NB. This version was published in December 2017 and has been replaced by an updated Top 5 from Denmark.

Finally completing my Scandinavian/Nordic top 5s, it’s three-times winners Denmark. Slightly fewer songs to pick from than Sweden, Norway or Finland as Denmark left the contest for 11 years between 1966 and 1978. But with two fairly recent wins, and plenty of top 10 finishes, I still have choices!

You’ll notice that one of Denmark’s wins is missing from my top 5 – while it is very popular among the fandom, I never could get past the nasal delivery (you can probably guess which one I am talking about – they were a pair of brothers).

5. Rollo & King “Never Ever Let You Go” (2001, 2nd place, 177 points)

Denmark’s entry when they hosted the contest after their 2000 win, this bouncey, upbeat song (most of Denmark’s entries are bouncey and upbeat), this came fairly close to giving them back-to-back victories.

4. Tommy Seebach “Disco Tango” (1979, 6th place, 76 points)

Perhaps a slightly unexpected choice, but Denmark brought disco to the contest when they returned in the late 70s. Tommy represented Denmark twice, also competing in 1981 (when he finished 11th as part of a duet).

3. Basim “Cliché Love Song” (2014, 9th place, 74 points)

The second song on my list where it’s their entry while hosting the contest, this is (yet again) unashamedly cheesy, but it’s so infectious and enthusiastically performed and I haven’t yet liked any of their subsequent entries as much as this yet.

2. Emmelie de Forest “Only Teardrops” (2013, winner, 281 points)

A great winner – it was the favourite going into the 2013 contest and didn’t disappoint. Some songs just seem to scream “this will be the winner” about them, and Emmelie’s performance and the staging didn’t disappoint. She gave a very fine acoustic performance at the London preview party – and I remember her not wearing shoes for that performance either. Does seem to be a bit of a thing that Eurovision winners have in common – Sandie Shaw also went barefoot!

1. Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann “Dansevise” (1963, winner, 42 points)

My clear winner for Denmark is one of my favourite Eurovision winners – it oozes Danish 60s cool and was also the first time a duo had won Eurovision (and a married couple at that). The tune to Dansevise was used during the opening sequence of the 2014 contest and I hold it still sounds great today.

So were you outraged by the absence of the Olsen Brothers? Or do you have others that you feel should have been in this list? Let me know below!