The A to Z of Pop - E is for Europe, Maybe

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek...

The A to Z of Pop

by Jo Michelmore

When thinking about the fifth instalment of the A to Z of Pop, I had only one thing in mind, because, well, really, it's only just happened and you all know how much I love it. I shouldn't even have to say it, but I will; Eurovision. While I reeeeeeeally wanted to write a post about my favourite night of the year and everything fabulous about it, I'm going to assume our readers are intelligent, politically aware music loving readers who have already read more than enough about this year's competition. Instead of boring you with those details, I have decided to visit the fabulous continent that Eurovision is held in and explore some of the best/worst (up to you) Europe has offered the world in pop, amongst other things. 

Let's begin on the far left, with the UK, (yes, for the purposes of this post let's say they are part of Europe everyone) and in the early 90s they gave us an interesting version of pop. 

This is what the UK have to offer to the world in the form of the letter E. Earl Grey tea, Earl Grey himself, English muffins (are they actually English?) and East 17. Named after the postcode of their hometown, Walthamstow, which these days is more famous for it's homeless mattrii and celebrities who like to dress like them. Like E17 member, Brian Harvey....

Travelling a little further north, from the land that offered us Bjork and.....Bjork and....well, there's Bjork...

There's also 'E-jork'. Ok, it was tempting just to change Bjork's name, but E-jork doesn't really make sense and thos Icelandics have given us Emiliana Torrini, who performed possibly one of the most annoying songs I've ever been (un)fortunate enough to hear. "My heart is beating like a jungle drum onburuburobummbummbumm"...is that Icelandic for "dumbadumbadumbabumdum" or is that actually "onburuburobummbummbumm"??? We may never know.


Let's move across the continent to that beautiful land that offered us escargot and...no wait, are they French? The Eiffel Tower is in France but...

Eiffel 65 were Italian. I don't know and I don't want to know, so don't ask me why they named themselves after one of the most famous towers in the world. Maybe because Colosseum 65 didn't have the same ring.


You knew where this was going to eventually lead, didn't you? It was bound to happen, considering the person who won last year's competition began with E as well...

Denmark's Emmelie De Forest. Which means that E has led us straight back to that thing I said I wouldn't mention in the first place...Eurovision. Just accept it, in my alphabet, E is not for Europe, it's for Eurovision. You might be over it, but I'll be singing this in my car (for at least another week). I'm so glad I wrote C is for Conchita back at week three. It's true even more so now, after all...

Eurovision 2015, I have to wait another 52 weeks for you? That's two more A to Z's. Noooooooooo....!