Eurovision Takeover: It’s an Official Chart Record!
For the first time in 71 years of the Official Chart (and in the Eurovision Song Contest’s 67-year history), this week sees four tracks from the contest gatecrash the Top 10 of the Official Singles Chart – the most Eurovision entries in the Official Chart Top 10 simultaneously ever, the Official Charts Company can confirm.
Today, Eurovision’s 2023 Swedish winner Loreen, Finland’s Käärijä, the UK’s Mae Muller and Norway’s Alessandra all celebrate Top 10 success, proving the music of Eurovision increasingly transcends the stage to reach the country’s wider consciousness and – consequently – the Official Chart.
The pack is led by Loreen, who became the first woman (and only the second person ever) to win Eurovision twice with her intense dance behemoth Tattoo. Loreen’s winning entry debuts at Number 2, earning the Stockholm-born pop priestess the highest Official Chart peak of her career so far.
Tattoo even out-performs Loreen’s own legendary 2012 Eurovision winning song Euphoria, which peaked at Number 3, confirming her status as one of the biggest stars ever birthed from the contest.
Speaking exclusively to Official Charts, Loreen says:
“I’m absolutely overwhelmed by all the love and support that I’m receiving right now, especially from my UK friends that’ve been with me since day one. The UK’s become my second home, and to receive a new peak there with Tattoo means the world to me. Thank you for being a part of the journey. Together, we’ve created history.”
Next up, Finland runner-up Käärijä storms straight into the UK Top 10 with his arresting ‘party metal’ anthem Cha Cha Cha. After placing second in this year’s contest, Cha Cha Cha lands at Number 6 and – in doing so – becomes the first-ever fully-Finnish language song to enter the Official Singles Chart.
Celebrating his success, Käärija exclusively tells Official Charts:
“This feels amazing. I’m just a normal guy from Finland! I made a song and people love it, I’m very grateful for that. Making it to the UK Top 10 is just crazy. I know it’s not easy to get there, especially with a Finnish song. To all my UK fans, I want to say thank you for all your love and support. I hope I can come back someday and do my own show there!”
Despite a disappointing result at last weekend’s grand final, the UK truly champions its defiant entrant Mae Muller as I Wrote A Song breaks the Top 10 for the first time this week. Vaulting an incredible 36 places to a new peak of Number 9, the Eurodance banger earns Mae a new career high in the process.
Thanking the UK for its unwavering support, Mae Muller exclusively tells Official Charts:
“We’ve only gone and bloody done it – Top 10 in the Official Singles Chart with I Wrote A Song!
“Thank you so much for all the support, I cannot thank you guys enough. It could not have happened without you, without the UK getting behind me. It’s been a weird couple of days, but this has just been such an amazing end to my Eurovision journey. I’m so, so grateful.
“My first Top 10! This is a big deal, I can’t lie. It’s just the beginning. I love you so much!”
Finally, Norway representative Alessandra claims her first-ever Official Singles Chart entry with epic synth-pop slammer Queen of Kings. After clinching fifth place at 2023’s grand final, Alessandra’s Gaga-esque female empowerment anthem is a new entry at Number 10 this week.
Prior to this week, the last time multiple Eurovision entries graced the UK Official Singles Chart Top 10 simultaneously was back in 1982, with two tracks managing it. In 1982, German entry Nicole topped the chart with A Little Peace, while the UK’s Bardo concurrently peaked at Number 2 with their song One Step Further.
On Eurovision’s increasing influence on the Official Chart, Martin Talbot, Chief Executive, Official Charts Company, says:
“While many Eurovision classics over the years have made an impact on the Official Singles Chart, from Sing Little Birdie in 1959 to last year’s SPACE MAN, never has there been a Eurovision/Official Charts crossover like this year’s unprecedented Top 10 result. Congratulations to Loreen, Käärijä, Mae Muller and Alessandra on becoming the all-time Eurovision dream team. You are *all* winners in our eyes.”
BBC Radio 2 Eurovision host Scott Mills tells Official Charts:
“The fact that Eurovision is making such an impression on the Official Chart shows just how much the UK invested in this year’s contest. It became much more than a contest; it became a week-long festival and party thanks to Liverpool fully embracing it.
“I don’t remember a time when Eurovision had such an effect on The Official Chart, and that just shows you how much it cut through with the audience at home on radio, TV and social media. For the first time – as far back as I can remember – everybody was talking about it.”
Eurovision 2023 stat attack summary
2023 sees the most Eurovision Song Contest tracks in the Official Singles Chart Top 10 simultaneously ever – Tattoo (2), Cha Cha Cha (6), I Wrote A Song (9) and Queen of Kings (10).
This is only the second time in Official Chart history that multiple Eurovision entries have graced the Top 10 simultaneously; the last time being in 1982, when two Eurovision songs enjoyed Top 10 success in the same week.
Käärijä claims the first-ever fully-Finnish language entry on the Official Singles Chart with Cha Cha Cha.
2023 winner Loreen out-peaks her previous win, 2012’s Euphoria, with Tattoo and claims a new UK career-high. Tattoo reaches Number 2, while Euphoria peaked at Number 3.
Loreen also equals 2022 UK runner-up Sam Ryder’s Official Chart peak with SPACE MAN (2). At its time of charting, SPACE MAN became the highest-charting Eurovision entry in the UK in 26 years, after Gina G reached Number 1 with Ooh Aah…Just A Little Bit in 1996.
Mae Muller earns her first-ever UK Top 10 single with I Wrote A Song, proving the entire country is backing her despite Liverpool result.
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