EUROVISION 2016... This update: #5. The Top 10 songs will be added daily. Scroll down for earlier posts.

EUROVISION 2016

A RANKING OF THIS YEAR’S 43 SONGS

Each day, a song will be previewed here from the 43 entries locked in for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.  The songs will be added in order of preference, from the least promising climbing upwards to the pick of the bunch.

NOTE: Songs have been ranked in terms of audio track. Choreography and overall presentation during the Semi- Finals may influence a different perspective once the ESC begins in May.

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5 AUSTRIA

LOIN  D'ICI Zoe

This year's Austrian entry is a cute French song performed by Zoe Straub. The track is about a search for paradise. Last year, Austria finished with nil points. Zoe will be hoping to -and deserves- to fare better. "Loin d'ici" translates as "far from here".
http://eurovisionworld.com/?eurovision=2016austria

6 POLAND

 
COLOR OF YOUR LOVE Michael Szpak

7 ESTONIA

PLAY Juri Pootsmann

8 UNITED KINGDOM

YOU'RE NOT ALONE Joe & Jake

9 LATVIA

HEARTBEAT Justs

10 NETHERLANDS

SLOW DOWN Douwe Bob

200 MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS: #71.  
This countdown will continue in June.

THE CAFFE` LATTE`

200

MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS

Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.

#71

ALL YOU CAN EAT:

K.D. LANG

 

 [1995] 

K.D. Lang left the country genre with 'Ingenue' and explored adult contemporary, torch songs and pop. 'All You Can Eat' - the follow up to that crossover album- is a collection of songs that benefit greatly from the power and beauty of that voice. The tracks are uncomplicated and kept simple which adds to the album's strengths. The music wraps itself around Lang's vocal effectively. One track, "Sexuality", deals with same sex attraction in a thought-provoking and seductive manner. On this album, the songs are not the focal point, it is Lang's vocal skill. Her tonsils unravel a web so enticing, there is no turning back.

Highlight tracks: You're OK; Infinite and Unforeseen, Sexuality & If I Were You.

EUROVISION 2016... This update: #6. The Top 10 songs will be added daily. Scroll down for earlier posts.

EUROVISION 2016

A RANKING OF THIS YEAR’S 43 SONGS

Each day, a song will be previewed here from the 43 entries locked in for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.  The songs will be added in order of preference, from the least promising climbing upwards to the pick of the bunch.

NOTE: Songs have been ranked in terms of audio track. Choreography and overall presentation during the Semi- Finals may influence a different perspective once the ESC begins in May.

1

2

3

4

5

6 POLAND

 
COLOR OF YOUR LOVE Michael Szpak

Poland will be represented with a ballad that is catchy with repeated listens but may struggle to make a lasting impact during Semi Final 2. A powerful delivery from vocalist Michael Szpak will hopefully take it into the Grand Final. 
http://eurovisionworld.com/?eurovision=2016poland

7 ESTONIA

PLAY Juri Pootsmann

8 UNITED KINGDOM

YOU'RE NOT ALONE Joe & Jake

9 LATVIA

HEARTBEAT Justs

10 NETHERLANDS

SLOW DOWN Douwe Bob

EUROVISION MEMORIES: Le Papa Penguin

EUROVISION MEMORIES

Check back here for a regular look back from the Eurovision archives for some past songs from the last 60 years of the Eurovision Song Contest: the good, the bad & the ugly!

LE PAPA PINGOUIN

Sophie et Magaly

[1980 – Luxembourg]

The duo Sophie & Magaly represented Luxembourg with the catchy but silly song which translates as "the father penguin". In a field of 19 entries, it finished in 9th position. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu9RictLX3I

EUROVISION 2016... This update: #7. The Top 10 songs will be added daily. Scroll down for earlier posts.

EUROVISION 2016

A RANKING OF THIS YEAR’S 43 SONGS

Each day, a song will be previewed here from the 43 entries locked in for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.  The songs will be added in order of preference, from the least promising climbing upwards to the pick of the bunch.

