#21

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#21
Carrie
Sunny
Norway

I hope you enjoy this nice summery song on the last day of 2009. Happy New Year(‘s Eve)!



And no, this is not Katy Perry.

#22

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#22
I Got U
Rigo & The Topaz Sound feat. Red Fox
Sweden

Here’s something you don’t see every day.

#23

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#23
Carry Me in Your Dreams
Kejsi Tola
Albania

Good luck making sense out of this.

#24

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#24
The Greatest Plan
Vink
Finland

As I mentioned earlier, 2009 is the year of the break-up song, and this is, perhaps, my favorite. Most songs about the end of relationships are uplifting and empowering (and boring), so it’s a rare treat when one this bitter comes along and gives us a glimpse of the anger that accompanies a difficult break-up. Every line is like a hate-filled icy dagger carved out of frozen tears and plunged into the heart of an ex-lover. What could be more fun than that?

#25

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#25
La Voix
Malena Ernman
Sweden

Swedish popera; I bet no one saw this coming...

#26

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#26
Bistra Voda
Regina
Bosnia & Herzegovina

“Bistra Voda” (Clear Water) is part love song, part poetry (read: creepy). For example, the line “Give birth to me at dawn in May” appears no less than three times. I also feel obligated to point out that Regina is the name of the band, not the singer.

#27

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#27
Här För Mig Själv
Maja Gullstrand
Sweden

If I ever opened my own coffee shop, this is the kind of music I would play there.

#28

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#28
Lujuria
Salva Ortega
Spain

This is pretty much what you’d expect from a Spanish song called Lust, complete with mentions of hearts, passion and even some counting. If this were ten years ago, it would be a hit. If this were 2 years ago, it’d be the Greek entry.

#29

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#29
Rändajad
Urban Symphony
Estonia

“Rändajad” (Travelers) is the first song in Estonian to ever chart in the United Kingdom. Maybe, it could be the first Estonian hit here too.

#30

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#30
Hope & Glory
Måns Zelmerlöw
Sweden

Those of you who find yourselves spontaneously belting out Måns’ 2007 Melodifestivalen entry (“Cara Mia”) at random times will probably like this one too.

#31

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#31
Lose Control
Waldo's People
Finland

How interesting that, at the end of this decade, we take 3 minutes to reminisce over last decade. Remember the 1990s? Waldo’s People does.

#32

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#32
Uh La La
Yulia Valentayn
Spain

Many apologies about the sound quality; the volume levels were off like this when it first aired earlier this year so I think it was an issue with the broadcaster.

Programming Update: For the rest of this month, posts will only occur on weekdays (with the exception of the 24th and 25th). This will allow us to begin the top 20 in the new year.

Bonus! Part 6

Get rankin’!

Joy and Freedom
Alexei Krechet
Belarus



Te Stein
Publiners
Norway



Show Me Heaven
Lili & Susie
Sweden

#33

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#33
Stay the Night
Alcazar
Sweden

“Stay the Night” is a europop number that would play well in clubs, but the melody is memorable enough that it might sneak its way into the mainstream.

#34

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#34
Lijepa Tena
Igor Cukrov feat. Andrea
Croatia

It’s a shame no one told him he didn’t need to worry about ticks while on stage.

#35

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#35
Cobwebs
Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir
Iceland

Balance and contrast are two important things to remember when compiling a collection of music. A list containing only up-tempo pop songs would become tedious very quickly. In order to ensure diversity, here is a lovely and relaxing number that is more traditional pop than bubblegum pop.

#36

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#36
A Girl Like Me
Alexa
Romania

Do you remember when I said that there were a lot of break-up songs this year? Well, here’s another.
Warning: This video contains breakdancing of questionable quality.

#37

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#37
Düm Tek Tek
Hadise
Turkey

This song is the biggest hit of Hadise’s career; it even reached #21 in Japan. I think it could do some damage here too.

#38

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#38
Copycat
Copycat
Belgium

One of this year’s more unique entries is “Copycat” from Belgium. The set-up is that an Elvis impersonator is claiming that Elvis was in fact impersonating him. He reasons that the original Elvis is “too fat” and, later, “too dead” to rock & roll. By the way, that cat you keep seeing is le Chat, a famous Belgian comic strip character, not an older, overweight Eurocat from the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest in Zagreb.

