fine but that’s not the case for dozens of other people…The stories are too horrible to share as entire areas have been razed from the map this time around. Last year was kid’s play compared to this…
Yes, Michos. I was just hearing the news this morning. We had more than 100 people dead here last year… Terrible news. :(
I remember that shocking inferno. Now it is our turn to go through it….I even read they have wildfires in Sweden because of chronic drought. Crazy…
Terrible news in Greece. At least 50 people dead from wildfires :(
Second time in a few hrs that wordpress won’t post my comment, which, btw, was…
“Spain has voted”.
Hola cariño, First I heard about the fires in Greece and it is terrible as always , it is so indicative of such fires around the Mediterranean/Iberian Peninsula at this time of year, once I did a report on it and it seems 80% of them are deliberate! at least here but am guessing same for other parts, who would do such a thing?
2nd re : Spain has voted, you mean PP has voted for new leader or we get rid of Franco’s remains for once? promise you a complete mail real soon :-)
There no words, actually… Gracias, Paul!
No, I meant that I have voted since I represent Spain in this ETSC edition :)
“spain has voted” was sent to SPAM :o wordpress can not be explained!
The stories behind the victims are simply devastating.
No words.
:(
my worst fear…dying in a fire
I wasn’t at all aware of what was happening in Greece, until I read it here yesterday evening.
Apparently, there are also some children among victims.
My condolences to all the people who were affected by this tragedy.
Hm, I don’t really know what to say. It’s horrible, and I feel for the victims and their relatives. I hope the fire will get under control.
No words…
I’ve been terribly busy and have been missing the news, but I’ve just heard the latest reports. That’s exactly what happened in my country a year ago. It’s so sad. :( Stay strong, Greece and Sweden.
P.S. – The weather is crazy. We’re experiencing the coolest July in decades.
We’ve had our rainiest June in decades. Which is why I never thought there would be fires this year…
Go figure.
We have had 30+ since May … The world is upside down …
50 % of the grain harvest is gone in Germany. :(
The news here are (besides a big political affair) all about Greece and Lao. I hope France can help in any ways. Good luck people! <3
I remember 2007 as the year when the Swedish press altogether declared Eurovision to be dead*. The disappointment that The Ark, one of the few bands here that were hailed by both critics and ordinary people finished 18th, behind a dozen of Eastern European countries, was enough to make statements like “We will never win Eurovision no matter what we send” (having forgotten we finished 5th just the year before with Carola – just obvious that Europe preferred good ol’ pop schlager rather than glam rock from us). One paper even created a Eurovision obituary, which I remember I thought to be quite funny.
I think 2007 is that typical year of the mid-noughties where we have a lot of interesting, creative and enchanting entries, as well as some really terrible. Which is kind of like the opposite to how it is now, with both the awesome and awful stuff being rather absent. Serbia was and is still my favourite and if I would try to make a Top 10, it would probably be:
1. Serbia
2. Georgia
3. Bulgaria
4. Bosnia & Herzegovina
5. Armenia
6. Germany
7. Moldova
8. Sweden
9. Slovenia
10. Hungary
* That, and Christer Björkman’s monstrous fear that Ukraine would win. He thought that it would be the nail in the coffin to make credible artists interested in Melodifestivalen in the future. Yeah, five years later he made sure personally that both Sean Banan and Björn Ranelid got a place there. Well played, Christer! ;)
The Ark was really big in Finland back then too. I felt a bit of a let down with Worrying Kind, it was good alright but I was expecting exceptional from Ola and his gang when entering MF. It’s a far cry from their best moments. Still, it should have been mid top 10 by any counts.
YLE got part of the SVT’s blame game. The ”hypno wheel” didn’t start on time and it ruined The Ark’s chances. A sabotage, perhaps?
Anyways, they took Nordics quite impressively just like they should.
