The Eurovision 2022 season saw a boom in national finals, with 27 countries using a show to select their entry for the contest. Although we now have 27 winners who will move onto Eurovision, many of the other entries that didn’t make it will remain on our playlists for some time. To celebrate these acts, it’s time for our countdown of Team Wiwi’s top 50 national final songs of Eurovision 2022.
As usual, the team from wiwibloggs have voted for their favourite songs that competed in the national finals for Eurovision 2022 but were not selected. Note these are our favourite songs, not songs we think should have gone to Eurovision.
After reviewing the 100s of songs that were entered into this year’s national finals, we finally settled on our top 50. And now we’re ready to share it with y’all. We’ll reveal ten tracks each day until we reach the winner.
It’s time to find out which song will enter our Hall of Fame. Let the countdown commence!
Team Wiwi’s top national final songs of Eurovision 2022: 50 to 41
Honourable mention: LUMA – “All In” (EMA)
After counting all the votes from Team Wiwi, there was in fact a tie for 50th place. Tie-break rules see the act with votes from the most number of jurors win; the second tie-break sees the act who topped the ranking of the most jurors win (then most second places, third places etc.).
Following the tie-break, it was Slovenia’s LUMA who just missed out on the top 50 with their EMA entry “All In”.
50. ROXOLANA – “Girlzzz” (Vidbir)
ROXOLANA brought Girlzzz power to Vidbir 2022, ultimately finishing in fourth place. The Ukrainian singer said the main message of the song was to tell woman — who face all manner of difficulties — that “one day during the week, they should forget about everything and just have fun”. ROXOLANA says the “fun” part can mean something different for everyone. Speaking on TV show Hrymerka Yevrobachennya, she said that her interpretation of “fun” was to sit on the couch and watch Netflix series. Relaxing! (Renske)
49. Anna Bergendahl – “Higher Power” (Melodifestivalen)
What we said: I love Anna Bergendahl, I always get excited when I see her name on the Melfest list. And I hope she keeps trying for Eurovision every year as she is Miss Consistent. If not spectacular, she brings a quality song year after year and “Higher Power” is no different. Country-pop at its finest and Anna certainly serves us this in her costume and staging. I just wish she would steer into that genre even more with the song. I am not sure if it was meant to be or not, but given the visuals, it’s not country enough for me. I doubt “Higher Power” will qualify [for Eurovision] but another fantastic effort and I hope to see her next year. (Tom)
Previous top national final songs: “Kingdom Come” (#2 in 2020), “Ashes to Ashes” (#5 in 2019)
48. ARIS – “Do Svidaniya” (Selecția Națională)
Romania gave us a mammoth selection this year. A total of 46 songs started off in the first round of Selecția Națională, with many favourites falling along the way. One of those who stood out from the large pack was ARIS. Through her catchy number, “Do Svidaniya” (“Goodbye”), she reassured us that she wasn’t a Russian doll. While ARIS sadly didn’t make it any further than the semi-final, she still caught the attention of many. (Jonathan)
47. Eline Noelia – “Ecstasy” (Melodi Grand Prix)
Eline Noelia was the fan favourite going into semi-final one of Melodi Grand Prix 2022. The Norwegian singer served us lasers, glittery shoulder pads and noteworthy vocals during her performance of “Ecstasy”. Unfortunately, she ended up losing the gold duel to Frode Vassel and wasn’t able to qualify through the last chance round either. Nevertheless, she still made a strong impression on many, including Team Wiwi. (Jonathan)
46. Eldis Arrnjeti – “Refuzoj” (Festivali i Këngës)
Eldis Arrnjeti entered Festivali i Këngës 60 as one of the newcomer artists. However, the Albanian singer managed to hold his own against all the other competitors, including the established acts. Eldis won over many of the jurors with “Refuzoj” (“Refuse)”, ultimately finishing in joint third position. (Jonathan)
45. Charley – “I Suck At Being Lonely” (Eurovision – Australia Decides)
What we said: As a new addition to Australia’s growing pop music community, Charley’s discography, and her Eurovision – Australia Decides 2022 entry, is 100% of herself. More than just a song, “I Suck At Being Lonely” is evidently a cathartic release of emotion post-breakup. Her subtle vocal melody is supported by a gentle instrumental build, with Charley’s layered vocals showcasing a simple, yet very expensive, production. “I Suck At Being Lonely” sucks you into Charley’s trauma and hooks you in hard. (Sebastian)
44. Zorja – “Zorja” (Pesma za Evroviziju)
Mystical, enchanting and powerful – just three of the words that could be used to describe Zorja’s performance at Pesma za Evroviziju 22. The Serbian star brought a self-titled Balkan ballad with plenty of gusto to it. Zorja shined bright with an eye-catching head piece and deservedly rose up the leaderboard and claimed the bronze medal. (Jonathan)
43. Matteo Romano – “Virale” (Sanremo)
Italy’s Matteo Romano earned his place at Sanremo 2022 after qualifying through the Sanremo Giovani round for newcomers. Despite going up against some well-known established names, Matteo nonetheless stood out in between them with his song “Virale” (“Viral”). He ultimately climbed to 11th place on the final scoreboard. (Jonathan)
42. Ana Mena – “Duecentomila ore” (Sanremo)
Spanish singer Ana Mena teased fans into thinking she might be participating in Benidorm Fest. But she threw a curveball and ended up appearing in Italy’s Sanremo. Ana’s song “Duecentomila ore” (“Two hundred thousand hours”) didn’t get the best reviews in the world prior to the contest, and at the end of the week she found herself in 24th place (out of 25). But whilst Italy might not have taken to the slice of pop, international fans (including Team Wiwi) most certainly did. (Jonathan)
41. Pauline Chagne – “Nuit Pauline” (Eurovision France, c’est vous qui décidez)
Harps are an underused instrument at Eurovision, but Pauline Chagne hoped to right that wrong. She combined harp melodies with a dark aura to create the mystifying “Nuit Pauline” (“Pauline Night)”. This combination ended up being a strong one at Eurovision France, c’est vous qui décidez 2022 and Pauline finished as the runner-up. (Jonathan)
Our top national final songs of Eurovision 2022 ranking is determined by independent votes from a panel of wiwibloggers. They are Jonathan, Cinan, Youyou, Diego, William, Pablo, Oliver, Edd, Antony, Deban, Sebastian, Luis, Antranig, Padraig, Tom, Renske, Lauren, Robyn and Ron.
