Every year national finals season gets our blood pumping in the months leading up to the Eurovision Song Contest. From the annual circus of Moldova’s O Melodie Pentru Europa to the covers extravaganza of Azerbaijan’s Böyük Sehne, from the glitz-and-glam of Sweden’s Melodifestivalen to the hot mess of Lithuania’s Eurovizijos dainu konkurso nacionaline atranka, national selections make us laugh and cry and watch dodgy streams over the Internet.
And as any diehard fan knows, the best song doesn’t always make it to Eurovision. Brequette caused a stir in Spain (and won the jury). Ace Wilder made Swedes dance (and won the jury too). But neither made it to Copenhagen, even if millions of fans were saving them a seat.
But which runner-up was your favourite? Who finished second at home but could have finished first at Eurovision? Who was wronged at home and deserved to be in Denmark?
You can listen to this year’s 25 runners-up below, and can then vote for your favourites. You can vote for as many runners-up as you would like, but you can only vote ONE time, so make it count.
In any case, enjoy the music and let us know your favourites!
WATCH: The runners-up from the national finals
Albania: Klodian Kacani with “Me ty”
Belarus: Max Lorens and DiDyuLya – Now You’re Gone
Belgium: Bandits with “One”
Denmark: Rebekka Thornbech – Your Lies
Denmark: Michael Rune feat. Natascha Bessez – Wanna Be Loved
Estonia: Super Hot Cosmos Blues Band – Maybe-Maybe
Finland: Mikko Pohjola – Sängyn reunalla
Germany: Unheilig – Wir sind alle wie eins
Greece: Kostas Martakis – Kanenas de me stamata
Hungary: Bogi – We All
Iceland: Sigríður Eyrún Friðriksdóttir – Up And Away
Ireland: Eoghan Quigg – The Movie Song
Israel: Mei Finegold – Nish’eret iti
Latvia: Dons – Pedeja vestule
Lithuania: Mia – Attention
Malta: De Bee – Pin The Middle
Moldova: Boris Covali – Perfect Day
Norway: Linnea Dale – High Hopes
Portugal: Catarina Pereira – Mea culpa
Romania: Vaida – One More Time
Slovenia: Muff – Let Me Be (Myself)
Spain: Brequette – Más
Sweden: Ace Wilder – Busy Doin’ Nothin’
Switzerland: Yasminia Hunzinger – I Still Believe
Ukraine: Viktoria Petryk – Love Is Lord
Favourite Runner-up Poll
[polldaddy poll=”8060171″]William Cahill is an Irish correspondent. Follow him on twitter @williamcahill16. Follow the team from wiwibloggs.com on Twitter @wiwibloggs and keep up with the latest Eurovision news by liking our Facebook page.
The Lithuanian song that came 2nd was ‘Take a look at me now’ by Mia. This should be on the list.
Brequete y mas
In Sweden’s case, my top 2 favorite songs this year are of course UNDO and BUSY DOIN NOTHIN. I love Ace Wilder, but I’m sorry it’s not a Eurovision material!!!! So, get over it people!!!
I still want Brequette and Catarina though!!!
WOW brequette cassi for Spain is the best song!!! best Voice, i love u brequette….
Interesting question. Ultimately, I don’t think that some of the songs above would have performed/scored better than the ones in the song contest. There are exceptions though:
* “Kanenas de me stamata” would have done better than “Rise up”. Hands down.
* “Mea culpa” may have made the final for Portugal.
* Moustache could have been replaced with Ma liberte – it may have done better.
Más – Brequette. She could have beaten Conchita.
THERE’S A mistake! THE LITHUANIAN 2nd place entry was “Take A look At Me Now” -Mia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l5OqjQ8fsc
Voted for the clear winner Brequette, along with Catarina. Putting 25 youtube videos in one article, however, really doesn’t help !
Sanna did a great job in Denmark! I don’t know what’s wrong with you people! You really think the jury would have ranked Ace in top 3? Not even in top 10, because it is a jury that puts My slowanie on 24 or something like that and Zeleilah on 22 and even Eric Saade on 11. Jury= stupid people that are more geopolitical than the millions of voters.
Why have the Lhitauwenia the same song as the winner? IDK but that song is not so good at all,sorry? I thought that Viljja the song maded by her self? But the others get the same song?
I am an experienced fan of eurovision. Here’s my rating (1-5 points). 5 points: Denmark: Rebekka Thornbech – “Your Lies” 4 points: Albania: Klodian Kacani with “Me ty” Denmark: Michael Rune feat. Natascha Bessez – “Wanna Be Loved” Finland: Mikko Pohjola – “Sängyn reunalla” Germany: Unheilig – “Wir sind alle wie eins” Norway: Linnea Dale – “High Hopes” Romania: Vaida – “One More Time” Switzerland: Yasminia Hunzinger – “I Still Believe” 3 points: Belgium: Bandits with “One” Hungary: Bogi – “We All” Ireland: Eoghan Quigg – “The Movie Song” Latvia: Dons – “Pedeja vestule” Moldova: Boris Covali – “Perfect Day”… Read more »
Her shape did not convince me.
