Croatia's Top 10 results at the Eurovision Song Contest

In 2023, Croatia celebrated 30 years of competing at the Eurovision Song Contest. And in 2024, they got to write a whole new chapter in their Eurovision history book.

With Baby Lasagna taking Croatia back inside the Top 10 of the Grand Final for the first time since 2001, we look back over the country's own Top 10 results at the Eurovision Song Contest throughout its three decades of taking part.

But has Rim Tim Tagi Dim roared its way right to the very top? Read on to find out, and to catch up on the most popular entries from Croatia's Eurovision Song Contest journey from 1993 to today.

10: Severina - Moja Štikla (2006)

12th place, 56 points

In amongst the “kuc, kuc”, the “šic, šic”, and indeed the “Afrika Paprika”, we’ve got an evergreen message of feminism woven into the lyrics of Moja Štikla. She’s spurning the advances of numerous men because she doesn’t need one, and then she’s exasperated when they yet again can’t take ‘no’ for an answer. 

Severina made a surprise appearance at Dora 2024, the Eurovision pre-selection where Croatia voted for Baby Lasagna to represent them in Malmö. She popped up as a guest performer during Let 3's Baba Roga.

09: Boris Novković feat. Lado Members - Vukovi Umiru Sami (2005)

11th place, 115 points

Boris Novković got his Eurovision Song Contest moment in 2005 after just missing out on the opportunity to do so 15 years earlier. He had finished in second place at Jugovizija - Yugoslavia’s pre-selection for choosing an entry to compete at Zagreb 1990. 

Vukovi Umiru Sami scored an impressive 115 points at the Grand Final of Kyiv 2005. Though its performance is perhaps best remembered by some for the 8-second handstand achieved by the song’s drummer. Yes, you did read that correctly.  

08: Vesna Pisarović - Everything I Want (2002)

11th place, 44 points

Croatia marked 10 years of competing at the Contest with Everything I Want, performed by Vesna Pisarović at Tallinn 2002. 

This wasn’t to be Vesna’s last dalliance with the Eurovision Song Contest… In 2004, the artist wrote the entry that represented Bosnia & Herzegovina - In The Disco by Deen. 

07: Vanna - Strings Of My Heart (2001)

10th place, 42 points

With Strings Of My Heart, Vanna gave Croatia its 6th Top 10 placement in what had been its past 7 Contests. But it was to be Croatia’s last Top 10 finish for over two decades - until Baby Lasagna brought the country back to the upper echelons of the scoreboard in 2024. 

This multifaceted song starts off as a string-laden, ethereal folk ballad, taking almost a minute to get to a beat. But by the end, it’s a drum-banging bop with bells on. Quite literally. 

06: Goran Karan - Kada Zaspu Anđeli (2000)

9th place, 70 points

A song which has gone on to become a classic in the Balkan ballad genre, Kada Zaspu Anđeli saw Croatia represented by a male artist for the first time in 6 years, after half a decade of female soloists, a woman-to-woman duet and even a girlband!

For his performance at Stockholm 2000, Goran was joined on stage by… who else?... a shrouded, shape-shifting entity that remained fully cloaked until the final few seconds. 

05: Magazin & Lidija - Nostalgija (1995)

6th place, 91 points

In 1995, one of Croatia’s most popular bands of all time, Magazin, joined forces with soprano Lidija Horvat-Dunjko for a duet. At the Contest in Dublin, Nostalgija received 91 points, including three sets of ‘douze points’, from Malta, Slovenia and Spain.

Magazin were due to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, having won the national final that Croatian broadcaster HRT had organised. However, membership to the EBU was not finalised in time, and Croatia were unable to take part in Malmö.

04: Danijela - Neka Mi Ne Svane (1998)

5th place, 131 points

Opening the 1998 Contest in Birmingham, Neka Mi Ne Svane has gone on to become a big fan favourite in the Eurovision community, and is remembered fondly for not only its beautiful composition, but also for an outfit reveal that elicited audible cheers in the arena! Danijela had previously represented Croatia at the Contest in 1995, as vocalist of the band Magazin.

Fun fact: In the past 30 years, 5th place is the best result that a song opening the Grand Final has achieved. Croatia managed it in 1998, as well as Cyprus in 1997 and Azerbaijan in 2010.

03: Maja Blagdan - Sveta Ljubav (1996)

4th place, 98 points

4th place was a new high for Croatia in its 4th year of competing at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996, courtesy of Maja Blagdan, a former rock band frontwoman from Split.

Whistle notes, an interlude of interpretive dance and, of course, a giant golden harp, all saw to it that Croatia’s time on stage in Oslo was a memorable one. But it was Maja’s undeniable charisma and an impressive vocal delivery that really sealed the deal on that terrific result.

02: Doris Dragović - Marija Magdalena (1999)

4th place, 118 points

Ova žena zna! 
Da ti pripada! 
Sva-aaaaaaa!!!

Dragović served up the drama on stage in 1999 and we were gripped by every note. Between bringing biblical references to Jerusalem and performing with pre-recorded backing vocals before they were even a thing (or actually allowed, for that matter…), Doris and her Dora 1999 winner made what had been the biggest splash yet for Croatia at the tail-end of its debut decade. 

01: Baby Lasagna - Rim Tim Tagi Dim (2024)

2nd place, 547 points

Your boy Baby Lasagna went and did it! While singer-songwriter Marko Purišić was making us all collectively meow back, he was also making history - giving his country its best ever result at the Eurovision Song Contest. 

From now on, Croatia’s Eurovision legacy will never be gazed back upon without the inclusion of a great big “RIM TIM TAGI DIM” being bellowed out from its pages. And it sounds all the better for it! 

Some further reading?...

Right before the Dora 2024 final, where Croatia selected Rim Tim Tagi Dim to represented them in Malmö, we took a deeper dive through the highs and lows of Croatia's rich history at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Celebrating three decades of Croatian Eurovision excellence between 1993 and 2023: