Moldova in Eurovision: MY TOP 16 (2005-2020)

My personal ranking of every song entered by Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest! This is part of a series where I rank every 21st century Eurovision song by country.
RESOURCES USED
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Intro song: Natalia Gordienko - Prison (Instrumental)
Outro song: Nelly Ciobanu - Hora din Moldova (Instrumental)
SONGS FEATURED
Kyiv 2005: Zdob și Zdub - Boonika bate doba (6th Place)
Athens 2006: Arsenium feat. Natalia Gordienko and Connect-R - Loca (20th Place)
Helsinki 2007: Natalia Barbu - Fight (10th Place)
Belgrade 2008: Geta Burlacu - A Century of Love (31st Place)
Moscow 2009: Nelly Ciobanu - Hora din Moldova (14th Place)
Oslo 2010: Sunstroke Project & Olia Tira - Run Away (22nd Place)
Dusseldorf 2011: Zdob și Zdub - So Lucky (12th Place)
Baku 2012: Pasha Pferny - Lăutar (11th Place)
Malmo 2013: Aliona Moon - O Mie (11th Place)
Copenhagen 2014: Cristina Scarlat - Wild Soul (37th Place)
Vienna 2015: Eduard Romanyuta - I Want Your Love (28th Place)
Stockholm 2016: Lidia Isac - Falling Stars (40th Place)
Kyiv 2017: Sunstroke Project - Hey, Mamma! (3rd Place)
Lisbon 2018: DoReDos - My Lucky Day (10th Place)
Tel Aviv 2019: Anna Obedescu - Stay (30th Place)
Rotterdam 2020: Natalia Gordienko - Prison (contest cancelled)
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[@eurovisiongal7007]

*Thoughts:* Moldova really stands out at ESC because their entries are frequently staged and presented in really fun and memorable ways, to the point where they accidentally produced one of the most iconic and recognisable modern Eurovision songs via the power of memes. :) I find this really cool because it shows that you don't need a lot of $$$ or a huge well-known music scene just to send something exciting to Eurovision, just creativity! I find they're actually rather low in my average rankings because some of their more serious entries tend to fall flat (even though some do work!), but I don't think a few bumps in the road means they aren't a great country at ESC that everyone is excited to hear from. The next country in this series is a ex-powerhouse that doesn't have quiiite the same ability to rack in the votes nowadays.

[@myharlequinn]

Let me guess, Greece?

[@wystxrr]

It's soooo Greece

[@therealbricker]

Could be Ireland.

[@myharlequinn]

@@therealbricker it could also be france or the uk

[@wystxrr]

@@myharlequinn She has done UK

[@noahbowie5985]

There are four kinds of Moldovan entry Extremely dramatic (prison, stay) Really quirky (My lucky day, so lucky) Weirdly patriotic (Hora din Moldova, Lautar) Sunstroke project

[@eurovisiongal7007]

Sunstroke Project technically come under quirky but they're so special that they warrant their own genre :)

[@DentalFlan]

Ngl 'Fight' Is the most dramatic and you didn't even add it.

[@kirillmatusevich9937]

Extremely dated prison stay And dramatic o mie and fight xd

[@thescarf13]

The most dramatic: Wild Soul

[@colin4962]

Best country in the ESC 🇲🇩, in every song is a part of they culture 🤩

[@Leopoldxoxo]

Prison, Wild soul, Falling Star, Loca, I want your Love, a Century of Love and Stay are masterpieces ✌️😯

[@bitizdrava]

Moldova is the most underrated esc country ever. 2015, 2019 and 2020 are propably in top 10 most underrated esc songs ever and 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 are amazing too

[@wystxrr]

Joona M I like that perspective

[@dramadory5329]

Moldova has some strange and sometimes even funny songs. Just like with Denmark, it's very difficult for me to choose my favorite song from this country. (But I secretly love "I want your love", it's a very catchy and inspired me to create new characters.) :"D

[@eurovisiongal7007]

Omg I Want Your Love a big guilty pleasure for me too, so glorious and ridiculous :)

[@ESCRolly]

Moldova absolutely *SLAP* at the contest, I love them so much *HAI LA HORA DIN MOLDOVA*

[@eurovisiongal7007]

*HAI HAIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!* The most fun song ever, omg!!

