It’s back! After our break to cover the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, Eurovision Ireland is returning to its search for your all time favourite entries from countries across the continent, spanning the contest’s entire back catalogue – which as of 2022, is now over 1600 songs!

We started with the Best of the Big 5, then looked through Scandinavia and Western Europe – meaning you’ve chosen your favourites from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom! It’s now time to head further east than ever before. Our next set of countries includes Australia, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey and Greece – you’ve already picked your favourite from Australia (video coming soon!), so next we’re coming back to Europe and to the beautiful Mediterranean island paradise of Cyprus!

Debuting at the contest in 1981, Cyprus came in strong with a 6th place finish and managed 5th the following year. Consistent Top 10 finishes in the late 1990s led some to believe it was only a matter of time before Cyprus lifted the trophy – with 1999 being tipped as the year it was going to happen! As of 2022 though, Cyprus as still waiting for that taste of Eurovision victory, but came tantalizingly close in 2018 when Eleni Foureira lit up the scoreboard in Lisbon with Fuego! Cyprus is of course also well known for being part of one the contest’s most infamous voting blocs and often gives 12 points to Greece – something that has not gone unnoticed by Eurovision audiences! Indeed, out of the potential 31 times Cyprus and Greece could exchange points, Cyprus has given Greece their top marks on 26 occasions – and even without those 5 sets of 12 points, the total number of points given from Cyprus to Greece still amounts to over 350 points!

38 songs have entered the Eurovision Song Contest under the Cypriot flag and as always we’ve split the songs between Odd and Even Years. This week you’ll be voting for your favourite entries from Cyprus from Odd Years – namely songs that entered in years ending in 1,3,5,7 or 9.

Don’t spot your favourites below? Don’t panic! You’ll get to vote for which Even Year entries you love next week! As always, the Top 10 entries from both semi finals will then go on to the grand final, where you will vote for your overall winner. Don’t forget, your winner will be entered in the Eurovision Ireland Hall of Fame, so what are you waiting for? Get voting!

REMEMBER! AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOUR TOP 10!

DO NOT VOTE FOR JUST ONE! SPREAD THE LOVE AROUND!

Author: James Scanlan
Source: Eurovision Ireland