EuropeCrazy

Just want to wish all my readers a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2009. Thanks to everyone who's visited, read, commented and suppor...

Here is the full list of my top 50 fave songs of 2008. 1. It’s Only You Part II - Salem Al Fakir 2. Black and Gold - Sam Sparro 3. Twelve Fi...

I've been on YouTube watching BWO videos and also various Melodifestivalen videos from over the years. "Your Country Needs You...

One of France's most prestigious awards ceremonies is due to take place on 17 January 2009. I should have mentioned this here a while a...

I'm on catch-up mode tonight :) Last Saturday saw the final of Series 6 of Strictly Come Dancing. I think it would be fair to say that I...

Christmas Day TV seems to be a particularly British obsession, as the two main channels battle for the highest viewing figures. This year it...

Just found out that Eartha Kitt has died - now there was a legend. Decided to pay my own little tribute here with the mighty "Cha Cha ...

Just thinking the other day about all the musical Christmas traditions I used to love in the 1980s: 1. Listening to (and voting for) John P...

As usual I failed miserably this week and haven't done all the posting that I was going to do :( Anyway, I'll keep it brief.....have...

With, thankfully, a satisfactory result. It was Mickels versus Alice in the final - and thankfully we got the right result, although it was ...

This Swedish TV series gave a great insight into that country's love of the dansband, something those of us outside Sweden often struggl...

But don't worry folks, it's only for a few days to allow me to catch up with pre-Christmas preparations and other completely unrelat...

Here are a few songs which missed out on inclusion in my top 50 of 2008. These are in no particular order, just totally random. It may not h...

Strictly: what a farce that semi-final results show turned out to be, hasn't the BBC had enough voting scandals to last a lifetime? This...

Whilst I enjoyed compiling the 2008-50, it also became rather frustrating as it just brought it all back to me how there were so many amazin...

"It's Only You Part II" - Salem Al Fakir. Deja vu? You may remember the original version of this song appearing in my 2007-50,...

"Black and Gold" - Sam Sparro. Do you ever hear a song and just know that it’s going to be your favourite of the year? And so it w...

"Twelve Fingers" - Salem Al Fakir. From the "It’s Only You Part II" EP, and like everything he does, instantly likeable....

"Let It Shine" - Tingsek. Yet another one of those Swedish musical geniuses who blend pop and soul effortlessly (I don't even...

"Loveshift"/"What's Your Name" - Christian Walz: I discovered his music thanks to Poster Girl, and these are two cra...

"Beggin' " - Madcon. One of the year's biggest European hits - even here in the UK! This was an old Frankie Valli and the ...

"Lay Your Love On Me" - BWO. My undisputed favourite of the 2008 Melodifestivalen, and I still can't get enough of it. It may ...

I just learned tonight that one of my all-time favourite U.S. drama series, "Boston Legal" has finally come to an end in the USA a...

"Just A Minute" - Rongedal. Imagine if Mika and the Scissor Sisters were to have a musical baby (!). Their offspring would sound l...

"Viva La Vida" - Coldplay. OK, ridicule me if you wish, but here goes..."Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" was...

"Save The Lies" - Gabriella Cilmi. She will always be remembered for her breakthrough hit "Sweet About Me", one of 2008...

"Propane Nightmares" - Pendulum. Top ten time!! I'm doing four songs tonight as I won't be on here tomorrow night as I nee...

"Homecoming" - Kanye West featuring Chris Martin. Kanye again, this time someone featuring on his record instead of him featuring ...

"American Boy" - Estelle featuring Kanye West. For me, one of the most enduring chart hits of the year. Featuring Kanye West - I k...

"Do You Love Me" - Amanda Jenssen. Premiered -memorably - at January's Grammisgalan, this Vincent Pontare-written song was a s...

"Divine" - Sebastien Tellier. Into the final week of my chart - yes I've finally caught up! - with a song which has just grown...

"I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz. A hit all over Europe this year but....oh you know the rest. Still there is hope: I heard it on my ...

"Love In Stereo" - Ola. Yet another song from this year's MF - there are another couple to go! I totally fell in love with thi...

"Bang On The Piano" - Jack McManus. OK at the risk of repeating myself - why wasn't this a hit? It got radio airplay, it got v...

