There are still certainties in life: every year-end is traditionally marked by an overdose of Mariah Carey and her unnamed earwurm, the Albanian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest and, of course, the end-of-year list of end-of-year lists: the ESC 250. Meanwhile, the voting has been open for a week. We like to believe that the compilation of a top ten causes many Song Contest fans a (small) existential crisis every year.

New songs are added every year that are also fresh to one’s memory. As loyal fans, do we allow ourselves to be seduced by the most recent songs that are still top of mind and may also still be played plenty in personal playlists? Can we judge in the same year whether the favourites of the last Eurovision edition are effectively new, modern evergreens? Dare we trade certain certainties, classics we were sure would never fall out of our personal top three, for younger newcomers?

We feel your pain. We, too, as editors of Songfestival.be, drive ourselves to get bogged down in these arduous questions every year. This year, however, we openly weigh our choices with you and give you our personal top ten. Maybe we provide you with extra inspiration, maybe we push you further into a personality crisis. Our sincere apologies, but above all: enjoy this period full of Eurovision songs and the sometimes surprising favorites of our editors!

Arne

Every year, it is always a difficult choice to select just ten songs from the rich history of the Eurovision Song Contest. For this edition of the ESC 250, I chose a mix of classics, guilty pleasures, and songs that have a deeper meaning for me.

Take, for example, Stronger Every Minute by Lisa Andreas. The Cypriot singer was only sixteen when she enchanted the audience in Istanbul and viewers at home with her captivating ballad and angelic voice in 2004. One thing is certain; this will be the opening dance at my wedding party. However, I still need to find a partner, and the date for the celebration hasn’t been yet set either.

Spots two, three, and four are occupied by some of my guilty pleasures. Hanna Pakarinen may not have been successful in her home country, but I still enjoy her song Leave Me Alone, especially after a long day at work or when the neighbours are being too loud. The prize for the gay anthem goes to Euroband and their infectious hit This Is My Life. The nineties also produced a great song; you’d rather not mess with the ladies from Azúcar Moreno… or maybe you would. The Spanish girls seemed even angrier in Zagreb than the late Jenny Verbeeck towards her sister Rosa in Thuis – if you have no clue what this is about, do look it up, you’re in for a treat.

At the top of my list, there are few changes compared to last year. Ott Lepland has become one of my favorite artists after his Eurovision performance. I even bought two CDs of his, which I eagerly sing along to in Estonian (even though I don’t understand a word) during a traffic jam on the E17 near Deerlijk. Danijela from Croatia gets ten points from me with what I consider the most beautiful lyrics ever in Eurovision. For the coveted douze points, I remain loyal to the Swedish blonde who introduced me to the love for the Song Contest: Charlotte – then Nilsson – Perrelli. Take Me To Your Heaven remains the ultimate Eurovision song for me.

My complete top 10 for this year: 

12 Take Me To Your Heaven by Charlotte Perrelli (Sweden, 1999)
10 Neka mi ne svane by Danijela (Croatia, 1998)
8 Kuula by Ott Lepland (Estonia, 2012)
7 In A Moment Like This by Chanée & N’Evergreen (Denmark, 2010)
6 L’oiseau et l’enfant by Marie Myriam (France, 1977)
5 Calm After The Storm by The Common Linnets (Netherlands, 2014)
4 Bandido by Azúcar Moreno (Spain, 1990)
3 This Is My Life by Euroband (Iceland, 2008)
2 Leave Me Alone by Hanna Pakarinen (Finland, 2007)
1 Stronger Every Minute by Lisa Andreas (Cyprus, 2004)

Dennis

This is very difficult! Compiling a list of my ten favourite Eurovision songs. How do I begin? How do I determine if an entry deserves a spot in my top ten? I have thought about it for a long time. Ultimately, I have chosen to create my list based on the impact that certain songs have had on me. The number of times I have played songs and the memories associated with certain songs have been the criteria for my ultimate list.

My absolute number one since the day of its release is Last Dance by Stefania. For me, it is the perfect Eurovision song. The mysterious start and the catchy chorus make it the most played song in my Spotify listening history.

A strong second place goes to the Estonian entry from 2015: Goodbye to Yesterday. A beautiful, calm song with a wonderful set of lyrics. The visual aspect during the performance on the Eurovision stage also greatly appealed to me. The interaction between Elina Born and Stig Rästa, the tear from the singer… I remain impressed.

The rest of my top ten consists mainly of danceable pop songs, alongside my favourite entries from my own country.

