gooddelta

Congratulations to the happy couple Two contests after we originally confirmed it, two years after we first heard it on Now Yearbook: The Vault 1983, and 44 years after it was first released, we present one of the best kept secrets from the 80s (at least in the UK) in the shape of I Melt With You by Modern English. The new wave/post-punk love song was originally released in 1982 to little fanfare in the Essex band’s home country, failing to reach the top 75 in the UK. Things went a little better in the US where it made it all the way to No.78 the following year, before ultimately peaking at No.76 there when it was re-released in 1990. Despite its low chart peaks, the song became an 80s classic in the US and has racked up over 140m streams on Spotify between its album and 7-inch versions. It also became a pop girl favourite, with Natalie Imbruglia covering it on her Male album and Kelly Clarkson also covering it on her talk show. Olivia Rodrigo said this summer that she would even have it as her wedding song in an interview with BBC. And you can see how her own music is influenced by this track, being quite close in sound to The Cure while also clearly being a sonic influence to some 90s Britpop music, like Babybird. Ricardo Delta explains the entry choice: “Ever since we first heard I Melt With You, we have lamented the fact that it never charted in the UK and is barely known outside the US. “It is such a great 80s alternative love song that deserves a wider audience, and while we may have landed in semi Barbie here in beautiful Neliönoir, without many of the voters this track might on the face of it hope to appeal to, the song is in essence a pop song at heart, and a big favourite of many of the world’s biggest pop females who have covered it or speak very highly of it. So we hope the pop semi hear that magic.” I Melt With You peaked at No.1 in FSR Rontvia this summer after an Olivia Rodrigo hype resurgence swept the nation.

Well done Scene, I did think this would win, it's just one of those classic ballads that it's crazy wasn't a hit! Nice for All Saints in second too, a great song, congrats Lukuzz! And also to Spiceboy, Roba and Addy for doing so well! This theme was always going to throw up the big names and the top ten is mostly full of them but it's fair, there were some fantastic songs in here. Last by some distance oops, well thank you to the three voters and I will be sure not to play another singer-songwriter of that style in Bop Idol! Thanks Rollo for hosting!

Confirmed. Hard to call which way to play it as it was a toss up between two songs so I will play the other on the next week with no theme if I'm lucky enough to get that far.

I adore that, but probably not as well due as a classic sounding ballad.

Going for the Damien Rice triple - retro contest, Bop Idol and Pop Factor!

I had a feeling this theme might throw up some familiar names at the top but that top five is all artists who had UK No.1s 😂

A shocking reveal there.

Thank you, that is reassuring <3 I suddenly feel incredibly out of touch, it's one of my all-time favourites! I do appreciate it's perhaps subtle for a contest like this.

It's crazy how it never charted well anywhere really. Seems like one of those lost hits, in the UK it's not known at all. I never even heard it until 2024 when it was on Now Yearbook The Vault 1983.

Daniel Powter! Although both topped my personal chart. Bad Day was part of the classic sadboi summer of 2005 with You're Beautiful, when they dominated the top two for weeks.

Oops at me coming last, I always loved this song so much and its parent album. The video is so charming too. Thank you Matto for the single vote!!

Sarah Kinsley finally making it too after Fleeting-gate!

My sister was obsessed with Parallel Worlds, I know that very well. Not much I do know in here this month at all.

To say I sent the wrong entry is an understatement 😂 It doesn't surprise me that Christina is doing well, it's a shame that came from the floppy Bionic because it should have been a huge hit, and would have been from Stripped or Back To Basics.

Well done Darin's mentor coming 2nd with a Swedish song! Sam Smith is so consistent in this so far! Deserved for Leona, the theme asked for singles that should have been and that one always comes to my head first. All of the Max Martin co-writes in the top five in that round! Very sad to see Dido that far back. Kate Bush can potentially save herself with a big song, she has many of them. Depends what the other mentors pick, if I was Sophie's mentor I'd be pulling a classic out of the drawer too at this point in case Kate does have a big track. Congrats to iamamiwhoami and Years and Years' mentors, amazing picks. Texas top three with a b-side

Oh wow, well that is very much a pop semi and an alt semi split, and I have an 80s new wave/post-punk song in the pop semi. Disclaimer to the pop bloc: this is the song Olivia Rodrigo wants played as her wedding song, and it has been covered by Kelly Clarkson and Natalie Imbruglia. It's a pop song wrapped in an alt exterior.

I liked the Tori song too.

Oh dear! I hadn't even really registered that Lewis was in trouble, but he didn't get many ranks towards the very top I suppose.

Oops, I did wonder about M83, lots of high scores but must have got more 1s than anything else which had to hurt. Shame, quite a lovely song. I fear there is another contender for Gamu round then, that certain song they have that is a popular one...

Aeroche. Banger central and easy to see why they are the contest's top nation.

Come on Bananarama! Upset those odds and keep going.

Aww gutted for Dido, she had a string of fantastic singles to play. I think she could be back in Gamu round so maybe it will be to her advantage.

Agree on Rollo for Sophie B Hawkins, I'll add Viper for Robyn, Within Temptation for Roba, Neneh Cherry for Wardy, Addy for Ace of Base (maybe a song he didn't get to use in Pop Factor last year), Herbs is a fair shout for Tori and Damien (as presuming Herbs is Damien in Pop Factor too and also he sent Damien's former band to another contest). Aside from those, I'm not really sure this time.

The instrumental of Tsunami is definitely better, Tinie indeed added nothing to it, his fantastic singles across 2010/11 were a long way behind him at this point. Me and My Broken Heart is fine, sounds indeed like a Maroon 5 single, but not a strong one. I remember it dove from No.1 so it did well to get there at all.

I intend to do this! Just haven't had chance to compile all 20 yet.