Eurovision Top 100, #50: À force de prier (Luxembourg, 1963)

Not only is “À force de prier” in our Eurovision Top 100 list, but Luxembourg’s entry from 1963 begins our top 50.

Now we are getting into the heavy contenders.  Through the 2024 contest, there have been over 1,700 Eurovision songs.  To be in the top 50 of those songs means that your song is, at a minimum, in the top three percent of Eurovision performances.  As you will also see going down the list, there are some iconic and impressive songs forming a part of it.

Nana Mouskouri deserved better out of her single Eurovision experience.  She ended up doing just fine in her life, as we will get into, but I wanted a much better finish than what she got.

Vital Information: “À force de prier”

What I Liked

We are getting to the point on the countdown list where most of the songs are going to feature singers who sounded very good.  Nana is no exception.  Not only did she show good volume, power, and range, but she did these little flutters during her song and I think that enhanced the performance.  It also showed some talent and ability.

In general, this song had a grandeur to it – we have used this term before, and it applies here.  The orchestral arrangement conveyed it.

You know that The Euro Yard appreciates a big finish.  Mouskouri gave one to us.

Other Facts

• We wrote an article in October 2024 about former Eurovision singers who gave politics a shot.  Mouskouri was one of them, having been elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Greece.
• Aside from political office, Mouskouri was a very successful singer, a television host, and international figure. A word we have used in the past to describe her life and career is “impressive.”
• Nana performed last in the 1963 running order out of 16 songs.

Watch “À force de prier”

They did a good job staging the 1963 contest, so go see it.