Yup, the Finns ruined everything with the hypno-disc. :p
A lot of the debate around “The worrying kind” was whether it was a plagiarism of “Love grows where my Rosemary goes”. I personally find it to be one of The Ark’s better song. The boogie woogie part is so groovy. :D
I saw them first time in Helsinki 2000 when they were warming up for Kent. They were sensationally good. I had never heard of them before but they captured me the moment they started. What a show! Glam was so unfashionable back then so it came across very fresh and even brave to some extent. To think about it glam has been very unfashionable since 1973 😃
I agree I adore Ola’s work and it was my favorite pre contest, especially since the amazing MF performance but overall package made me prefer Georgia in the esc final!
Record number of participants for JESC 2018 – 19, with Kazakhstan and Wales debuting. Signs of things to come to esc when it comes to Kazakhstan ?
P.S. My biggest condolences and thoughts to Greece and the tragedy going on there.
It seems the only YT available video of the final is the one from the BBC with comments from Terry Wogan, I fing his comments soooooooooooo annoying…
Fully agree.
Culturally condescending commentary. :(
UNESCO Alliteration Day?
off topic:
Happy Birthday, Shevek!!!
Parabens!!!
Yes! Parabéns, rapaz!
Obrigado. :)
O yes … Happy Birthday Shevek (and my aunt too). :)
Thanks. :) I hope your aunt has had a delicious dinner just like the one I had; happy birthday to her.
Happy Birthday,Shevek!
Thanks. :)
Have you got my email? It says ‘not sent’ in my yahoo …
Yes. :)
Alas Berlin isn’t the best place for dining … unless you choose an Italian, a Turkish or a Swabian restaurant. :)
Happy birthday to your aunt too :)
Thanks. LOL
Thanks. :)
Wasn’t the Irish singer out of tune during the whole song?
There were a couple of flat notes now and then, but overall she managed to keep on track. As opposite to f.e. Israel and Macedonia/Fyrom 2000, UK 2003, Malta 2006 and Latvia 2018.
On Macedonia:
“Keep an eye on Carolina… I think this one has legs.” (Terry Wogan)
🤐
I’m shocked with some of the comments… (not even Donnie would dare 😀)
On a public TV? In 2007??? And he was not immediately dismissed?
I don’t find his comment condescending or sexist in any way.
Really? I find his “jokes” in such poor taste…
He made that comment because that’s exactly what Carolina emphasized (wrong choice if you ask me) wearing that dress. I don’t think it was suitable.
Even if we can find the dress not suitable (I see no problem with the dress), it’s the comment that it’s not suitable at all. We won’t agree here :)
It was a wrong emphasis (in my case distraction) on her legs, that’s what Terry hinted in his comment.
Terry’s very witty alright, but I think you have to hold British passport and have quite a lot Rule Britannia in your heart to fully appreciate his art. It’s all about very snotty British superiority.
I still find some of his comments hilarious and harmless.
Of course they are that too. After three hours it just turns into celebration of British attitude towards Europe. That’s why he was so popular in UK. He’s also the main architect of the British current position in ESC. World changed and ESC changed. He didn’t, BBC didn’t in their approach.
How difficult it is to understand that ex-Soviets actually have culture and taste of their own and that Russia is the super power there, not Britain?
There was no mean jokes about Scooch 2007 and that kind of says it all. Flag voting sanked it? Really?
He couldn’t mock the UK entry because it was pan-European. LOL. Either way he would have been criticized ;) Don’t recall that comment about flag voting sinking Scootch to the bottom.
Not directly, but flag voting was the ultimate reason to blow away old regime in ESC for him and key exhibit of Europen decadence.
In 2003 he said about the UK entry that “we have the best legs”.
As much as I like Wogan’s commentary from his earlier years up until the late 90s, he’s part of the reason why the UK doesn’t care much for Eurovision anymore. Seriously, what’d you expect from sending in something dreadful like Scooch?
Joyeux anniversaire to our friend Shevek!