#39

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#39
You're Not Alone
BWO
Sweden

Cheese, anyone?

#40

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#40
I Am Too Good For You
Janne Saar
Estonia

Janne, while doing her best Lady Gaga impersonation, is working hard to prove there’s no censoring like self-censoring.

#41

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#41
Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl)
Svetlana Loboda
Ukraine

It’s really catchy.

#42

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#42
Juntos Vamos Conseguir (Yes We Can)
Luciana Abreu
Portugal

You may recognize Luciana Abreu from Portugal’s entry in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest, where she was one half of 2B. If not, then that’s probably for the best.

#43

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#43
Mrzim Spore Stvari
Ana Bebić
Croatia

“Mrzim Spore Stvari” is translated as “I Hate Slow Things”. Well, ok.

#44

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#44
Fairytale
Alexander Rybak
Norway

It’s hard to say whether this year’s winner would ever gain any traction in the US, but it is the first Eurovision song that my mother ever bought, so that’s gotta mean something, right?

Bonus! Part 5

It’s time for everyone’s favorite game! Go ahead, rank ‘em.

Esta Noche
Next 3
Sweden



Jacqueline
Det Betales
Poland



Gengsta Oro
Sleng
FYR Macedonia

#45

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#45
U Look Good
Surferosa
Norway

Admittedly, this new-wave inspired number is one of my favorites from this year’s Norwegian selection. It’s the kind of song that if it came on the radio while you are sitting in your car, you’d crank the volume and sing along (and then feel really embarrassed when you see the quizzical looks coming from the passengers in the car next to you).

#46

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#46
O Fată cu Părul de Aur
Slavici
Moldova

“O Fată cu Părul de Aur” (A girl with hair of gold) is a very relaxing song. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

#47

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#47
Ride
Tine Wulff
Norway

Here’s a laid-back, folksy song to remind you to stay calm on this Black Friday.

#48

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#48
Make My Day
Edijs Šnipke
Latvia

How appropriate that on a day when most Americans gather with their families to give thanks for what they have, we reach “Make My Day”, a song about the unimportance of money and the importance of family (or at least that’s what I’m attempting to stretch the song’s meaning to fit the holiday). Anyway, it’s educational, and it has that late 1990s college rock/ska sound which hearkens back to a time of great economic expansion.

#49

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#49
Det' Det
Sukkerchok
Denmark

Malene, Kat, and Inez, who make up pop trio Sukkerchok, have already had 2 hits in their native Denmark off their debut album from earlier this year. “Det’ Det” is one of them. You can click here to see the other.

#50

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#50
Chance to Love You
JuraTone feat. Lady B
Bulgaria

If you believe the annoying intro in this video, JuraTone is a famous Bulgarian guitarist. Fair enough. Is anyone else excited that we’ve reached the top half of this year’s list?



"Yeah, now that's how you do it, baby!"

#51

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#51
Så Vill Stjärnorna
Molly Sandén
Sweden

“Så Vill Stjärnorna” is a pretty standard ballad about love that, with a lesser performer, would probably not have made this list.

#52

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#52
Martian
Janita
Finland

“Martian” is a rather simple rock song that takes the I-like-to-pretend-I’m-not-from-this-planet-so-everything-I-experience-is-new-to-me prompt from a high school creative writing class and applies it to the lyrics.

#53

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#53
Baby Goodbye
EMD
Sweden

So the lyrics are painfully tenuous (“The picture is drawn/You’re not even on/Because you’re gone”), but this is the kind of thing pop radio laps up.



For more dreadful forced rhyming, click here.

Bonus! Part 4-Supersized Edition

The Beauty Queens and Lowry have both competed in past Eurovision Song Contests, but they were not the only past participants to try to earn their way back to the Eurovision stage this year. Below are eight others who wanted another shot of European love. Can you rank them in order of how they would have appeared on this year’s countdown (if it were a top 600 list)?