My complete top 10 for this year:

12 Last Dance by Stefania (Greece, 2021)
10 Goodbye to Yesterday by Elina Born & Stig Rästa (Estonia, 2015)
8 Arcade by Duncan Laurence (Netherlands, 2019)
7 Tattoo by Loreen (Sweden, 2023)
6 This is My Life by Euroband (Iceland, 2008)
5 I Love You Mi Vida by D’Nash (Spain, 2007)
4 De diepte by S10 (Netherlands, 2022)
3 Tornero by Mihai Traistariu (Romania, 2006)
2 Miracle by Samra (Azerbeidzjan, 2016)
1 La La Love by Ivi Adamou (Cyprus, 2012)

Jasper

Are the very best songs of the Eurovision Song Contest in my top ten? No, not really. But they are all songs that have somehow piqued my interest in the festival. Especially when it comes to my top four, which is almost the same every year. 7 points for the best French entry ever. That song touches me every time. What class! One more point for Xandee. I am still waiting for a better Belgian entry.

I also have a lot of sympathy for Dana International. Whether I like it or not, Diva will always be linked to me within my group of friends. Sertab narrowly wins the battle. This is how a great Eurovision hit should sound. When the tune blasts through my speakers, I am at her feet time and time again. By the time we broadcast the new top 250, I will have seen Sertab live for the third time!

The rest of my list is always filled with songs that have stood the test of time in my own playlist. That playlist is both iconic and infamous. Thanks in part to the rare gems in it, like Hero and Touch My Fire. My top ten this year starts with our very own Gustaph. He has made the Belgians proud! I am certain that he will rock the ESC250, so he actually doesn’t need my point. But I just want to give him that little push anyway.

My complete top 10 for this year: 

12 Every Way That I Can by Sertab Erener (Turkey, 2003)
10 Diva by Dana International (Israel, 1998)
8 1 Life by Xandee (Belgium, 2004)
7 Et s’il fallait le faire by Patricia Kaas (France, 2009)
6 Hero by Charlotte Perrelli (Sweden, 2008)
5 La fiesta terminó by Paloma San Basilio (Spain, 1985)
4 Energy by Nuša Derenda (Slovenia, 2001)
3 Feuer by Ireen Sheer (Germany, 1978)
2 Touch My Fire by Javine (United Kingdom, 2005)
1 Because of You by Gustaph (Belgium, 2023)

Jonas

Choosing is losing, it’s a saying that races through my mind every year when I compile my personal top for ESC 250. The Eurovision Song Contest has given us such a variety of iconic songs! I would love to add another hundred honorable mentions to the list below, but the system simply does not allow it… There were no big calculations or theories used to select my ten chosen ones. My main criterion is: do I search for a certain song to listen to throughout the year?

Admittedly, there are few major changes compared to last year. For several years now, I have made it a point to honour the late icon Louis Neefs through the ESC 250. His two entries (ESC 1967 and 1969) are fantastic, although the first one still holds a slightly higher preference for me. The beautiful Mi Stamatas, the Cypriot entry from 1993, appears for the first time in my top 10. The same goes for Maja Blagdan, the Croatian who finished fourth in 1996.

Ofra Haza once again takes the top spot. The Israeli entries in the late 1970s/early 1980s were excellent, and this grand lady – who left us far too soon – belongs on this list. Maggie MacNeal is also familiar in my top three and claims the third place again this year. However, Danijela from Croatia is new to the top of the ranking. Last year, I gave the Croatian five points, and this year I double that.

Overall, it’s mostly a Balkan party with numerous entries. What great entries the region has given us! The infectious Hajde da ludujemo by Tajci always puts a smile on my face. This remains one of the better Yugoslav entries for me. As far as I’m concerned, the Yugoslavs could have easily done the double in 1990. It would have been one of the last chances, as a little over a year later, the country began to fall apart due to internal conflicts. At the Eurovision Song Contest, all the new states went their own way, and some of them have already been mentioned above. The emotional Sva bol svijeta, which receives four points from me this year, is actually about the aftermath of the breakup of that state: the Bosnian War.

Honourable mentions may not be allowed in the voting system, but fortunately, they are allowed in this article: Emilio Pericoli may have just dropped out of my list this year, but his Uno Per Tutte from 1963 must be remembered during this celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest. Grazie, Emilio!

