Our latest rankings come from the Eurovision Song Contest 1963, and we rated every song in the show.
Sixteen countries participated once again, just like in 1961 and 1962. The winning country ended up being one that had never tasted victory before, and it was a milestone for Nordic countries at Eurovision. (It would be over a decade until another one did, and believe me, you would recognize that winning act.)
Eurovision Song Contest 1963 Ratings Video
We broke down our reasons for scoring all sixteen songs where we did, and we rolled out a new feature this year called the Deserve-O-Meter. There was just one question in mind when we evaluated each song: Did it deserve its Eurovision fate?
This may not seem like an important feature, but to us, it is. Over the course of Eurovision history, with a four-digit number of songs as of today, the juries and public do not always get them all right. Some songs, whether in a positive or negative way, did not deserve what they got. Enter the Deserve-O-Meter to set matters straight.
Basic Info: Eurovision Song Contest 1963
- This contest began a streak of grand finals held on a Saturday which continues to the present. Prior to this contest, the dates varied and some even occurred during the week.
- The United Kingdom (host broadcaster BBC) greatly advanced the quality of the production in 1963. Because they used their television studios rather than a straight-up stage, staging elements not before seen were employed, but do not get used to them – it would be a long while before there was a return to this. BBC was far ahead of its time.
- Denmark won the contest, the first victory for a Scandinavian country. It was not without controversy. Let’s put it this way: Switzerland thought they had won, until they did not.
Next Up
We will review the Eurovision Song Contest 1964, which will have another first-time winning country. It will also shake up the entries, with a new country making their debut.