Sakis Rouvas
Last Seen: 3rd place for Greece in 2004; Co-host of 2006
This Year: Represented Greece with This is Our Night; 7th place at Eurovision



Luiz Ejlli
Last Seen: Albania 2006; failed to qualify for final
This Year: "Nje Jete" with Juliana; Runner-up in Festivali I Këngës 47 (Albanian Selection)



Nico
Last Seen: Romania 2008; 20th place
This Year: "Disco Maniacs" with Moni-k; Failed to reach final of Romania's Selecţia Naţională



Laura Põldvere
Last Seen: Estonia 2005 as part of Suntribe; failed to qualify for final
This Year: "Destiny"; 3rd place in Eesti Laul (Estonian selection)



Mariana Popova
Last Seen: Bulgaria 2006; failed to qualify for final
This Year: "Crazy"; 3rd in the Bulgarian national selection



Omar Naber
Last Seen: Slovenia 2005; failed to qualify for final
This Year: "I Still Carry On"; Runner-up in EMA 2009 (Slovenian selection)

Feminnem
Last Seen: Bosnia & Herzegovina 2005; 14th place
This Year: "Poljupci u Boji"; 3rd place in Dora 2009 (Croatian selection)



Wenche Myhre
Last Seen: Germany 1968; 6th place
This Year: "Alt Har en Mening Nå"; failed to reach final of Melodi Grand Prix (Norwegian selection)

#54

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#54
Superstar
Oskar & Beauty Queens feat. Đorđe Marjanović
Serbia

Oskar is a fictional character from a Serbian television program. The character, who is described as having “special needs”, is very controversial because of the offensive way in which he is presented. Ignore that part of the song. Instead focus on the chorus performed by the Beauty Queens, who also served as the backing vocalists in Serbia’s winning 2007 entry. If the song was only this, it would be very enjoyable, instead of the unfunny and insulting mess the verses force it to become.

#55

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#55
Got No Love
Elektra
Iceland

Yet another song about the end of a relationship; 2009 must have been a sad year.
(The performance starts at 1:40, but if you’re interested in hearing “Tequila” played on the trumpet, you should watch the whole video.)

#56

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#56
Et s'il fallait le faire
Patricia Kaas
France

Patricia Kaas is a famous French singer who has sold over 16 million albums worldwide. Her style is best described as a mix of chanson and jazz with pop elements.

#57

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#57
Speakerbox
Signmark feat. Osmo Ikonen
Finland

Signmark is a deaf rapper who signs his lyrics. (The vocal parts are provided by others.) It’s an interesting setup for one of the most unique songs this year. Some might call this inspirational, but I think the point of this song is that we should stop thinking of deafness as a disability. That being the case, I guess this entry should read as follows:

#57
Speakerbox
Signmark feat. Osmo Ikonen
Finland

It’s a good song.

#58

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#58
Tricky
Velvet Inc.
Norway

One of many good songs from a strong Norwegian final, “Tricky” sounds like something that would be at home on pop radio. The group Velvet Inc. were originally known by just Velvet, but changed their name to avoid confusion with another Velvet in Sweden.

#59

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#59
You Ain't What I Need
Lowry
Estonia

Lowry was part of the group 2XL which served as the backing group of Estonia’s winning Eurovision entry in 2001. They later changed their name to Soul Militia and are responsible for this gem from a couple of years ago. Lowry has since gone on to have a solo career.

#60

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#60
Manala
Tiara
Finland

“Manala” (Underworld) is a rock number performed by Tiara, who, if you believe people who post on YouTube, is a music teacher. You can also add her to the growing list of Nordic women you really don’t want to make angry.

Bonus! Part 3

By now, you know the drill. Can you tell me which song:
-just missed out on being in the top 100?
-requires the assistance of flying pigs to even be seriously considered for the list?
-falls somewhere in between?

Aven Romale
Gypsy.cz
Czech Republic



Soul Train
The Rebelettes
Norway



Što će mi ljubav
Ruswaj
Croatia

#61

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#61
Hei! Exploadează!
Doina Gherman
Moldova

I wonder if everyone in Moldova has ADHD or if it’s only Doina and her housepainters.

Hei! Exploadeaza!

#62

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#62
Zona Zero
Soni Malaj feat. Geti
Albania

This is a lot funnier than I remember it being.

#63

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#63
Dagur Nýr
Heiða Ólafs
Iceland

“Dagur Nýr” (A New Day) is an atmospheric rock ballad with hints of a toned-down Heart sound. Iceland’s on a roll this year.

Dagur Nýr

#64

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#64
Love, Love, Love
Agnes
Sweden

Agnes, who won the second series of Swedish Idol, has found success throughout Europe with her single “Release Me”. However, it’s her Melodifestivalen entry “Love, Love, Love” which is eligible for this chart, and personally, I think it’s the better song of the two.

