Luxembourg's success at the Eurovision Song Contest

It came as a surprise to most of us when it was announced that Luxembourg will be returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024!

Nevertheless, it was a popular announcement among Contest supporters.

Here at Aussievision, we asked fans back in 2021 who they would like to return to Eurovision, and Luxembourg came in second place.

To celebrate Luxembourg's national day on 23 June and their return to Eurovision, we're looking back at their winning entries during their time at the Contest between 1956 and 1993.

'Nous les amoureux' - Jean-Claude Pascale (1961)

It didn't take long for Luxembourg to have their first win, just five years after the Contest began, Jean-Claude Pascal with 'Nous les Amoureux' took out the prize.

This was following on from two last places in a row, so quite the turn around!

Pascal himself was from France with the song sung in French. It did not come out until years later that the song was actually about two men in love, a topic that would have been considered controversial at the time, so the song was written and performed without referring to genders.

'Poupée de cire, poupée de son' - France Gall (1965)

Just four years later in 1965, Luxembourg had another win at Eurovision. This time it was the iconic 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son' sung by French singer, France Gall.

The song translates from French into 'wax doll, rag doll' and was written by legendary singer-songwriter and composer, Serge Gainsbourg. Lyrics written by Gainsbourg are well known for having clever double meanings, and this song is no exception, with the song said to be a bit of a dig at the pop music industry.

The song was up-tempo compared to the ballads from previous winners of the decade and showed that pop music could also do well at Eurovision. 'Poupée de cire, poupée de son' interestingly has also been one of the most covered Eurovision songs, being performed in many languages (including Vietnamese!) and even a few metal versions thanks to the nordic nations.

'Apres Troi' - Vicky Leandros (1972)

Greek singer Vicky Leandros brought home a third Eurovision win for Luxembourg in 1972.

'Apres Tori' translates to 'After You' and is a song essentially about a lost love. The song writer of 'Apres Trio', Yves Desca, also wrote the winning song the year before in 1971 for Monaco.

The song had originally been written for Germany that year, however it did not win the German national selection.

It was the second time that Leandros had represented Luxembourg, as she sang at the 1967 contest (simply as Vicky), finishing 4th.

An English version of the song was also released by Leandros ('Come What May') and it charted well across the world, including in Australia.

'Tu te reconnaîtras' - Anne-Marie David (1973)

In 1973, French singer Anne-Marie David gave Luxembourg a back-to-back win with the legendary 'Tu te reconnaîtras'. As winners of the previous year, Luxembourg City hosted the event at the Grand Théâtre. Like "Mother" Loreen, Anne-Marie David was Moroccan-born.

The song in English translates to 'You'll Recognise Yourself'. The entry is dearly loved by many of the Eurovision fandom even to this day, and regularly appears in the ESC250 (Top 250 Eurovision songs voted by fans organised by the Belgian Eurovision site Songfestival.be). For the 2022 edition of ESC250, 'Tu te reconnaîtras' appeared in 18th place.

'Si la vie east cadeau' - Corinne Hermes (1983)

Luxembourg's fifth and final Eurovision win didn't come until 10 years later with 'Si la vie east cadeau'. In 1983, Luxembourg once again sent a French singer with Corinne Hermes representing the nation.

Hermes gave a very strong vocal performance of her ballad about heart break. Luxembourg who received six sets of 12 points, finished just six points ahead of second-place getters Israel.

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In the 10 years that followed their last win, Luxembourg weren't as successful as they had been, but did manage two top fives (1986 and 1988).

Following a poor place in 1993, Luxembourg were relegated from the competition for 1994 and have not returned since.

On 12 May 2023, the Luxembourgish broadcaster RTL together with EBU announced that after a 30 year absence, the small nation would be returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024. This was also announced by host Graham Norton during the Grand Final in Liverpool.

It is said we will know more about how the 2024 Luxembourgish entry will be chosen in July 2023. Watch this space!

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