Chez VampireBat

2013 was another very memorable year for me, my second year of uni and also my first one where I held down a job back of house in a theme park restaurant near my uni, not a particualrly glamorous one but did feel like my first taste of proper adulthood, the main thing I associate it with however was that we had Kiss FM on all the time and it is that which made me really, really hate commercial radio and some of the hits of the year sadly got permanently tainted. Although that doesn't reflect my overall opinion towards the music of 2013, as I really liked it as a whole and the number 1s list are generally very good with a lot of memories attached to them. Blurred Lines, as the biggest song of the year, probably falls in that category, but there's definitely other reasons why I have very little inclination to listen to it which are pretty well documented these days. I think this is the sort of thing that #MeToo just made us all have a wake up call on, and it just sounds even worse coming from three grown married men, some of which had children. The song itself is OK outside of that, but I was never that into it even at the time, Pharrel had far better productions and I think the issue is Robin Thicke himself is dull and not really a standout artist in the genre at all, he got lucky with this one but it's telling that there was almost nothing after (as the lead artist anyway). Wouldn't quite rank bottom, but not far off. I've never had strong opinions on the One Direction cover, it's fine for what it is and they were always going to be first choice for the Comic Relief single but it's pretty pointless and the mash-up doesn't work at all, adding nothing to either track. David Cameron appearing in the video as Prime Minister really does feel like a lifetime ago though!

Thanks for the streaming playlists, a YouTube one is now in the second post too. I've discovered through that that ThunderBae's link was linked to a different song by that artist (called GAY ALICE IN WONDERLAND, which sounds intriguing x), it's taken from the form so assume it was just a mistake and it's corrected now, but alert for the two voters so far in case you were using the links x

Oh that's quite a nasty surprise </3 I didn't see that coming given she was still fairly active musically recently. RIP, obviously a legend of country music and such a great personality too.

Aw, a shame that Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma couldn't get top 10 (although might be a comparable opening actually?), I guess it hasn't attracted quite as much buzz as I Saw the TV Glow and they are still quite a niche director, but I preferred this one and this was one of my favourite watches of the year (an acquired taste somewhat, but definitely one I share).

Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours Nik Kershaw - The Riddle Tears For Fears - Shout Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? Sal Solo - San Damiano (Heart And Soul) Honourable mentions of course to 🐸 and 🐘

Copy Pasteble list for voting 1. Purity Ring - imanocean 2. Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) - Sympathize 3. Janet Jackson - What About 4. Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids 5. The Real Group - Chili Con Carne 6. QT - Hey QT 7. Thunder Bae - ARCHANGEL 8. Ashnikko - Liquid 9. Daniela Lalita - Pisoteo 10. Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free 11. HMLTD - Stained 12. Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love 13. O FUTURE - I Forgive You 14. Indiana - Smoking Gun 15. Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide 16. Lisa Mitchell - Coin Laundry 17. FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel 18. Ennaria - UGLY 19. 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris 20. JMSN - Soft Spot 21. Goldielocks - Provocateur 22. Lido Pimienta - Marea 23. AE MAK - Let's Do It 24. Army of Lovers - Israelism 25. Mulaa Joan - Members Only 26. CHARLOT - Time Travelling 27. Natalia Lafourcade - Azul 28. Diet Cig - Scene Sick 29. Nadah El Shazly - Ghorzetein 30. My Brightest Diamond - Pressure 31. Ruusut - Yhen Toisen 32. Black Boboi - Red Mind Streaming Apple Music Apple Music - Web PlayerArt Pop - The Weird and Wonderful by Jarrod Schofield on...Playlist · 32 SongsSpotify YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjWuQ2dO-qM&list=PLYwqw8Rs5Cv0 Voters So Far Addy! AllStarbySmashMouth Chez Wombat DaTilt Dobbo gooddelta HarryInnanen Herbs Jade Jaz13Music jimwatts Juan Carlos Julian King Rollo Lee_J11 Mango matto Nine 3/4 pavi Scene Spiceboy Tafty uhsting vibe WoW73

