Top 5 most influential Moldovan entries of all time
- aussievision
- 4 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Written by Aussievision Contributor Margaret Waldersee
Today, the 27th of August, is Moldovan Independence Day. This tiny country; the smallest with one one the lowest GDP in all of Europe, is conversely one of the largest and most loved presences on the Eurovision stage.
Today marks the day where Moldova officially declared that they were no longer a part of the Soviet Union 35 years ago, and their self expressed identity since, while still holding quiet solemn reminders of their Soviet past, has been very clearly driven by an unshaken pride in being a part of Europe.
This is something that they consistently express with gusto on the Eurovision stage. Despite their very recent traumatic history, Moldova come to Eurovision year after year with an energy that never fails to make people all over the world sing, dance, laugh, and above all, want to know more about this crazy, brilliant little country.
To honour this, here are five of Moldova’s most influential contributions over the years:
Sunstroke Project - Run Away (2010)
Kicking the list off with a controversial and yet obvious pick for any avid Eurovision follower - Sunstroke Project are no strangers to the Eurovision stage.
They have competed twice and applied to the Moldovan National selection a total of five times. Sunstroke Project brought home Moldova’s most successful result to date with 3rd place for Hey Mama! Back in 2017, but that entry is not the entry of theirs that is getting a write up today.
Today, we’re here to talk about perhaps one of Eurovision’s most iconic meme moments- a hook so insanely catchy that it took the internet beyond Eurovision by storm, and continues to do so to this day: the Epic Sax Man hook.
Run Away wasn’t a "run away" success on the Eurovision stage - it only scored 22nd place - however, it is one of the few entries in the contest that has proven to be memorable across audiences outside of the Eurovision fandom, as well as beyond its place in the contest.
This entry is a brilliant example of Moldova’s comic appeal - it feels silly and light hearted, sure - but it will also get absolutely stuck in your head - occasionally, against your will. This song is a true representation of everything Moldova is about at Eurovision, and that is why it sits proudly in the first spot on this list.
Zdob și Zdub and Advahov Brothers - Trenulețul (2022)
This entry absolutely defied the odds at the contest, and it did so by appealing directly to the people. 2022 was a very interesting year for Eurofans: Europe was dealing with the beginnings of the Ukraine-Russia war, and as much as we don’t like to think global politics plays a part in Eurovision voting, we all know it always has. Because of this, the end result of 2022 felt almost certain before the contest had even begun.
What nobody could have predicted however, was the public’s response to the Moldovan entry. Trenulețul; a song about the old Soviet era sleeper train named "friendship" which connects the capitals of Romania and Moldova, is a light hearted, eccentric folk rock number about friendship and kinship across Europe.
It is unusual, it's quirky, and in 2022, a year where Europe really needed a positive light, this song was exactly that. Despite being slept on in the odds leading up to the contest, this crazy number came 2nd in the public vote and 7th overall - proving that love and friendship was alive and well in Europe despite the tragedy unfolding in the East - and to have that shown on the Eurovision stage by Ukraine’s closest geographical neighbour was such a beautiful thing, and something the world responded to.
That is what earns this entry a place on this list.
Zdob și Zdub - Boonika Bate Doba ("Grandma beats the drum") (2005)
Of Moldova’s twenty total entries into the contest, five contestants have been more than once. One thing that Eurofans love about the Moldovan National Selection is the guarantee of certain faces popping up year after year (shoutout to Tudor Bumbac, we’re all rooting for them to send you one year!).
Zdob și Zdub have been to the contest a total of three times, and in truth all three of their entries deserve a write up on this list. This magnificent group was the very first act Moldova sent to the contest, and their maiden voyage left such an impact that it would not feel right leaving it off the list.
Coming 6th overall, this act feels like it has everything that we have come to know and love from Moldova - a cultural reference with a traditionally dressed grandma on stage who is both the subject of the song and also feels deliciously out of place, a fast paced chaotic energy, and the ability to make a person want to sing along despite not understanding a single word.
Out the gates, Zdob și Zdub set a brand that Moldova has come to be known for over two decades later.
DoReDoS - My Lucky Day (2018)
In modern days, we know and appreciate Moldova for consistently delivering, but there have been a couple of periods where they have not been quite as consistent.
In 2014, 2015 and 2016, they failed to qualify for the finals, before coming back with Sunstroke project in 2017 and nabbing their most successful result with a song that felt quirky, kitschy, and fun. I believe this result spurred on a turning point for Moldova which came into full effect in 2018.
The countries which feel the most iconic in Eurovision feel that way because they have a certain “brand” they bring to the contest, and I believe 2018 was the year where Moldova TRULY discovered what their brand is.
Coming a respectable 10th, this song is just deliciously weird, and all of it from the staging to the song itself feels like it shouldn’t work, but it just does. It feels goofy and polished at the same time, modern and dated, done before and unusual, simple and yet so unique - it is just so perfectly representative of what we have come to know and love from Moldova.
All three band members are from the Transnistria region of Moldova; the area which directly borders Ukraine, which has remained under Russian occupation since the fall of the Soviet Union. Transnistria now operates as an independent nation with their own currency, the Transnistrian rouble (unrecognised internationally).
Although tiny, this region has seen the lights of the Eurovision stage though DoReDoS, and despite their controlling power, they have a flair which is unmistakably Moldovan, which is why, on the day that Moldova celebrate their independence, they deserve a place on this list.
Satoshi - Viva, Moldova! (2026)
In the 2020s, Moldova really began to see the fruits of leaning into their kitschy niche, before 2024 where they failed to qualify for the finals with Natalia Barbu’s In the Middle, a song which left fans feeling uncharacteristically flat compared to what we’ve been used to seeing from Moldova.
This acted as a catalyst moment for the subsequent 2025 Moldovan selections, where Moldovan contest officials deemed the the talent pool was too shallow and, in an event which I am personally still recovering from, decided to withdraw Moldova from the contest in 2025 (no really, there were search parties sent to make sure I was okay - I was not).
Come 2026, we waited with baited breath to hear an announcement of Moldova’s return - and not only did they come back - they came back with a vengeance. The 2026 Moldovan selection had a new life breathed into it- everything suddenly felt insanely polished, and the field of competition was incredible - but there was a runaway favourite from start to finish, and that was Satoshi with his energetic number, Viva, Moldova!.
The song, featuring a whopping 7 different languages, while feeling crazy and upbeat, lyrically focuses on the simple beauties of Moldova. In interviews leading up to the 2026 contest, Satoshi speaks about his love for his home. He says that you would not go there to see anything grand, but that isn’t to say you won’t see beauty.
The song returns to the theme set in 2022 of reinforcing Moldova’s kinship with the rest of Europe, with its lyrics beautifully encapsulating that from the obvious beauty of the beaches of Mallorca, all the way across to the understated natural beauty of a little known town on the eastern end of Moldova called Soroca, Europe is one big, colourful family -
And while many years Moldova shows up and feels a bit like the weird uncle at the function, they have cemented their place in this beautifully diverse family that is Europe and Eurovision.
Let's face it - Eurovision would not be Eurovision without Moldova.
It was hard to compile a list of just five impactful entries from them because truth be told, all of their entries have had an impact on the contest. Moldova declared 35 years ago today that they were an independent state with their official European integration occurring just four years later, and their presence on the Eurovision stage cements that sentiment in a deliciously unique way year after year.
They may be small, but their Eurovision presence is anything but. Viva, Moldova!
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