My complete top 10 for this year: 

12 Hi by Ofra Haza (Israel, 1983)
10 Neka mi ne svane by Danijela (Croatia, 1998)
8 Amsterdam by Maggie MacNeal (Netherlands, 1980)
7 Et s’il fallait le faire by Patricia Kaas (France, 2009)
6 Oro by Jelena Tomaševic ft. Bora Dugic (Serbia, 2008)
5 Sveta Ljubav by Maja Blagdan (Croatia, 1996)
4 Sva bol svijeta by Fazla (Bosnia & Herzegovina, 1993)
3 Mi Stamatas by Zimboulakis & Van Beke (Cyprus, 1993)
2 Hajde da ludujemo by Tajci (Yugoslavia, 1990)
1 Ik heb zorgen by Louis Neefs (Belgium, 1969)

Jonathan

It is every year a struggle to limit the love for hundreds of songs to just ten. Is it a bit strange that we, as organizers and administrators of the ESC 250, complain a bit about the rules? Maybe. But the lamenting and nitpicking about the list and all the gems that can’t be included has become such a part of the folklore that I wouldn’t want to miss it anymore.

My top two is once again the same as last year. A lot will have to happen in Malmö to knock the gems from Estonia and Italy off the top spots. After that, I have a bit more freedom in the list, although I do have some rules for myself: one entry per country and year. Additionally, I try to focus a bit on the older editions and the “forgotten” classics to limit the dominance of more recent entries; as much as possible with thousands of voters, that is.

If my top ten makes one thing clear, it’s that I have an impenetrable love for slower songs. It may be a psychologist’s dream come true, but at the moment, I’m fine with it. I would like to explicitly support the quiet but beautiful Tijd by Saskia & Serge, which I rediscovered by chance in the past few months and has worked its way into my top five this year. Lyrics like “Desire is a blossom / and blossoms become fruit. And storms are built / breath by breath”, just are no longer written this way. And that’s a good thing, because it allows the older songs to shine even more.

My complete top 10 for this year: 

12 Kuula by Ott Lepland (Estonia, 2012)
10 Si by Gigliola Cinquetti (Italy, 1974)
8 Den vilda by One More Time (Sweden, 1996)
7 Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids by Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan (Ireland, 1994)
6 Tijd by Saskia & Serge (Netherlands, 1971)
5 Open Your Heart by Birgitta Haukdal (Iceland, 2003)
4 Io senza te by Peter, Sue & Marc (Switzerland, 1981)
3 Je suis l’enfant soleil by Anne-Marie David (France, 1979)
2 Rücksicht by Hoffmann & Hoffman (Germany, 1983)
1 Gelukkig zijn by Ann Christy (Belgium, 1975)

Matthias

No Belgian entry in my top ten this year, although Soldiers of Love by Liliane Saint-Pierre would certainly deserve a place in it. I have chosen a number of songs that are less obvious, spread across different decades, and that I think deserve to be in the list, such as Morocco 1980 and Israel 1982. In doing so, I deliberately looked outside the 21st century. There are already enough voters who suffer from recency bias, although you might not blame people for voting for songs from editions since they started following the Song Contest. People vote for their favourites, not necessarily for what they think are the best entries of all time. Similarly, I could have included Goodbye to Yesterday, Silent Storm, Undo, Rise Like a Phoenix and the entries from Gjon’s Tears. However, I limited it to three songs from this century that can never be missing from my top ten.

Besides, as a big fan of Italian music, I couldn’t resist including at least one Italian entry. It became those of Ana Oxa and Fausto Leali and the 1964 winner. In turn, I got to know Avi Toledano by interviewing him for our site. Of two winners, I deliberately did not choose their winning entry, because I wanted to go beyond the obvious for once. Although I also have four winning songs in my list that won the Eurovision Song Contest for good reason.

My complete top 10 for this year:

12 Kuula by Ott Lepland (Estonia, 2012)
10 Nocturne by Secret Garden (Norway, 1995)
8 Avrei voluto by Ana Oxa & Fausto Leali (Italy, 1989)
7 Molitva by Marija Serifovic (Serbia, 2007)
6 Je suis l’enfant soleil by Anne-Marie David (France, 1979)
5 Amor pelos dois by Salvador Sobral (Portugal, 2017)
4 Hora by Avi Toledano (Israel, 1982)
3 Bitaqat hob by Samira Bensaïd (Morocco, 1980)
2 Non ho l’età by Gigliola Cinquetti (Italy, 1964)
1 Giorgio by Lys Assia (Switzerland, 1958)

Matty

Compiling a top 10 of 67 years of Eurovision, full of great songs, memorable acts, and so many different music styles seemed like an impossible task. However, when I looked at my playlist on Apple Music, it quickly became clear which songs caught my eye and made me spontaneously hum along. I proudly see different deserved winners emerge, with the cliché ABBA – Waterloo at the top. The song remains timeless!

Furthermore, it seems quite obvious that my preference lies with songs that either have a lot of showmanship or a strong act that creates an everlasting memory of the song. In the case of Lisa del Bo’s Liefde is een kaartspel, it is mainly about the nostalgic feeling it evokes. Personally, Sweden and Greece are the countries that have consistently submitted the strongest songs in recent years, and I continue to follow them more and more each year.

