The annual Eurovision Song Contest unites people from all corners of the world, showcasing some of the best singers from all kinds of genres. Rock has always been welcome at the contest, with some of the acts going on to win the entire show. Some of the most iconic rock performances have come out of Finland. With Finland having the highest concentration of rock and metal bands in the world, it’s not surprising to see that they have provided some of the most memorable performances over the decades.
Lordi (2006)
This act made waves in Eurovision. With their hit song Hard Rock Hallelujah, they helped the heavier side of rock breakthrough into the mainstream market. In 2006, they had slim odds of 22/1. They were the very first Finnish group to win the contest and they were also the first rock/metal act to win as a whole. Their first-place finish encouraged Finland to send power metal act Teräsbetoni just two years later. The monster-rock act proved to the world that rock and roll is very much alive and kicking, bringing home the trophy and cementing Finland’s place on the worldwide stage. Even though the band have recently undergone some lineup changes, they have released many albums and completed a few worldwide tours since their success in the contest. This year, Finland isn’t sending a rock act but rockers MEGARA are representing San Marino. They’re performing their hit 11:11 which currently has Eurovision 2024 betting odds of 60/1. For those who are new to betting on Eurovision, using a bet calculator is the best way to calculate your potential return.
The Rasmus (2022)
The Rasmus went on Eurovision in 2022 with their rock earworm Jezebel. The band, who have been together for over 30 years, are one of the most internally-successful groups in Finland. Their hit, In the Shadows, passed over 100 million streams on Spotify even though it was released years before the streaming platform was invented. Even though the hit is still their calling card, they have since gone on to have many platinum albums, with numerous industry awards. Entering Eurovision proved to be their second coming, with new guitarist Emppu. She’s from the band Titktak and helps to bring new energy to the rock-and-roll act.
Blind Channel (2021)
The band Blind Channel made waves in 2021. The rock act had a very high-energy performance that helped to showcase what rock and roll is all about. They were chosen to represent Finland in 2021. Finland was placed into the second half of the semi-final and finished in sixth position. This helped to give the country the best result since Lordi, showing that the country has experienced great success with rock acts over the years.
Last year, Käärijä finished in second place with Cha Cha Cha, which although wasn’t a rock anthem, still brought plenty of energy. Last year saw numerous rock acts from other countries too, including Voyager from Australia and Lord of the Lost from Germany. Eurovision has also seen acts such as AWS, Måneskin and Apocalyptica grace the stage, bringing shredding guitars and high-energy performances. This has helped to solidify rock’s presence and brought international acclaim to many acts.