"42" - Coldplay. First (and, clue, not the last) song in my chart from possibly my favourite album of the year. I know a lot of p...

"Happy Hour" - Palladium. One of those post-Feeling bands who I really expected to do big things, but ....well you know the rest. ...

"This Is My Life" - Euroband. I really really wanted Iceland to get their first (long-overdue) ESC victory with this Eurodance sto...

OK here goes with this weekend's reality TV roundup. Strictly Come Dancing - I can't really talk about this at the moment as I'm...

"Until I Die" - September. She gave an incredible performance of this on the Aftonbladet Rockbjornen back in January, and I loved ...

"Jennie Let Me Love You" - E.M.D. To say that I was sceptical when E.M.D. came on the scene was an understatement. A boyband made ...

"Come On Girl" - Taio Cruz featuring Luciana. I don't think any of his subsequent singles have even come close to this slice o...

"Dance Wiv Me" - Dizzee Rascal, Chrome and Calvin Harris. What an incredible track! I'll let you into a secret - the first few...

"Built To Last" - Melee. Fans of Keane’s old piano-driven sound would have found much to love in this song, which introduced me to...

"Dangerous" - Matt Pokora. This was the year that the French Justin Timberlake™ released his first English-language album, produce...

Apologies as I seem to have messed up with this over the past few days but I promise a chart catch-up marathon this weekend. :)

Semi-final 1: Joanna vs Mickels. Semi-final 2: Alice vs Gautier. Now I didn't watch last week's prime to find out how we got to this...

"Beli Jablan" - Aleksa Jelic & Ana Stajdohar. I'm no expert on Balkan pop but this was a refreshing little disco-tastic S...

"Smilin'" - Bryn Christopher. In a year of dull, identikit r'n'b, it was refreshing to hear a fabulous old-style soul ...

"Cry For You" - September. One of the nicest surprises of the year was seeing this track become one of the year's major Europe...

"Sex On Fire" - Kings of Leon. I'd been aware of them for a few years but had never actually heard anything by them till this ...

Idol: Gospel week on Idol, oh well any excuse for an appearance by Carola and a gospel choir backing the contestants. Teens' favourite J...

I noticed his name among the Swedish Grammy nominations this week. So let's take a little nostalgia trip with the man who represented S...

One of the most underrated bands of the Britpop-era may I say! I was listening to a few Mansun songs on my iPod today and wondered why I had...

Kicking off with one of those tunes which was always guaranteed to get me onto the dancefloor back in the day, when I did that sort of thing...

"My Cool" - Adam Tensta. Swedish rap's award-winning man of the moment. He even got a shout-out on Perez Hilton's blog ear...

"The Age of the Understatement" - The Last Shadow Puppets. If an appearance by Madonna in this chart was a shock, then here's...

"Comme Avant" - Mathieu Edward & Sheryfa Luna. Star Academy finalist meets Popstars winner and the result is a very appealing ...

"What You Look For" - Sam Beeton. Ridiculously young singer-songwriter with maximum teen appeal, now if that's not a recipe fo...

"Who Do You Think You're Foolin'?" - Rongedal. First (but not last) appearance in my countdown for the Swedish singing twi...

"They Said I Said" - Sugarush Beat Company. I have loved this irrestistibly infectious soul-pop song ever since the first time I s...

Decided to give my monthly TV reviews a rest until the end of January, purely because I don't watch much TV these days apart from the so...

The first lists of nominees for the Swedish Grammy awards - to be held on 7 January 2009 - were announced today. Voting is open at www.gramm...

"Would You Believe" - Daniel Karlsson. A recent, last-minute addition to my chart, this is a great debut single from the "Kap...

"And I Lie" - Prata Vetra. Everyone's favourite Latvian band returned this year with a new album, and a more edgy, different s...

Idol - well what a shocker, the pre-contest favourite Anna Bergendahl was voted out last Friday. Maybe the public just got sick of her quive...

"Hur Svart Kan Det Va'?" - Linda Bengtzing. The song and performance which converted me from a Linda-hater to a Linda-fan. It...

"Just Dance" - Lady GaGa. Yet another one of those pop singles which was massive in Europe for this American singer over the last ...

"Femme d'Aujourd'hui" - Sofia Essaidi. In recent years the worlds of musical theatre and pop success have been interchang...