The United Kingdom has the number 73 song on the Eurovision Top 100 countdown, with the iconic “Boom Bang-a-Bang.”
1969 was one of the craziest years in Eurovision history, perhaps rivaled by the cosmic mess that was Eurovision in 2024. In this contest, four countries tied for the win. Because Eurovision had no provisions in place for settling ties, all four countries were declared the winners.
This was so unexpected that they almost ran out of trophies to give the victors: France, Spain, The Netherlands, and Lulu’s song from the United Kingdom. The repercussions from this messy contest led to a mass exodus in 1970, and nearly ruined Eurovision. The good news is that the contest survived and this website has a lot more material.
However, we are not taking anything away from Lulu’s memorable performance based on what happened around it.
Vital Information: “Boom Bang-a-Bang”
| Song | Boom Bang-a-Bang |
| Performed By | Lulu |
| Written By | Alan Moorhouse & Peter Warne |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1969 |
| Language(s) Performed In | English |
| How It Fared | Won (18 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | Yes |
What I Liked
Much like Sandie Shaw’s winning British performance, this one was groundbreaking. Lulu offered an effervescent, charming sound never before heard at Eurovision. So, so many songs at the contest in this era sounded the same or checked the same boxes. (Think slower ballads about love.) Then came this song and it gave us something unique.
This performance was energetic, intriguing, and feel-good. It was a perfect winner for its time period.
Other Facts
- Lulu performed seventh in the running order, and was followed by the winning Dutch song. Three out of the four winners performed in the first half of the grand final.
- She delivered Britain’s second win at Eurovision, two years after their first.
- This was not the only contest through 2024 where there was a tie: The only other one was in 1991, when Sweden beat France on a tiebreaker. It was because of this craziness in 1969 that a procedure was developed. You will see the Swedish song that won later on this list.
Time to Listen to “Boom Bang-a-Bang”
Everyone needs some happy 60s music in their playlist once in a while, so see Lulu’s performance from 1969 on YouTube.
