Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Encyclopedia
Greece
and Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi (ERT)
originally chose to host a National Selection, but then decided on an Internal Selection. Sakis Rouvas
was chosen with "Shake It
" and placed 3rd at Eurovision.
style TV show called Eurostar which started on December 5, 2003. 36 people were selected to compete and were divided into three groups of twelve. The contestants of each group had to compete against each other over two heats. The six contestants with the highest score of each group proceeded to the following round. Apostolos Psichramis was the winner of the final and was supposed to move on to a selection process for a song, however, ERT internally selected "Shake It
" by Nikos Terzis, sung by Sakis Rouvas
after they had finialized a deal with him to sing. The winner and the two finalists from Eurostar were then given the opportunity of performing back-up vocals in Istanbul
, Turkey
.
As Greece had not finished in the top 10 at the 2003 Contest
, the song was first performed in the semi-final. It was performed tenth following Monaco
's Märyon
with "Notre Planète
" and preceding Ukraine
's Ruslana
with "Wild Dances
". At the close of voting, it had received 238 points, placing 3rd in the 22-strong field and qualifying for the final.
In the final, it was performed sixteenth following FYR Macedonia
's Toše Proeski
with "Life
" and preceding Iceland
's Jónsi
with "Heaven
".
Sakis Rouvas performed with two dancers with his back-up vocals to the side. During the performance Sakis ripped off the white suits his dancers were wearing to reveal sparkling tassel attire. The dancers later ripped off Sakis' jacket. At the close of voting, it had received 252 points, placing 3rd in a field of 24. It was succeeded as Greek representative
at the 2005 Contest
by Elena Paparizou
with "My Number One
".
" broke and still maintains a number of records, both for Greece and abroad. With 252 points, "Shake It" is the highest-scoring third place entrant in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest
. This record was previously held by Malta's
1998
performance by Chiara Siracusa with "The One That I Love
" that earned 166 points. Although there were only 25 countries voting in 1998 and 36 in 2004, the Greek point average is higher. The current runner-up is Bosnia and Herzegovina's
2006
"Lejla
" by Hari Mata Hari
with 229 points. Meanwhile, it received 238 points in the semi-final (where it also placed third), becoming the highest-scoring third place in the semi-final as well, and also having the highest point average of a third place for both events.
"Shake It" is by far Greece's most successful entrant in cumulative points. It received 252 points from 35 other countries, making it the highest-scoring Greek entrant to date. While it is arguable that in 2004 and beyond there have been more countries participating than in the past, the song achieved a point average of 7.2, also becoming the highest point average of a Greek entrant, a record that has yet to be broken. Both of these records were previously held by Antique
with "(I Would) Die For You
" in 2001
, having scored 147 from 22 countries and having an average of 6.68.
Rouvas' effort is only the second entrant of Greece that was awarded points by every other country in a single contest, the other year being in 2001 with Antique. However, in 2001, only 23 countries voted, while in 2004, 36 countries voted, making it difficult to compare the two years.
The entry also received five sets of 12 points, the maximum amount of points that can be awarded, which was the highest amount of 12 points Greece had ever received in a single contest, up until that point. However, the record was broken the following year.
Finally, "Shake It" is by far the most successful Greek Eurovision entrant in charts and sales. It peaked at number 1 for an extended amount of weeks in both Greece and Cyprus. It charted for nearly one year on the Greek Singles Chart. The song also topped both countries' airplay charts and entered the top 40 of the Swedish Singles chart. It was certified 4× platinum
in Greece and 3× platinum in Cyprus, becoming the best-selling single of the year. The high sales of the record helped earn Rouvas his first World Music Award
. It has since become one of the best-selling CD singles of all time in Greece.
was re-released with "Shake It" and became double platinum, becoming his third multi-platinum album. While in the three years prior to Eurovision he had entered the international music scene, the Eurovision further fueled his success abroad. His English album Ola Kala
was re-released in many parts of Europe
to contain the Eurovision entrant and newer tracks.
In 2006, Rouvas presented the 2006 contest
alongside Greek-American presenter Maria Menounos
, while since his performance, he has been approached multiple times to represent Greece once again in the contest, with the artist denying these proposals. On July 15, 2008, however, Rouvas was confirmed as Greece's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi (ERT)
Elliniki Radiofonia Tileorasi
The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation is the Greek state-owned public radio and television broadcasting corporation. It is a member of EBU.Since 70's ERT is part of the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by EBU...
originally chose to host a National Selection, but then decided on an Internal Selection. Sakis Rouvas
Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II , often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus...
was chosen with "Shake It
Shake It (Sakis Rouvas song)
"Shake It" is an English language song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The song is an up-tempo number, with Rouvas telling his lover that "I would trade my life for a night with you" and asking the lover to "shake it" for him...
" and placed 3rd at Eurovision.
