I Want Your Love - Dennis F

I’m not surprised that my ultimate guilty pleasure is the very first performance I ever saw live at my first ever Eurovision I ever attended. Moldova’s 2015 entry “I Want Your Love” by Eduard Romanyuta holds a special place in my heart. The faux-leather clad police officers, pyro, and gratuitous booty shaking camerashot, not bad for my first-ever Eurovision performance in the arena. They say you always remember your first. 

The song was fun, such a great start to the contest, and had lots of energy. My brain still remembers the scent of the pyro. I think this song deserved the final, and I know Europe and Australia loved it too with its 11th place finish. 

Pump Pump - Kyle W

My Guilty Pleasure is Finland 1976: Pump Pump by Fredi & the Friends.  This song just has it all: amazing outfits, fantastic facial hair, terrible dancing, and a super catchy tune!  The lyrics make no sense at all and really revolve around the phrase "Let your hip go hippety pump pump.” 1976 is part of a weird island of English in older Eurovision editions, and it feels like the whole song was probably translated by someone who spoke next to no English at all.  

In classic Eurovision fashion, Fredi is completely out of sync with the rest of the group.  There is this amazing move he does where he bumps out his chest early in the song, and it turns into an attempt to bump hips with the two singers on either side as the song goes on, however he kind of always misses.  There is a pianist who seems to be living his best life, plus two other singers as odd window dressing.  The song really has everything I could want from a Eurovision entry.

The song is classic 1970s Eurovision, and while I am not sure it will ever be an enduring classic, it always brings a smile to my face each time it comes up.  I regularly use it to introduce older Eurovision entries to people who have only seen the more modern editions.  It is a delight and dare I say it, a guilty pleasure!

Conquistador - Rodrigo RH

The "guilt" associated with enjoying Da Vinci's "Conquistador" largely stems from viewing its quintessentially 1989 characteristics through a modern lens. The most significant factor is the song's lyrical content. It serves as an unapologetic and romanticised ode to Portugal's colonial history, proudly listing former territories like Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique. In today's more historically conscious era, the celebratory theme of being a "conqueror" can feel jarring and politically tone-deaf, creating a sense of thematic awkwardness for the listener.

Beyond the lyrics, the song's musical production contributes to the "guilty" feeling. The once-futuristic synthesizers and digital drum machines now sound wonderfully cheesy, firmly dating the track as a product of its time. The performance also leans into beloved but often-mocked musical tropes, such as a dramatic key change designed to heighten the emotional climax, which adds another layer of delightful retro cringe. Finally, its lacklustre 16th-place finish at the contest gives it an underdog status. Championing a song that was commercially and critically overlooked by Europe adds to the feeling that it is a special, if slightly flawed, personal favourite.

That's Rich - Dexter T

I’ll admit it. One of my biggest Eurovision guilty pleasures is Brooke Scullion’s That’s Rich, Ireland’s entry in 2022. I know, it didn’t even make it to the final, but honestly? I loved every second of it.

The first time I heard it, I thought it was a bit throwaway — a cheeky pop track that probably wouldn’t stand out on such a big stage. But when Brooke performed it live, with all the sass, winks, and finger snaps, I was hooked. It was fun, it was cheeky, and it didn’t take itself too seriously. Exactly the kind of song that makes Eurovision such a joy to watch.

I still remember being inside the PalaOlimpico Arena in Turin, knowing full well Ireland wasn’t the bookies’ favorite, but rooting for her anyway. When the results came in and she didn’t qualify, I felt bad for her — but it didn’t stop me from keeping the song on repeat for weeks afterward during my runs.

Even now, whenever it pops up on my playlist, I can’t help but grin and sing along. Sure, it’s not a “winning” Eurovision song, but that’s the thing about guilty pleasures: they don’t have to win. They just have to make you happy. And That’s Rich still does, every single time.

Woki mit deim popo - Madeline N

That the annals of Eurovision will forever and always contain the name “Trackshittaz” makes me absolutely bust a gut. The song that finished dead-last in 2012 — not even in the final, but overall — is my guilty pleasure for its unprecedented combination of audacity and infuriating catchiness. Woki mit deim popo is a horrible song. Many have suggested it is the worst Eurovision entry of all time — an allegation difficult to dispute. (Then again, they did get more points than Piqued Jacks… so…?) The lyrics are just non-stop, unabashed objectification. Trackshittaz delivered on their promise — the track IS shit — and Marvin Dietmann (to his… credit?) really brought the artists’ (?) vision (?) to life on-stage.

