Personal Ranking of the Eurovision Song Contest Winners of the 2000s
Yet again I offer you all with a blog without any fancy layouts or banners because I genuinely do not know how to make that remotely pretty and also I have no intention whatsoever in learning it because that is who I am as an individual. Enough about that. This week (11th - 17th May 2020) was supposed to be filled with Eurovision, two semi finals and among the most important events of the year - the grand final. Due to the much discussed coronavirus, covid-19, that will not happen, sadly. I was not planning on watching it, to be honest, as hockey world championships are around the same time, but that was too cancelled. Now, enough about this as well. 
Welcome to my personal ranking of the winners of Eurovision in the 2000s, unlike the 10s, I suspect that most people do not have strong relationships to most of them. It is a decade filled with many historical wins, with the majority of the wins being countries who have only one once. Now, without much further ado, the top ten list. 

10. Denmark 2000
Honestly, just thinking about the song pains me. I find it to be dreadful, completely removed from anything which may be labelled as talent or skill. It hurts my ears and I could not even force myself into listening to this song for even a second. It is, undoubtedly, the worst song to have won in the decade and I will leave it at that. 


9. Serbia 2007 
Am I still salty about this? Absolutely. I do not care what the message is, I do not care how beautiful people think it is. I do not like it. I have never liked it, the only reason it did not land on 10th is because unlike some others *glares at Olsen Brothers*, she can in fact sing. The song? VERY boring. Ukraine should have won and if you disagree.. yikes. Ukraine 2007 was truly iconic, but no. This song marked the first (and only) win of Serbia, the first former Yugoslav country to win (and the only one so far) - in the first year Serbia participated. 


8. Estonia 2001 
I love Estonia. Estonia has sent a lot of song which could have won if they had not been ignored or overlooked. That being said, this song is truly not among the songs they have sent that is even remotely good. This is among the songs I mention when people are against the juries, I am so sorry but no, this is what happens when we do not have juries. It is not good. It was not even among the top 5 best songs of 2001. There are a lot of songs that could have and should have won instead of this mess. Nevertheless, I am happy Estonia is among the countries who have won! This is the first and only victory of Estonia, the first victory of a Baltic country - and if I am not mistaken it is the first victory of a former Soviet country. 

 

7. Latvia 2002
Oh, well. At least Latvia has won once? The contest did not have to travel long for the 2000-2003 competitions as 2000 was in Stockholm, 2001 in Denmark, 2002 in Tallinn and, following this undeserved win, 2003 in Riga. The start of the millennium was not particularly good for Eurovision in my humble opinion. This is not as bad as the previous songs on the list, but it is nevertheless not good and not something I would sit down and listen to unless I was doing something like this. Yeah.. I do not have a lot to say other than this: thank god for 50/50 jury and televote later in the millennium it truly saved us.


6.  Turkey 2003
And now the real challenge starts, except for the top pick, most songs are equally good in my humble opinion. Therefore, unfair factors like "I would much rather see a different song win" is factored into the list, making Turkey fall short as there were several songs back in 2003 which were more enjoyable to me personally. The win marked the first and only win of Turkey, and the margin was quite small - we could have had a song with imaginary lyrics winning instead - just saying. It is alright but not better than the next songs on the list. I might in fact listen to this song every now and then. 

5. Greece 2005 
Not my number one. However, I sing this song surprisingly well at SingStar so extra cred for that. I think Greece should have won in 2001 when Helena Paparizou participated as part of Antique, that song was significantly much better and would have ended up, maybe, even as my number one. Similar to the majority of the entries on this list so far, this was the first and so far only win of Greece. 

4. Russia 2008
His English ruins this for me, and the fact that it is a bit much? Nevertheless I really like it. The lyrics and the instrumental is rather appealing. However, his English! It might be rather surprising, but this is the only time Russia has won. It might have changed, but I do not think so - but this is the most expensive single performance in the grand final of Eurovision. 


3. Finland 2006
If bias had played a huge and significant role in this top ten, I would argue that I would have placed this as the best winner of the 00s. However, I do not think it is. The first and only win of Finland. I do think it memorable and also a milestone as it is significantly different from the majority of all previous winners. The song and the performance is in a style that is  quite unexpected to end up as a winner, and yet it won - at the time with the highest score until then, a record which would be beat only 3 years later by the next song on the list. Also, a fun fact: the runner up in 2006 went on and went the competition 2 years later (Dima Bilan). 


2. Norway 2009
Norway and violins. 2/3 times Norway has won a violin has been key to the song - in various degrees. The song is overplayed and it still suffers from it, nevertheless, it is a good and worthy song - although I personally would much rather have seen Estonia win in 2009 (and it would have topped this list in that case!). There is not much to say about it, it won by a landslide. 


1. Ukraine 2004
Perhaps an unexpected top of my list? I am unsure what to say, I would say it is quite different from the Europop and the general mess of the late 90s and early 00s of the competition, while still somehow fitting right into it. I love the language switch, I love the performance. Without a doubt a worthy winner of its year, I cannot even think of a different song which would have been a more fitting winner in 2004. Interestingly, this was the third year in a row a former Soviet country won Eurovision. The 00s saw a total of 4 former Soviet countries win the competition. 


Thanks for reading, do you agree? What is your personal favourite of the winners of 00s?