The Eurovision Song Contest 1985 was the 30th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 4 May 1985 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The presenter was Lill Lindfors, and Norwegian duo Bobbysocks! was the winner of this Eurovision with the song "La det swinge".
Bobbysocks!' win for Norway was the country's first. Host Lill Lindfors, upon Norway's win, congratulated Hanne Krogh and Elisabeth Andreassen of Bobbysocks! by saying, "I must say I am honestly very happy that this happened because Norway has been last on so many times that you really deserve it!" Krogh replied, "You're happy? What do you think we are?!" After an energetic reprise, the two women embraced to a standing ovation from the audience.
During the voting, it was not immediately evident that Norway would win the Contest. Germany took a commanding lead in the first half, with Norway fifth place behind Germany, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom around the end of the first half of voting. Finally, with five juries left, Germany, Sweden and Norway were tightly wrapped around the pole positions with 87, 86, and 85 points respectively.
At that point, Sweden briefly took the lead away from Germany (who received no points from Switzerland). Sweden was the fourth-to-last jury, conceding their brief lead by awarding Germany eight points and Norway the full twelve. With only three countries left to vote, Norway kept the lead, in one of the shortest winning stretches during voting in the Contest's history.
The Netherlands and Yugoslavia did not participate in this Contest, due to the national Remembrance of the Dead in the Netherlands, and the anniversary of the death of Josip Broz Tito in Yugoslavia.The song from Spain was the big favourite for the juries but finally came 14 in a field of 19.
Also is this year known to be the year in the History of the Eurovision Song Contest, where most of artists, 13 at all, made a comeback. This also applied to the winners, Bobbysocks! who had attended once before alone, Hanne Krogh as solo performer for Norway in 1971, Elisabeth Andreassen for her second country, Sweden, in 1982, in a duet with Kikki Danielsson, which this year also made a comeback, for Sweden, and was thus competing with Elisabeth Andreassen & Bobbysocks!.
Read more about Eurovision Song Contest 1985: Individual Entries, Results, Voting Structure, Score Sheet, Returning Artists, Spokespersons, National Jury Members, Trivia
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