Eurovision at 70: The Biggest Hits, Artists, and Trends from the Iconic Song Competition

As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song contest, Spotify is diving into the data to explore how listeners engage with the songs and artists that have come out of the competition.

Year after year, Eurovision remains a beloved cultural moment. In the past 12 months alone, listeners in Europe have created more than 1.2 million playlists inspired by the contest and streamed its song entries more than 1.5 billion times.

This year’s event unfolds throughout May in Vienna—the home city of 2025’s winner, JJ—with the finals set for Saturday, May 16.

Read on for Eurovision’s most-streamed entries and contestants, plus the musical formula that could hold the key to winning it all.

“Arcade” by Dutch artist Duncan Laurence is the most popular Eurovision song entry, with more than 1.5 billion streams globally. Claiming the number two spot is “SNAP” by Armenia’s Rosa Linn—a Billions Club hit that placed 20th in the competition but captured the hearts of fans around the world.

And that’s not the only non-winning song to make waves. “Deslocado” by Portugal’s NAPA placed 21st in 2025, but after sparking a social media trend, it became the most-streamed track from that year’s contest.

Most-streamed entries:

1. “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence (Netherlands, 2019)
2. “SNAP” by Rosa Linn (Armenia, 2022)
3. “Tattoo” by Loreen (Sweden, 2023)
4. “ZITTI E BUONI” by Måneskin (Italy, 2021)
5. “Fairytale” by Alexander Rybak (Norway, 2009)
6. “Waterloo” by ABBA (Sweden, 1974)
7. “Soldi” by Mahmood (Italy, 2019)
8. “Queen of Kings” by Alessandra (Norway, 2023)
9. “Voilà” by Barbara Pravi (France, 2021)
10. “Cha Cha Cha” by Käärijä (Finland, 2023)

The contestants who took the world by storm

Eurovision has launched the careers of some of music’s biggest names. Representing Sweden in 1974, ABBA has amassed over 12.5 billion streams globally, making them the most-streamed act to come out of the competition.

Most-streamed contestants:

1. ABBA (Sweden, 1974)
2. Måneskin (Italy, 2021)
3. Céline Dion (Switzerland, 1988)
4. Gabry Ponte (San Marino, 2025)
5. Julio Iglesias (Spain, 1970)
6. Bonnie Tyler (United Kingdom, 2013)
7. Olivia Newton-John (United Kingdom, 1974)
8. Cascada (Germany, 2013)
9. Duncan Laurence (Netherlands, 2019)
10. Loreen (Sweden, 2023)

Spotify data also highlights differences in Eurovision favorites across age groups.

Gen Z listeners are hitting play again and again on Alexander Rybak’s “ Fairytale,” Napa’s “Descolado, ” and Joker Out’s “Carpe Diem.”

Meanwhile, older listeners lean toward Duncan Laurence’s “ Arcade,” Rosa Linn’s “ SNAP,” and Loreen’s “ Tattoo.”

While there’s no exact formula for a winning Eurovision song, that unpredictability is part of what keeps bringing fans back. However, we looked across every Eurovision winner to date and found a few patterns that might explain their magic.

According to our data, the most common tempo for a Eurovision winning entry is 127 beats per minute (BPM)—striking a sweet spot between high-energy danceability and emotional groove.

Meanwhile, the key to success is most often F major, paired with a classic 4/4 time signature.

By these measures, Ireland’s 1987 winner “Hold Me Now” by Johnny Logan comes the closest to the “perfect” Eurovision song, meeting nearly all the criteria, with a tempo landing one beat shy at 126 BPM.