Remember that time in 2006 when Finland brought hard rock (hallelujah) to Eurovision and won?
If ever there was to be a country that has reigned supreme with rock and metal at Eurovision, it would have to be Finland! They have bought us the most, and also been the most successful in the rock/metal genre.
Today we will celebrate the Finnish Independence Day by looking at their five most successful rock and metal entries.
5. Teräsbetoni - 'Missä Miehet Ratsastaa' (2008) - 22nd place
Sporting lots of hair and dressed in black leather, Finland bought us viking power metal with pyrotechnics in the form of Teräsbetoni in 2008. 'Missä Miehet Ratsastaa' is a song that simply must have the lyrics googled in English - and how good does the Finnish language sound in metal! Lead vocalist Jarkko Ahola is renowned for his impressive vocal range, and has also been known to delve into opera.
4. Hanna Pakarinen - 'Leave Me Alone' (2007) - 17th place
Hanna Pakarinen was very well known in Finland as she was runner-up in the first Finnish 'Idol'. Hanna was lucky enough to perform on home soil after Lordi secured Finland's first ever Eurovision win the year before.
3. Softengine - 'Something Better' (2014) - 11th place
In 2014, Finland brought rock back to Eurovision and the result earned them a spot just outside the top 10 with alternative rock group Softengine. 'Something Better' was written with just days before the deadline to submit an entry in the Finnish national final. It was Finland's best result since winning the competition in 2006 and the best result for them of the decade.
2. Blind Chanel - 'Dark Side' (2021) - 6th place
Finland certainly bought their best to the 2021 contest with a rock song that got everyone up out of their chairs! Featuring two vocalists, Blind Chanel's 'Dark Side' used pyrotechnics (of course) and lots of energy on the Rotterdam stage. Finland once again proved that rock belongs at Eurovision with Blind Chanel collecting three sets of 12 points in the televote (as well as three points from Australia) and finished in an impressive 6th place in the Grand Final.
1. Lordi- 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' (2006) - 1st place
In what could be best described as monster metal, in 2006 Lordi appeared in all their glory to take Finland's first victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. By winning their semi-final, Lordi broke a streak of Finland not qualifying for the Grand Final, and then went on to take victory with 292 points, which at the time, was the highest points ever scored at Eurovision. Lordi gave us a very mesmerising performance using pyrotechnics and goulish costumes.
Mr Lordi is still a celebrity in Finland and even participated in the Finnish COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Lordi have released 11 albums now and still tour, regularly changing costumes and stage props. Fun fact: not many people have actually seen what the band looks like without makeup (maybe they aren't wearing any..)
Honourable mention: Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät - 'Aina mun pitää'- DNQ (2015)
Unfortunately for Finland, they do have one rock entry that didn't make the Grand Final which is punk rock band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät in 2015. This band do however, hold the Eurovision record for shortest song in the completion - just 1 minute and 42 seconds.
So there you go, a bit of the harder stuff courtesy of Finland. We are pretty certain that Finland will continue to bring us rock and metal at Eurovision, and we look forward to it!