National final
At first, ERT organized a National Final that consisted of a Pop IdolPop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
style TV show called Eurostar which started on December 5, 2003. 36 people were selected to compete and were divided into three groups of twelve. The contestants of each group had to compete against each other over two heats. The six contestants with the highest score of each group proceeded to the following round. Apostolos Psichramis was the winner of the final and was supposed to move on to a selection process for a song, however, ERT internally selected "Shake It
Shake It (Sakis Rouvas song)
"Shake It" is an English language song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The song is an up-tempo number, with Rouvas telling his lover that "I would trade my life for a night with you" and asking the lover to "shake it" for him...
" by Nikos Terzis, sung by Sakis Rouvas
Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II , often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus...
after they had finialized a deal with him to sing. The winner and the two finalists from Eurostar were then given the opportunity of performing back-up vocals in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Semi-final
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
, the song was first performed in the semi-final. It was performed tenth following Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
's Märyon
Maryon
Maryon Gargiulo is a singer, better known as Maryon, who represented Monaco in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Notre Planète" .- Career :...
with "Notre Planète
Notre Planète
"Notre planète" was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in French by French singer Maryon. The song marked Monaco's return to the Contest, after a twenty-five year long absence....
" and preceding Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
's Ruslana
Ruslana
Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko is a World Music Award winning and MTV Europe Music Award nominated artist, and the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004....
with "Wild Dances
Wild Dances (song)
"Wild Dances" is the name of the song by Ukrainian pop-star Ruslana Lyzhichko . "Wild Dances" was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Turkey....
". At the close of voting, it had received 238 points, placing 3rd in the 22-strong field and qualifying for the final.
Final
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
's Toše Proeski
Toše Proeski
Todor Toše Proeski was a Macedonian multi-genre singer, songwriter and actor. He was popular across the entire Balkan area and all around Eastern Europe, and locally he was considered a top act of the Macedonian music scene...
with "Life
Life (Eurovision song)
"Life" was the Macedonia's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in English by Toše Proeski...
" and preceding Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
's Jónsi
Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson
Jón Jósep Snæbjörnsson or Jónsi is an Icelandic singer and member of the band Í Svörtum Fötum . He participated on behalf of Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 and finished 19th...
with "Heaven
Heaven (Eurovision song)
Heaven was the Icelandic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in English by Jónsi.Composed by Sveinn Rúnar Sigurðsson and written by Magnús Thor Sigmundsson, the song is a dramatic ballad...
".
Sakis Rouvas performed with two dancers with his back-up vocals to the side. During the performance Sakis ripped off the white suits his dancers were wearing to reveal sparkling tassel attire. The dancers later ripped off Sakis' jacket. At the close of voting, it had received 252 points, placing 3rd in a field of 24. It was succeeded as Greek representative
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest
Greece has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 32 times since 1974, with the exception of 1975, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1999 and 2000. Greece won for the first time in 2005 with "My Number One" song by Elena Paparizou. Following the introduction of a semi-final round for the 2004 contest, Greece...
at the 2005 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
by Elena Paparizou
Elena Paparizou
Eleni "Elena" Paparizou , usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek-Swedish singer and occasional songwriter, who was born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. She began her career there in 1999 as a member of the duo Antique, while she also worked briefly as a model for a...
with "My Number One
My Number One
As Greece had finished the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest in third place, the song was pre-qualified for the final in 2005. Thus, it was performed nineteenth on the night, following Croatia's Boris Novković and Lado with "Vukovi umiru sami" and preceding Russia's Natalia Podolskaya with "Nobody Hurt...
".
Records
Rouvas' entry "Shake ItShake It (Sakis Rouvas song)
"Shake It" is an English language song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The song is an up-tempo number, with Rouvas telling his lover that "I would trade my life for a night with you" and asking the lover to "shake it" for him...
" broke and still maintains a number of records, both for Greece and abroad. With 252 points, "Shake It" is the highest-scoring third place entrant in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest
History of the Eurovision Song Contest
The history of the Eurovision Song Contest began with the brainchild of Marcel Bezençon of the European Broadcasting Union . The contest was based on the Italian Sanremo Music Festival and was designed to test the limits of live television broadcast technology.The first contest took place on 24 May...
. This record was previously held by Malta's
Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest
Malta has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1971. At first the island state sent songs in its native language, Maltese, but it failed to rank highly, and withdrew after the 1975 contest. Since its return in 1991, however, it has achieved eight top ten placings in a row, including...
1998
Eurovision Song Contest 1998
The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...
performance by Chiara Siracusa with "The One That I Love
The One That I Love
"The One That I Love" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in English by Chiara.The song is a ballad, with Chiara telling her lover how she feels about him, comparing the love she has for him to that of eating doughnuts...
" that earned 166 points. Although there were only 25 countries voting in 1998 and 36 in 2004, the Greek point average is higher. The current runner-up is Bosnia and Herzegovina's
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was Lejla by Hari Varešanović. It was selected as the country's entry by the national broadcaster, PBSBiH...