#65

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#65
Na čom záleží
Smola a Hrušky
Slovakia

Smola a Hrušky describe themselves as a ska-pop-punk band and say this song is about freedom and having a lust for life. That’s really all you need to know.

#66

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#66
Alice in the Wonderland
Jimmy Jørgensen
Denmark

I don’t know why, but I actually like this song.

#67

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#67
Just Get Out of My Life
Andrea Demirović
Montenegro

Yes, it’s a tad cheesy, but kudos to “rhyming” “dreams” with “scenes”. It’s a shame about the disco-ball-and-chain, though.

#68

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#68
Üürnik
Köök ja Kaire Vilgats
Estonia

“Üürnik” (The Tenant) has some of the most interesting lyrics I’ve heard this year. The song is a dispute between a landlord and his tenant, who is a law student who apparently plays the keytar.

#69

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#69
Kärlekssång från Mig
Markoolio
Sweden

“Kärlekssång från mig” is a love song about Markoolio not wanting to lose his credibility by singing some sappy love song. He tells his sweetheart to stop nagging because it would be difficult for people to stomach him performing an overly-sentimental ballad. The performance of this is also quite interesting. The staging parodies Russian singer Dima Bilan’s past Eurovision performances in 2006 and 2008.

#70

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#70
Lucky Boy
Jeppe
Denmark

It may interest you to know that Jeppe was the “Senior” half of the group Junior Senior who, seven years ago, brought “Move Your Feet” into the world.

#71

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#71
10,000 Light Years
Kwan
Finland

Fun Fact: A light year is a measure of distance, not time.

Happy Halloween!

Enjoy this spooky night with three of the worst songs of the year.

The Anthem of Vampires
Bloodsuckers
Spain



Bloody Brutality
Midnight
Spain



Shine
De Toppers
Netherlands

This one may not be Halloween themed, but it’s by far the scariest of the year.

#72

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#72
Ritam da se Ritam
Čager Zoc & Papak Dance Company
Croatia

I imagine it seemed like a good idea at the time…

#73

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#73
Higher
Star Pilots
Sweden

Here are four reasons why this is the most totally awesome song ever:

1. It sounds like it was lifted from some 1980s summer blockbuster. If they ever made a sequel to Top Gun, this song would be on the soundtrack.

2. I can just picture the songwriters debating the first line of the refrain:
Songwriter A: “You can’t end a sentence with a preposition!”
Songwriter B: “But the line feels so empty without the ‘up’.”
Songwriter A: “Maybe we can sneak it in before the next line and no one will notice.”

3. The dancing is hilarious, especially the slow-mo bits at the bridge. Seriously, can it get any cheesier? Wait…what? Was that really the running man?!?!

4. Every time I watch this, I’m overcome with the strange desire to shout “Do a barrel roll!”

#74

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#74
Blagoslov Za Kraj
OT Band
Serbia

There’s a lot of shouting and wailing going on here.

#75

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#75
Two of a Kind
Espen Hana
Norway

Even though I like the pleasant 1960s vibe of this song, I can’t help but think it sounds somewhat familiar.

#76

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#76
Probka
Intars Busulis
Latvia

Now you know how to say “traffic jam” in Russian (“probka”) and Latvian (“sastrēgums”). Hurray for learning!

#77

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#77
You're My World
Emilia
Sweden

Breaking into the American market is incredibly difficult. This is why those who have done so before get a few extra points on this list. Emilia Rydberg had a minor hit in the US in 1999 with “Big Big World”, which reached #15 on the US ARC Weekly Top 40. For those of you who prefer the Billboard charts, it barely cracked the Hot 100 but did manage to make the Top 40 Mainstream chart. Maybe she can find success here again.

#78

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#78
Jan Jan
Inga & Anush
Armenia

Any song with its own dance is bound for success, right?

#79

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#79
La Teva Decisió/Get a Life
Susanne Georgi
Andorra

Just another harmless pop song… in Catalan!



Fun Fact: Susanne Georgi was one half of the duo that brought us this.

#80

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#80
It's My Time
Jade Ewen
United Kingdom

Every now and then, something show tune-ish manages to get some radio airplay. Crafted by super-songwriting-duo Andrew Lloyd Webber (of musical theatre fame) and Diane Warren (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, “Unbreak My Heart”, “If I Could Turn Back Time”, “How Do I Live”, and many, many more), “It’s My Time” is the kind of outdated ballad built for easy listening radio.

