We say hello to Denmark for the first time in the Eurovision Top 100 countdown, as “Fly on the Wings of Love” cracks the list.
Denmark has been at Eurovision since almost the beginning, but their winning efforts have been spotty. From their first win in 1963, it took the Danish another 37 years to claim the trophy again – though they took a bunch of years off in between. After this one, it would be another 13 years and they have not won since (as of 2024).
This was the peak of a high point for Denmark in Eurovision, with the Danish finishing in the top ten three years in a row, winning in 2000 and coming in as runner-up in 2001. Granted, as “Fly on the Wings of Love” won in 2000, their competition was not exactly stiff. In our evaluation, 2000 was one of the weakest Eurovision Song Contests in terms of music, though not the worst. All this to say: It was easy for the Olsen Brothers to stand out.
Vital Information: “Fly on the Wings of Love”
| Song | Fly on the Wings of Love |
| Performed By | Olsen Brothers |
| Written By | Jørgen Olsen |
| Country | Denmark |
| Year | 2000 |
| Language(s) Performed In | English |
| How It Fared | Won (195 points) |
| Was It Fair? | Yes |
What I Liked
This song was unique: There was not one like it before 2000, and not one since. The Olsen Brothers carved out their own category with their trademark sound. Suffice it to say, it worked very well for them.
“Fly on the Wings of Love” is what one might describe as “easy listening.” It was not over-the-top in terms of power and it did not have big visuals on stage. This song was pleasant, well-composed, and easy to like.
Other Facts
- As of 2000, Jørgen Olsen was the oldest person to ever win Eurovision at age 50. His record was later taken by Dave Benton of Estonia (2001), who was also 50 but a month or two older than Olsen was in 2000.
- At the 2000 grand final, Denmark received points from all but two countries. Most gave them 10 or 12 points.
- Russia tried to have Denmark disqualified because during the performance, they briefly used a voice synthesizer as part of the song. We clocked its use at 17 seconds. Needless to say, they were not disqualified.
- Denmark went 14th in the running order in 2000.
- The Danish were surprise winners in 2000 – betting odds from the time had them outside of the predicted top ten.
Experience “Fly on the Wings of Love”
Watch the Olsen Brothers’ performance at Eurovision 2000 here. This song is also available for streaming on Spotify.
