The Eurovision Song Contest, simply put, is one of the greatest events in the world. We aren't going to try and disguise the fact that we're super-fans of it because throughout the course of this entire article, that's going to become painfully evident anyway. So here it is: an article about Eurovision, which is the writing equivalent of receiving an Oscar (well, in our minds anyway).

Beginning way back in 1956, Eurovision has served as one of the headlining non-sporting events of the entire calendar year. With well over 100 million fans watching every single edition in recent times, it's no wonder that countries from around the continent are often so eager to win it in order to benefit from the financial rewards that come with it.

Alas, it has something of a reputation for not being all too 'serious' when it comes to the quality of talent that competes. Whilst there is something to be said about how ironically bad some of the songs can be, for the most part, they're incredibly enjoyable and catchy - to the point where you won't be able to get them out of your head for weeks.

Still, that doesn't mean that some popular names haven't appeared in the past, with several celebrities either using Eurovision as a platform or as a way to try and stay relevant. Whatever the case may be we're thankful for it either way, and we're also thankful for the many young stars who are set to become household musicians in the years to come - at least, that's what we're choosing to believe.

20 CELEB: Abba - Iconic

Abba is one of the greatest bands of all-time and if you're even thinking about disputing that, then please go and watch Mamma Mia to realise just how unbelievably wrong you are. They've produced countless singles and hits that are still played on a loop to this day, and you could make a 'greatest hits' album from pretty much everything they've ever recorded.

Interestingly enough their journey the top actually began at the ESC (Eurovision Song Contest) in 1974, when their hit song Waterloo won them the competition en-route to them reaching heights that they could never have even dreamt of reaching.

19 CELEB: Olivia Newton-John - Tell Me About It, Stud

I GOT CHILLS, THEY'RE MULTIPLYING - AND I'M LOSING CONTROL...

Sorry, sorry. Anyway, you can probably understand our outburst, given our excitement over the fact that the queen Olivia Newton-John actually performed at the very same Eurovision event as Abba themselves.

Olivia is most well known for playing Sandy in the hit film Grease, which made her a household name in more ways than one. As it turns out, though, she also played a pretty significant role in the 1974 Eurovision before eventually blasting the politics surrounding the competition many years later.

So then, I guess you could say Bad Sandy came out to play.

18 CELEB: Julio Iglesias - Yes, Enrique’s Father

Whilst his son Enrique may receive all of the plaudits for putting the Iglesias family name on the map, that couldn't be any further from the truth. Why? Because his father, Julio, was a remarkable singer, and he's still considered to be a legend back in Spain to this day.

In fact, he even competed in the Eurovision Song Contest (obviously, or his inclusion on this list would likely seem utterly bizarre). He competed way back in 1970 in an utterly stunning light blue suit, which is the only thing that can compete with his voice itself when it comes to stealing the show.

17 CELEB: Conchita Wurst - Making A Statement

Conchita Wurst, also known as Tom Neuwirth, caused a great deal of controversy when popping up at Eurovision as 'the bearded woman' so to speak. In reality, this was just a huge step forward for the drag community, as Conchita went on to win the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest.

Every time she pops up on television now, the majority of people know who she is purely based on her iconic look. She's been invited to perform and appear at a variety of different events ever since, and she's still viewed as an icon to this day.

Conchita, keep doing your thing.

16 CELEB: Celine Dion - Yes, Seriously

Celine Dion is almost certainly up there with Abba as one of the most famous names on this list, and that's hardly a surprise. The Quebec-born singer is a national treasure back in her home country of Canada, and yet, the country that she competed for at the ESC was Switzerland.

Alas, all that mattered was the fact that she won, performing the winning song to more than half a billion people watching around the globe. That shot her into a whole new dimension in terms of star power, and as we fast forward 30 years later, she's still a huge name in the world of music.