[@johnmoynahan874]

Love your independent views....don't always agree but that's the beauty of ESC fans..all views are equally valid....personally I'd have "So Lucky" higher and my secret pleasure is "I Want Your Love"....what brilliant staging!!👏👏👍

[@christopherberkmann]

Moldova 2019 is so underrated !

[@daphnefleurrr]

My favourite country in Eurovision! (don't ask why) and I like so many of their songs, both the dramatic (and pretty dated tbh) ballads and the absolute craziness this country brings. Love from Australia

[@eurovisiongal7007]

I absolutely see why! There's no other country like them, they're so unique!

[@daphnefleurrr]

eurovision gal which is why I’m too much of an Anna Odobescu fan

[@daphnefleurrr]

eurovision gal I slightly question my taste

[@thescarf13]

I love Moldova. They are usually really funny!😀 My personal fav is Fight. One word: masterpiece!

[@jonathsnparrish4040]

I agree. 2009 was my favourite Moldovan song

[@jaybate5126]

Moldova are very hit and miss for me sonically, O Mie is the only entry I love. But their live performances are typically so entertaining. I’m always excited to see what they do for staging, so props to them for that!

[@icearrow3202]

When I'm sad I put "Hora din Moldova" as loud as my parents allow me.😂

[@draconiusultamius]

Moldova is the Eurovision wildcard and probably my favourite country just because they're never scared to send something weird and wild.

[@lukehepworth3303]

O mie is the best Moldovan song and best esc song ever

[@thanos2101]

My favourite is O mie by a mile. It is my 2013 winner and its instrumental is my ringtone right now. Such an amazing melody and performance. Also they were the first to use the dress idea if I am not mistaken!

[@eurovisiongal7007]

Imo it's an upgraded version of Sabina's normal sized projection dress in 2012 :) It's cool how you can see technology and visual creativity adapts over time at ESC!

[@zondergezicht]

i came back to say: belarus and moldova are underrated in esc ❤

[@eurovisiongal7007]

Omg hello again :) I think fans give Moldova the appreciation it deserves, thankfully!! ❤️ Belarus is all round underrated though 😢

[@ggoddf5889]

moldova is a really underrated country in eurovision one of my favorites 16. 2020 15. 2014 14. 2016 13. 2019 12. 2012 11. 2008 10. 2017 9. 2006 8. 2015 7. 2018 6. 2010 (iconic) 5. 2007 4. 2013 3. 2009 2. 2005 1. 2011 (my winner for 2011)

[@revolucionariodelpop]

My top 4 from Moldova are Loca, Hey Mama, I Want Your Love and My Lucky Day. When they send good songs, they do it really good!! The rest are from average to forgottable

[@katieweston3203]

The only ones I like / tolerate are Hey Mamma / My Lucky Day

[@bigsiurek69]

My top 3: 1. Legendary Sax Guy 2. Epic Doors Trio 3. Epic Violin Guy

[@myharlequinn]

Most of moldova's entries are absolute bops.

[@eurovisiongal7007]

Very true!! I had a little trouble ranking the top half of this list because there's lots of bops I like nearly equally.

[@myharlequinn]

@@eurovisiongal7007 don't hate me but i love stay. Anna's a great singer *prepares to be cast out*

[@eurovisiongal7007]

​@@myharlequinn Anna seems lovely but I dislike the song and hate the ripped off staging gimmick. :( I think some people do kind of like it though.

[@myharlequinn]

@@eurovisiongal7007 yeah i agree 100%. The staging could be more original.