Which songs do you think should feature on the list? Are you surprised by our Eurovision 2022 national final top 50 choices? Let us know in the comments.
I think Luma deserve a bit better but I agree on Matteo Romano, Pauline and Zorja. All of them appear in my top 50. From #41 to #50: 41. Pongo & Tristany – Dégrá.dê (6.75) – Festival da Cançao 42. Elliott – La tempête (6.75) – Eurovision France 43. Sara Jo – Muškar?ina (6.75) – Pesma za evroviziju 44. Morten Fillipsen – Happy Go Lucky (6.75) – DMGP 45. Felicia Lu — Anxiety (6.75) – Germany 12 Points 46. Michele Bravi – Inverno dei fiori (6.75) – San Remo 47. Matteo Romano – Virale (6.75) – San Remo 48. Eros Atomus — Alive (6.75) – Germany 12… Read more »
Nine of these are actually good and, possibly, even underrated in this list. Sorry if I sound surprised but that’s an unusually high percentage for you guys!
However, Ana Mena is here, why? Sanremo definitely placed her song more accurately than you did.
I’ve posted this on Youtube already but I’ll list it out here,too!
My top 50 (50-41):
#50 – Soa – Seule (France)
#49 – Liamoo – Bluffin’ (Sweden)
#48 – Younghearted – Sun Numero (Finland)
#47 – Pauline Chagne – Nuit Pauline (France)
#46 – Ania Byrcyn – Dok?d (Poland)
#45 – Luma – All In (Slovenia)
#44 – Fuld Effekt – Rave Med De Hårde Drenge (Denmark)
#43 – Tanxugueiras – Terra (Spain)
#42 – Maian Lomp – Meeletu (Estonia)
#41 – Northkid – Someone (Norway)
My faves from this set that I hope will eventually come to Eurovision:
Do Svidaniya Was eliminated before the invasion even happen, so considerate it lucky That it didn’t get tagged as bad taste if it had qualified to the final of Romania’s national final.
ARIS – “Do Svidaniya” Imagine Europe’s confusion watching ESC and thinking why is Romania (if that song won) sending such a strong protest song against Russia lol
My top 3 of the eliminated ESC acts this year are Olivera, Luma & Reykjavíkurdætur : )
Oh and I loved Felicia as well a lot!
Zorja was easily one of the best. Such a shame it didn’t win
Before anyone gets upset with this list, May I just say I have massively enjoyed this year’s national selections and I love every song in my top 50, they would have made it into my top 10 if they had got through to the finals, so in my mind, there are no weak songs here. 41. Ruta Loop – Call me from the Cold (Lithuania) – so still, it has such a calming effect 42. Ora Gondrosen – Hammer of Thor (Norway) – love the bits where she stands on a drawing pin on her living room carpet. Classic themed… Read more »
I like your list too, Kosey. We’ll certainly have many differences, which is exciting, but also some similarities, which is also exciting. Aside from 4 songs here I already listed in my honorable mentions, you have two which will appear to me later on in my top 40.
Ooh, exciting for me to guess which two are going to appear further up your list Colin….my guess is 41 and 48, but don’t spoil the surprise!!
Rest of the songs on your list, while not that high in comparison, still aren’t marked as bad on my lists. Nothing goes below a 5 to me so far. 🙂
I have an awful feeling that some of the songs appearing high on my list will be in your “bad” bucket lol. But that’s what makes this exciting and variety is the spice of life! Roll on the next few days!
I’ve got two of yours (#49 and #41) in my top 50, Kosey!
I also liked your #42.
Enjoying your list too Briekimchi – four of your 41-50 are still to come in my list and one of them makes the top 10! Two of them also only just missed out on my top 50.