15 CELEB: Jedward - Annoying Yet Effective

Look, we aren't going to beat around the bush here - Jedward can be incredibly annoying. But the thing that most of their haters fail to accept is that they're incredibly marketable, they're somewhat funny, and they're always going to bring in viewers regardless of what it is they're doing.

The lads from Ireland tend to pop up on reality television more so than anywhere else these days, but that didn't stop them competing at the Eurovision Song Contest on two separate occasions. Whilst many people don't exactly enjoy their antics on or off screen, they were definitely popular amongst voters around Europe - which isn't actually all that surprising when you think about it.

14 CELEB: Cliff Richard - The One And Only

Cliff Richard can often be viewed as a polarising figure, depending entirely on what your taste is. Some find him to be unbelievably irritating and don't like his music whatsoever, whereas others are extremely invested in his career and would do anything to even catch a glimpse of the guy.

Whatever the case may be there's no doubting his talent, as evidenced during the 1968 incarnation of Eurovision when he performed for the United Kingdom. It helped to showcase what Richard was really capable of, as he continued to climb up through the ranks of the musical world.

We love you, Cliff.

13 CELEB: Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah

Controversial? Yes. Memorable? Absolutely.

From Finland, the band Lordi won the Eurovision Song Contest over a decade ago now, with the Hard Rock Hallelujah song that captured the imagination of millions. It was a performance that proved it didn't matter what genre the song was because it's got a chance one way or another.

To this day the majority of people in the world of music will know who you're talking about if you say the word Lordi, and rightly so. The band continues to have success domestically and across Europe to this day, and who knows, maybe they'll even return for a sequel performance in the future.

12 CELEB: Salvador Sobral - What A Story

We just noted that it often doesn't matter what the genre of your song is at Eurovision, and with Salvador Sobral, that's certainly the case. The Portuguese singer shocked the world with his stunning performance last year that ensured Portugal won the competition for the first time.

Subsequently, he's been hitting the headlines courtesy of his strong opinions, as well as the fact that he has a pretty serious heart condition. Sobral has one of the most breathtaking voices in the history of the ESC, and regardless of what happens from this point on, he deserves to be recognised as a legend.

11 CELEB: Lulu - Still Going Strong

When she won Eurovision back in 1969 nobody was really all too aware of Lulu, but over the course of the next few decades, she wound up becoming one of the most recognisable Scottish singers in history.

From Eurovision to providing the theme song for James Bond to performing at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, Lulu continues to pop up from time to time in the present day despite being 69 years of age. She's a performer at heart and that'll never change, which is something that we'll love and appreciate about her forever more.

So keep doing your thing, Lulu.

10 Future Star: Eleni Foureira - Fuego!

If you watched the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, then we're fairly confident that you'll remember Eleni Foureira's performance of Fuego. The Cyprus representative owned the stage in a Beyonce-like way, with many people tipping her to win the whole thing.

While she didn't quite manage that feat she certainly won the hearts of many, many fans, and we wouldn't be surprised to see her hitting the charts in the next few years. After all, she's considered to be a beautiful woman by the masses, and she knows how to put on a show on the biggest stage when it matters the most.

9 Future Star: SuRie - Heart Of A Lion

SuRie was someone who wasn't tipped to even qualify as the United Kingdom's entry this year and yet against all the odds, she managed it. Her song 'Storm' was a huge hit and was considered to be a dark horse for the victory, but in the end, it just wasn't meant to be.

In her grand final performance SuRie was interrupted by protesters in a disgraceful display, but despite that, she fought through the adversity and belted out the remainder of the song which was received brilliantly by everyone watching live in the arena and back home. We have no doubts that she'll eventually move on to bigger and better things from here.

8 Future Star: Benjamin Ingrosso - Cool As A Cucumber

The Scandinavians always seem to do incredibly well at Eurovision, both with actual success and being fan favourites with the crowd. This year, Benjamin Ingrosso joined the group of artists from that region to have put themselves on the map as he came close to guiding Sweden to another Eurovision title.

