gooddelta

Not very keen on this one personally. Quite an unusual chart topper for 1994, so good diversity, but it's not one I would ever play.

Just The Way You Are could well be in my top five for the year or thereabouts, effortlessly good, and agreed that it feels heartfelt and genuine. In other news, I've realised Green Light wouldn't be my No.1, I forgot about a song still to come that's in my all-time top 50.

Oh yes you're right, presumably to keep out solo aritsts who had had multiple hits as part of bands and may have been considered to have an advantage in that respect.

Siobhan was allowed in Bop Idol 3, the b-sides round, I didn't realise the AF rule was in place in Bop Idol, as Madonna was even sent to one edition.

Interesting project, happy to follow along and comment. I know every song from 1998 onwards very well but at some point still need to go deeper with earlier years.

2007 was an interesting contest, lots of rock or guitar entries as a response to Lordi I guess. It's well worth a watch. It was very Eastern heavy results wise, but deservedly so for the most part. My favourite entries were Russia (great girlband pop), Belarus (a ridiculous Bond theme pastiche sung by a guy that looked like Princess Diana's son, what's not to love) and Bulgaria (incredible production and vocals - up there with If Love Was A Crime and Bangaranga as an all-timer). I did love Scooch though, sorry. Ridiculous song and entry, but I voted for it in the national final, so maybe I'm the problem. It works as a ridiculous British song with tacky sexual innuendo in a Carry On fashion, but I completely see why it didn't work at all out in Europe. Receiving the 12 points from Malta and almost nothing else was hilarious, and the fact it went top five in the UK charts. I'm not so sure Cyndi would have done as well as some people think, maybe mid to low table - the Norway 2010 entry was practically identical and did really badly. The Macedonian entry was great indeed, it's still in my head a lot now. Finland's host entry was also really solid rock. My sister was into pop punk a lot around this time so loved Andorra and was gutted it narrowly missed out in the semis. She also correctly predicted Serbia would win from the first listen, just as she had predicted Lordi the year before (when it was low top ten in the odds). DJ Bobo was actually the overall favourite to win early on, which was ridiculous, but I guess people assumed that another spectacle entry with big staging would win following Lordi. People just hedged their bets on the wrong entry. This was the start of Sweden's four year flop era, although I really enjoyed The Worrying Kind, as much as it was a copy of Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes). It was nice to see them steer away from schlager for once (not counting the terrible Las Vegas in 2005).

Ride It get outta here!

It will have to be Supermode, although I like it, and everything here.

Thanks for running this Jade! Sorry I got slow on commenting when I was away last week but just caught up and loved all your commentaries, context and facts. Happy These Words managed a top five finish as I know Natasha can be quite divisive. I thought Crazy In Love would do a little better but it did get some low scores to drag it down. I adore Better The Devil You Know but in the context of this album it's fair that it's not top five, very strange inclusion indeed. Love the top two, both among the very best by these artists, that era from Anastacia was so good.

Dynamite has aged surprisingly well for what is quite a naff track lyrically (but then, the whole Club Banger era was), I still hear it out and on the radio all the time. Very infectious melody and production on it. I wouldn't be surprised to see it get a second chart life at some point.

I had to look up what's left as couldn't remember off the top of my head, but Saturday Night is easily my No.1 of the year. I very fondly remember it from the time despite only being 7, because my sister used to listen to it all the time, often while getting ready to go out on a Saturday night. We used to try and learn the dance. Such an infectious track. Novelty Eurodance sure but the production is just so strong and sharp on it, and the hook is insanely catchy. Love the intro too, dee dee na na na!

Charlotte Perrelli - Hero Christina Aguilera - I Turn To You Delta Goodrem - Born To Try Eternal Feat. BeBe Winans - I Wanna Be The Only One (like Love On Top, this has a few) Jenny Silver / Steps - Something In Your Eyes M2M - Don't Say You Love Me Sanna Nielsen - I'm In Love Sanna Nielsen - Nobody Without You Sanna Nielsen - Undo Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone Sheppard - A Grade Playa I could probably think of quite a lot more I love tbh! Sanna is queen of the key change, I could list several more from her too.

Geri. Don't Let Go is a far better song, actually a quality track. The verse/bridge melody is so lovely.

It very much is not! I bought it at the time and still love it, a summery garage pop beauty that I still play a lot. Love Story (vs Finally) is great too, in fact there's only one song I don't care for in the whole round, and that's Blazin' Squad. Also hoping Roll Deep aren't too underrated, they deserve a pass for a while for the lyric 'I'm getting mixed messages, funny text messages'. The hot sunny days really remind me of that track. I'm really realising how much I enjoyed my life in 2005-2007 recently.

That's a great track and tbh might have done a little better in BJSC. A lot to take in lyrically though. Blame, Divide and Dancing On The Tables are my other highlights.