Click here to watch the official video.

Interestingly enough, this summer it was announced that Jade has become the newest member of the Sugababes.

Bonus! Part 2

It’s that time again. Can you determine which song just missed out of being in the top 100, which never had a chance, and which fell somewhere in between?

Big Bang Baby
Claus Christensen
Denmark

Claus Christensen - Big Bang Baby

Ai-Yai
Unisex
Russia



Sila na Ljubovta
Daniel
FYR Macedonia

#81

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#81
Lygin Ein
Kaja Halldórsdóttir
Iceland

“Lygin Ein” (Total Lie) is a song about a very angry woman spreading vicious rumors about her ex-boyfriend following their breakup. She even goes so far as to comment on the underwhelming size of a certain appendage. Is it just me, or do the best breakup songs contain venom and spite?

#82

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#82
Dečko
Sane
Croatia

I think he really wants to be your boyfriend. Why else would he hire cheerleaders to dance behind him?

#83

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#83
Roses
Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir
Iceland

The first of many break-up songs this year, “Roses” tells the story of a woman explaining to an ex-lover the reasons why she decided to end their relationship. It takes her a while to get to the explanation and most of the song is her beating around the bush, but eventually we learn that she sent all of those roses back because she just never loved the sender.

#84

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#84
Do It Again
Foxy
Norway

When performing a song with a repeated phrase, it’s important to know the number of times you’ll sing it. That’s why it is a good idea to keep track by counting on one’s fingers. If you can incorporate this into the choreography, that’s even better.

#85

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#85
Love
Sasha Son
Lithuania

Sasha Son had his first huge hit at the age of 12. Fourteen years later, he was chosen to represent his native Lithuania with the somewhat pretentious “Love”, a song about, well… love. In fact, the word love appears in the lyrics of the English version a whopping 54 lovely times. This is more love than previous record holder “Love?” (Ireland’s not-so-lovely entry in 2005). Interestingly enough, in the original Lithuanian version “Pasiklydęs žmogus” (The Lost Man), “love” appears only once.

#86

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#86
Party
KeSera feat. Anita Hegerland
Norway

Admittedly, I find this song unintentionally hilarious, but it’s still the kind of stuff you’d expect to hear on top 40 radio.

#87

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#87
Mamo
Anastasiya Prikhodko
Russia

Next, we have a rather moody piece from Russia. “Мамо” (Mom) is an emotionally charged rant to a mother about the difficult nature of love. It includes lyrics like this:

“I will throw away my dream and crush it on the floor
How you've broken my destiny and left it on the side
I will pour out girl's tears like rain.”

How dramatic.

#88

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#88
What if We
Chiara
Malta

Fun Fact: You can tell this song is a big ballad because the video features scenes from the recording studio/poorly lit basement.
I like Malta, but sometimes I can’t help but wonder if they think it’s 1998.

#89

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#89
Vornótt
Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm
Iceland

Is it just me, or does this song sound like it could be on The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack? (The music starts at 1:50)

#90

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#90
7 Days
Corbus Albus
Moldova

Armed with a band name that sounds like a character from the Harry Potter books (or is bad Latin for white basket), Corbus Albus seizes the 90th position on this countdown with the song “7 Days”. She walks rather slowly, doesn’t she?

Bonus!

Every so often during this year’s countdown, I’ll post a few songs that failed to make the list. In each set of three, one barely missed the cut, another was nowhere close to the top 100, and the third falls somewhere in between. See if you can figure out which song falls in each category.

Never, Never
Princessa Avenue
Russia



Beauty Saves the World
NikitA
Ukraine



Nelikümmend
Chalice
Estonia

#91

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#91
Like an Angel
Julius Winger
Norway

Admittedly, this song is very forgettable. I guess I’m just having a very pro-Norway year. The performance starts at 0:44.

#92

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#92
Fósturjörð
Páll Rósinkrans
Iceland

“Fósturjörð” (Motherland) is a moody ballad performed by Al Gore. Oh…nevermind.

You can see the video by clicking here.

#93

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#93
Una Chica Normal
Biquini
Spain

Here’s something cute and bubbly to brighten your day.

