The first esctoday TOP TEN list started on Monday with the places 10, 9 and 8 followed by number 7 and 6 yesterday. Today, will will continue with the places 5 and 4. As announced earlier, the first topic are the Top Ten Eurovision hits from Germany in dedication to German's victory in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010.
The following criteria were considered when the ranking was made:
- High sales figures
- High chart positions
- Satus of a song as a classic
- Heavy airplay
- Importance of a song for an act's career
Both national final entries and Eurovision Song Contest entries could qualify for the list.
You can find the places 10, 9 and 8 here.
You can find the places 7 and 6 here.
So we continue…
Number 5 – Dschinghis Khan by Dschinghis Khan
In 1979, Bavarian broadcaster BR took over the responsibility for the Eurovision Song Contest. For the first time since 1976, a televised national final was held and it would result in one of the most famous German entries being chosen. Group Dschinghis Khan had only been formed weeks before the show by songwriters Bernd Meinunger and Ralph Siegel to perform the eponymous song. Despite only narrowly qualifying for the selection, they won the national final ahead of band Truck Stop, whose song Take it easy, altes Haus has also become a classic. Dschinghis Khan's victory was controversial in first place as it was considered inappropriate for Germany to compete in Israel with a song that praises a military leader. Furthermore, the sexual references in the lyrics were disapproved. Nevertheless, the band went to Jerusalem, where they finished fourth with 86 points, including six from Israel. The song became a major hit in Germany, where it reached the top of the charts and was certified gold. The song also reached number three in Switzerland, number eight in Austria and number three in Norway; the English version reached number two in Sweden. The song is also known in the United States, where it is occassionally played during ice hockey matches at Madison Square Garden in New York. Countless cover versions in various languages have been recorded. Among others, Jahn Teigen from Norway recorded a version in Norwegian and Wig Wam performed it live on various occasions. More recently, Korean and Japanese cover versions have also appeard. Group Dschinghis had more hits ifter their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, most notably the song Moskau, which was a number one hit in Australia, but Dschinghis Khan remained their biggest hit. In 1986, they returned to the German national final as Dschinghis Khan Family with a totally different song, which did not manage to meet their earlier successes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J40RrqIKsMI
Number 4 – Ein bißchen Frieden by Nicole
Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, who had also written the German entries in 1979, 1980 and 1980 (which finished fourth, second and second respectively) entered the song Ein bißchen Frieden to the German national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 1982, where it would be performed by Nicole. She easily won the national final and therefore went to Harrogate, where she performed the song as the last of the night. Soon after the voting had started, it was clear that Germany would win the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time ever. Ein bißchen Frieden was also a commercial success and it would be the last Eurovision Song Contest winner to become a pan-European hit until Johnny Logan's Hold me now in 1987. The single reached number one in Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland and Norway. On homeground, the single was certified gold. The song remains very famous, although it also had to face a lot of criticism as many considered its approach to the peace movement too bourgeois and too commercial. Nicole is still a popular Schlager singer, although she never managed to match the success of Ein bißchen Frieden with one of her later releases. In 1981, she had already tried to represent Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Flieg nicht so hoch mein kleiner Freund. The song never even qualified for the national final, but it became a bigger hit than any other song that competed that year including the German entry Johnny Blue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVdxwDT2ohY
Tomorrow, number 3 and 2 on the list will be revealed.
