#1

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

#1
Snälla, Snälla
Caroline af Ugglas
Sweden

Why is this number one, you ask; simply because it is the most sincere song of the year. “Snälla, snälla” (Please, Please) portrays the heart-wrenching scene of a woman begging her lover to stay because she knows that when he steps out that door, he’s stepping into the arms of another. The song beautifully captures the anger, frustration, desperation, and shame felt by the protagonist and frames it within the context of a 1960s ballad.

#2

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

#2
The Highest Heights
Lovebugs
Switzerland

This year’s runner-up comes from the Swiss Britpop inspired band Lovebugs. “The Highest Heights” sounds like the kind of record one could hear on American radio and could appeal to a wide range of listeners because it treads the line of rock and pop.

#3

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

#3
Is It True?
Yohanna (Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir)
Iceland

Armed with an amazing voice and a dress that’s every bridesmaid’s worst nightmare, Yohanna stormed to second place at Eurovision with “Is it True?”. The song, which has charted in a dozen countries, is a musical interpretation of the moment one realizes a relationship has run its course. It’s truly a beautiful song, so it’s a shame that the dolphin distracts from the performance.

#4

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

#4
Nešto što kje ostane
Next Time
FYR Macedonia

Performed by the poorly named Next Time, “Nešto što kje ostane” (“Нешто што ќе остане”; Something That Will Remain) is a song about being in love. Next Time is a rock duo consisting of twin brothers Stefan and Martin Filipovski, and, if history teaches us anything, it’s that the record buying public loves siblings performing together...well, that and 80s hair bands.

#5

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

#5
Jag ska slåss i dina kvarter!
Lasse Lindh
Sweden

Despite the odd title, “Jag ska slåss i dina kvarter!” (I will fight in your neighborhood) is actually a cute indie-pop song about love with a music video for a cute 1980s indie-pop song about love.

Bonus! Part 7

The top five will start Monday. Here’s something to keep you busy until then, so get rankin’.

In Love We Trust
Policistas
Latvia



Gudok
Cola feat. Lidiya Zablotskaya
Belarus

Find My Girl
Alexander Stenerud
Norway

#6

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

#6
Todas as Ruas do Amor
Flor-de-Lis
Portugal

After 2009, which was a very difficult year for many, the public is eager for a song that’s pure joy. I dare you to not have a big smile on your face at the end of this song.

#7

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

#7
Et Cetera
Sinéad Mulvey and Black Daisy
Ireland

Fun Fact: Sinéad is a flight attendant for Aer Lingus.

#8

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

#8
Sindssyg
Johnny Deluxe
Denmark

“Sindssyg” (Insane) is your standard I’m-crazy-in-love-with-you song for the alt-rock loving, skinny-jean wearing set.

Sindssyg

#9

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

#9
What If
Cookies 'n' Beans
Sweden

According to Arbitron, Inc., the largest radio audience research company in the US, over 77 million Americans listen to country music stations each week. This is a country song. You do the math.

#10

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

#10
Undir Regnbogann
Ingó
Iceland

Before we get to the top 10, I would like to share with you a milestone this blog reached this morning. It’s been a long journey that we’ve shared (and one I hope you’ve enjoyed), but this blog has never received any notice from those outside of its core readership (I’m perfectly fine with this) until today. A few hours ago, this blog earned its first spam post in the comments section! I will not be sharing the post with you because I do not wish to encourage this kind of commenting but I thought you would like to celebrate this momentous occasion with me. We’ve finally made it!

For those of you who are worried that this year’s countdown was too “cynical,” I hope you enjoy this cute, happy number whose title is translated “Under the Rainbow”.

#11

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

#11
Breakdown
Arishata
Russia

I must confess that when I made this list, I was somewhat apprehensive about this song’s high ranking because who would ever believe that millions of Americans would be willing to buy an atrocious song performed by a singer that should be stuffed into a crate and shipped to Antarctica. Apparently, I had nothing to fear. Also, Arishata’s not that bad.

#12

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

#12
Always
AySel & Arash
Azerbaijan

Combining contemporary pop sounds with West Asian flair, “Always” was perhaps the most modern song at this year’s Eurovision.

#13

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

#13
Sunny Days
ZERO
Romania

It’s hard to believe that “Sunny Days” only finished 4th in the Romanian selection (especially since this placed second). I’m sure we’ll hear many more great things from ZERO, so don’t worry, they’ll be ok.

#14

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

#14
Killing Me Tenderly
Anna Sahlene & Maria Haukaas Storeng
Sweden

Anna and Maria are a Scandinavian supergroup (superduet?) of sorts. Anna Sahlene took Estonia to a 3rd place finish in the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest (she was also a backing singer for her native Sweden’s victory in 1999), and Maria finished 5th for Norway in 2008. That’s quite the pedigree.

#15

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

#15
¿Dónde te Metes?
Beatriz
Spain

Spanish-language country-ish music is already an established genre in the US, and, because of its Tejano sound, I have a feeling this would do especially well in Texas. Personally, I like this song because, for some reason, it reminds me of my childhood.

#16

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

#16
Shuffled
Jane Helen
Norway

Finally, the aggressively claustrophobic have their own anthem.

#17

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

#17
Don't Kiss for Money
Sahara
Bulgaria

Is this a good song? Not really, but one only needs to look at recent Billboard number ones to see that a song can be terrible and people will still buy it in alarmingly high quantities.

#18

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

#18
Dame un Beso
La La Love You
Spain

This is a fun, pop-punk number from Spain that doesn’t dwell too far from contemporary radio fare. There’s a lot going on here, so I’ll let you have some time to take it all in.

#19

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

#19
Believe Again
Brinck
Denmark

It may not be the most original song on the list, but it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you’d hear on adult contemporary radio (you know, those “best of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and today” stations). With its VH1 ready video, “Believe Again” is, in my opinion, the most likely song from this year’s crop to find mainstream success stateside…if only they’d give it a chance.



By the way, it’s “I never had a picture of an end,” not “I never had a picture of your nan.”

#20

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

#20
We
X-R@Y
Bulgaria

“We” is the first song of the top 20, and is seemingly performed by some dudes off of the streets of Bulgaria. This song failed to qualify from the ninth heat for the quarterfinal of Bulgaria’s massive, 5 month long national selection program.