I didn’t think that national finals were all that exciting but there are a few favourites of mine: 1. Nossy Bossy(Ukraine). Verka Serduchka’s spiritual successor, this entry serves as a fun song to dance and rave to. Wellboy’s attitude is nicely kitcsh , the staging is all over the place but not in a bad way and it’s just a good tongue-in-cheek entry. 2. Nuit Pauline (France). A darkly mysterious song with a lot of goth flavour to it. The harp is gorgeous and Pauline’s voice is very fitting. Can’t remember anything else worthy of the list now, but I’m… Read more »
i would’ve chosen better songs from sanremo honestly… those are two of the most critically panned songs of the year from the italian press haha
Ana Mena above Matteo Romano?
Virale has 6,6 million viewers in youtube, while Duocentamila ore has got 11 million (plus more than 1 million of the Spanish version). It is not only Wiwibloggs thinking that Ana Mena is above Matteo Romano.
I don’t have a clear ranking for this yet, but I know that Pauline, Matteo Romano and LUMA are all in my top 10 of the entire season, easily. Also pleasantly surprised to see Eldis Arrnjeti make it into your own top at all.
So these top 41-50 songs were selected from 700 NF songs. Says more about the Wiwi team, than anything else.
Eline Noelia my number 1.
This was such a big NF season, no? Almost 700 songs were competing at some point. Thus, not even a top 200 would completely do justice to mention everyone who did a good job. My honorable mentions (* indicates my NF winner): Albania – Hijena, Theje, Per dreq, Ne enderr mbete ti Australia – I Suck at Being Lonely Croatia – In the Darkness, No War, I Found You Czech Republic – Runnin’ Out of F… Time, Imma Be, Way Down, By Now Estonia – Interstellar, Aovalguses, Little Girl, Plaksuta, Three Days Ago, Siiani, Vaikus, Elu rupes, Shouldn’t… Read more »
It’s Marko and Mia N. for me in Croatia too. She’s yet to appear on my list, but she will. 😉 I am okay with Mia D’s song, but these two would be higher on my ESC list.
Four EMA songs are featured on this list, which is consisting only of entries I think are good. But none of them are among my all-time favorites at this point. LPS are cute, but I’m still shifting them on my ESC list this year. There are quite a lot of ”I like it, but I’m thinking how much” entries at this stage for me.
I really can’t see Croatia qualifying at this point, with the likes of Portugal, Iceland and even Armenia in the same half of their SF. Marko Bosnjak would have actually stood out, he seemed like an absolutely obvious choice in that Dora lineup, such a missed opportunity for what could have been my favorite Croatian entry since I started following ESC (late 2000’s)… I’ll make sure to include him in my top 10 of the whole season, at least.
Sadly, I agree here. Croatia’s chances of qualification are slim. The only chance is if Mia’s staging outshines Systur’s and Rosa’s by a lot. Not impossible, but slim. Marko would stand out much more, as his ballad is dark, mysterious, and dramatic, something none of the aformentioned songs are in that way.
It’s going to be fun comparing our lists Colin! I think we have quite different tastes in music so any artist that gets onto both our lists has done a great job! Only two of your 41-50 make it into my top 50.
And major props to you for the honourable
mentions! 88 songs got onto my “like very much list” but I couldn’t be bothered to list out the 38 that didn’t make the top 50.”
You know my list already and I’ve got three of these in it so not a bad start. I might come back to your honourable mentioned but I’m going to focus on the actual top 50 for now!
Songs that weren’t in my top 50 but I wouldn’t mind getting close are numbers 48, 44 and 43. Running Chords is probably one of the biggest growers for me this season. It actually took me a while to watch her second live performance and it was SO much better than the first.
Looking forward to the rest of the list!
Anna Bergendahl does not deserve to be here. Her songs are becoming evermore stale with each after Kingdom Come
Ana Mena’s song is proof that ranking is not everything… 42nd on this list, 24th out of 25 at Sanremo, yet it has 11 million views on YouTube.
Somehow you’ve managed to find 50 songs ranking-worthy but yet left All In out.
Pauline deserved higher!
I too hope that someday Anna will win Melodifestivalen a 2nd time so she can finally go and get her revenge for 2010’s result. While I do think the year is weak, there were a handful of gems left behind in the many national selections of the year. This list is all the more relevant because of it! 🙂
Nuit Pauline is such a good song. I think it would’ve been a good choice for France, but Fulenn is also good.
Girlzzz is a really fun song, love the energy and Ukrainian sound
Why the f is All In so low down?!
Still sad for Sara Jo, she was so sexy!
That would have also been a great entry, just very unlucky she had to compete against the Konstrakta phenomenon this year. It made for a really memorable NF, at least.
I hope she wins MF again at some point. I want her to get her redemption arc.
All In is my favourite song from the whole NF season
You did a top 50 and Luma is only an honorable mention??? Really? Wow I guess that song was not as well liked as I thought. Well I mean obviously it wasn’t it came 4th.
The Wiwi jury are only a small number of people, and they tend to have different takes compared to what WE have.
I thought this was every wiwi member? There are dozens of them no?
Ecstasy is the most underrated NF song imo. The vocals were one of the best this whole season and the staging and song itself was on point. Zorja is also a fave of mine.