Eurovision 1956

Who won the first eurovision
Eurovision 1957
We're very sad to hear that Lys Assia - the Grande Dame of Eurovision - has passed away.

•

In his acceptance speech for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, Portuguese winner Salvador Sobral issued a controversial call to arms to “bring music back” to a place of meaning and feeling:

We live in a world of disposable music; fast-food music without any content. I think this could be a victory for music with people who make music that actually means something. Music is not fireworks; music is feeling.

It was a bold statement to make at a contest known – and loved – for its trashy Europop as much as it is for its heartfelt ethno-folk ballads or its diva swan songs. Eurovision music is diverse, encompassing both fast food and feelings. Over the years, it has developed its own sound and even its own genres.

The classics

The late Lys Assia’s Refrain, the winning song of the inaugural Eurovision in 1956, best encapsulates the chanson style that dominated the contest for its first decade. Literally French for “song”, the term is used to describe any lyric-driven French song, but a song being in French does not immediately make it a chanson.

This year’s entrant from

•

Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017

Eurovision Song Contest 2017
Country	Switzerland
Selection process	ESC 2017 – die Entscheidungsshow
Selection date(s)	5 February 2017
Selected artist(s)	Timebelle
Selected song	"Apollo"
Selected songwriter(s)	Elias Näslin Nicolas Günthardt Alessandra Günthardt
Semi-final result	Failed to qualify (12th)

Switzerland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Apollo" written by Elias Näslin, Nicolas Günthardt and Alessandra Günthardt. The song was performed by the band Timebelle. The Swiss entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through the national final ESC 2017 – die Entscheidungsshow, organised by the Swiss broadcaster Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR). Artists that were interested in entering the Swiss national final had the opportunity to apply during a submission period organised by SRG SSR. A total of 21 entries were selected to advance to an "Live Check" round held on 4 December 2016 and i

•

From humble origins to glamorous extravaganza. A history of the Eurovision Song Contest

Known for its glitz, glamor and eccentricity, the Eurovision Song Contest will attract millions of viewers from across the globe when the grand final begins Saturday in Malmö, Sweden.

But a show that has become compulsory annual viewing for many has more humble beginnings as an attempt to heal the wounds of post-World War II Europe, while also achieving the technological marvel of beaming live television pictures into countries across the Continent.

“This was really an experiment in the nascent technology of television,” historian Dean Vuletic told NBC News last month about the competition, which was first held in the picturesque Swiss city of Lugano in 1956 — as TV sets first became a fixture in people’s homes.

“We don’t have the viewing figures for 1956, but TV ownership was not so widespread then so they were likely not very high,” said Vuletic, who has written several books on Eurovision. But he said for broadcasters it was a test to see “whether they could broadcast the same television