It has been a long journey to get here, but we’ve incredibly made it back to 2005. We started our Top 5 Non-Qualifiers series with 2016, and worked our way back, and we’ve arrived in Kyiv to find our next Top 5! As in 2006 and 2007, there was only one semi-final instead of two, but this doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of songs we could fit in our Top 5, so without further ado, here’s our Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2005!
5. Selma – If I Had Your Love
I originally had intentions of placing this song higher in the top 5, but I think the ballads have won me over! Don’t get me wrong, this is a great song. It’s absolutely cheesy, and surely you would agree upon listening to the lyrics just once, but relative to the lyrical content of 2005 Eurovision songs, this fits in just fine! It’s an interesting song in the way that it’s a pop number, but it has a real strange feeling about it, like a mysterious or dramatic sound, perhaps attributable to the key that the song is performed in. What I do like is that it isn’t just the same thing for the three minutes, it does change in rhythm and melody, adding to the mystery. It’s a solid entry from Iceland which was neither near nor far from a qualifying position, just somewhere in the middle there.
4. Nuno Resende – Le Grand Soir
There were a few big ballads in 2005, including this gem from Belgium. If we look past the questionable facial hair, we’re left with a really well performed ballad. It builds over the three minutes perfectly, and despite the massive notes throughout the song, Nuno retains his vocal composure and absolutely slays in that last minute. I can confirm that it’s probably not the type of song that you’d click repeat on, as once is probably enough, but that one time is filled with a vocal spectacular that shockingly finished in 22nd out of 25 acts – um, Europe, what?!
3. Glennis Grace – My Impossible Dream
After a fairly successful run from the Netherlands previous to 2005, the nation hoped to continue the run of final qualifications with Glennis Grace, but instead, this was the start of an incredibly long non-qualification streak, broken only in 2013. It feels somewhat unfortunate though, because this is yet another incredibly performed ballad from 2005. Like the previous two songs, it’s super cheesy, but it has such an inoffensive melody which is sung by arguably one of the biggest, and best voices of 2005. It’s a dramatic and moving ballad that on performance alone was deserving of a place in the final, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be!
2. Kaffe – Lorraine
I’m guessing I might have some resistance regarding this song, because straight up it’s a song that divides – you either love it or hate it. This was actually Bulgaria’s first ever Eurovision entry, and I’ll admit, it’s probably one of my favourites. It’s definitely not Kristian Kostov or Poli Genova level, but it’s more of a guilty pleasure. Once again, super cheesy, and there’s some pretty lazy rhyming in the lyrics (Lorraine in the rain?) but once they hit that pre-chorus and then that chorus, I’m swooning. I find this song to be such easy listening, and for the most part, it was performed well – but with all that said, I do see why it didn’t make the final…
1. Omar Naber – Stop
Never would I have thought that Omar Naber would be featured in one of my Top 5 posts, let alone in number one place, but credit where credit is due. He certainly wasn’t one of our favourite acts in 2017, but back in 2005, Omar had a song which fit better in the time he was in, rather than the outdated entry he performed this year. The song is a dramatic mix of rock and ballad, melded together by Omar’s powerful but yet ‘Disney’ vocals. As the song grows, so does the rock influence with the heavy guitars, but Omar’s voice also grows by the two minute mark, and some of those big but raspy notes are the best parts of the song. It’s a decent entry, for sure, and Europe did agree, as it was only 2 places away from reaching the final!
So there are our Top 5 Non-Qualifying entries from 2006, and we’re going to assume that your Top 5 isn’t the same as ours, so make sure to tell us your Top 5 on Twitter or Facebook!
Read our previous posts about our Top 5 Non-Qualifiers here:
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2016
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2015
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2014
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2013
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2012
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2011
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2010
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2009
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2008
– Top 5 Non-Qualifiers of 2007