Georgia was entering the Eurovision song contest for the first time, and I'd definitely never heard any music from the small nation in the Caucasus Mountains.

The 51st Eurovision Song Contest set a new standard for opening acts. The grandeur at which Athens showed off it's ancient culture was awe inspiring.

Who could have predicted this? When Finland announced they were sending a "monster rock" band, it felt like another gimmick in a year filled with them.

This song is most notable for how different the original lyrics are compared to the final English version.

This was the first time I really experienced the so called “Novelty Act.”

Not since 2003 had a contestant caused such a stir during the lead up to the concert in Athens.

They described this simply as “German Country.”

Oh gosh, these poor guys. Doing a cappella in front of so many people is hard.

With an incredible vocal range, Mihai kills on this modern dance-pop track. It's a moody Italo-disco inspired bi-lingual song, with the chorus sung in Italian.

In late November 2004, a mere five months after Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest, Kyiv erupted into protests.

I knew this song was one of the favorites of the year but I never paid it much mind. I thought the opening lyric was so cheesy, I dismissed the song.

I loved this. A slavic rock ballad with a melancholy melody, this song was just my personal jam.

This is a song about a Cuban woman who arrives in the alps to bring a spicy rhythm to the poor polka’d out Austrians.

Sometimes the weirdest and the best songs are interchangeable.

In 1999, Selma represented her country with an up-beat song and nearly won, coming in second place.