Eurovision Top 100, #14: Take Me to Your Heaven (Sweden, 1999)

At number 14 on the Eurovision Top 100 countdown, Sweden’s 1999 winner “Take Me to Your Heaven” brings us closer to the top spot.

Hey look: Another Swedish winning song on this list.  Prepare yourself, as it will not be the last.

The contest took a sharp turn in the late 1990s with the end of the orchestras and the permanent end to the “native language rule.”  This was the first one since Eurovision’s big change, and while the contest in general would be flooded with subpar English pop into the early 2000s, this winning song was well beyond decent.  Someday, we will get to the 1999 contest rankings, and you will see that this one was far and away our top song for that year.

Vital Information: “Take Me to Your Heaven”

What I Liked

This song was light, bubbly, and happy.  “Take Me to Your Heaven” is one of those songs, like in the 2024 contest (see notes below), to which it is easy to sing along and enjoy yourself.  This was made for modern Eurovision karaoke.

Charlotte’s vocals were very good, and even the backups were good.  Aside from giving her top marks on her singing ability, she swept almost every category on our scorecard for 1999, including overall impression, engagement, composition, and lyrics.

Other Facts

• At the time, she performed as Charlotte Nilsson.  However, after marriage, in her future Eurovision appearance (2008), she was known as Charlotte Perrelli.
• This was the fourth time Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest, and the second in the 1990s.
• Charlotte performed this song at the second semifinal (sing-along) interval of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, celebrating 25 years since her victory.
• Sweden went 15th in the 1999 grand final running order.

“Take Me to Your Heaven” and the YouTube Video

Charlotte’s winning performance from 1999 is available for viewing.