Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980

Eurovision Song Contest 1980
Country	Belgium
National selection
Selection process	Eurosong
Selection date(s)	24 February 1980
Selected entrant	Telex
Selected song	"Euro-Vision"
Finals performance
Final result	17th, 14 points
Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄1979 • 1980 • 1981►

Belgium was represented by synthpop band Telex, with the song '"Euro-Vision", at the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 19 April in The Hague. Telex were the winners of the Belgian national final for the contest, held on 24 February. Synthpop had never previously been tried in a Eurovision final, and the choice of song and group caused much comment, particularly regarding the implied sarcasm directed towards Eurovision in the song's deliberately banal lyrics.

Final

French-language broadcaster RTBF was in charge of the selection of the Belgian entry for the 1980 Contest. The final took place at the RTBF studios in Brussels, hosted by former Belgian Eurovision entrant Jean Vallée. Seven songs participated in the selection and the winner was chosen by an expert jury. The titles of four of the songs are currently missing.^[1]

At Eurovision

At the end of the performance, lead singer Michel Moers produced a camera from his pocket and took a photograph of the audience. This is unique, in that it is the only photograph in existence taken from the stage during the live Eurovision broadcast.

On the night of the final Telex performed last in the running order, following Spain. It was the first time that a song of this nature had been entered for Eurovision, and the audience reaction was somewhat bewildered, as if they were unsure whether or not it was meant to be a joke entry. The reaction was largely shared by the juries, as at the close of the voting "Euro-Vision" had received only 14 points, placing Belgium 17th of the 19 entries. Singer Marc Moulin later claimed that the band had hoped to finish last and blamed the Portuguese jury for thwarthing their aims, although how much of this was bravado after a bad result in the contest is open to conjecture. The Belgian jury awarded its 12 points to contest winners Ireland.^[2]

Points Awarded to Belgium^[3]

Points Awarded by Belgium^[4]

12 points	Ireland
10 points	Italy
8 points	Luxembourg
7 points	Germany
6 points	United Kingdom
5 points	France
4 points	Portugal
3 points	Netherlands
2 points	Switzerland
1 point	Austria

See also

• Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
• Eurovision Song Contest 1980

References

Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest   Participation 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016   Artists 1950s Fud Leclerc Mony Marc Bobbejaan Schoepen Fud Leclerc Bob Benny 1960s Fud Leclerc Bob Benny Fud Leclerc Jacques Raymond Robert Cogoi Lize Marke Tonia Louis Neefs Claude Lombard Louis Neefs 1970s Jean Vallée Lily Castel & Jacques Raymond Serge & Christine Ghisoland Nicole & Hugo Jacques Hustin Ann Christy Pierre Rapsat Dream Express Jean Vallée Micha Marah 1980s Telex Emly Starr Stella Pas de Deux Jacques Zegers Linda Lepomme Sandra Kim Liliane Saint-Pierre Reynaert Ingeborg 1990s Philippe Lafontaine Clouseau Morgane Barbara Dex 1994 Frédéric Etherlinck Lisa del Bo 1997 Mélanie Cohl Vanessa Chinitor 2000s Nathalie Sorce 2001 Sergio & The Ladies Urban Trad Xandee Nuno Resende Kate Ryan The KMG's Ishtar Patrick Ouchène 2010s Tom Dice Witloof Bay Iris Roberto Bellarosa Axel Hirsoux Loïc Nottet Laura Tesoro   Songs 1950s "Messieurs les noyés de la Seine" "Le plus beau jour de ma vie" "Straatdeuntje" "Ma petite chatte" "Hou toch van mij" 1960s "Mon amour pour toi" "September, gouden roos" "Ton nom" "Waarom?" "Près de ma rivière" "Als het weer lente is" "Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel" "Ik heb zorgen" "Quand tu reviendras" "Jennifer Jennings" 1970s "Viens l'oublier" "Goeiemorgen, morgen" "À la folie ou pas du tout" "Baby, Baby" "Fleur de liberté" "Gelukkig zijn" "Judy et Cie" "A Million in One, Two, Three" "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie" "Hey Nana" 1980s "Euro-Vision" "Samson" "Si tu aimes ma musique" "Rendez-vous" "Avanti la vie" "Laat me nu gaan" "J'aime la vie" "Soldiers of Love" "Laissez briller le soleil" "Door de wind" 1990s "Macédomienne" "Geef het op" "Nous, on veut des violons" "Iemand als jij" 1994 "La voix est libre" "Liefde is een kaartspel" 1997 "Dis oui" "Like The Wind" 2000s "Envie de vivre" 2001 "Sister" "Sanomi" "1 Life" "Le grand soir" "Je t'adore" "Love Power" "O Julissi" "Copycat" 2010s "Me and My Guitar" "With Love Baby" "Would You?" "Love Kills" "Mother" "Rhythm Inside" "What's the Pressure" (Note: Entries scored out are when Belgium did not compete)