[@fesclix4147]

Of course they also had flops, but for me they're one of the most diverse and therefore one of the best Eurovision countries and they deserved way better results for that

[@kevindeering1457]

1.2017 2.2018 3.2010 4.2015 5.2013

[@wystxrr]

No silent video! YAAASS I don't actually like Moldova too much but they have sent some good entries. They only do well with upbeat songs but they should get out of a mentality of sending too many. Their slower songs just aren't as good though. Not the best country for me, not the worst though Edit: I checked my Average countries 2010-2020 and Moldova were 37th

[@eurovisiongal7007]

I don't think having a niche is so bad when the best song in their selection is usually the quirky one, it's nice to break out of it every so often but they've done that before with stuff like Fight, O Mie, and a A Century of Love before and I liked them. Upbeat crazy music isn't one of my favourite ESC genres but they do it really well so I enjoy them in the contest anyway

[@wystxrr]

@@eurovisiongal7007 See for me, their 2011 is repellant. 2010 is iconic and will be forever. 2012 is alright. 2013 is great. 2014 is ugh. 2015 is weird, 2016 is forgettable. 2017 is also amazing. 2018 is iconic for the staging and the meme. 2019 is just... and 2020 was BADD

[@DentalFlan]

Moldova can always send the Ethnic Bops we need. My opinions: Mediocre: (16: 2014, 15: 2015) Okay: (14: 2020 13: 2008, 12: 2019, 11: 2017, 10: 2006) Funny: (9:: 2011) I don't have any other place to put Falling stars: (8: 2016) Bops: (7: 2005, 6: 2018, 5: 2013) Amazing: (4: 2007, 3: 2009, 2: 2010) G O D - T I E R (1: 2012) Moldova always ends up high in my tops. Lautar is also my 8th favorite Esc song.

[@eurovisiongal7007]

I find Lautar is always super underrated with fans! It's too iconic, I liked Pasha's national final song this year too. Plus he mentored Aliona and wrote her song, so any O Mie stan should pay him a good amount of respect :)

[@hermannivision6222]

Awful: 16. A century of love Medicore: 15. Falling stars 14. So lucky 13. Stay 12. Wild soul 11. Boonika bate doba Pretty good: 10. Loca 9. O mie 8. Prison 7. Hora din moldova 6. Lautar Really good: 5. Hey mamma 4. I want your love 3. Run away 2. Fight Awesome: 1. My lucky day

[@therealbricker]