After a gruelling (for some of you it seems, sorry x) confirmation phase, I'm pleased to say we now have 32 weird and wonderful art pieces to admire. Please familiarise yourself with the list of songs below and send me (Chez Wombat) a PM with your ten favourite songs in the Eurovision voting format: 12; Your favourite 10; Your second favourite 08; 07; 06; 05; 04; 03; 02; 01; Your tenth favourite This is an anonymous contest so please do not reveal or hint at what your song is until you are revealed in the final results show. Additionally, please do not vote for yourself. Anyone can vote in this contest so if you missed confirmations or couldn't find anything, feel free to listen and vote. Participants however are required to vote and if they do not vote, they will face a 33.3% deduction to their entry's score in the final results. Late voters may also receive a deduction of 15%. The deadline for all votes is two weeks from now - Sunday 6th September 23:59, that gives you two weekends and one bank holiday one so no excuses! Results will follow shortly after this. Please see below the varying shades of avant-garde entered, with a classic piece of Pop Art to accompany them x Purity Ring - imanocean Mary Ocher (feat. Your Government) - Sympathize Janet Jackson - What About Cher - You Better Sit Down Kids The Real Group - Chili Con Carne QT - Hey QT Thunder Bae - ARCHANGEL Ashnikko - Liquid Daniela Lalita - Pisoteo Morgana - Fix Your Heart For Free HMLTD - Stained Suki Waterhouse – Back In Love O FUTURE - I Forgive You Indiana - Smoking Gun Ane Brun - Don't Run And Hide Lisa Mitchell - Coin Laundry FiFi ZHANG and dazegxd - Fallen Angel Ennaria - UGLY 10cc - Une Nuit A Paris JMSN - Soft Spot Goldielocks - Provocateur Lido Pimienta - Marea AE MAK - Let's Do It Army of Lovers - Israelism Mulaa Joan - Members Only CHARLOT - Time Travelling Natalia Lafourcade - Azul Diet Cig - Scene Sick Nadah El Shazly - Ghorzetein My Brightest Diamond - Pressure Ruusut - Yhen Toisen Black Boboi - Red Mind

I'm not going to have a chance to put the thread up until at least this evening and we're awaiting one replacement, so if anyone wants to sneak in a last minute entry today until then, I won't object, but please no artists that have had significant song contest success here before!

Ooft, 4th in the semi! That definitely was a very lucky draw for my song though so not that surprised it didn't fully cross over (and one of my big fans didn't vote </3)

Wow, not even close in the end! I did wonder if it was a deceiving reveal order when it wasn't order of receipt x Congrats Iz on finally getting that long awaited BJSC win! A fantastic song to do it with, was very instant with the vocals and production working so well together and the FKA Twigs vibes. Very pleased to see Lentyll, FSR Rontvia, Bronzil and Fljotavik in the top 10 too. I cannot seem to break this 20s and 30s deadlock recently but that is my second best result of the year so I'll take it I guess! Thank you for all who voted! It's not the most distinctive post rock I've sent admittedly, but something like this is always worth a send x Thank you for the very efficient hosting, Harve!

it's got to be time for Seyetana surely!

Thank you for the generous points so far, Aelandor and Danaeviia in particular <3 I expect the top will change a bit later on but some great stuff at the top of the scoreboard!

Last day to confirm! We're up to 30 entries so this is already the highest number of participants in a PFSC contest I've hosted, great stuff x There will likely be at least one more veto to come, but until you hear, please assume no news is good news x

Oh hooray, I was really missing more non-stories about these two x

Yes, the entries will be subject to checking by the mods, as always, I would advise everyone prepare a back-up! (naming no names x) Two days to go to confirm and we're up to 26 entries.

Bob Dylan was my second choice with Desolation Row from Highway 61 Revisited (all 12 minutes of it x), but I figured we'd just had another cut from him last contest, surprised no one else went for him though!

Don't You Worry Child was a massive favourite for me back in my uni days and I indeed ranked it as my favourite song of the year at the time, the production is typically excellent from them and John Martin's vocals are perfectly suited to the epic and poignant tone (that opened the floodgates to him being used a lot on these type of songs at the time!), especially as at the time it was genuinely their last song, it didn't quite last as an all time favourite, it's a little of it's time and maybe the fact they got back together dampens it's impact, but listening to it now, it still sounds really good and will always take me right back to that time in my life and I'll always be very fond of it. Titanium also still sounds fantastic, I was really shocked Guetta had something like this in him given the other songs on the album, Sia's a bit cursed these days, but I agree no one could deliver that chorus as well as she does, an all time classic dance song. We Are Young was the other song I was referring to earlier along with Gotye and Carly with huge hits coming pretty much out of nowhere, it's one I liked more at the time, but it's still a great, anthemic song. Feel the Love still sounds great, it has that same warm and rousing energy that Don't You Worry Child and has some gorgeous drum'n'bass production. This is definitely their peak for me, I've found them quite hit and miss otherwise. So yes, very much approve of that top 4! In fact, my top 10 would be near enough unchanged from yours. Coldplay - Paradise Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child David Guetta feat. Sia - Titanium Rudimental feat. John Newman - Feel the Love Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe Florence & The Machine - Spectrum (Say My Name) fun. feat. Janelle Monae - We Are Young Gotye feat. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know (bit of a drop off after this!) PSY - Gangnam Style Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love Thanks for this RFC, been a great read and was wonderful to revisit this year, looking forward to 2013 x

Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain Sade - Smooth Operator The Cars - Drive Giorgio Moroder With Philip Oakey - Together In Electric Dreams Chaka Khan - I Feel For You U2 & Limahl just outside

Stop reading the Daily Mail comments section and look at real evidence. PIP does need reforming, but only because atm it's so hard and complex to access and only really for those that know the system and are persistent. Severe cases are getting turned down due to absurd evidence requirements and Starmer's government didn't exactly help it by making it even harder (that was the point of no return for him for me personally). Getting rid of it solves nothing and will only lead to increased demands of the system as cases of SEN in children and vulnerable adults are rising every year.

