International pop
June 13, 2012 11:14 AM   Subscribe

"Euphoria", which won the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest (previously), is a #1 in several countries, including Ireland, Austria, and Switzerland Of course, it's not the only song charting internationally that you might never hear on US radio. It should come as no surprise that one can readily find international hits online. For instance - Sweden, #4: Panetoz - Dansa Pausa Sweden, #9: Mange Makers - Drick Den This doesn't purport to be an exhaustive list, but rather a jumping-off point.

Finland, #1: Robin - Frontside Ollie
Finland, #8: Haloo Helsinki! - Jos mun pokka pettää

Norway, #10: Michel Teló - Ai Se Eu Te Pego

Italy, #2: Emma Marrone - Cercavo Amore

France, #1: Gusttavo Lima - Balada
France, #3: Tacabro - Tacata (also a hit in many other countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden)

Japan, #1: AKB48 - Manatsu no Sounds Good

Israel, #2: גלעד שגב ומירי מסיקה - קולות הלב
posted by LSK (25 comments total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
I regularly go through the chats of other countries to find awesome music that we don't hear here in the states.

Euphoria is one of those songs that would have had a great shot at charting in the states. Doubly so for Satellite that won 2 years ago. I played both of these at a party the other day, and everyone was confused as to why they hadn't heard them before, because they sounded just like other stuff they listened to.

On a side note, Eurovision is my favorite place to get new, awesome, weird music. Variety is the spice of life.
posted by SNWidget at 11:17 AM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]


Ack, the carriage returns broke in the first paragraph. Not intended.
posted by LSK at 11:19 AM on June 13, 2012


After Eurovision 2012, I had a lot of songs floating in my head. "The Social Network Song", "La La Love" and others.

Euphoria, I didn't take a liking to at first. But it starts to grow on you, sneaking up on you and before you know it you're singing it in the shower and don't know why. World's slowest songworm.
posted by Roentgen at 11:20 AM on June 13, 2012


It should come as no surprise that one can readily find international hits online

It doesn't come as a surprise, but I'm surprised at myself that I don't listen to these things regularly. Is there a good site that aggregates hits from other countries with links to where you can listen to them?

Also, if this isn't a spotify app yet, it should be.
posted by Lutoslawski at 11:23 AM on June 13, 2012


Yes, this does sound pretty much like generic euro pop. So it would work on US radio. But it seems random what hits or not, and it is always months and months after it charts in the US.
posted by smackfu at 11:23 AM on June 13, 2012


When Euphoria sneaks up on you in the shower, that's one thing. When Jedward or the Turkish Manboat do it...
posted by delfin at 11:26 AM on June 13, 2012 [4 favorites]


Americans you're not missing much. ESC songs are utterly bland and boring things where almost any trace of folk music or national identity has been removed to give you that special plastic euro trash experience. Exceptions would be acts like Lordi, but mostly because they give the entire contest the middle finger.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 11:30 AM on June 13, 2012 [4 favorites]


Is there a good site that aggregates hits from other countries with links to where you can listen to them?

iTunes has a cross-country top 10 page and has links to preview most of them, although you may not be able to buy them from the US.
posted by smackfu at 11:30 AM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]


Bah, Finland can do far better than Haloo Helsinki! Specifically, Ultra Bra's Sinä lähdit pois music video: men and women dancing in yellow raincoats and riding bicycles around what looks like Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. And that was the '90s....
posted by Talkie Toaster at 11:38 AM on June 13, 2012


I thought Euphoria was that fake drug from 90210.
posted by Fizz at 11:39 AM on June 13, 2012


Euphoria was fine, but I have no clue why it was a runaway winner. Also, Malta's song was fantastic and did not do nearly well enough. In conclusion, you suck at picking songs, Europe.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:41 AM on June 13, 2012


There are a lot of things that Europe does right. And I'd like the US to copy those things.

So please stop mentioning Eurovision over here.
posted by DU at 11:52 AM on June 13, 2012 [2 favorites]


delfin: "When Jedward or the Turkish Manboat do it..."

Jedward are a weird reassurance that our celebrities are neither the weirdest nor scariest in the world.
posted by schmod at 12:02 PM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]


Americans you're not missing much. ESC songs are utterly bland and boring things where almost any trace of folk music or national identity has been removed to give you that special plastic euro trash experience.

