Europe & Me - Eurovision Quiz

Saturday, 23 May 2015 06:27

Eurovision Quiz

Written by Editorial

With all eyes on Vienna for the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, we've compiled a little quiz to mark the occasion. Put your knowledge of this annual celebration of music, glitz, glamour and voting for neighbouring countries to the test!

Question 1
Answer

Question 1

Photo: Adrian Snood (Flickr); Licence: CC BY-NC 2.0

Following Conchita Wurst’s win in 2014, the European pop extravaganza will take place tonight in Vienna’s Stadthalle, but when was the last time that Austria emerged victorious from Eurovision?

Answer

Conchita’s triumph marked the end of a seemingly interminable dry spell for Austria. It was all the way back in 1966 that the country claimed its only other Eurovision victory. The winning song was Merci chérie by Udo Jürgens, who sadly died last December.

Question 2
Answer

Question 2

Photo: myri_bonnie (Flickr); Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Which non-European country has been invited to take part in this year's competition?

Answer

Although Eurovision is famed for its broad definition of Europe, in inviting Australia to take part, the organisers seem to have taken that definition to the extreme. Here at E&M, we’re all in favour of such inclusiveness, but we suspect that more than a few eyebrows will be raised when Guy Sebastian takes to the stage to perform his country’s entry Tonight Again.

Question 3
Answer

Question 3

Photo: Aquila (Flickr); Licence: CC BY-NC 2.0

Which other countries automatically qualify for the Eurovision final?

Answer

The Big Five, made up of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK and so called because they make the largest financial contributions to the European Broadcasting Union, are spared the need to compete in the semi-finals. Instead, they are automatically guaranteed a place in the grand final, as is the host country.

Question 4
Answer

Question 4

Photo: Robert Bejil (Flickr); Licence: CC BY 2.0

Which Big Five country withdrew from the European Song Contest for a significant number of years?

Answer

Italy has withdrawn from the Eurovision Song Contest several times, with the first withdrawal back in 1981 due to a lack of interest on the part of the Italian public. They did return in 1983 only to withdraw again from 1994 without giving a reason as to why. Rumour has it that it may have been due to Italy's having been a bit of a sore loser and therefore the contest falling in popularity. Since 2011, however, the country has once again been regularly participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. Il Volo will be representing Italy this year with their song Grande Amore.

Question 5
Answer

Question 5

Photo: Tim Norris (Flickr); Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Which country has come last most frequently in a Eurovision final?

Answer

It’s Norway which holds this unfortunate record, having found itself at the bottom of the results table no fewer than 11 times, most recently in 2012.

Question 6
Answer

Question 6

Photo: eltpics (Flickr); Licence: CC BY-NC 2.0

How many songs will be performed in a language other than English this year?

Answer

Though there was a time when entrants were required to sing in their native language, those days are gone and now most Eurovision acts choose to perform in English. This year, however, five countries will be going against this trend; they are France, Italy, Montenegro, Romania and Spain.

Question 7
Answer

Question 7

Photo: EvelynGiggles (Flickr); Licence: CC BY 2.0

Which country holds the record for the most Eurovision victories?

Answer

With a total of seven wins, Ireland is the most successful country in Eurovision history. Its last victory was in 1996, but who knows, perhaps the luck of the Irish will show itself again tonight in Vienna and make it eight…

Question 8
Answer

Question 8

Photo: Karol Franks (Flickr); Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Which is the most successful band ever to win the Eurovision song contest?

Answer

ABBA, the Swedish pop band, won the contest in 1974 and has been enormously successful ever since.

Photo: Coagulans (Wikimedia Commons); Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0

Question 9
Answer

Question 9

Photo: Mark Vitullo (Flickr); Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Which popular Italian Eurovision Song Contest song has been covered by stars such as Dean Martin, David Bowie and Cliff Richard?

Answer

The 1958 Italian Eurovision entry Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu also known as Volare by Domenico Modugno.

Question 10
Answer

Question 10

Photo: FlickreviewR (Wikimedia Commons); Licence: CC BY 2.0

Which country was Celine Dion representing when she sang her winning song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi in 1988?

Answer

Despite her being Canadian, Celine Dion was representing Switzerland! This song is considered to be one of the most popular Eurovision entries as she used it to launch her international career.

Question 11
Answer

Question 11

Photo: Don O'Brien (Flickr); Licence: CC BY 2.0

How old was the youngest ever winner of the Eurovision Song Contest?

Answer

Sandra Kim was just 13 years old when she won Eurovision in 1986 with her song J’aime la vie. Rules have since been changed stipulating that participants have to be at least 16 to enter, so unless things are changed back again, her record will never be broken.

Last modified on Saturday, 23 May 2015 07:41

Published in From the Editorial Office

Tagged under

Editorial

If the Editorial team had an actual office it would have to stretch from the corner of Britain to the edges of Spain, Sweden, Germany and beyond. (With frequent trips to America too) . The term 'from the editorial office' then, is very much a figure of speech.

Eurovision Quiz

Question 1

Answer

Question 2

Answer

Question 3

Answer

Question 4

Answer

Question 5

Answer

Question 6

Answer

Question 7

Answer

Question 8

Answer

Question 9

Answer

Question 10

Answer

Question 11

Answer

Editorial

Latest from Editorial

Related items

Leave a comment