The Eurovision Song Contest, in all of its must-see nature on its namesake continent, has produced a great many stars over its decades in existence. While some Americans may have been most familiar with the contest due to Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, these ten artists have crossover levels of fame beyond the continent of origin.
Even though it is a mega-spectacle, that does not always mean that the winners shoot off into stardom. While there may be many Eurovision winners whose biggest claim to fame is that contest victory, there are also some who transcended into true stardom. It's like when Simon Cowell gave the nod to Kelly Clarkson. She ended up operating at a different level of fame ultimately.
10 Lys Assia
In the case of Lys Assia, the first-ever winner of Eurovision, the contest is her biggest claim to fame. After all, the first winner will be forever immortalized. But she still managed to have a successful career and bout of fame after the win.
She became a Eurovision veteran and legend, like when Ted Williams would show up to Fenway Park in his later years. However, she also had great fame with songs like "O mein Papa" and those which were in competition for future contests.
9 Lena
Lena was a breakout victor from Eurovision, having won the contest back in 2010 with the hit song "Satellite." The song skyrocketed to the top of the international charts and the German singer parlayed the win into a great success.
Lena's talents took her to some chart-topping albums, but it also led her to television success (The Voice Kids), film success (Wonder Park), and a modeling/brand sponsorship career. Lena is a multi-hyphenate.
8 Netta
Netta is one of the more recent winners. Thanks to "Toy," Netta brought the Eurovision title home to Israel. Her song made her an instant breakout star during that 2018 contest and she has since dropped a number of hot hits.
Netta is now starting to pay it forward, as she'll help curate Israel's next Eurovision competitor by judging her country's version of The X Factor. Eurovision super fans will also recognize her from her cameo in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
7 Johnny Logan
Throwing it back a bit further, Johnny Logan first won Eurovision in 1980, on the heels of "What's Another Year" from Shay Healy and the country of Ireland.
He also won the contest in 1987 with a song he wrote himself, "Hold Me Now." He's the only Eurovision contestant to win the whole show twice, which is more than enough to become quite famous. But Logan parlayed his unique place in Eurovision history into a novelty role across celebrity engagements. He's a definite star, but with music that's as niche as the Netflix movie that would later be inspired by it.
6 Nicole
Also a winner of Eurovision during the 1980s was Nicole. She brought the title back to Germany in 1982, courtesy of "Ein bißchen Frieden," a song that stormed its way across multiple countries' charts.
Nicole was just seventeen when she won the contest, though. It was her earliest honor. She would go on to place in second at 1983's Tokyo World Popular Song Festival before later winning some more niche German awards during the 1990s.
5 Loreen
Another more recent winner of Eurovision is Loreen, who took the title back to Sweden during the 2012 contest in Azerbaijan. "Euphoria" was a hit and it has popped up in subsequent Eurovision contests since then.
Sweden has always fared well during the contest, and Loreen is among their most famous contestants. Like Netta, she also popped up in a cameo capacity for Eurovision on Netflix.
4 France Gall
Going back even further to another seventeen-year-old Eurovision winner, France Gall took home the victory to Luxembourg all the way back in 1965. Her song, "Poupée de cire, poupée de son," led to a great deal of musical experimentation and some massive tours.
Sadly, France Gall passed away in 2018. But she had an illustrious career that spanned film, humanitarianism, and over twenty studio albums.
3 Conchita Wurst
Not every former contestant who appears in Eurovision was a winner, but it's abundantly clear that the most famous singer to turn up during the Song-Along was Conchita Wurst. He gets his own moment in the spotlight during that medley.
His spotlight was also quite bright during the 2014 Eurovision when he won the contest for Austria while singing "Rise Like a Phoenix." The song and performance ended up sparking some controversy, but it was unfounded as Wurst is an undeniable and seminal talent whose fame changed the world for the better.
2 Céline Dion
Celine Dion is among the most famous musicians to ever exist, let alone from the Eurovision Song Contest. She won back in 1988 for Switzerland with her performance of "Ne partez pas sans moi."
Since then, Dion's records have eclipsed a fifth of a billion and her hits have entered into the cultural lexicon forever. "My Heart Will Go On,""The Power of Love," "Think Twice," and on and on. She's a true legend from the Eurovision annals.
1 ABBA
There's a case to be made that ABBA made Eurovision just as much as Eurovision made ABBA. The pop-rock and partially disco group from Sweden won the contest with "Waterloo" back in 1974.
Not only is "Waterloo" clearly one of the best tunes from the Eurovision hall of fame, but it also helped set the tone for what the contest could be. Considering ABBA has spawned so many fun pop hits ("When I Kissed the Teacher," "Dancing Queen," "Lay All Your Love on Me") that they received an acclaimed musical, Mamma Mia! (and two subsequent film adaptations), it's safe to say that ABBA is the crown golden child of Eurovision.
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