Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1981

  • Ralph Siegel
  • Bernd Meinunger
Finals performanceFinal result2nd, 132 pointsGermany in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄1980 • 1981 • 1982►

Germany was represented by Lena Valaitis, with the song "Johnny Blue", at the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 4 April in Dublin. "Johnny Blue" was the winner of the German national final, held on 28 February. Valaitis had previously taken part in the German final in 1976.

Before Eurovision

Ein Lied für Dublin

The final was held at the Bayerischer Rundfunk TV studios in Munich, hosted by the previous year's German representative Katja Ebstein. 12 songs took part and the winner was chosen by a panel of approximately 500 people who had been selected as providing a representative cross-section of the German public.[1]

Draw Artist Song Songwriters Votes Place
1 Janz "Steine" Paul Janz, Michael Kunze 2355 10
2 Nina Martin "Männer" Nina Martinique 2292 11
3 Taco "Träume brauchen Zeit" Janine Terlohian, Kathrin Brigl 2269 12
4 Lenz Hauser "Moment" Harald Stümpfl, Lenz Hauser 2856 8
5 Thomas Fuchsberger "Josephine" Thomas Fuchsberger, Joachim Fuchsberger 2956 7
6 Rudolf Rock and Die Schocker "Mein Transistorradio" Michael Cretu, Michael Kunze 2735 9
7 Lena Valaitis "Johnny Blue" Ralph Siegel, Bernd Meinunger 5023 1
8 Martin Mann "Boogie Woogie" Rudi Bauer, Gerd Thumser 4039 3
9 Jürgen Renfordt "Barfuß durch ein Feuer" Walter Gerke, Mick Hannes 3963 4
10 Leinemann "Das Ungeheuer von Loch Ness" Ulf Krüger, Jörn-Christoph Seelenmeyer 3921 5
11 The Hornettes "Mannequin" Ralph Siegel, Bernd Meinunger 4304 2
12 Peter Cornelius "Träumer, Tramps und Clowns" Michael Cretu, Michael Kunze 3769 6

At Eurovision

On the night of the final Valaitis performed 3rd in the running order, following Turkey and preceding Luxembourg. The 1981 contest is noted for providing one of the closest and most exciting voting sequences in Eurovision history, with the lead changing hands regularly between France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. With two countries left to vote there was a three-way tie between Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, all on 120 points. Switzerland was the next to vote, and turned out to be the only country which failed to award any points at all to "Johnny Blue", while giving 8 points to the United Kingdom. A maximum 12 points to Germany from the final jury in Sweden was not to be enough, as the Swedish jury also awarded 8 points to the United Kingdom, making Bucks Fizz the contest winners by 4 points. Germany finished runners-up for the second year in succession.[2] The German jury awarded its 12 points to France.[3]

The show was watched by 10.14 million viewers in Germany.[4]

Voting

Points awarded to Germany[5]
Score Country
12 points
10 points  Belgium
8 points
7 points
6 points  Ireland
5 points
4 points  Norway
3 points
2 points  Yugoslavia
1 point
Points awarded by Germany[5]
Score Country
12 points  France
10 points  Sweden
8 points  Portugal
7 points   Switzerland
6 points  Ireland
5 points  Luxembourg
4 points  United Kingdom
3 points  Netherlands
2 points  Greece
1 point  Denmark

References

  1. ^ ESC National Finals database 1981
  2. ^ "Final of Dublin 1981". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  3. ^ ESC History - Germany 1981
  4. ^ Quotenmeter; AGF; GfK. "TV-Reichweite des Eurovision Song Contests in den Jahren 1976 bis 2023 nach der Anzahl der Zuschauer". Statista. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Results of the Final of Dublin 1981". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  • v
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ParticipationArtists
Songs
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  • "Anouschka"
  • "Aufrecht geh'n"
  • "Ein bißchen Frieden"
  • "Black Smoke"
  • "Blood & Glitter"
  • "Bonne nuit ma chérie"
  • "Can't Wait Until Tonight"
  • "Diese Welt"
  • "Dieser Traum darf niemals sterben"
  • "Disappear"
  • "Dschinghis Khan"
  • "Einmal sehen wir uns wieder"
  • "Feuer"
  • "Flieger"
  • "Frauen regier'n die Welt"
  • "Frei zu leben"
  • "Für alle"
  • "Für zwei Groschen Musik"
  • "Ghost"
  • "Glorious"
  • "Guildo hat euch lieb!"
  • "Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n"
  • "Ein Hoch der Liebe"
  • "I Can't Live Without Music"
  • "I Don't Feel Hate"
  • "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück"
  • "Is It Right"
  • "Johnny Blue"
  • "Junger Tag"
  • "Lass die Sonne in dein Herz"
  • "Let's Get Happy"
  • "Lied für einen Freund"
  • "Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein"
  • "Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne"
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  • "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang"
  • "No No Never"
  • "Nur die Liebe läßt uns leben"
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  • "Perfect Life"
  • "Planet of Blue"
  • "Primaballerina"
  • "Reise nach Jerusalem – Kudüs'e Seyahat"
  • "Rockstars"
  • "Rücksicht"
  • "Run & Hide"
  • "Satellite"
  • "Sing Sang Song"
  • "Sister"
  • "So geht das jede Nacht"
  • "Die Sommermelodie"
  • "Standing Still"
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  • "Telefon, Telefon"
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  • "Theater"
  • "Träume sind für alle da"
  • "Über die Brücke geh'n"
  • "Verliebt in Dich"
  • "Viel zu weit"
  • "Violent Thing"
  • "Wadde hadde dudde da?"
  • "Wer Liebe lebt"
  • "Wir geben 'ne Party"
  • "Wunder gibt es immer wieder"
  • "You Let Me Walk Alone"
  • "Die Zeiger der Uhr"
  • "Zeit"
  • "Zwei kleine Italiener"
  • Note: Entries scored out signify where Germany did not compete
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Countries
Artists
Songs
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  • "Het is een wonder"
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  • "Johnny Blue"
  • "Krøller eller ej"
  • "Lejla"
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  • "Playback"
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  • "Samson"
  • "Wenn du da bist"
  • "Y sólo tú"