Say “hei” to Finland, entering the Eurovision Top 100 all-time list with their only winning song, “Hard Rock Hallelujah.”
As we go through the years and reveal our scores of each song in each contest, one fact has been unavoidable: Finland has had it rough. Well, at least until 2006. They participated loyally for decades, but it took the country over 40 years to find its lane in Eurovision, and once it did, it flourished. However, none of that would have been possible without Lordi’s breakthrough performance.
Even if you are somehow unfamiliar with the song, you may recognize the performers. This is the band where all the performers wear monster makeup to every show, including the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. This became the first heavy metal or, not coincidentally, hard rock song to win.
Vital Information: “Hard Rock Hallelujah”
| Song | Hard Rock Hallelujah |
| Performed By | Lordi |
| Written By | Mr. Lordi |
| Country | Finland |
| Year | 2006 |
| Language(s) Performed In | English |
| How It Fared | Won (292 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | Probably |
What I Liked
Vocally, you will hear prettier songs elsewhere, and that is putting it very kindly. That is not where this song succeeded, but it had three areas where it did:
- Uniqueness: There was definitely not another Eurovision performance like it before, and not since (as of 2024). Metal at Eurovision was not a thing, and still (mostly) is not a thing, but Finland did something different and were rewarded.
- Composition: This was a very well-written song. In this era of Eurovision, there was a sudden spike in the number of participants, and not to put too fine a point on it, but a lot of the songs were seemingly indistinguishable in terms of the lyrics and the arrangement. Meanwhile, this song had lyrics like “The saints are crippled on this sinners’ night, Lost are the lambs with no guiding light.” Wowie.
- Staging: The visuals of the performance were exciting, and it was one of the highest staging scores we had ever given out to this point. The pyrotechnics added value and were not just “there” for a bit of literal flash. Towards the end, when his wings extend, that’s another wow moment.
Other Facts
- As mentioned, to date, this was Finland’s only win at Eurovision. They came close again in 2023, but that’s all. In a contest of first-and-only notables, this was also the sole contest to take place in Greece as of 2024.
- Mr. Lordi, the lead singer, was the only songwriting credit.
- Finland performed 17th in the running order in 2006.
- Lordi got eight douze points in the grand final – the same number as Bosnia & Herzegovina, which came in third.
I Assume You Will Want to Watch “Hard Rock Hallelujah” Now
This is the link to the 2006 final performance on YouTube.
