Welcome to Life on the DQ List, where we look back at the songs that never made it onto the Eurovision stage. From songs withdrawing due to artists changing their minds to scandalous disqualifications, we’re remembering the long lost songs destined for the dustbins of history! This week, we’re looking at cancelled entries from the first half of the 2010s!

Show Notes: https://esc101podcast.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/episode-107-life-on-the-dq-list-vol-4-2010-2013/

In this week’s episode, we are returning to The Eurovision Travel Guide, our monthly series where we explore the history of a current or previously participating broadcaster at the Eurovision Song Contest. Join us as we feature the broadcaster from Türkiye, then known as Turkey, learning about some of their entries, their national selection methods, and some fascinating historical and musical notes!

50 years after their debut, Turkey’s legacy at the contest is unprecedented. From bops in the 80s to culturally powerful sounds in the 00s, Turkey’s time at the contest is diverse and iconic. While the Turkish Broadcaster no longer participates in the contest, we dedicate this episode to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their debut.

Show Notes: https://esc101podcast.wordpress.com/2025/09/19/episode-106-the-eurovision-travel-guide-turkey-1975-2012/

This week, we are featuring the story of the only Spanish host of the Eurovision Song Contest, Laurita Valenzuela! Join us as we explore the story of a host tasked with representing a controversial contest and discover how her career went for a few dramatic turns along the way!

Show Notes: https://esc101podcast.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/episode-105-1969-esc-host-laurita-valenzuela/

This week's episode features the story of the interval act of the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, the Hothouse Flowers. Join us as we discover how a busking duo transformed into a legendary Irish band, celebrating European unity!

Show Notes: https://esc101podcast.wordpress.com/2025/09/05/episode-104-1988-hothouse-flowers/

In this week’s episode, we are celebrating two years of ESC101! Join us as we look back at the past year. Discover our favourite moments, delve into some listener questions, and join the party!

This week, we are featuring the Grand Dame of the Eurovision Song Contest Lys Assia, the first person to win the contest. Join us as we explore the life story of one of the few people to compete in three contests in a row! From old carousels to spicy Italian waiters, Lys brought the diverse sounds of Switzerland to the Eurovision stage, becoming an eternal icon of the contest.

Show Notes: Click Here

To celebrate our 100th episode, we’ve put together a three-part mini series exploring the origins of the Eurovision Song Contest. This week, we are concluding with Part III, covering the origins of the contest itself. If you have no idea what the Eurovision Song Contest is or if you’re curious about how it started, then you’ve come to the right place!

Join us as we delve into the story of the world’s largest international music competition, the show that launched the careers of ABBA and Celine Dion, debuting Riverdance to the world, and managing to set a Grammy Award record that still hasn’t been broken to this day!

To celebrate our 100th episode, we’ve put together a three-part mini series exploring the origins of the Eurovision Song Contest. This week, we are continuing with Part II, covering the show which inspired the contest, the Festival della Canzone Italiana, also known as the Sanremo Music Festival. We are joined by fellow Eurovision historian Andreas Grassl who has kindly shared his archival research skills with us, bringing fascinating insights into the story of Italy’s most popular music festival!

To celebrate our 100th episode, we’ve put together a three-part mini series exploring the origins of the Eurovision Song Contest. This week, we are starting with the story of the institution responsible for the contest, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Join us as we reveal the mystery behind this mighty organization. Who belongs to the EBU, how did it start, and what does it do apart from organizing the Eurovision Song Contest? Join us as we open the Beginner’s Guide to the Eurovision Song Contest!

Show Notes: Link

This week’s episode shines a spotlight on the least noticed person on the Eurovision stage…the conductor! Join us as we explore the story of Mimis Plessas, the conductor of the Greek entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 1983. Discover the harrowing adventures of a man determined to share Greek culture with the rest of Europe, fighting unexpected obstacles along the way, and find out whether Mimis was victorious in his mission to help represent Greece at the contest!