Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. During the 1950s and 1960s, pop music encompassed rock and roll and the youth-oriented styles it influenced. Rock and pop music remained roughly synonymous until the late 1960s, after which pop became associated with music that was more commercial, ephemeral , and accessible.
139-466: Bucks Fizz were an English pop group, that achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Making Your Mind Up ". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G , Cheryl Baker , Mike Nolan and Jay Aston . They received attention for the dance routine which accompanied the song, in which
278-607: A Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording . The UK's fifth victory came in 1997, when Katrina and the Waves , famous for their 1980s hit " Walking on Sunshine ", comfortably won the contest with the song " Love Shine a Light ". They scored 227 points, which would remain the highest points total of the pre-semi-final era. At the 1998 contest in Birmingham , Imaani achieved the UK's 15th second-place finish and 20th top two result, with
417-473: A chorus that contrasts melodically, rhythmically and harmonically with the verse . The beat and the melodies tend to be simple, with limited harmonic accompaniment. The lyrics of modern pop songs typically focus on simple themes – often love and romantic relationships – although there are notable exceptions. Harmony and chord progressions in pop music are often "that of classical European tonality , only more simple-minded." Clichés include
556-416: A Light " by Katrina and the Waves . The UK has also achieved a record sixteen second-place finishes, the first in 1959 and the most recent in 2022 . The United Kingdom is one of the " Big Five " countries, alongside France , Germany , Italy , and Spain , which have an automatic place in the final of the contest each year, due to their participant broadcasters being the largest financial contributors to
695-460: A basic format (often the verse–chorus structure ), and rhythms or tempos that can be easily danced to. Much of pop music also borrows elements from other styles such as rock, urban , dance , Latin , and country . The terms popular music and pop music are often used interchangeably, although the former more accurately describes all music that is targeted for mass appeal (compare art music ) and includes many disparate styles. Although much of
834-489: A concert in Newcastle, she sensationally quit the group, despite still being under contract. Again, Bucks Fizz found themselves the subject of newspaper headlines, this time with the revelation that Aston had been having an affair with Andy Hill — the husband of the group's creator, Nichola Martin. Aston sold her story to the press in an article headlined "The hateful, bitchy world of Bucks Fizz," while member Cheryl Baker
973-486: A demo of the song and entered it for inclusion in A Song for Europe – the preliminary heats for the contest. Realising that a name was needed for the performing artists, Martin quickly decided on Buck's Fizz , as it was her favourite drink. In January, Martin contacted Cheryl Baker to join them, as she remembered her from the 1978 Eurovision group, Co-Co . Concurrent to this, Martin was holding auditions for another male vocalist and female vocalist, should Baker turn down
1112-709: A head of delegation as the EBU's contact person and the leader of their delegation at the event. The delegation, whose size can greatly vary, includes a head of press, the performers, songwriters, composers, and backing vocalists, among others. Over the years, the BBC's commentary at the contest has been provided by several experienced radio and television presenters, including Tom Fleming , David Vine , David Jacobs , Dave Lee Travis , Pete Murray , John Dunn , and Michael Aspel . Terry Wogan provided BBC TV commentary from 1980 to 2008. After Terry stepped down from commentary duties, he
1251-520: A judge refused to grant a court injunction against Van Day as he had been operating as Bucks Fizz for five years at the time. The feud and legal battle between Bobby G and David Van Day as to who had the right to perform under the name "Bucks Fizz" was the subject of a BBC television documentary, Trouble at the Top . The case was settled out of court in August 2002 when Van Day agreed to call his version of
1390-399: A light entertainment and easy listening tradition. Pop music is more conservative than other music genres such as folk, blues, country, and tradition. Many pop songs do not contain themes of resistance, opposition, or politics, rather focusing more on love and relationships. Therefore, pop music does not challenge its audiences socially, and does not cause political activism. Frith also said
1529-504: A mostly a cappella ballad, " Now Those Days Are Gone ", was released as the next single, giving the group another top-ten hit, reaching No. 8 in the UK charts. Soon after this, Bucks Fizz were invited to appear before the Queen and Queen Mother in the 1982 Royal Variety Performance , performing the old standard " You'll Never Walk Alone ". In February 1983, Bucks Fizz arrived in Chile for
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#17327906977721668-466: A new one with Polydor was signed. The first single, " New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) ", was released in May and brought the group back to prominence, becoming a top-10 hit and one of their most successful singles. After two more less-successful singles and an album , the group took a break during 1987 and regrouped in 1988. After a brief UK tour, the group released their final chart hit, " Heart of Stone " (later