This album was released last year but they have never had a thread on Buzzjack (or even a mention before BJSC) and I think they deserve one! Particularly for those who don't participate or were in the other BJSC semi and didn't hear about them. Benefits are a British noise punk band from Teesside known for its politically charged lyrics and a fusion of punk, electronic, and industrial music, and made up of vocalist Kingsley Hall and multi-instrumentalist Robbie Major. Constant Noise is the act's second album and takes on more dance music and rave elements than their previous material but is still firmly alternative. The album is really hard hitting lyrically, they are very cutting about society and politics in Britain today. It really blew me away and I really very highly recommend it. Land Of The Tyrants, the spoken word lead single, criticises public servants and apathy in the UK, and has vibes of The Chemical Brothers (Star Guitar), Underworld and 00s Radiohead. It features Zera Tønin of the queerpop-electro duo Arch Femmesis on backing vocals. The track also has a sinister video that takes its inspiration from the 1980 London gangster film The Long Good Friday. This is the album tracklist, including collaborations with Peter Doherty and Shakk too. I cannot recommend it more. Constant Noise Land Of The Tyrants (feat. Zera Tønin) The Victory Lap Lies And Fear Missiles Blame Continual Divide (feat. Shakk) Relentless (feat. Peter Doherty) Terror Forever Dancing On The Tables Everything Is Going To Be Alright The Brambles Burnt Out Family Home

Winning next time then! Mine is XX-8-16-XX-XX Join me for FSR Rontvia's guide on how to go from top 5 in the end of year chart one year to top 55 the next.

I quite enjoy that Prince song. I suppose a lot of acts had their biggest hit in the 90s with a ballad or slower song that wasn't typical of their usual style (Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Extreme). I know Prince has other ballads but obviously none as big as this. Doop is good fun, a very different kind of song to get to No.1!

Agreed, and as I alluded to earlier Green Light was probably my favourite No.1 of the whole year. I'm not quite sure why I love it so much, something about the driving bassline, the knowingly naff lyrics that felt like the last hurrah of 00s rap-dance, the feelgood chorus, memories of hearing it in clubs at the time. I just love it. Promise This also topped my personal chart at the time, definitely not Cheryl's best solo single but I really enjoyed it back then and the shoehorned French words. Alors On Danse (proper French) was in the charts around this time too. I actually prefer California Gurls to several of the singles from the Teenage Dream era, it's fun, summery, colourful and tongue in cheek and Snoop's part is very memorable too. Not a huge amount to say on the other dropouts since I last checked that hasn't been said. I'd have Alexandra (sounds like an Um Bongo advert to me, utterly bizarre track for a major pop artist that's hard to hate but I can't find much to love), the crap Dizzee song and probably The Wanted a fair bit lower; nice strings aside that is quite a nothingy song for me.

I very often end up pointing my semi 1s and 2s a lot higher in the final due to songs growing and other favourites going out in the semis creating a vaccum and pulling them up. I do understand the logic of not wanting people to lose a top fave, but don't think it's as black and white personally when transferring it through to what might happen in the final. That one 12 might convert to one 18 in the final, but I don't think the 12 1s would necessarily just convert to less, it could well be 12 x 1-4 points come the final. I don't think it should be changed though, as it does make sense and has been this way for years. But I do understand arguments for going the other way too. In a strong semi like Semi 2 was, songs that you rank low could easily be high in another semi. For example, my Semi 2 12th ranked song would have been 4th in my rank and therefore would be a 7 pointer had it been in semi 1.

Forgot to mention that I lost Cumulonimbia too (2), it was such a lovely change of pace in that semi. And Persephonia was actually 8 from us, not 7!

Thank you to the voters <3 Looks like it got a few higher scores at least. Are we able to see the bottom part of the scoreboard? Just intrigued as to who the other voters were.

Congrats to all the qualifiers. I think all but one of my semi votes made it (Persephonia) and most of my Semi 1 faves too, I certainly can’t fault the quality of the final or hosting from @DaTilt! I appreciate the 12 voters! It is a big shame to go out like that - I did think it could have done well in the final as firstly it’s a grower (please keep it on your playlists, the second half production and spooky backing vocal is so magic) and secondly it seems there were some other big fans in Semi 1! Is the way it goes but going out three times in five contests with songs that feel diverse and high quality is bitter pill to swallow. At the same time I do feel for all the other non qualifiers - especially those on a streak. Sending hugs!

Oh dear. I’m pretty stumped there really, it’s a brilliant entry. And unlike Frances which I understood being a piano ballad, this one going out I don’t particularly. I hope everyone who likes alt and electronic in Semi 1 can take the time to check it out, I was excited to hear what Jade thought of it especially!

Oh dear, I was really hopeful and excited for this entry. But I do consider the other two left have more chance to Q than me.