Despite there being so very much to hate about Woki mit deim popo, I will never not bop along. I will never miss the opportunity to “ooh ooh!” with the chorus. Perhaps it’s the blissful ignorance of not knowing the Mühlviertlerisch dialect (or any other Austrian dialect, for that matter), but I bask in the disease-like infectiousness of this song — with the windows closed and the blinds down (never in the car where I could be seen and heard).

What I really want to know is whether Trackshittaz will be invited to perform at ESC 2026. If the sad soul who put together the “United by Music” rendition of Fly on the Wings of Love in 2025 could maybe do the same for Woki mit deim popo in Vienna, I would be eternally in their debt.

You and Me - Sean S

Time and shifting perceptions don’t look back fondly on the Netherlands 2012 artist Joan Franka’s performance of her song “You and Me”.  Leading up to the contest, “You and Me” was received well enough by Eurovision fans; it wasn’t going to win but it had potential to break the Netherlands’ seven non-qualification streak at the time. In her Eurovision performance, just as in her national final performance, she wore a Native American headdress which, according to her, symbolized a childhood memory of playing “Cowboys and Indians” with her first boyfriend. The jury in her national final foreshadowed her demise because they placed her last; however, it was the public vote that got her through to Eurovision. In a recent interview, Joan Franka said that she did not want to wear the same attire for her Eurovision performance but her team forced her to keep the headdress. In this same interview, she spoke of her horrible Eurovision experience, in huge part, due to her manager and team. The song placed 15th in the second semi-final with 35 points, 11 points shy of making the top 10.

The song is a surprise for me in terms of its catchiness. I often find myself humming the chorus. It’s a lovely song about childhood memory and certain longing for that connection with a loved one.  The song now gets dismissed because of the controversial staging and costume but I don’t need to watch the performance to enjoy this.

Vivo Cantando - Edward T

The greatest camp creations don’t know they’re camp.  Case in point: Spain’s 1969 Eurovision winner, Vivo Cantando.

The spectacle begins with a fanfare of tuxedoed male backing singers, who clearly wondered in from a solemn wedding.  Then Salomé—glamorous, unbothered, dressed in blue car wash couture and made up excessively.  This was early colour TV, and no hue was excluded.

What follows is 2.5 minutes of pure, unfiltered joy.  A smouldering verse—a dramatic novella—leads to a cyclical upbeat chorus.  It might have felt repetitive, were it not for a glorious interplay between Salomé’s escalating excitement, a live orchestra, and a syncopated pickup phrase that stretches time itself.  Each time she sings it, she accelerates. The orchestra scrambles after her.  The backing singers’ “hey”s fall in line.

Soon, the performance becomes a runaway train: faster, louder, more furious.  Salomé is not alarmed.  She is exhilarated.  Her gestures grow grander.  She switches to chest voice.  She locks eyes with the camera.  There’s a key change.  Violins swoop.

And then—triumph!  She raises both hands in victory.  Her backing singers remain stoic.  Everyone finishes together with one final barrage of gratuitous “hey”s.  The train did not crash.

This was Franco-era Spain, where homosexuality was suppressed and camp was not a concept—it was a subversion.  That something so gloriously flamboyant could erupt from such a repressive society is telling.  Spain wasn’t just ready to come out of the closet.  It was ready to burst out of it in sequins and song.

Disappear - Bronson T

My guilty pleasure is Germany 2008, represented by No Angels with Disappear who had the misfortune of coming last in a year filled with guilty pleasure songs.

Let me start by saying the studio version of Disappear is a great pop song, however the live performance was nothing short of a hot mess, and as it was from 2008 (meaning I’d only heard the ESC performance) it took years before I heard the studio cut and realised it was actually a decent song.

The styling was cheap and tacky but it was the pitchy vocals that made the performance a mess, with the blonde haired member being the main culprit. Still, the song itself is enjoyable that the performance enters so-bad-it’s-kind-of-good territory. It reminds me from their 2005 entry from a couple of years ago that was also a good song but a mess of a performance.

