As the 70th Eurovision Song Contest approaches, with semi-finals beginning on Tuesday night, Spotify has released new data highlighting the most-streamed entries in the competition's history. The streaming platform's research also reveals patterns that may help explain what makes a winning song — and why some entries become global hits long after the contest ends.
Duncan Laurence's "Arcade," which won for the Netherlands in 2019, is the most-streamed Eurovision entry of all time among European listeners, accumulating more than 1.5 billion streams worldwide on Spotify. The Dutch singer's ballad has resonated far beyond the contest, becoming a staple on playlists across the continent.
Armenian artist Rosa Linn's "Snap" is the second most-streamed entry, with over a billion streams, despite finishing in 20th place at the 2022 contest in Turin. The song went viral on social media platforms, outperforming that year's winner, "Stefania" by Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra. Similarly, the Portuguese entry "Deslocado" by NAPA sparked a trend of personal hometown videos on social media, becoming the most-streamed song from the 2025 contest despite placing 21st.
Other entries that have won hearts worldwide include 2021's winner "Zitti e Buoni" by Måneskin, 2023's winner "Tattoo" by Loreen, and 2009's winning entry "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak. Spotify listeners have created more than 1.2 million Eurovision playlists in the past year and streamed contest entries over 1.5 billion times.
From Contest Stage to Global Stardom
Eurovision has long served as a launchpad for major international careers. Sweden's ABBA, who won the contest in 1974 with "Waterloo," remains the most-streamed artist to have come from the competition, with their songs racking up more than 12.5 billion streams globally. Måneskin, who competed in 2021, is the second most-streamed artist with nine billion streams, followed by Céline Dion, who represented Switzerland in 1988, with seven billion streams.
This year's entries include notable tracks such as Finland's "Liekinheitin" by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, Greece's "Ferto" by Akylas, and Sweden's "My System" by Felicia. For those following the competition closely, our coverage of the Eurovision 2026 Semi-Finals provides details on boycotts, betting favorites, and how to watch.
The data also reveals generational preferences: Gen Z listeners tend to favor entries like "Deslocado," "Fairytale," and the 2023 Slovenian entry "Carpe Diem" by Joker Out, while older generations gravitate toward "Arcade," "Snap," and "Tattoo."
The Science of a Winning Entry
While there is no guaranteed formula for Eurovision success, Spotify's analysis of all historical winning entries identifies some common patterns. Winning songs typically achieve a balance between emotional depth and high-energy danceability, with a tempo of 127 beats per minute (BPM). The key of F Major in a 4/4 time signature appears most frequently, likely because it is bright, easy to sing along to, and familiar to listeners.
Johnny Logan, the Irish singer who won Eurovision twice (in 1980 and 1987), comes closest to the "perfect" entry according to these metrics, though his songs have a BPM of 126 rather than 127. The analysis underscores that while data can highlight trends, the contest's enduring appeal lies in its unpredictability and the emotional connection songs forge with audiences across Europe and beyond.
