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 by decade until Saturday. Today is the 70s.

In the 1970s, the Netherlands was allowed to host the Eurovision Song Contest twice: in 1970 and 1976. Our country was also much more successful in the Eurovision Song Contest than in the previous decade. Six out of seven entries between 1970 and 1976 made it into the top ten. The highlight was of course the victory Teach from Ding-A-Dong. In the Top 40, this song had to be satisfied with ‘only’ occupying the third position. Because the Eurovision Song Contest in particular produced so many Top 40 songs in the first half of the 1970s, Ding-A-Dong even ended up outside the top 10 below it. Getty Kasper came in twelfth in the rundown 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 were quite a few experiments to rejuvenate the Eurovision Song Contest and make it more interesting for the audience. For example, the interesting scoring with the legendary ‘douze points’ was introduced in 1975 and from the early 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 of the best Eurovision songs, it has never reached higher than number 2 in the Top 40. The biggest Eurovision hits of the 1970s were Après Toi by Vicky Leandroswinner in 1972. It successfully retained the title for forty years. After Après Toi, two other Eurovision entries reached number one in the Top 40: the British entries from 1973 and 1976. CliffRichard handle with Power To All Our Friends just like in 1968, only failing to win, but scoring huge international success. Save Your Kisses For Me by Brotherhood Of Man rose easily to first place for 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 the 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 the 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 – You Are My Sunshine (273 points)

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

8. Funds – 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 the Top 40

10. New Seekers – Begging, Stealing, or Borrowing (240 points)

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

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

(05-18-2021)