See, I disagree with this. I think it's western culture through some very specific filters. Although sometimes a country puts up a pretty generic Eurodance number (and let's be honest, I love those), you do get flashes of local culture, or at least how local culture interprets whatever predominant style is in a given year (ballad, dance, rock, what have you).
posted by SNWidget at 12:12 PM on June 13, 2012


As probably the only MeFi who was at Eurovision (tl/dr I'm the Scotsman who does the Australian radio coverage for SBS) it's an absolutely fascinating world not just of music but of politics, european geography and sociology, competitiveness, and changing cultures and styles (this was the 57th annual running of the contest). I write more at www.escinsight.com.

Given each country has one song, there's even more fun music in the selection process that never make it to the Grand Final. Some favourites of mine:

Ola Nordman, by Plumbo (Norway)

That's What I Am, by Conchita Wurst (Austria)

Music Thief, by The Mad Show Boys (Latvia)

Things Change, by Bobby Bare (yes, that Bobby Bare) and Petter Oien (Norway)

Oh and in terms of eyeballs... The Eurovision Song Contest has 125 million. Which is Superbowl levels.

(* crazy fact, Euphoria had the only American on the 2012 Eurovision Stage, Ausbin the scary hide and seek man at the end is a Texan)

(* ccrazier fact, CBS and ABC, as associate EBU members, could actually broadcast Eurovision in the States. But they don't. I wish they'd call me...)
posted by ewan at 12:12 PM on June 13, 2012 [3 favorites]


When Jedward or the Turkish Manboat do it...

Gotta watch out for those Latvian pirates as well.
posted by SNWidget at 12:14 PM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]


(Believe it or not, this wasn't an attempt to write a Eurovision post...)
posted by LSK at 12:14 PM on June 13, 2012


Here's the best thing you'll read about Eurovision (and "Euphoria"): Love Is Blind: Embrace The Slavic Power Ballad And Become Obsessed with Eurovision
posted by naju at 12:25 PM on June 13, 2012 [1 favorite]


And this is all before you descend into the mouth of madness that is K-Pop.
posted by PenDevil at 12:39 PM on June 13, 2012


As an honest to goodness Swede who doesn't follow/care about Eurovision, may I say: bleh.

That is all.
posted by pyrex at 12:56 PM on June 13, 2012


It's just as bad around here in Argentina, believe me. Just because it looks potentially full of interesting unknown (to you) stuff, it's not so. Most of the stuff there that people from US and Europe will not recognize is just latin pop of the laziest stereotypical kind. And the few relatively original local styles that you might consider salvageable (say, cumbia, folklore-rock, weird mixes of pseudorap) are dominated by the idea "nice to dance stupidly too, so it should be lyrically moronic and melodically lobotomized, with added levels of machismo and female objectification that will have your polite firstworlder's head spinning like a helo. In some cases this approaches the level of a national tragedy, IMNSHO and all that. See: Wachiturros.
posted by Iosephus at 1:24 PM on June 13, 2012


Also, if this isn't a spotify app yet, it should be.

Not quite an app, but try searching Spotify for "top 40" or "charts" and then looking specifically at the playlists. I'm seeing Dutch, Swedish, German as well as the more obvious US and UK ones. Topsify looks like it creates some good ones.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:53 PM on June 13, 2012


Americans you're not missing much. ESC songs are utterly bland and boring things where almost any trace of folk music or national identity has been removed to give you that special plastic euro trash experience. Exceptions would be acts like Lordi, but mostly because they give the entire contest the middle finger.

Oh I beg to differ. This is the 4th Eurovision I have seen with my husband and we are so crazy about the thing we sit through the semifinals as well. I pity anyone who didn't get to see Moldava's entry last year or the Turkish Man Boat this year. I pity myself for all the years I didn't have access.

If by any chance anyone is reading this that has not yet watched a Eurovision Song Contest, DO IT. It is like nothing in America. A night of circus, Karaoke Night, bad American Idol auditions, in a blender with time travelers performing 80's heavy metal doesn't even begin to describe the wonder and outlandishness of ESC. And needless to say, the whole thing goes really well with whiskey and beer chasers.

PSA: Pace yourself because you will probably end up drunk as a skunk.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:16 PM on June 13, 2012 [3 favorites]


it should be lyrically moronic and melodically lobotomized, with added levels of machismo and female objectification that will have your polite firstworlder's head spinning like a helo.

I sympathize with the sentiment, hombre, but here in the US we set the example for that beginning in the 1930s. And then (without naming names) we embellished it for several decades - with some exceptions for the psychedelic years between 1964 and 1968.
posted by Twang at 9:16 PM on June 13, 2012


Had a blast when I lived in Sarajevo, actually voting in the Eurovision contest! Know what? Sick to death of Bosnia always gets robbed!
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:38 PM on June 13, 2012


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