Lonely Planet - Eurovision 2013 - Armenia

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi penned this ballad for the Armenian rock group Dorians to sing in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. According to the BBC, Iommi was one of several Rock stars who helped fundraise after the 1988 earthquake in Spitak, which killed up to 45,000 people and left a half a million homeless. He subsequently returned to Armenia to raise additional funds and met Dorians during his visit. When the call came from representatives of the Armenian Eurovision entry to help out with the annual contest, Iommi thought of this song that he had in his pocket "I first said, 'oh God, I don't know' - it seemed really strange, me doing a Eurovision song, I don't usually do that," he told the BBC. "But I said, 'I've got a rock ballad, I'll send it over."

Iommi told The Birmingham Mail the story behind him penning a Eurovision track. "I was as shocked as anybody when they came knocking," he said. "They got in touch with me because of the charity work we've been doing out there, building a new music school to replace one wrecked by an earthquake. They asked if I'd got any spare songs. Well, I write loads of songs and they just get put away. They lie on a shelf because either they're not suitable for Sabbath or for another project, and never see the light of day. I searched out 'Lonely Planet' – it's a bit of a power ballad – and sent it off. I was surprised when it made the shortlist and gobsmacked when the people of Armenia voted for it."

The song finished 18th on the Eurovision final with 41 points. It bettered Great Britain's effort, Bonnie Tyler's "Believe In Me," which lagged one place behind in 19th.