#94

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#94
Like You Did (Yesterday)
Janni Santillan
Norway

This song is decent but goes nowhere. It’s the kind of track that you’d expect to maybe crack the top 50 before falling off the face of the earth into obscurity (a.k.a. adult-contemporary radio).

#95

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#95
La Noche es Para Mí
Soraya
Spain

Many readers have previously stated that they love Spanish pop. Well, I listened. “La Noche es Para Mi” is standard Spanish fare and sounds like its ten years old, but one could see it becoming a throwaway summer hit.



This is the official video as posted on YouTube by RTVE and therefore is the only one available for embedding. It includes subtitles and advertisements. Sorry.

#96

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#96
The Balkan Girls
Elena Gheorghe
Romania

Did you know the Balkan Girls, they like to party like nobody…like nobody? I’ll always remember this song as the one that failed to live up to its lyrical potential. It could have been a deep, introspective look at the life of someone who parties constantly (“I wonder if beyond this there could be something better”), but instead, this thought is quickly dismissed and the song devolves into a banal whoo girl anthem.



Why are they riding horses?

#97

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#97
There Must Be Another Way
Noa & Mira Awad
Israel

It’s hard to believe that a song about peace would stir up so much controversy, but that’s exactly what the song at #97 did earlier this year. “There Must Be Another Way” is a duet performed in English, Hebrew, and Arabic by Israeli singer Noa and Israeli Arab actress Mira Awad. Growing tensions in the months leading up to Eurovision between Israel and its neighbors were reflected in the controversy surrounding the Israeli entry. Members of the Israeli Arab community called the song propaganda while some of Israel’s far left thought the song was hypocritical and did not accurately reflect the state of modern Israel. It’s all kinda depressing to think about.

#98

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#98
We Don't Wanna Put In
Stephane & 3G
Georgia

It’s not the greatest song and disco has been dead for decades, but, as we all know, controversy sells and this song has it in spades. “We Don’t Wanna Put In” was chosen to be the Georgian entry at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, but 2 months before the contest, the song was declared unsuitable to compete due to its political nature. You see, “We don’t wanna put in” sounds a lot like “We don’t want a Putin” (Russia’s controversial prime minister; remember, this was 6 months after the outbreak of the South Ossetia War). The controversy soon became an international news story (even in the US) and the group would have gone on to sell millions of singles, if only they had released the song abroad.

#99

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

#99
El Patito
Carlos Ferrer EAI
Spain

I know that many of my readers were confused by the last post. “Why didn’t we start this year’s list with a novelty song, as is tradition?” they asked. “Well,” I responded, “change is good.” But, to keep everyone happy, I present to you, the first novelty song of the year.

#100

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2009

It’s that time of year again! It seems like the summer flew by and autumn is knocking on our door with a new Top 100 list in tow. I’m sure you know the rules by now, but if you forgot, here is a brief reminder. Every year, we count down the top 100 Eurovision-related songs (songs that competed in the Eurovision Song Contest or competed to compete in the ESC). Unlike the hundreds of other fan blogs, the songs in this list are ranked using a complex mathematical formula that examines a song’s quality and, most importantly, its potential for success outside of Europe (i.e. mostly North America).
This year’s list was whittled down from over 600 songs from 43 countries, 35 of which placed at least one song in the top 100. Astute readers may notice that this is down from last year’s high of 36 countries. In fact, many will be surprised that a few nations that have previously found much success on past lists are absent from this one. How exciting. Now, onto the list…

#100
Miss Kiss Kiss Bang
Alex Swings, Oscar Sings
Germany

Germany’s only eligible entry places in the hundredth spot mostly because it’s Germany’s only eligible entry. That being said, it is a fun, pseudo-swing ditty with a shot at success stateside. Why, you ask; simply because it was featured on Oprah last spring. If the big O had told her 7 million strong audience to buy this single, you’d be watching this year’s #1 instead of #100.

Communication 103

It’s best to just bathe in the glorious musical achievement of this one.

1999
E-Mail to Berlin
Double Date
Netherlands



"Computer, Computer"

Communication 102

Again, this one is pretty self-explanatory: texting for love. Just hopefully not in the creepy, late-night commercial kind of way.

2002
SMS4Love
Hevenless7
Austria

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SMS is an acronym for short message service. In many other languages, it is used in the same manner as “text” is in English. This doesn’t really make a lot of sense, grammatically speaking.