If I have to name a Eurovision country, who sure knows how to stand out, it's Moldova. I love how creative they can get with some of their entries! Sadly, the periods of 2014 - 2016 and 2019 - present are seen as their mainstream years, when their entries were rather bland and failed to stand out. But hey, there are both good and bad apples in their both phases. Here's my opinion! 16. 2014 - 5/10 This is a bland song. No wonder it did so poorly. 15. 2020 - 5/10 A bit weird, that's how I really feel about the song. It's weird. It doesn't have a chorus or instrumental that stands out. But at the same time, it also kind of does stand out with the dark atmosphere. Oh well, I'm still not a fan of it. 14. 2008 - 5,5/10 Nice jazzy sound. And that's my only compliment to this one. The melody and vocals are not my taste. 13. 2019 - 5,5/10 So it's a generic ballad that sounds kind of nice, but it's still so, so generic. It was good to see the sand art again, but overall I must say that this song ended up as a pretty bland one. 12. 2012 - 6/10 I see what they tried to do here, it has a catchy sound, tone and chorus, but I've really never been that affected by it. 11. 2006 - 6,5/10 This song has a nice chill sound, and I sort of like it, but it's sometimes too simple for me, so I can't put it higher. 10. 2011 - 6,5/10 I have mixed feelings about this one. This one has its moments, as the song structure is very interesting, but there are also parts of the song that felt too experimental for me, so I think that I'll just leave this song here. 9. 2015 - 7,5/10 It's catchy and it had an interesting staging. Yet still this song had the mainstream vibes going on. However, I like this more than dislike it. I don't mind it not qualifying, as 2015 was a very strong year. 8. 2013 - 8,5/10 Here's the original tall dress concept that Russia and Estonia kind of ripped off in 2018, but hey, it's understandable, it worked so well. The song is a beautiful ballad which has a nice melody. I have no reasons to dislike this entry. 7. 2016 - 9/10 Hey, Moldova gave us a generic song that's actually likeable and fun! The upbeat melody is great and I like the chorus! 6. 2010 - 9,5/10 I actually don't have to say anything here, the song speaks for itself. 5. 2007 - 10/10 Man, what a powerful song! It has such a definitive violin motive and the lyrics combined with catchy chorus work out wonderfully. Very deserving of the top 10 result. 4. 2009 - 10/10 Yes, this is what I expect from Eurovision! Fun entries with a catchy melody and lyrics with some ethnic vibes! 3. 2005 - 10/10 Moldova's first entry and one of the best entries from them. The ethnic sound combined with punk is a mix that worked really well for them. It's an iconic entry with a catchy chorus and great instrumental. 2. 2017 - 10/10 I actually really like how Sunstroke project improved! They made an even catchier song, they got some real classy clothes which they obviously needed. Also, Moldova sent a meme to Eurovision, which turned out to be an amazing idea. 3rd place was unexpected, but never undeserved. 1. 2018 - 10/10 I loved this song from the beginning. The staging, which appeared later, is one of the most clever stagings I've ever seen on Eurovision. Possibly my favourite. And man, is this performance fun to watch! The song is catchy and fun, pretty much something you would expect from Moldova! It's a pity they didn't continue to go in this direction in 2019, they clearly were on a road of success!

[@a.s.1659]

My Thoughts: 16. Ugh dated ballad, copy-paste staging, no originality to be found here. HOW DID VIRUS NOT WIN THE NATIONAL SELECTION UGHHH I was so mad when it didn't. A nice voice tho, and she seems lovely 15. I actually rly like the studio version. The instrumental is so unique and different and so goddamn catchy, and that ethnic-chanting moment before the last chorus is SO GOODDD. The live.......I pretend I do not see it 14. I have kind of just, nothing on this. No thoughts head empty. Its so weird but not enough to be catchy?? If that makes sense? It's like its tryna be cool but not getting quite far enough at all 13. I actually kinda like it for some reason, the instrumental with that voice is such a weird but cool mix 12. Dated and boring even for 2016 with crappy staging. Her voice did not falter once tho, we stan an on-pitch queen 11. Why do I kinda like this????? It's very chill and sparse and I'm kinda vibing to it 10. The song isn't bad and the chorus is quite interesting melodically but the staging made it drop so so so so so so far in my rankings omg 9. This is bad but in the context of it's semi final it's rly not that bad at all. The lai-dai-dai-da-dee-yah-da-dai-dai-dai bit is cool and a nice bit of ear candy 8. A WHOLE BOP, ICONIC, finished too high but STILL A WHOLE BOP. Also the backing vocalists' outfit change will forever be iconic 7. Very unsure about this one. I just dont know what to make of this 6. Ok but this is legitimately good and cute and very very very boppy, the instrumental sections are absolutely everything and the staging......ugh the mind of whoever staged that, y'all are a genius 5. Hilarious and so incredibly catchy. The trumpet bit is amazing. Also a cameo from queen Aliona. My Wine in 2020 was such a damn step down from this omg. My only qualm is that the first time I heard it I assumed it would be in Romanian since it is called Lautar, but no Romanian to be found :( 4. Iconic and always so memeable but overall this isn't that good. Olia is the main vocalist and is off-key half the time tbh 3. THIS WAS MY SECOND PLACE IN 2013 BEHIND NORWAY AND I'M STILL SO MAD THIS DIDN'T FINISH HIGHER. Her voice is genuinely amazing and Miss Aliona was setting the trend of diva in huge dress WAY before Elina Nechayeva flew on the scene. Also Romanian!!!!!!!!!!!! 2. Seems ok. Will have to listen more to determine my thoughts on it 1. Literally one of the best songs of 2009, ugh this is so incredibly catchy and in ROMANIAN why won't Moldova do more Romanian songs ugh...anyway Nelly was up there radiating pure energy and I cannot help stanning her