2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
"Lejla
Lejla
"Lejla" was the Bosnian and Herzegovinian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in the country's native language by Hari Mata Hari...
" by Hari Mata Hari
Hari Mata Hari
Hari Mata Hari is a popular music band from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hari Mata Hari is the stage name for the singer Hajrudin "Hari" Varešanović. The group originated from the city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group has performed over 1,000 concerts and sold 5,000,000...
with 229 points. Meanwhile, it received 238 points in the semi-final (where it also placed third), becoming the highest-scoring third place in the semi-final as well, and also having the highest point average of a third place for both events.
"Shake It" is by far Greece's most successful entrant in cumulative points. It received 252 points from 35 other countries, making it the highest-scoring Greek entrant to date. While it is arguable that in 2004 and beyond there have been more countries participating than in the past, the song achieved a point average of 7.2, also becoming the highest point average of a Greek entrant, a record that has yet to be broken. Both of these records were previously held by Antique
Antique (duo)
Antique was a Greek singing duo consisting of Elena Paparizou and Nikos Panagiotidis originating from Sweden which combined Greek popular music and lyrics with a Nordic dance pop beat. Both Paparizou and Panagiotidis were born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents...
with "(I Would) Die For You
(I Would) Die For You
" Die for You" is a song released by Antique. It was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001, performed in Greek and English by Antique, a duo consisting of Elena Paparizou and Nikos Panagiotidis, both born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents...
" in 2001
Eurovision Song Contest 2001
The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 was the 46th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 12 May 2001 in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was the first time in 36 years that Denmark hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, thanks to the Olsen Brothers' win the previous year in Stockholm...
, having scored 147 from 22 countries and having an average of 6.68.
Rouvas' effort is only the second entrant of Greece that was awarded points by every other country in a single contest, the other year being in 2001 with Antique. However, in 2001, only 23 countries voted, while in 2004, 36 countries voted, making it difficult to compare the two years.
The entry also received five sets of 12 points, the maximum amount of points that can be awarded, which was the highest amount of 12 points Greece had ever received in a single contest, up until that point. However, the record was broken the following year.
Finally, "Shake It" is by far the most successful Greek Eurovision entrant in charts and sales. It peaked at number 1 for an extended amount of weeks in both Greece and Cyprus. It charted for nearly one year on the Greek Singles Chart. The song also topped both countries' airplay charts and entered the top 40 of the Swedish Singles chart. It was certified 4× platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in Greece and 3× platinum in Cyprus, becoming the best-selling single of the year. The high sales of the record helped earn Rouvas his first World Music Award
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
. It has since become one of the best-selling CD singles of all time in Greece.
After Eurovision
Rouvas' enjoyed a boost in his career after returning to Greece. His single "Shake It" had debuted on the Greek Singles Chart at number 2, climbing up to number 1 in its second week, where it remained for eight straight weeks. The single also peaked at number 1 on the Radio Airplay Chart for months at a time. The success helped Rouvas win at the Arion Music Awards in April, 2005 where he won the award for "Highest Greek Single Sales of 2004." The single went platinum in its first week and was certified double platinum by September 2004, finally achieving 4x platinum status in Greece in 2005. Rouvas' ninth studio album To Hrono StamataoTo Hrono Stamatao
To Hrono Stamatao is the tenth studio album by Greek pop-rock singer-songwriter Sakis Rouvas, released in December 2003 by Minos EMI in Greece and Cyprus...
was re-released with "Shake It" and became double platinum, becoming his third multi-platinum album. While in the three years prior to Eurovision he had entered the international music scene, the Eurovision further fueled his success abroad. His English album Ola Kala
Ola Kala
Ola Kala is the eighth studio album and first international album featuring a number of English language songs by popular Greek singer-songwriter Sakis Rouvas, originally released on June 16, 2002 in Greece and Cyprus by Minos EMI. International songwriter and producer Desmond Child is the main...
was re-released in many parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to contain the Eurovision entrant and newer tracks.
In 2006, Rouvas presented the 2006 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
alongside Greek-American presenter Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos is a Greek-American actress, journalist, and television presenter known in America for her appearances as a correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, Extra, and abroad for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.-Early life and beauty pageants:Menounos, a...
, while since his performance, he has been approached multiple times to represent Greece once again in the contest, with the artist denying these proposals. On July 15, 2008, however, Rouvas was confirmed as Greece's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
.
See also
- Greece in the Eurovision Song ContestGreece in the Eurovision Song ContestGreece has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 32 times since 1974, with the exception of 1975, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1999 and 2000. Greece won for the first time in 2005 with "My Number One" song by Elena Paparizou. Following the introduction of a semi-final round for the 2004 contest, Greece...
- Eurovision Song Contest 2004Eurovision Song Contest 2004The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
- Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song ContestThe Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...