Yugoslavia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 27 times, debuting in 1961 and competing every year until its last appearance in 1992, with the exceptions of 1977–1980 and 1985. Yugoslavia won the 1989 contest and hosted the 1990 contest.
Ljiljana Petrović was Yugoslavia's first entrant in the contest in 1961 and placed eighth. In 1962, Lola Novaković gave the country its first top five result, finishing fourth. This would remain Yugoslavia's only top five result until 1983, when Danijel finished fourth with the song "Džuli". Novi Fosili also finished fourth in 1987 with "Ja sam za ples". In 1989, the country achieved its only victory in the contest, when Riva won with the song "Rock Me".
Yugoslavia was represented by a variety of artists from five of the eight Yugoslav federal units. These artists were from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia, with Macedonia, Vojvodina, and Kosovo never passing the national pre-selection. Croatia was the most successful constituent republic, as its performers won the national contest 13 out of the 26 times SFR Yugoslavia took part in the contest. From 1977 to 1980, and in 1985, Yugoslavia did not participate in the contest, however national finals still took place.
Yugoslavia won the 1989 contest with the song "Rock Me" by the group Riva. In accordance with the rules, the 1990 contest took place in Zagreb, as the entry came from Croatia.
During the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, the former constituent republics of Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia declared secession and hence withdrew from Jugovizija, while the then-leaderships of Serbia and Montenegro agreed to maintain a close alliance. On 28 March 1992, the republics that still (at least formally) constituted the fading and shrunken former Yugoslav federation took part in 1992's Jugovizija held in Belgrade. It included artists not only from Serbia and Montenegro, but also from Bosnia and Herzegovina, although the latter declared independence on 1 March of that year. Among its candidates was Alma Čardžić.[3] The winner of that pre-selection was "Ljubim te pesmama" performed by Extra Nena (Snežana Berić) from Serbia.[4] Before that year's contest took place, on 28 April, a new federal state was formed, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro and called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was represented by the previously mentioned Extra Nena in the 1992 contest.[5][6][7]
Yugoslavia was banned from participating in the contest until 2001 due to UN sanctions during the Yugoslav Wars. The sanctions went into effect only a few weeks after the 1992 contest.
After the breakup of Yugoslavia, its former constituent republics declared independence. The formerly sub-national public radio and TV stations of Yugoslavia changed to national but under new names, including: RTVSLO, HRT, RTS, MRT, BHRT and RTCG. Since joining the EBU respectively, all of the ex-Yugoslav countries have independently participated in the Eurovision Song Contest: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia (until 2018 designated as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
The following lists the 27 contestants that won the local competition and went on to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
22 out of the 26 Yugoslav entries in the contest between 1961 and 1991 were in Serbo-Croatian and the rest in Slovenian. The majority of entries, 11, came from Croatia, where Yugoslavia's pop music industry was centered. No entry from MacedoniaorKosovo ever made it to the contest, illustrating a cultural marginalisation of the poorest parts of the country.[8]
National contests also took place between 1978 and 1980 and in 1985, but with no intention of sending a representative to the contest.
Television commentators and spokespersons from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1961–1991) and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992–2002)
^Vuletic, Dean (2019). "Recognising Kosovo in the World of Televised International Song Contests". Eurovisions: Identity and the International Politics of the Eurovision Song Contest since 1956. Springer Nature. p. 116. ISBN978-9811394270.
^Roxburgh, Gordon (2012). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn, United Kingdom: Telos Publishing. ISBN978-1-84583-065-6.
^Roxburgh, Gordon (2020). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. Four: The 1990s. Prestatyn, United Kingdom: Telos Publishing. ISBN978-1-84583-163-9.
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Roxburgh, Gordon (2012). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Volume One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 291–299. ISBN978-1-84583-065-6.
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