This week the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Rotterdam. Especially for this occasion, we present the ten biggest Eurovision Song Contest hits per decade until Saturday. Today is the 70s.

In the 1970s, the Netherlands was allowed to hold the Eurovision Song Contest twice: in 1970 and in 1976. Our country was also much more successful in the Eurovision Song Contest than in previous decades. Six of the seven entries between 1970 and 1976 were in the top ten. The highlight, of course, is victory Teach from Ding-A-Dong. In the Top 40, this song had to be satisfied with ‘only’ third place. Because the Eurovision Song Contest in particular produced so many top 40 hits in the first half of the 1970s, Ding-A-Dong even fell outside the top 10 below it. Getty Kasper is twelfth in an overview of the biggest Eurovision hits of the 1970s. The Dutch entries that can be found in the top 10 below are: When It Comes To Love by Sandra & Andres And I See Stars from Mouth & MacNeal.

In the 1970s there was quite a lot of experimentation to rejuvenate the Eurovision Song Contest and make it more attractive to audiences. For example, interesting scoring with the legendary ‘douze points’ was introduced in 1975 and from the beginning of the 1970s, pop groups were also accepted in addition to soloists and duos. Of course, this changed the sound of the Eurovision Song Contest significantly Waterloo by ABBA as the most famous example. Although the legendary 1974 winner is number 1 on many all-time lists as the best Eurovision song, it did not reach higher than number 2 in the Top 40. The biggest Eurovision hit of the 1970s was Après Toi by Vicky Leandros, winner in 1972. He successfully defended the title for forty years. After Après Toi, another second Eurovision entry reached first place in the Top 40: the British entries from 1973 and 1976. CliffRichard grip with Strength To All Our Friends just as in 1968, only failed to achieve victory, but scored a major international success. Save Your Kisses For Me by Brotherhood Of Man rose easily to first place three years during the Eurovision Song Contest in The Hague and the same happened in the Top 40.

1. Vicky Leandros – Après Toi (437 points)

1st place in 1972 on behalf of Luxembourg
#1 in Top 40

2.ABBA-Waterloo (377 points)

1st place in 1974 on behalf of Sweden
#2 in Top 40

3. Mouth & MacNeal – I See Stars (376 points)

3rd place in 1974 on behalf of the Netherlands
#3 in Top 40

4. Cliff Richard – Strength To All Our Friends (351 points)

3rd place in 1973 on behalf of Great Britain
#1 in Top 40

5. Sandra + Andres – When Falling in Love (291 points)

4th place in 1972 on behalf of the Netherlands
#3 in Top 40

6. Brotherhood Of Man – Save Your Kisses For Me (285 points)

1st place in 1976 on behalf of Great Britain
#1 in Top 40

7. Mocedades – Eres Tu (273 points)

2nd place in 1973 on behalf of Spain
#3 in Top 40

8. Dana – All Kinds of Everything (256 points)

1st place in 1970 on behalf of Ireland
#2 in Top 40

9. Mary Hopkin – Knock, Knock Who’s There (253 points)

2nd place in 1970 on behalf of Great Britain
#3 in Top 40

10. New Seeker – Beg, Steal, or Borrow (240 points)

2nd place in 1972 on behalf of Great Britain
#3 in Top 40

_{(Photo: Hans Peters, National Archives/Anefo)}

(18/05/2021)