My complete top 10 for this year:

12 Waterloo by ABBA (Sweden, 1974)
10 My Number One by Helena Paparizou (Greece, 2005)
8 Better Love by Katarine Duska (Greece, 2021)
7 Take Me To Your Heaven by Charlotte Nilsson (Sweden, 1999)
6 Wild Dances by Ruslana (Ukraine, 2004)
5 Liefde is een kaartspel by Lisa del Bo (Belgium, 1996)
4 Euphoria by Loreen Sweden, 2012)
3 Just A Little Bit by Gina G (United Kingdom, 1996)
2 You Are The Only One by Sergey Lazarev (Russia, 2016)
1 Fuego by Eleni Foureira (Cyprus, 2018)

Philip

Compiling a personal top 10 from so many great songs is always a challenging task. Do I go for classics, ballads, or uptempo songs? It’s a constant dilemma every year. This year, I let myself be guided by different factors. Which songs always appear in my playlists, which songs have an emotional meaning, which songs can I never live without. It results in a list where not all of my favorite songs can fit, but it’s one from my heart.

At the bottom, we find the most beautiful Dutch-language song ever performed at the festival, Maribelle with Ik hou van jou. If I ever get married, this will be played at the ceremony. Just above that, we have a song that I rediscovered in the past year, The Voice by Eimear Quinn. A beautiful masterpiece sung with so much emotion that it can’t leave anyone untouched. My top six is completed with four classics, including the two best Belgian entries ever. Bandido, Kuula, City Lights and Rhythm Inside. Who knows, maybe Mustii will be added to that next year.

Just outside my top three, we find my most played song of 2022, De diepte by S10. So beautiful and fragile that it was performed at the festival with such an impactful lyrics. A gem like Netherlands has delivered more. Excluding The Toppers, of course. My top three is reserved for a newcomer and two classics that have been my top two for years. The most handsome man on earth, Marco Mengoni with his heartbreakingly beautiful Due vite takes bronze. But silver and gold are always reserved in that order for Silent Storm and Vuelve conmigo. Carl Espen perfectly captures how I often feel inside with his song. Annabel Conde, with the strongest high note ever at the festival, has forever conquered my heart.

My complete top 10 for this year: 

12 Vuelve Conmigo by Annabel Conde (Spain, 1995)
10 Silent Storm by Carl Espen (Norway, 2014)
8 Due Vite by Marco Mengoni (Italy, 2023)
7 De Diepte by S10 (Netherlands, 2022)
6 Rhythm Inside by Loïc Nottet (Belgium, 2015)
5 City Lights by Blanche (Belgium, 2017)
4 Kuula by Ott Lepland (Estonia, 2012)
3 Bandido by Azúcar Moreno (Spain, 1990)
2 The Voice by Eimear Quinn (Ireland, 1996)
1 Ik Hou Van Jou by Maribelle (Netherlands, 1984)

Sven

My personal classics have remained fairly stable for several years, although I am now tempted to include a song from 2023 in my top five right away. Loreen and her Tattoo get that honour. This song and performance really grabbed me and yes, are stuck on me like a tattoo after all. At number four I place Australia’s Dami Im with Sound of Silence. The overall package of this entry still makes a lot of sense to me as well: a strong melody, good production and Dami’s voice just gives instant goosebumps. My third place entry is also from 2016: Armenian Iveta Mukuchyan with LoveWave. The class, the sex appeal, the beat, the mystery. I am still impressed with this entry.

Chair dance at the top though: Pastora Soler and her Quédate conmigo put me in second place this year. Still rock solid, but this year I’m pushing France’s Natasha St-Pier with 2001’s Je n’ai que mon âme to the top spot. The singer’s angelic voice, the simple setting on stage and those poetic lyrics: enchanting every time. The song even has a spiritual meaning for me: I myself believe in energies between people and their soul speech, and vulnerability in relationships. Much more than in expensive words. La France, douze points!

My complete top 10 for this year:

12 Je n’ai que mon âme by Natasha St-Pier (France, 2001)
10 Quédate conmigo by Pastora Soler (Spain, 2012)
8 LoveWave by Iveta Mukuchyan (Armenia, 2016)
7 Sound of Silence by Dami Im (Australia, 2016)
6 Tattoo by Loreen (Sweden, 2023)
5 Stronger Every Minute by Lisa Andreas (Cyprus, 2004)
4 Euphoria by Loreen (Sweden, 2012)
3 SloMo by Chanel (Spain, 2022)
2 All Out of Luck by Selma (Iceland, 1999)
1 Rapsodia by Mia Martini (Italy, 1992)