NOTE: Songs have been ranked in terms of audio track. Choreography and overall presentation during the Semi- Finals may influence a different perspective once the ESC begins in May.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 ESTONIA

PLAY Juri Pootsmann

Estonia finished in 7th place in 2015. The same writing team composed "Play" for rising local star Juri Pootsmann. He won last year's Estonian version of "Idol" and has seen his profile rise since then. The 21 year old should do well enough in Semi Final 1 to secure a slot in the Grand Final with his fresh sounding track.

http://eurovisionworld.com/?eurovision=2016estonia

8 UNITED KINGDOM

YOU'RE NOT ALONE Joe & Jake

9 LATVIA

HEARTBEAT Justs

10 NETHERLANDS

SLOW DOWN Douwe Bob

EUROVISION MEMORIES: Ik Ben Verliefd

EUROVISION MEMORIES

Check back here for a regular look back from the Eurovision archives for some past songs from the last 60 years of the Eurovision Song Contest: the good, the bad & the ugly!

IK BEN VERLIEFD (SHA-LA-LIE)

Sieneke

[2010 – Netherlands]

 

This Dutch entry means "I'm In Love" and was written by Pierre Kartner who had previously found fame as Father Abraham with The Smurfs. It was lighthearted fun, but failed to progress from the Semi Final stage that year. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxtj54CLEng 

EUROVISION 2016... This update: #8. The Top 10 songs will be added daily. Scroll down for earlier posts.

EUROVISION 2016

A RANKING OF THIS YEAR’S 43 SONGS

Each day, a song will be previewed here from the 43 entries locked in for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.  The songs will be added in order of preference, from the least promising climbing upwards to the pick of the bunch.

NOTE: Songs have been ranked in terms of audio track. Choreography and overall presentation during the Semi- Finals may influence a different perspective once the ESC begins in May.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 UNITED KINGDOM

YOU'RE NOT ALONE Joe & Jake

The UK has struggled in recent years but is represented by the cheerful and contemporary track "You're Not Alone" this year. As 1 of "The Big 5", the UK has pre-qualified for the Grand Final. The duo met while competing on "The Voice UK". This song should give the UK its best finish in years, but is not special enough to snatch the big prize.

http://eurovisionworld.com/?eurovision=2016united_kingdom

9 LATVIA

HEARTBEAT Justs

This is one of the most modern tracks in the year's pack. Justs will kick off Semi Final 2 with his electro/ R&B number "Heartbeat". Being one of 2016's strongest songs, it deserves to be among the entries performed during the Grand Final.

10 NETHERLANDS

SLOW DOWN Douwe Bob

A country-flavoured song took Dutch group The Common Linnets to 2nd place in 2014. This year's entry is a pop/ country crossover track which should attract enough votes to qualify in Semi Final 1 for the Grand Final. Its lyrics, co-written by the artist, remind us to not be restricted by the demands of modern living.

THE 200 ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE 1970s. This update: #30- 21. Continues next weekend.

THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS OF THE 1970s It was the decade of glam, disco, funk, Philly Soul, heavy metal, the singer/songwriter, punk and new wave. Here are the 200 songs that mattered most during the Seventies, in terms of influence, impact and success. To be eligible, the song needed to be released- as a single or on an album- during the years 1970-1979.
30	ZIGGY STARDUST David Bowie [1972] While artists such as Prince, Cher, Michael Jackson and Madonna re-invented themselves over the decades, few match the master chameleon David Bowie. Of all his personas, Ziggy Stardust was his greatest creation.
29	BLACK DOG Led Zeppelin [1971] Led Zeppelin threw together rock and blues to create its own brand of hard rock. Robert Plant's vocal style and Jimmy Page's guitar wizardry on "Black Dog" helped pave the way for AC/DC and heavy metal. The track was featured on 'Led Zeppelin IV'.
28	THE MODEL Kraftwerk [1978] Kraftwerk released "Das Model" in Germany in 1978. It took off elsewhere 3 years later, re-issued with the English title "The Model". The German group helped usher in synth pop and the electronic sounds that would blossom in the 1980s.
27	SUPERFLY Curtis Mayfield [1972] The blaxploitation film 'Superfly' boasted an influential and watershed soundtrack created by Curtis Mayfield. The soul music legend took R&B into new sonic directions, without compromising its cool-ness. This is most evident on the film's title song.
26	I WANNA BE SEDATED The Ramones [1978] The Ramones were a pivotal band on the American punk/ new wave scene. Their short and snappy rock tracks continue to influence to this day. "I Wanna Be Sedated" appeared on the group's 'Road To Ruin' album and was issued as a B-side in 1979.
25	LE FREAK Chic [1978] The marriage of funk and disco never succeeded as well as on Chic's string of hit singles. "Le Freak" was the group's most successful release, topping charts around the planet. The trademark cool funk sound designed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers continues to be sampled.
24	ARE 'FRIENDS' ELECTRIC? Tubeway Army [1979] Led by Gary Numan, Tubeway Army offered a glimpse of the future trend in pop music with "Are 'Friends' Electric?'. Following the pioneering sound of Kraftwerk, the group diminished the guitars present on its eponymous titled debut LP and pushed Moog synthesizers to the foreground.
23	MAMMA MIA ABBA [1975] Although ABBA's impact on the charts had begun with "Ring Ring" and Eurovision Song Contest winner "Waterloo", by 1975 the Swedish group was being dismissed as a one-hit wonder. TV airplay on Australian music show "Countdown" encouraged RCA to release "Mamma Mia" as a single. Swedish label Polar Music refused at first, regarding "Mamma Mia" a flop. When the single spent 10 weeks atop the Australian chart, the disc was issued in Britain, where it too reached #1. ABBA's domination of world charts followed. Today, the group is one of popular music's all-time best selling acts.
22	SMOKE ON THE WATER Deep Purple [1972] Boasting one of rock's best known guitar riffs, "Smoke On The Water" endures as one of the exalted classics of hard rock and heavy metal. Ritchie Blackmore has inspired countless aspiring guitarists since the track's inclusion on the band's 1972 album 'Machine Head'.
21	HOT STUFF Donna Summer [1979] Donna Summer always resisted being categorized as solely a disco artist. With Giorgio Moroder at the helm, her music always pushed the boundaries of dance. After recording many seminal disco classics, "Hot Stuff" saw Summer inject rock and a hint of punk attitude to the disco track. Groups such as Kiss would soon follow in its wake.

EUROVISION 2016... This update: #9. The Top 10 songs will be added daily. Scroll down for earlier posts.

EUROVISION 2016

A RANKING OF THIS YEAR’S 43 SONGS

Each day, a song will be previewed here from the 43 entries locked in for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.  The songs will be added in order of preference, from the least promising climbing upwards to the pick of the bunch.

NOTE: Songs have been ranked in terms of audio track. Choreography and overall presentation during the Semi- Finals may influence a different perspective once the ESC begins in May.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 LATVIA

HEARTBEAT Justs

This is one of the most modern tracks in the year's pack. Justs will kick off Semi Final 2 with his electro/ R&B number "Heartbeat". Being one of 2016's strongest songs, it deserves to be among the entries performed during the Grand Final.

http://eurovisionworld.com/?eurovision=2016latvia

10 NETHERLANDS

SLOW DOWN Douwe Bob

A country-flavoured song took Dutch group The Common Linnets to 2nd place in 2014. This year's entry is a pop/ country crossover track which should attract enough votes to qualify in Semi Final 1 for the Grand Final. Its lyrics, co-written by the artist, remind us to not be restricted by the demands of modern living.

http://eurovisionworld.com/?eurovision=2016netherlands