Monday, May 26, 2008

In its 52 years, the Eurovision Song Contest has played host to nascent superstars, disco-dancing faux-Mongols and at least one drag queen. Here's a look at some of its most groundbreaking and infamous moments.

1962: Belgian Fud Leclerc becomes Eurovision's first big loser after his performance of "Ton Nom" is awarded "nul points."

1968: Bribery by the Franco regime might have led to Spain's win -- at least according to a recent documentary -- for the song "La La La," which also faced controversy when the fascist government brought in a last-minute replacement performer to prevent it from being sung in Catalan.

1970: Ireland's first victory comes for "All Kinds of Everything"; the country remains the world champ with seven wins.

1974: Swedish pop trio Abba catapults to global stardom after its song "Waterloo" wins.

1978: A Jordanian TV station temporarily blocks the Eurovision broadcast -- and shows pictures of flowers instead -- during Israel's entry "A-Ba-Ni-Bi," which goes on to win. Viewers in Jordan are told the victory went to (runner-up) Belgium.

1979: Outlandish kitsch tightens its grip on Eurovision when Switzerland makes the Top 10 with a folk act whose instruments include saucepans and watering cans, and Germany offers up Dschinghis Khan -- a Mongolian warlord-themed disco troupe.

1980: Luxembourg presents the widely derided "Papa Pingouin," in which a large Luxembourger dressed as a penguin waddles about the stage while two women sing of his dream to "fly like a seagull."

1988: The relatively unknown Celine Dion wins for Switzerland with the song "Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi."

2006: Lizard-mask-wearing and ax-wielding Finnish heavy metal band Lordi wins with "Hard Rock Hallelujah." To celebrate, a record-setting 70,000 Finns show up to sing the song, karaoke-style, outside the presidential palace.

2007: Ukrainian drag queen Verka Serduchka takes second place when she performs "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" in a blinding silver frock.

-- Aaron Leitko