Pingu
Noot noot
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2009
- Messages
- 12,554
8. Gina G - Ooh Aah... Just A Little Bit (United Kingdom 1996)
The first pop music moment I was ever aware of, the first single I ever bought (or had bought for me), and all before I had a clue what Eurovision actually was. I remember lapping up the remixes on the CD single, I distinctly remember watching the "Hey girls!" moment on TV, but the joys of the contest that birthed it wouldn't become apparent to me for another couple of years yet. Therefore, similar to Waterloo, this has always kind of existed in its own bubble independently of Eurovision, but it does give it that little extra something knowing where it came from and knowing that six year-old Pingu somehow knew he was onto something with this. I feel like this occupies its own non-Eurovision space in popular culture for a lot of other people as well, and despite R Sam doing us proud and the omnipresence of Space Man last summer, he can only dream of the level of pop pervasion that this - still the benchmark for UK Eurovision entries, achieved.
7. Charlotte Perrelli - Hero (Sweden 2008)
I feel like I have to be careful what I say about this one around these parts. Somehow I feel like giving it its dues for being an all-time classic of its genre and literally placing it 7th in my all-time favourites list of my favourite music event in the world will count for nothing if throw even the slightest hint of "I told you so." But, this is me and I can't help myself so I'm going to - I mean come on. Everyone on here thought that the 2008 contest was going to be a coronation for THIS?! I know it was 15 years ago, but even then it was lowest common denominator Love Love Peace Peace nonsense, but performed with none of the warmth of the aforementioned interval act. Hang on though dear reader, put your pitchfork away. Just because I call this lowest common denominator doesn't take away from it being a towering behemoth at the same time, and the ultimate in giving the schlager gays pretty much everything they want. And didn't the events of May 2008 and what came after in subsequent years teach us a valuable lesson in grabbing these moments with both hands and not taking it for granted when something this precious comes along, no matter what may happen to it in the big bad world? Well, maybe not VoR, but most of us.
6. Loreen - Euphoria (Sweden 2012)
There's everything to say about this one, but almost nothing at all, just because of how unstoppable it was in its journey to being a Eurovision winner and subsequently and international hit on a scale and with an ease we simply weren't used to in our lifetime. Back then it seemed to breathe new life into Melodifestivalen and then into Eurovision, and nowadays it has finally replaced Waterloo as the go-to "standard" for people who don't really watch Eurovision to namecheck as their all-time favourite. Poor Loreen was too lazy and/or baked to fully capitalise on its success and has become something of a one-hit wonder even in Sweden where you'd think she'd be knighted or something for her success especially when you consider how Anna Bergendahl was shunned for the opposite a couple of years earlier. Still, there's always next year... Johnny Logan really needs taken down a peg or two...
The first pop music moment I was ever aware of, the first single I ever bought (or had bought for me), and all before I had a clue what Eurovision actually was. I remember lapping up the remixes on the CD single, I distinctly remember watching the "Hey girls!" moment on TV, but the joys of the contest that birthed it wouldn't become apparent to me for another couple of years yet. Therefore, similar to Waterloo, this has always kind of existed in its own bubble independently of Eurovision, but it does give it that little extra something knowing where it came from and knowing that six year-old Pingu somehow knew he was onto something with this. I feel like this occupies its own non-Eurovision space in popular culture for a lot of other people as well, and despite R Sam doing us proud and the omnipresence of Space Man last summer, he can only dream of the level of pop pervasion that this - still the benchmark for UK Eurovision entries, achieved.
7. Charlotte Perrelli - Hero (Sweden 2008)
I feel like I have to be careful what I say about this one around these parts. Somehow I feel like giving it its dues for being an all-time classic of its genre and literally placing it 7th in my all-time favourites list of my favourite music event in the world will count for nothing if throw even the slightest hint of "I told you so." But, this is me and I can't help myself so I'm going to - I mean come on. Everyone on here thought that the 2008 contest was going to be a coronation for THIS?! I know it was 15 years ago, but even then it was lowest common denominator Love Love Peace Peace nonsense, but performed with none of the warmth of the aforementioned interval act. Hang on though dear reader, put your pitchfork away. Just because I call this lowest common denominator doesn't take away from it being a towering behemoth at the same time, and the ultimate in giving the schlager gays pretty much everything they want. And didn't the events of May 2008 and what came after in subsequent years teach us a valuable lesson in grabbing these moments with both hands and not taking it for granted when something this precious comes along, no matter what may happen to it in the big bad world? Well, maybe not VoR, but most of us.
6. Loreen - Euphoria (Sweden 2012)
There's everything to say about this one, but almost nothing at all, just because of how unstoppable it was in its journey to being a Eurovision winner and subsequently and international hit on a scale and with an ease we simply weren't used to in our lifetime. Back then it seemed to breathe new life into Melodifestivalen and then into Eurovision, and nowadays it has finally replaced Waterloo as the go-to "standard" for people who don't really watch Eurovision to namecheck as their all-time favourite. Poor Loreen was too lazy and/or baked to fully capitalise on its success and has become something of a one-hit wonder even in Sweden where you'd think she'd be knighted or something for her success especially when you consider how Anna Bergendahl was shunned for the opposite a couple of years earlier. Still, there's always next year... Johnny Logan really needs taken down a peg or two...