[@eurovisiongal7007]

hello :) The chorus in the studio version of Prison does intrigue me a little, but the rest of the song is bleh and the live is such an enormous trainwreck that I had to leave it near last :( Zdob si Zdub are weird guys, I think their first entry works and is super fun, but So Lucky is... just nah, so noisy and in-your-face that it becomes unfun. Wild Soul is still a clunky nah imo but oddly Falling Stars is starting to charm me a little, mainly Lidia and her shiny spaceman beau. Loca is ridiculous and a budget Britney song if I've ever seen one but I can't deny it's sort of fun. On the other hand, omg, I Want Your Love evokes such mixed feelings in me because I love the shameless trashy stupidity of the performance but at the same time it's a little too over the top. I genuinely like A Century of Love but it is funny to see all these crazy over the top or incredibly mediocre entries and then there's just Geta, this pretty competent jazz singer trying to do her thing. Queen Aliona of course deserved better and I actually like My Wine, would've been happier to see Pasha at ESC than the mess we were gonna get for 2020 :( Fight does slap, not as much as HEY-HEYYYYYYYYYYYYY but I would recommend it highly.

[@Tommy-tb9vy]

🇲🇩My top 11 (2010-2020)🇲🇩 11) 2011 10) 2018 9) 2014 8) 2020 7) 2019 6) 2016 5) 2015 4) 2010 3) 2013 2) 2012 1) 2017

[@joegriffiths2593]

2009: whos idea was this? it is just... amazing... in a weird moldovan way 😂 2010: the outfits hurt my eyes, the vocals hurt my ears but at the end of the day, you gotta love sunstroke project lol 2011: wow moldova were really into their crazy entries during this period... it just makes me laugh and WHERE CAN I GET THAT HAT I NEED IT 😂 2012: really grown on me! the song is a mess but the overall stage performance is fun and energetic 2013: song is a bit boring and bland but the vocals are stunning, as is the performance 2014: weve gone from crazy to just awful. the song is the most dismal spectacle and everything falls flat. id rather watch my cat drop some turds then listen to this song again 😒 2015: and now for the tackiest moldovan entry... song is cringey, live is cringey and do i even need to mention the woman in THAT police outfit... 2016: something clearly went wrong for moldova halfway through the 2010s... they stopped sending fun, interesting entries and they left us with songs that are cheaper than a second hand cassette player... to be fair, the song is ok but the whole package is very, very average 2017: sunstroke project part 2! im so happy moldova returned to their crazy roots and epic sax guy got the result he deserved. mamama... mamamama... mama mama... mama... mama 2018: my fav 2010s modlova entry! one of the best live performances of eurovision with a really fun story! their synchronised hand thingy at the end is a highlight of 2018 and i love the group name doresdos lol 2019: shame that moldova could only manage 2 years of unique things... anna has an ok stage presence with an ok song and ok staging. nothing we havent seen before (im looking at you, ukraine 2011) but its nothing terrible 2020: what happened her? did they make a bet to see who could come up with a song that sounded the most similar to stay from 2019? tbh i actually rlly like this and it placed kinda high in my 2020 top 41 so yeah

[@yanisdettwiller3625]

Moldova never sends ballads again pls!!!!

[@ariccua6101]

Funny that your worst placed Moldovan entry went to Netflix.

[@eurovisiongal7007]

And power to her 🤷‍♀️