I thought Mylo Xyloto was definitely a step down from Viva La Vida... but I do think it's quite underrated overall (they would gradually start to lose me over the years sadly, the odd standout song aside), the singles though were all amazing and Paradise getting to number 1, especially when it was chart ineligible for a time due to the instant grat rule, felt like real justice served, it's still one of their most anthemic and likeable singles and it was great they had two fantastic chart toppers to their name. I have great memories seeing them live this year. Somebody That I Used to Know and Call Me Maybe were part of a trifecta of songs that defined the year from artists that came out of nowhere (and would in all cases, peak there), both still sound really good to this day and have held up well, though I do agree I wish Carly had some of her better pop songs like Run Away With Me and Cut to the Feeling do well. I Really Like You and Good Time with Owl City really do not deserve to be her only other big hits here (the other one still to come also holds up very well x)

Very pleased for Pagasa as that was one I wasn't sure about <3 A real shame for these though: 10; Persephonia // Child's View - Pendulum 07; Aelandor // Neroche - Moontide Theory (Hugo Kant Remix) 01; A-Konohagakure // FSTVLST - Tri Esa (Ibid., Op. Cit., Loc. Cit.) People, we were supposed to get the long songs through after all this discourse! Persephonia's was so hypnotisingly beautiful and I thought it could have a good chance, #EndPersephoniaRacism, Aelandor also had a similar hypnotising quality to it. I was less certain with A-Kono... but it was a very interesting entry. Scotland 2 also wasn't too far from my votes, couldn't quite fit in all the quirky rock ones sadly. Hopefully some good ones to replace them x

Oh wow...I guess people did like the AI one then xx And at the expense of Aeropickles is harsh, that was quite a fun entry. 'I don't check my phone, I check my soul' isn't gonna be beaten for most profound lyric of the year for sure.

Oh, I had no memory of that and it turns out that it was literally the last edition and I gave it my top points oops I discovered this one via AcclaimedMusic.

The perfect start to SF1 *.

12 overall BJSC - 2 Main + 5 Spin Offs (I waited over a decade to get my first main contest win and then somehow got two within two years!) BJSC CLII / Nyteout / Angels Forever BJSC CLXIX / Father John Misty / Screamland BJSC Andra Chansen / Max Richter / Spring 1 (Ade Laugee Remix) BJSC Halloween II / Helblinde / The Solace of Oblivion BJSC Christmas / Two Steps From Hell / Christmas Medley BJSC Christmas II / Trans Siberian Orchestra / Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24 BJSC Instrumentals II / Anoice feat. Takahiro Kido & Yuki Murata / Unknown Error Club Bizarre - 2 Foreign Language / ΔXIUS LIИK - NНΞЙ 70s and 80s / The Beloved - The Sun Rising Pop Forum Song Contest - 1 Synthpop / Stellar Dreams - Parallel The Best Song Contest In The World...Ever! - 2 1970s Rock / Television - Marquee Moon One Word...One Noun / Space Art - Onyx Nothing yet for Unknown Pleasures, Nuggets and Bop Idol (the former two I have a very strong finishing record but a win still eludes me after all these years) I've always been seen as the bridesmaid in song contests so wanted to compare with my runners up, but it's actually only one less overall at 13 so maybe that's changing (it is a lot more spread out granted) BJSC + Spin Off - 3 Main + 3 Spin Offs BJSC XCVII / Steven Wilson feat. Ninet Tayab / Pariah BJSC CXII / La Phaze / Avoir 20 ans BJSC CXLI / Highasakite / Autopsy BJSC Movies / Kavinsky / Nightcall BJSC Instrumentals / Lights & Motion / The Spectacular Quiet BJSC YBO II / Two Steps From Hell / Miracles Unknown Pleasures - 2 Forest Swords - Panic LSDREAM - OBLIVION Nuggets - 1 A Thousand Falls - Lost Club Bizarre - 2 Drum'n'Bass / Fractal Dreamers - Fortuna Redux Chillout II / Julien Bracht - Nocturne Pop Forum Song Contest - 3 Rock / The Birthday Massacre - Under Your Spell Free Choice / Javiera Mena - Luz De Piedra De Luna Gimme Four, Gimme More / Kero Kero Bonito - Well Rested Just the retro contests to go until I get a full house x