No Prejudice - Sascha S

Few Eurovision entries evoke such vivid memories and genuine joy for me as Pollapönk’s 2014 performance of No Prejudice. While the song itself is not a style I would typically gravitate toward, the group’s infectious energy and charisma during their time in Copenhagen left a lasting impression. 

Throughout the week, they appeared at numerous events, always in outfits reflecting their stage colours (so the guy in pink was always dressed in pink, the guy in blue always dressed in the same shade of blue, etc.) and were consistently radiating positivity and good humour. Their presence had a way of uplifting everyone around them.

Pollapönk proved to be outstanding ambassadors for Iceland, embracing the true spirit of Eurovision with enthusiasm and charm. For that reason, their entry will always hold a special place in my personal Eurovision songbook.

Uno - Tony Peter

“Uno” is the kind of Eurovision entry that makes you question your life choices… right before you hit replay for the fifth time. It’s absurd. It’s ridiculous. It’s three minutes of unfiltered dumb fun - and yet somehow one of the catchiest songs Russia has ever sent. Those dance moves? Straight out of a 1980s aerobics VHS. That chorus? Lodged in your brain until further notice.

Cheering on a Russian entry might feel complicated these days, but Little Big have always been their own brand of cheeky, self-aware, anti-establishment mischief. They definitely weren’t at Eurovision to wave a flag - they were there to cause chaos, make memes, and get you moving. So, supporting them feels like sharing an inside joke with millions of Eurovision fans.

“Uno” was never high art, and that’s exactly the point. It was built to be silly, addictive, and TikTok-ready - and it absolutely delivered. In the world of guilty pleasures, it’s the musical equivalent of eating Maccas after a big night out drinking: you know it’s not fine dining, but oh, it’s glorious.

Such a shame Eurovision 2020 had to be cancelled. 

La La Love - James Y

My Eurovision guilty pleasure is the wonderful entry from Cyprus in 2012, La La Love. 2012 was the first year that I watched the contest, and besides having one of the most iconic winners and ushering in the modern era of Eurovision in my opinion, wasn’t the best song-wise (besides the Russian grandmas of course). But this one just hit and got me good, and I still remember it fondly.

I’m predisposed to like glitzy pop sung by a female vocalist, and this ticks all the boxes. Ivi Amadou is gorgeous, and just a little bit of choreo was enough in 2012, clearly. The song itself is incredibly catchy, and I know that there are some folks that go crazy for this one, myself included.

Is the song sung well? That’s debatable, but I love it anyway! The most amusing part for sure is the slightly wonky rhyme scheme in this song, a combination of the lyrics themselves and her  vocal affect in the song. “Nothing to fear / When you are near” has a special vowel coloring to it that sounds a little goofy to me, but I think it has a charm all its own.

But yeah, just throw her in a cute dress, have some vaguely Greek staging, have a pop banger, and you’ve got a song I've still got a soft spot for from the beginning of my time watching Eurovision!

Maps - Doug B

It might have gotten last place in semi final 1 of Eurovision 2021, but Maps is one of my favorites when it comes on the playlist. It is a great studio version and the message of the song is great. It's got a good beat to it and just overall a good time. I believe that she was a leader in paving the way for the "made for TV performances." While the live version may not have gone well, I can still appreciate everything about the song as a whole :)

No Quiero Escuchar - Enrique V

n 1999, Lydia was selected by RTVE to represent the Spanish broadcaster in the Eurovision Song Contest, held on the 29th of May in Jerusalem, with the song "No quiero escuchar" (I Don't Want to Listen).

 

This was the 800th performance in the history of the competition. Lydia was very unlucky and finished last, receiving a single point from Croatia. In Spain there was widespread criticism of the dress she wore (by Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada) which did not suit with the style of the song. Some media tried to blame that fact for Spain's one of the poorest positions. The dress won the Barbara Dex Award for the worst of the year.

 

Unlike other artists who were unlucky at the festival, in 2004 Lydia stated on TVE: "At the end of the day, whether they like it or not, in 1999 I went to Eurovision, and that's something I'll be proud of all my life."