Communication 101

It’s always interesting to see how changes in technology are reflected in popular music. That’s why we’ll examine songs with forms of communication in their title this week. First up is a classic Eurovision song from Germany. “Telegram” is in English, so I feel no need to summarize the lyrical content for you. It is interesting to note that telegraphy was still a commonly used form of long-distance communication in the mid-20th century. You might not know that Western Union discontinued its telegram service only 3 years ago. In fact, 20,000 telegrams were sent in 2005.

1977
Telegram
Silver Convention
Germany



In case you thought the group’s name looked familiar, yes, they are in fact the Silver Convention that won a Grammy and had a number one hit in the US with “Fly, Robin, Fly” in 1975.

The cure for loneliness…Part 3

You know how there are songs with lyrics that sound completely innocent until one of your friends points out that they might have a slightly perverse, alternate meaning? This is one of those songs (and I am one of those friends). “Yodel in the Canyon of Love” was the runner-up at the 1997 Great British Song Contest and is most likely a cute novelty song, despite having a name that sounds like an entry in Urban Dictionary.

1997
Yodel in the Canyon of Love
Do-Re-Mi & Kerry
United Kingdom

The cure for congestion…Part 2

Because yodeling by itself is never enough, Global Kryner decided to mix Caribbean rhythms with traditional Alpine music to form the 2005 Austrian Eurovision entry. I’d like to imagine that the idea for this song came about like this (where the mentholated vapors and anti-snoring strips represent Austrian and Cuban cultures, respectively).

2005
Y Así
Global Kryner
Austria

The cure for a sore throat…Part 1

Because Eurovision is a place where different nations share their cultural heritage, it should come as no surprise that a few entries have contained yodeling. In the late 1970s, Switzerland sent a song that charmingly expressed their fondness for both yodeling and alphorns. Oh, and also Dixieland jazz.

1977
Swiss Lady
Pepe Lienhard Band
Switzerland



Note 1: The Swiss Lady in the title is not a woman, but the aforementioned alphorn.
Note 2: Alphorns don’t sound like trumpets.

Hey, there's a nuke in my song festival...Part 3

Over the past few years, there have been growing concerns that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Naturally, Israel is very concerned. This concern was reflected in their 2007 Eurovision entry “Push the Button” which, reportedly, led to the Iranian government demanding that the song be disqualified. You can read a translation of the lyrics here.

2007
Push the Button
Teapacks
Israel



This completes nuke week. I’ll see you next Monday as we explore yodeling.

Hey, there's a nuke in my song festival...Part 2

During the early 1980s, escalating Cold War tensions caused thoughts of nuclear annihilation to reenter the public’s minds. Enter: “Nuku Pommiin” (lit. Sleep Until the Bomb). The 1982 Finnish Eurovision entry suggests, somewhat satirically, that the best way to avoid a nuclear blast is to sleep through it.

1982
Nuku Pommiin
Kojo
Finland



“If you don’t wake up this time, you won’t wake up at all.”

Hey, there's a nuke in my song festival...Part 1

Now that we are less than 2 months away from the start of 2009’s top 100 list, I thought it would be a good time to ease back into posting. Each week before the start of the big countdown, we’ll examine popular themes in Eurovision-related songs. This week, because everyone’s in such a good mood, we’ll explore songs about a nuclear holocaust.

Tensions from the Cold War occasionally appeared in songs competing at Eurovision. The first time this happened was in 1967 when Monaco competed with “Boum-Badaboum” (a fairly self-explanatory title). In this song, a girl begs not to be killed because there are many things she has yet to experience. Fair enough.

1967
Boum-Badaboum
Minouche Barelli
Monaco



One thing I’ve noticed as I compiled this list is that songs about nukes tend to be surprisingly upbeat.

#1

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard - 2008

#1
La Revolución Sexual
La Casa Azul
Spain

Best. Song. Of. 2008. Period.

#2

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard - 2008

#2
Divine
Sébastien Tellier
France

Why aren’t there more songs like this?
Why aren’t there more videos like this:


?

#3

The Top 100 Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard - 2008

#3
Empty Room
Sanna Nielsen
Sweden

With hints of country, “Empty Room” has a sound that would make it a successful cross-over hit and is the highest ranking ballad on this year’s list. The only potential problem lyrically is the repeated references to the moon, but she explains it in a satisfactory manner, so I’m willing to let it slip.