Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1999 with Charlotte Nilsson’s “Take Me to Your Heaven.”
The 1999 contest was held on 29 May at the International Convention Centre in Jerusalem, Israel. Nilsson performed the song in English and won with 163 points, finishing ahead of Iceland and Germany in the final ranking.
“Take Me to Your Heaven” was composed by Lars Diedricson, with lyrics by Gert Lengstrand. Its upbeat schlager style, colorful staging and Nilsson’s distinctive 1950s-inspired appearance helped make it one of the contest’s recognizable entries of the late 1990s.
Sweden’s victory was the country’s fourth Eurovision win, following victories in 1974, 1984 and 1991. The 1999 edition also marked a major language-rule change: performers were no longer required to sing in one of their country’s official languages, allowing Sweden’s English-language entry to compete freely.