The 20-year-old put on a fantastic display to give his country every chance of winning the competition, with his age alone being an indication of just how far he can go in this business. As the cousin of Sebastian Ingrosso, he certainly has the right kind of pedigree built into his family.

7 Future Star: Mikolas Josef - Keep an eye on this guy

From writing a song and desperately trying to get it out into the mainstream to performing at Eurovision, Mikolas Josef has had quite the journey. The youngster was one of the big stories of this year's competition, with many fans calling him their uncrowned winner for the Czech Republic.

Given his obvious talent and charisma, we'd be foolish not to think that he's going to go on to much bigger and better things, especially when you consider how mature he already is for his age. His songwriting abilities will only continue to develop as the years go on, and we're excited to see the next few steps in his journey.

6 Future Star: Michael Schulte - Tugging On Heart Strings

Michael Schulte may look like a curly-haired Ed Sheeran to a lot of fans, but once you hear him sing, you'll think twice about comparing him to anyone else in the world. His emotional performance for Germany at Eurovision this year was, in short, absolutely sensational.

It's one of the few songs that will legitimately bring tears to your eyes, and the best part is that he comes across as such an unbelievably humble guy. It's really refreshing to see someone like him getting involved in something like Eurovision, and long may it continue. After all, it's all about creating moments, right?

5 Future Star: Kristian Kostov - He’s How Old?

When you come within literal inches of winning Eurovision when you're still a good few years away from entering your twenties, you know that things are about to take off for you. That's the case with Kristian Kostov, who truly is an unbelievable performer for his age.

In the next few years, he's going to take off in a big way, and you should make sure that you're along for the ride. He's got so much potential that it's scary, and we could realistically see him dominating the charts for the next 20 or so years if he's able to surround himself with the right people.

4 Future Star: Ryan O’Shaughnessy - A Beautiful Voice

Ryan O'Shaughnessy knows how to keep himself in the public eye, from acting to appearing on The Voice Ireland to finishing in the top five of Britain's Got Talent. Oh, and did we happen to mention that he managed to drag Ireland kicking and screaming to the final of Eurovision this year?

Ryan put on an absolutely beautiful performance, which featured some really lovely choreography with the two male dancers. If there's one thing that we can be sure of, it's that Ryan is going to keep creating masterpieces as his young career goes from strength to strength, and we couldn't be happier about it.

3 Future Star: Netta - I’m Not Your Toy

Whilst the big controversy of Israel potentially not hosting Eurovision next year despite winning it in 2018 may be on the mind of most ESC fans, one thing that cannot be denied is that Netta made a mammoth statement with her triumph earlier this year in Lisbon.

Her song, Toy, was as bizarre as it was fantastic, and it received such a polarising reaction from the Eurovision faithful. That's often when you can tell that you've had a successful hit, and we'd love to see her release a full album of tunes that are just as wacky as this one.

2 Future Star: Jessica Mauboy - Australian Beauty

Many people aren't big fans of the fact that Australia has been invited to compete at Eurovision in recent years, but in our eyes, the slogan should be 'the more the merrier'. In fact, we'd argue that there should be a Worldvision, just to see how utterly bonkers the whole thing would be.

This past year Jessica Mauboy represented Australia, and despite not finishing that highly, she certainly introduced herself to the European audience in a big way. She may have only been popular in her homeland prior to the ESC, but now, she's on track to become a worldwide sensation.

1 Future Star: Alexander Rybak - What A Guy

Back when Alexander Rybak won the Eurovision Song Contest with a record-breaking total in 2009, many thought that he'd go on to become a huge superstar. Now, almost ten years on, people are saying the exact same thing about him after representing Norway for a second time earlier this year.

He just has this ability to turn any song he performs into something great, and his energy is intoxicating. He needs to be given the chance to showcase this on a grander scale because if he does, he could do anything that he sets his mind to from singing to presenting.

References: Eurovision