HistoryData
culture1973

Eurovision Song Contest 1973 — 18th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest

January 1, 1973

Luxembourg won its fourth Eurovision contest with a record-high 80.63% of the maximum possible vote, while Israel debuted in the competition.

Quick Facts

Year
1973
Category
culture

Key Facts

Edition
18th Eurovision Song Contest
Date
7 April 1973
Winning song
Tu te reconnaîtras by Anne-Marie David
Winning score
129 out of 160 (80.63%)
Participating countries
17
Luxembourg contest victories
4th win, equalling France's record

By the Numbers

18
Edition
7
Date
129
Winning score
17
Participating countries

Location

Map of Luxembourg City, LuxembourgMap of Luxembourg City, LuxembourgLuxembourg City, Luxembourg

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Luxembourg had won the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest with Vicky Leandros's 'Après toi', granting the Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion the right to host the 1973 edition. Israel entered for the first time, while Austria withdrew over disputes between its broadcaster and record labels, and Malta failed to qualify its entries.

Event

The 18th Eurovision Song Contest was held on 7 April 1973 at the Nouveau Théâtre Municipal de Luxembourg, hosted by Helga Guitton. Seventeen countries competed, with Luxembourg's Anne-Marie David performing 'Tu te reconnaîtras', composed by Claude Morgan with lyrics by Vline Buggy. Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Sweden completed the top five.

Consequence

Luxembourg secured its fourth contest victory, matching France's record total wins, and became only the second country to win in consecutive years after Spain in 1969. The winning song achieved 80.63% of the maximum possible vote, a record proportion that remained unmatched as of 2025. Israel's debut placed it in the top five, the best debut result since 1957.

Work

Eurovision Song Contest 1973

by Anne-Marie David (performer); Claude Morgan & Vline Buggy (songwriters)music
Luxembourg's victory with a record-proportion score set a benchmark in Eurovision scoring history, and Israel's strong debut marked the contest's growing international reach beyond Western Europe.

Timeline Context

Timeline around 197319731970197119721974197519761973 World Aquatics Championships — 1973 edition of the World Aquatics Championships1973 CONCACAF Championship — 1973 edition of the CONCACAF Championship association football competition1973 European Super Cup — football tournament1973–74 European Cup — 19th season of the UEFA club football tournament1973 Formula One season — sports season1973 oil crisis — 1973 petroleum shortage1973 World Women's Handball Championship — 1973 edition of the World Women's Handball Championship1973 OFC Nations Cup — international football competitioneurovision-song-contest-1973-18th-edition-of-the-eurovisio-1973