For us, the two most dominant nations of the 1980s were Turkey and Israel, that is to say a nation only partly in Europe and a nation not in Europe at all; not that that is the point, competition wise, but it may go some way to explaining their success: they're different: they're exotic and interesting and that's what we like. Just as, before they came on the scene, Spain and Portugal were exotic and interesting. Not that "Khai" or "Shir Habatlanim" are especially exotic... that would be too easy an explanation anyway. Germany are our biggest faller, and Europe have dropped Spain almost as quickly as they picked them up. But at least we are now both agreed on the relative lack of merit of France having reached something of a compromise on the matter. Cyprus have done well in Europe, thanks in no small part to Greece who traded 12pts with them a couple of times during the decade, though in fairness they were also the highest new entry in our eyes too.

Looking at the overall leaderboard, the UK are now terrifyingly dominant in the official chart thanks to another two second places and a win during the course of the decade. There is no change in the order at the top of both tables, although in ours Spain have closed the gap somewhat. Finland (still woefully ill-regarded by Europe) have moved up to third in our list, with one more win being sufficient to bring them within a single point of the leaders. Our eastern favourites though have a lot of catching up to do if they are to ever get into contention at the top.

In our ears Portugal dominated the first three years of the '80s, taking the first three wins on offer. But they then spent the next four years outside the points; they do tend to go from one extreme to the other. Israel really rose to prominence in 1982, and it's a shame they weren't around in 1984 as their prospective entry, "Balalaika" by Ilanit, would almost certainly have got our 12pts thanks to the Jewish folk feel of the verse and to the clappy Balkan chorus. Indeed, with that, and with a more favourable wind in 1988, it could so easily have been five wins in a row for Israel, such was the combination of their handle on the contest and everybody else's loss of the plot. As it was, it was three in a row. In real life, nobody came close to three in a row (let alone five), and the most wins of the decade went to Ireland with two (both of which were Johnny Logan).

At the end of the '80s the contest looks rather well settled, with a fairly stable pool of just over twenty countries. Of the major competitors in the early years the only one we have lost is Monaco, and the only nations west of the Iron Curtain who are failing to compete are all small independent principalities and city states. To the east, the Mediterranean nations of Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Israel have also become regular fixtures, while at the soviet fringes, Finland and Yugoslavia mark the easternmost limit of the European nations competing. For a song contest it's an ideal arrangement: the whole thing can be done and dusted within three hours. Everybody is (just about) happy and all the nations with the capability of and interest in competing are doing so. Even if the Soviet bloc were to come in from the cold, that's only eight more nations to worry about. With memorial holiday wastage and the odd bit of foot-stamping petulance thrown in things could still be kept at a reasonable level, and even if the worst came to the worst, 30 nations could just about still be manageable. Not that such a thing is even remotely likely. Why, half of Europe would have to disintegrate in a series of wars and revolutions, producing a score of new nations, to even come close to threatening the stability of the Eurovision Song Contest. And I think we can all rest easy on that regard...