 

The song is a very underrated ballad and was widely played on Spanish radio in the weeks leading up to the competition, as well as on numerous TV programs such as ‘Música sí’ and  ‘Sorpresa Sorpresa’. The videoclip was recorded in Barcelona.

Verona - Victor C

My guilty pleasure is the song "Verona" by Koit Toome and Laura, which represented Estonia in Eurovision 2017. I loved the song, and vocals at the semifinal were very good but, unfortunately, all visual inputs were horrifying: hair, clothes, staging and, above all, Koit's gazes. Nevertheless, I still believe they should have been at the final.

I Love Belarus - Slavisa M


My guilty pleasure must be "I love Belarus" from 2011. The song that…obviously… represented Belarus. The lyrics are an absolute abomination and Anastasiya’s vocals were as fried as her hair (wig?). Absolutely NOTHING worked in their staging and the song is extremely basic, to say the least. However, it’s such an earworm and it’s been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it. While my initial reaction was hysterical laughter, now it’s always on my “must play ESC” list when I’m looking for a bop. Frankly, it’s passed the test of time (for me, at least) as one of those campy, kitschy, brainless songs that just put me in a good mood. Eurovision’s full of stuff like this, but this one certainly has a special place in my heart.


Mama SC - Ailieen A

My guilty pleasure is one that definitely puzzled me in 2023 when it won its national final- Mama SC. I was shocked, couldn’t move and simply thought - what did Croatia just do? I found myself judging the song so much, and couldn’t understand its appeal with the masses. From the outfits, to the crazy personas - it was all TOO much. And yet, sitting in the arena in Liverpool 2023, I couldn’t help but sing along to Mama SC - it did give me some cringe, but finally found it enjoyable for once and ever since I’ve found myself not actually hating it. The Eurovision world is quite a surprise, I must say. You just kind of learn to accept things that would not have passed your radar before and that’s beautiful.

Eat Your Salad - Tom G

“Eat Your Salad,” Latvia’s Eurovision 2022 entry by Citi Zēni, is a perfect guilty pleasure anthem because it’s equal parts absurd, catchy, and charmingly self-aware. Its jazzy brass, groovy basslines, and infectious hooks demand to be sung along to, even if you’re slightly embarrassed while doing it. It's so clearly camp and it’s impossible not to smile at their energy, even while rolling your eyes at lyrics like “Instead of meat, I eat veggies and… well, you know”. It's ridiculous yet refreshing. 

Scared of Heights - Darren S

This was a tough one - so many guilty pleasures to choose from! But for now, I'm going with "Scared of Heights" by Hera Bjork. Yes, this was at the absolute bottom of the 2024 competition - but Hera has a great voice, with great range. She can really belt out a tune, and this tune had a really catchy beat that put it on my repeat playlist.

I got drawn in at the beginning with the refrain "I feel it coming", and the build-up to the chorus is super well done. The chorus itself gets me bopping. 

I am sure the fact that Hera is a sassy diva only makes me like it more. Did I love the choreography/staging? Not so much, but when its on my Spotify that is not an issue. Yes, call it a '90s throwback - tis true, but that only makes me like it more!

The Social Network Song - David R

There it was, San Marino's song, The Social Network Song by Valentina Monetta.  Among all the 2012 songs, the different languages and genres, among the discoveries of Facebook groups and pages about Eurovision online, here was a song about Facebook from one of my favorite countries.  Except...

Why was this cute song getting blasted online? ESC fans made fun of it and Valentina, saying she was using autotune and how silly this song was. This was no sillier than other kitschy ESC songs. Besides, the music video has Alessandro Moreno as one of her Facebook friends- a total doppelganger for Patch of Days Of Our Lives. No one else noticed that? The official video is so Facebook. It matches the cute upbeat song, the ridiculous meaningless lyrics. I waste 12 hours a day on Facebook. Why not waste 3 or 12 minutes on repeat for a song about it?  

The randomness of the backups in their costumes with Valentina in the live performance made way more sense than people realize. Who remembers how you know all those random people in your friends list? Valentina did amazingly well vocally, proving she didn't need autotune, and she was a natural on stage. She posted an incredible jazz version on YouTube later.

Ultimately, the lyrics of the song did come true.  If you wanna come to her house, then click her with your mouse - she had her place up on AirBnb to rent out for a time.