The 100 Greatest Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard – 2011

Back by popular demand! “The 100 Greatest Songs You've (Probably) Never Heard” is this blog’s flagship series, and, after a brief hiatus, everyone’s favorite countdown has returned. The 2011 Eurovision season was a great year filled with many memorable songs. Some were excellent, some were unique, and some were just plain terrible. Like past years, we will count down the top 100 Eurovision-related songs (songs that competed in the Eurovision Song Contest or competed to compete in the ESC) from 2011. Unlike the hundreds of other fan blogs (many of which are worth a visit), 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 in the US and Canada, but mostly the US.

Nearly 500 songs from 43 countries were eligible this year. Although the number of contributing territories is up from 39 in 2010, the pool of songs has shrunk. This is mainly due to scaled back selection procedures around the continent in an attempt by national broadcasters to save costs in a down economy. (Look for this trend to continue in 2012.) Fortunately, song quality did not take a hit, and I had no trouble finding 100 songs for this list. 36 nations placed at least one entry on the countdown-this ties the record set in 2008. Here are some of the story-lines to watch for as we plod along towards number one:

-Which 7 nations failed to place? (Some might surprise you.)
-Will Sweden continue its domination, or will it be usurped by one of its Nordic neighbors?
-Several nations had their best showing ever. Will their newfound success force perennial powers to only one entry, or maybe even off the list completely?
-Will Lena reign supreme for the second year running? (She does have 12 eligible entries.)

The answers to these questions await you over the next 2 months as we countdown The 100 Greatest Songs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard – 2011!