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Top ten Danish delights

06 November 2016 at 09:00 CET
Basim represented Denmark in 2014 in Copenhagen Sander Hesterman (EBU)
Over the past few weeks we have looked back at the top ten entries from previous host countries and today it's all about Denmark! Next year marks the 60th anniversary of Denmark's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has won the contest on three occasions; 1963, 2000 and 2013 and last hosted the competition in Copenhagen in May 2014.

Denmark made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 and got off to a strong start, finishing third with its very first attempt. Shortly after this Grethe & JÞrgen Ingmann won the contest with Dansevise in 1963. However it wasn't all plain sailing and following a poor placing in 1966, Denmark withdrew from the contest, never to be seen again until 1978. 

The 1980s saw a change in fortunes for Denmark and the country finished in the top 10 on six occasions including third place at two consecutive contests. It was also the decade that Hot Eyes represented the country three times, in 1984, 1985 and 1988. In 1985 the group performed with a child on stage and in 1988 lead singer Kirsten performed whilst heavily pregnant. She gave birth only weeks after the contest which was held in Dublin, Ireland. 

In 2000 the competition took place in Stockholm and Denmark scored its second victory in the Eurovision Song Contest with the Olsen Brothers and Fly On The Wings Of Love. Despite being an initial rank outsider in the betting odds, the brothers commanded a convincing lead from the start of the voting and took the contest to Denmark for the first time in nearly 40 years. Rollo and King flew the flag for the home team in Copenhagen in 2001, finishing second, before the tables turned and Denmark scored its worst ever placing, last, the following year. 

The later 2000s were a mixed bag for Denmark. Following the introduction of the Semi-Finals in 2004, Denmark failed to qualify twice and was only once in the top ten in the Grand Final until Chanée & N'evergreen finished fourth in 2010.

In 2013 the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Sweden, and as happened in 2000, Denmark won the competition. Emmelie de Forest's Only Teardrops won both the jury and televote in Malmö and took the competition to Copenhagen once again. True to form, Denmark's fortunes have one again changed and the country has not qualified for the Grand Final in the previous two contests.

Denmark proves that perseverance pays off and if recent years are anything to go by, it won't be long before we see the Danes return to success once again.