As the Grand Duchy prepares to select the entry for its Eurovision comeback in 2024, we count down Luxembourg's Top 10 results at the Contest through the years.
On Saturday 27 January, Luxembourg will select its first entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in over 30 years, as the Luxembourg Song Contest decides what song will soundtrack the Eurovision comeback that the Grand Duchy announced in May 2023.
Luxembourg was one of the original 7 participants at the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Over the appearances that followed, up until its last participation in 1993, Luxembourg managed to achieve an impressive 5 victories.
As we prepare to open a new chapter on Luxembourg's legacy at the Contest, we thought it fitting to look back over its past, highlighting its Top 10 best results at the Eurovision Song Contest.
This is what Luxembourg's next generation of participants have got to live up to:
(spoiler alert: the bar has been set very high!)
10. Ireen Sheer - Bye Bye I Love You
1974: 4th place out of 17
An Essex girl who ended up forging a successful pop career for herself in Germany, Ireen Sheer has performed on the Eurovision Song Contest stage three times; twice for Luxembourg (1974 and 1985) and once for Germany (1978).
It was her Brighton Dome turn back home in Britain in 1974 that yielded her best result, however. There, she gave Luxembourg a 4th-place finish behind Mouth and MacNeal (Netherlands), Gigliola Cinquetti (Italy) and ABBA (Sweden).
09. Vicky Leandros - L'amour Est Bleu
1967: 4th place out of 17
Have we ever told you the story of how L'amour Est Bleu went on to become one of the biggest global hits the Eurovision Song Contest has ever produced?
Oh, pull up a seat and fetch a beverage - this is a good one!
08. Lara Fabian - Croire
1988: 4th place out of 21
Believe it or not, Céline Dion wasn't the only Canadian citizen to launch a global superstar career while representing a French-speaking country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988!
Just a few places down the scoreboard was Lara Fabian, who finished in 4th place for Luxembourg with Croire. The celebrated artist went on to sell over 20 million records worldwide, and is still releasing music today.
07. Camillo Felgen - Petit Bonhomme
1962: 3rd place out of 16
We all love a redemption arc, don't we? And there are few in Eurovision history quite like that of Camillo Felgen's.
In 1960, he became the first Luxembourger and the first male artist to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as the first performer to sing in Luxembourgish. But it was not to be his year, and the song So Laang We's Du Do Bast finished in last place.
Just two years later and he was invited back to represent his country again, and on home soil at that. His song was much more well received this time, thankfully, with Pétit Bonhomme giving Luxembourg a bronze-medal result.
06. Sherisse Laurence - L'Amour De Ma Vie
1986: 3rd place out of 20
A television host in Canada throughout the late '70s and early '80s, Sherisse crossed the Atlantic to represent Luxembourg at the 1986 Contest in Bergen, Norway.
It was to be a journey that would be well worth it; to date, it's the last time that Luxembourg have finished inside the Top 3 at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Let's see how much longer that lasts!...
05. Jean-Claude Pascal - Nous Les Amoureux
1961: 1st place out of 16
A former soldier who had served in WWII, who then became a fashion designer for Christian Dior, and later an actor, Jean-Claude Pascal eventually unleashed his singing talents onto the world, too. And it went rather well for him...
The artist gave Luxembourg its very first win in 1961, with Nous Les Amoureux. Jean-Claude later marked the 20-year anniversary of his win by competing for Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest again, with C'est Peut-être Pas l'Amérique in 1981. The song finished in 11th place.
04. Anne-Marie David - Tu Te Reconnaîtras
1973: 1st place out of 17
A win which in hindsight was all the more impressive when you consider that it triumphed over two songs that would go on to become colossal smash-hits after the Contest - Spain's Eres Tú performed by Mocedades (2nd place) and Cliff Richard's Power to All Our Friends for the United Kingdom (3rd).
Luxembourg's victory in 1973 was also noteworthy for the fact that it was the first time that a country had lifted the Eurovision trophy two years in succession, without it being a shared win.
03. France Gall - Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son
1965: 1st place out of 18
The Serge Gainsbourg-penned pop song is today widely regarded as one of the true classics of the Eurovision Song Contest’s early decades.
After its win for Luxembourg in 1965, the song continued to “Voir la vie en rose bonbon” by ascending into its own journey outside the Contest. As well as charting in its own right across Europe and as far beyond as places like Canada, Japan and Argentina, the song has also been translated into no less than 20 other languages for versions released by other artists. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the ensuing royalties can't be bad for the ego, either!
Its story continues into the 21st century, too, with the beloved French original having been covered by the likes of Arcade Fire, Belle & Sebastian and Dubstar.
02. Vicky Leandros - Après Toi
1972: 1st place out of 18
Back in 1972, voting in the Eurovision Song Contest was done in such a way that the highest mark a song could receive from one jury was a "perfect 10" - meaning the song had received top marks from each juror.
At the 1972 Contest in Edinburgh, only 5 of the 18 competing countries awarded a sought-after 10 to a song. 2 of those 5 went to Luxembourg's Après Toi, coming from the United Kingdom and Yugoslavia juries.
01. Corinne Hermès - Si La Vie Est Cadeau
1983: 1st place out of 20
In the past year we've all been excited to see Sweden equal Ireland's record tally of Eurovision wins, with the two participants currently standing at 7 victories apiece.
So you can imagine the big deal that this win brought about in 1983, when it meant that Luxembourg tied with France for the most Contest wins, at 5 each. It remains an important benchmark in Luxembourg's history as a Eurovision powerhouse, and (thus far) the culmination of a legacy that the Grand Duchy will be hoping to reinvigorate as it commences a new chapter at the Contest in 2024.
You can watch Luxembourg Song Contest over on RTL's online player on Saturday 27 January. The stream won't be geo-blocked and it kicks off at 20:00 CET.
The 8 songs competing are already available for listening to right here.
Fancy perusing another country's Top 10 stats at the Eurovision Song Contest?
Why not head over to Vicky Leandros' homeland of Greece, to read up on their Top 10 results? In 2024, Greece celebrates 50 years since its first Eurovision Song Contest participation.
You can listen to all 37 songs of Eurovision 2024 via your favourite streaming service or watch the music videos on our YouTube channel.
The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Malmö, Sweden on Tuesday 7 May (First Semi-Final), Thursday 9 May (Second Semi-Final) and Saturday 11 May (Grand Final) 2024.
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