I try not to feed trolls, but calling Linnea Dale ugly is hilarious.
Linnea Dale has the best song and staging, but she lost, because she is ugly.
Unheilig for Germany is the only of that lot that was worthy of the Eurovision stage. I was surprised that he didn’t qualify.
On the bright side, Ruth Lorenzo managed to get Spain back to the Top 10 with Dancing In The Rain. Now they just need to do another national song selection for next year and they might land in Top 5.
Whoops, I just found out that Bogi and Boggie (both from Hungary) are two different singers lol. Oh well.
I didn’t knew Bogi/Boggie participated in this year’s Hungarian national finals. Her music is great, though. Listen to her song “Noveau Parfum”.
Brequette’s song has always been a plait of Zara Nielsons “Unconver”. Listen to it, there are so many similarities
Norway got my vote, since the runner up was infinitely better than the actual winner. Good luck Linnea! 🙂
‘Attention’ was not the song that was runner up in Lithuania, It was ‘Take a Look at me now’!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l5OqjQ8fsc
I didn’t know that Ace Wilder is the Swedish runner-up, just I know the songs because is very popular on radios in DK, much more than any Eurovision entry this year.
I don’t know where you have your information from but Michael Rune and Natacha Bessez came second in Denmark and Rebekka came third. So no irregularities there.. It was made public on the night, just not made clear perhaps by the presenters.
Although not on this list, Estonia should have probably sent Sandra Nurmsalu.
Busy Doin’ Nothing is really fun and I love it, but I honestly don’t know if it would have achieved a better result than Undo.
1. Germany because why some year Germany always send English song. We don’t again listen Deutsch song in ESC. Does Germany is British Country too? No. We love Deutsch song in ESC. Why Germany like Nordic & USSR countries that like send English song but not all English song in some country is good. Some Country like Latvia,Lithuania,Moldova,Georgia send English song but not good. Does Germany don’t have National language? 2. Greece: i think Greece can high position if yesterday send Kostas Martakis in big 5 Grand Final ESC 2014. Freaky Fortune & Riskykidd fall in 20th rangking. Poor for… Read more »
It’s no secret I never liked ‘Undo’…it always sounded as a spin-off schlager from previous years. Sanna is great but her song always bored me. Ace’s song was coooooool from start to end, and that girl really has charisma. But, maybe Sanna achieved a better place than Ace could’ve ever had… And Brequette…well, again, it ain’t a secret I hate ‘Dancing in the rain’. Ruth is an amazing singer, but her song is repetitive and the whole thing relies only on her voice (or her ability to hit high notes, to be more precise). ‘Run’ is an incredible song, the… Read more »
Oh, and here I go again sheding a tear over Más (Run), no matter how much I decided to support Ruth Lorenzo as a dignified representative once she was chosen…
This year needed a wild card…. Sweden should have had an ACE up her sleeve
Voted for Belgium, Greece, Ireland and, of course, Portugal.
Brequette and Ace had amazing songs, but both Spain and Sweeden did the right choice
I’m hoping for Spain to pick Brequette internally for Austria with another powerful ballad like Mas.
Honestly the “better” song lost 9/10 times this Eurovision season. “Wanna Be Loved”, “Sängyn reunalla”, “Wir sind alle wie eins”, “We All”, “Up and Away”, Mia’s version of “Attention” (or even better “Take A Look At Me Now”, that song was Top Ten potential), “Pin The Middle”, “High Hopes”, “Mea Culpa”, “Más (Run)”, “Busy Doin’ Nothin'”, and “Love Is Lord”. But these are just runner-ups, there were still many other national final songs that deserved to win but didn’t even make it to second place. Hopefully in 2015, the right songs will win for once 😛
Besides Brequette and Ace Wilder who are two of my top favourites, I also voted for: Denmark’s Michael Rune ft. Natascha Bessez, Greece’s Kostas Martakis and Malta’s De Bee.
From those who weren’t even runner ups I also liked The Baseballs from Germany, Elisabeth Carew from Norway, Hanna Sky from Finland, Margarita Ciorici from Moldova and of course, Helena Paparizou from Sweden.
But my ultimate favourite non-qualifier is without a doubt, Sandra Nurmsalu from Estonia, I still don’t get how she didn’t do well in Eesti Laul, not even close to winning!
ACE WILDER ALL THE WAY! I really think she could have come first or second. Way better than any other dance song this year
Voted for Maybe-Maybe, Sängyn Reunalla, Wir sind alle wie eins, Kanenas de me stamata, We All, Up and Away, Nish’eret iti, Pedeja Vestule, High Hopes, Más, and (of course) Busy Doin’ Nothin’.
Super favorites were Kanenas de me stamata, Más, and Busy Doin’ Nothin’.