Eurovision 1979 - Greece

Elpida performing "Socrates", the Greek entry at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest.
Despite being such a bombastic song and performance that it occasionally borders on kitch (but. hey, kitch can be a good thing, too!), this liberal recounting of our ancient philosopher's life is another absolute classic from the late 70s, our first "golden age" at the contest, and one that was even pitched for victory by some (Elpida herself has admitted to being in tears when it failed to do so). Also note, in the backing vocals, Lia Vissi - sister of Anna and Cyprus' 1985 entrant - and Polina - who'd become one of the most popular pop singers of the 80s and would also get really close to a second ESC appearance since she was set to perform our 1986 entry before we withraw (due to the contest being held the night before the Orthodox Easter, a very big deal in Greece).

[@Nirolevy1]

I miss the 70s and 80s Eurovisions where you could really enjoy the sound of a live orchestra

[@haimon33]

1979 had the best entries!!!

[@user-bq1yl7nw7f]

Υπέροχο τραγούδι. Και κατ´ εμέ αδικημένο.

[@user-js8bd2dc9m]

one of the best from euro vision song contest

[@ravidlevi5190]

Great song at a wonderful competition

[@elbazart]

Best Eurovision song ever!!!

[@papatizi]

one of the best eurovision contest (germany , greece and all the rest ) . israel did great job hosting it with great talent

[@user-uk4je8wd8h]

and won, If my memory serves me...

[@amirgat1285]

@@user-uk4je8wd8h of course and was no.1 in many Europe countries!

[@ESCsince1968]

Yes T. an ESC classic & one of Greece's best ever. And to emphasize that classical Greek philosophy to which Socrates was instrumental is part of all our cultural heritage in Europe.

[@MrSextone]

i totally agree! Elpida is one of the Best singers EVER!! sokrates + superstar is that we call ART!!! and is the answer to Jesus christ superstar!!

[@user-uk4je8wd8h]

But nothing beats Halelujah...

[@amirgat1285]

@@user-uk4je8wd8h Halleluya forever-Milk and Honey!!!

[@VHU-hb5sn]

that eurovision in Jerusalem was the greatest, there were so many unforgettable songs in it..the israeli (winner) song, the greek, the German one - very beautiful songs.

[@quartzy4914]

Definitely agreed. Even the losing songs are pretty good.

[@harunozakin3764]

fantastic

[@andreasfokas559]

Socrates esi superstar= Socrates you are superstar!

[@tonymcmahon_historybear]

I remembered this song for years - a song about Socrates being a superstar - went on to study philosophy at university in 1981 so loved humming this lol

[@NicholasPavlidis]

When Eurovision contest was still respectful and classy.

[@user-cf9km8br1t]

The best year ever for the contest, the best Greek entry..... ❤️🇬🇷

[@nickelodeon1087]

τα παλια χρονια ειχανε πολυ ωραια τραγουδια

[@giorgosgiorgos6588]

ενα τραγουδι που πραγματικα αντιπροσωπευε κυριολεκτικα τον ελληνικο χωρο

[@dburak]

My 2nd favorite Greek entry, closely following Mathima Solfege. Great song.

[@giannis93FUL]

The "Mathima Solfege" ended up in 5th place among 18 countries in Eurovision 1977.

[@esc9726]

True winner of this year 12 points from Turkey 🇹🇷

[@user-cf9km8br1t]

Thank you! 🇬🇷

[@MegaPellepop]

Wonderful

[@Andla_2806]

Elpida won the 1975 version of Festival de Viña Del Mar (one of the most legendary song contests in the world, held in February in the coastal city of Viña Del Mar in Chile). Her entry "Love Song" became one of the signature songs of Festival de Viña Del Mar thereafter. Here you can watch her reprise: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX3VnpxtmsiXbsk

[@johny7even]

Wow.I m greek and never heard of that

[@tacobell6826]

Remember this song like was yesterday. Says it all, I guess. Great song.

[@999114864]

espectacular

[@harriswalking]

SUPER!!!!!!!!!

[@helenatsinisizeli8947]

Ελπιδα εισαι θεα . Η θεα μας

[@gino7lord]

This is like the secular answer to jesus Christ superstar

[@dorlevy2467]

2020

[@toharcohen2081]

הכל הכל אני לא חולמת, זה פרייסלס תזמין שופרסל.. אילן פלד גאון זו מילה שממעיטה מערכך....

[@alexanderfrenkel2783]

גם נזכר לי את השיר הזה, כששמעתי פרסומת של שופרסל. הייתי זוכר שזה שיר מאירוויזיון.

[@haimon33]

and the best entries - shame we dont have any quality ESC anymore

[@eurovisionalex2558]

In your opinion

[@Furienna]

He he... I like this...

[@dorirosenberg5422]

Love it

[@Euroviking86]

It's not to say, though, that Elpida doesn't do all in her power to lift the song to great heights.

[@user-py9si2wk1c]

יופי של שיר מתוך יופי של אירוויזיון 1979 היה ראוי לזכות מקום ראשון

[@Euroviking86]

Info: Lia Vissi also participated the year after in the Hague, as part of the Epikouri, making that the one time the two sisters performed together in Eurovision.

[@viewerlife]

setheurovision94 Also she represented Cyprus in 1985.

[@tasosk3]

Oh, yes, you're right, I had forgot about her 1980 stint. In fact, it may very well be that the two sisters have performed together anywhere, since I at least can't remember any other such occasion (not that there's a personal feud or anything, it just hasn't occured).

[@hundoria6744]

i thought like, i choose wrong winner, when i heard it again, nop, im iin wrong

[@hundoria6744]

chose*

[@rafaelsantiago6388]

1979 MY FAVOURITE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: ISRAEL SPAIN GERMANY FRANCE DENMARK GREECE SWITZERLAND

[@Euroviking86]

@TheDRMISTERY I know that. I was only referring to Anna and Lia Vissi, not sisters per se in Eurovision.

[@Euroviking86]

Wonderful song; just the interesting (if a bit too dramatic for my taste) lyrics caught me attention first, and this song is really good, with a powerful climax (though there's something about the orchestration that annoys me, much as I love the subtle keybards in the verse). Good performance, too; there's something this song has that makes me really like it.

[@christianoalverilavie4426]

Θεϊκό ονειρικό τελικό έπρεπε ΝαΧΕ ΝΙΚΗΣΗ ΦΑΝΤΑΣΤΙΚΟ ΠΙΣΩ ΧΩΡΟΔΙΖ Η ΛΑΤΡΕΥΤΗ ΜΟΥ ΔΑΣΚΑΛΑ ΛΙΑ ΒΙΣΣΗ ΦΟΒΕΡΗ

[@Andla_2806]

She was the winner of another legendary song contest: the Festival de Viña Del Mar (Chile) in 1975, with "Love Song". Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX3VnpxtmsiXbsk

[@peerw12345]

the best song in 1979

[@galkali]

my favorite in the last 40 years of Eurovision

[@hukuk2004]

is the backing singer in 1:20 Lia Vissi ?

[@user-tr3ys5yy8m]

Yup, along with Paulina!

[@mtariel2277]

ישראל, מישהו?

[@amirg1645]

Hallelujah no.1!!!

[@idob3646]

אני

[@idob3646]

אני

[@gelis32]

kaliarnto...

[@christophevalere7945]

Pour moi, l'eurovision 1979 est à ce jour le meilleur en qualité de chansons. Beaucoup pouvaient s'emparer de la victoire: Israël bien entendu, mais aussi la Grèce, la France, le Danemark, l'Espagne, la Finlande, l'Allemagne. Et en deuxième place, on aurait aussi pu trouver l'Italie, le Portugal, le Royaume-Uni, la Norvège, la Suisse, les Pays Bas. Bref, pratiquement tous les pays, à part l'Autriche, auraient pu se retrouver dans le TOP 3, avec 7 pays qui pouvaient l'emporter. Je n'ai pas vu cela parmi les autres eurovisions.

[@gguuyy22]

נראה לי שהלחן הזה מוכר לי, איפה הגרסה העברית???

[@user-uk4je8wd8h]

"...פסיכיאמוס, פסיכיאטריס, סוקרטס סופרסטאר..." (שירו של פליקס הובלות מ"קרקר נגד קרקר")

[@user-py9si2wk1c]

היה צריך לזכות מקום ראשון או שני וחבל שלא זכה

[@amirgat1285]

הללויה וחלב ודבש היו גדולים מהחיים...זו הסיבה..

[@leo75129]

Dropi ahahhaha

[@giannis93FUL]

Τερμάτισε όμως ο "Σωκράτης" στην 8η θέση ανάμεσα σε 19 χώρες στην Γιουροβίζιον του 1979.

[@leo75129]

katorthoma?@@giannis93FUL

[@Euroviking86]

I recently discovered the studio version, and that's definitely the better version as far as I'm concerned. The live version kills the 'Greek' and ancient atmosphere of the song with all the brass (generally, what I dislike about the 1979 orchestra is the overdone brass section). When I hear the studio version, no wonder this was a pre-contest favourite. Still, where the brass DOES do the song good is in the climax "Super-staaaar!" The chorus, by contrast, just gets irritating, I'm afraid.

[@user-py9si2wk1c]

השיר הזה היה אמור לזכות באירוויזיון ולא השיר הגרוע שזכה

[@amirgat1285]

חבל שאתה מדבר כמו בידיאסניק...הללויה כבש את אירופה לאחר התחרות, אז אתה כנראה לא מבין כלום..

[@user-py9si2wk1c]

@@amirgat1285 הללויה של חלב ודבש זה שיר גרוע בעיני לא יעזור כלום . על טעם וריח לא מתווכחים

[@amirgat1285]

@@user-py9si2wk1c תסכים שטוב שלא שאלו אותך...נכון?

[@user-py9si2wk1c]

@@amirgat1285 לא. אני לא מסכים

[@lydiaakame]

Ρε παιδιά.... Τι στέλναμε...;;; Πείτε μου ότι δεν είμαι η μόνη που κριντζαρω την ζωή μου... Γιατί ειλικρινά συμπαθητικουλι ακούγεται αλλά για τον σοκρατη τον "σουπερσταρτ";;;;; Όχι... Απλά.... Οχι

[@irondasgr]

Προσπαθείς να κρίνεις μια επιλογή έξω από την εποχή της. Πώς το σκέφτεσαι; Να είχαμε στείλει το Rise up?

[@alex-kq6it]

Αυτό το τραγούδι είναι από τα καλύτερο που έχουμε στείλε, τι λες?? Απλά ρίξαμε το superstar εκεί για να φαίνεται ότι δεν είμαστε αιώνες πίσω με τα αγγλικά 😂

[@rainbowveil]

Από ότι βλέπεις είσαι όντως η μόνη.

[@giannis93FUL]

​@@alex-kq6it τερμάτισε όμως ο "Σωκράτης" στην 8η θέση ανάμεσα σε 19 χώρες στην Γιουροβίζιον του 1979.