1807-444: A new song, " Embers ". However, the song finished in last place and became the second UK entry to receive nul points (also the first full nul points since the 2016 voting system was first implemented). For the 2022 contest, the BBC retained the internal selection format, this time working in partnership with TaP Music. Sam Ryder and his song " Space Man " were selected for the contest and went on to place second with 466 points,
1946-420: A newly recorded "Making Your Mind Up" single as well as an album of re-recorded Bucks Fizz songs. Neither found chart success and the recordings were universally derided by the group's fans. By 2001, Nolan too had found it difficult to work with Van Day and left the group. With his then girlfriend, future UK Eurovision representative James Fox and West End performer Sarah J Price, Van Day continued to tour under
2085-540: A performance of that year's UK entry by Daz Sampson . Following the cancellation of the 2020 contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the BBC decided to host Eurovision: Come Together , a competitive special on the night of what would have been the 2020 final. The show was broadcast just before the EBU's main replacement show Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light . An expert panel selected the 19 competing entries, four of which were UK entries. The United Kingdom has hosted
2224-498: A pop song is to them, songs from the 1960s turned out to be the most memorable, significantly more than songs from recent years 2000 to 2015. Before the progressive pop of the late 1960s, performers were typically unable to decide on the artistic content of their music. Assisted by the mid-1960s economic boom, record labels began investing in artists, giving them the freedom to experiment, and offering them limited control over their content and marketing. This situation declined after
2363-458: A professional jury and televoting (including votes cast online). Former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones won the show and earned the right to represent the UK at the 2017 contest in Kyiv, with the song " Never Give Up on You ", becoming the 60th UK Eurovision entry. The song was praised for its impressive staging, and finished 15th in the final with a combined score of 111 points, finishing 10th in
2502-455: A result of a victory. The BBC offered to joint host the 1995 contest in Belfast , Northern Ireland with Irish broadcaster RTÉ , but ultimately RTÉ decided to stage the event solo. In 2015, London hosted Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits , an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary, which was recorded for television on 31 March 2015 and was shown in 26 countries, starting with
2641-534: A rock-style lead vocal by member Jay Aston, the single became one of the group's biggest hits, featuring in the top 20 of many European countries, including top ten in the UK and top five in France. However, toward the end of 1983, it seemed that the group's success was beginning to dim as singles "London Town" and "Rules of the Game" failed to reach the top twenty — their first singles to miss. Along with these came
2780-447: A semi-final), due to their participant broadcasters being the largest financial contributors to the EBU. Due to their untouchable status in the contest, these countries became known as the " Big Four " (which became the "Big Five" in 2011 following the return of Italy to the contest). In 2008, it was reported that the "Big Four" could lose their status and be forced to compete in the semi-finals; however, this never materialised, and
2919-523: A separate and successful career as a television presenter and was eager to start a family. In December 1993, she left the group. Early the following year, keen to keep the group active, Bobby G (who was by then in effect taking over management of the act) and Nolan recruited two newcomers, Heidi Manton (who would later go on to marry G) and Amanda Swarzc. This line-up continued until 1996 when Nolan left and ex- Dollar star David Van Day joined. The partnership between G and Van Day proved to be short-lived as
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#17327906977723058-460: A separation which was "also, broadly, one between boys and girls, middle-class and working-class." The latter half of the 20th century included a large-scale trend in American culture in which the boundaries between art and pop music were increasingly blurred. Between 1950 and 1970, there was a debate of pop versus art. Since then, certain music publications have embraced the music's legitimacy,
3197-494: A similar role in the final of the 2023 contest, hosted in Liverpool, with Mel Giedroyc serving as co-commentator. In the 1980 contest, each song was introduced by a presenter from its country, with the UK entry being introduced by Noel Edmonds . In recent years, the dual-commentator format during the semi-finals has allowed for the broadcaster to incorporate additional segments, interviews and live viewer interaction during
3336-556: A strong record in the contest before 2000, finishing within the top ten every year except 1978 , 1987 , and 1999 . The country's record has been considerably poorer since 2000, as it has only reached the top ten three times and finished in last place in 2003 , 2008 , 2010 , 2019 , and 2021 . Its top ten positions in this period are third in 2002 with " Come Back " by Jessica Garlick , fifth in 2009 with " It's My Time " by Jade Ewen , and second in 2022 with " Space Man " by Sam Ryder . The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
3475-615: A successful performer, having twice topped the UK Singles Chart, and she comfortably won in Vienna with " Puppet on a String ", which became her third UK number one and topped the charts all around Europe. In 1968, another successful performer was selected to represent the UK with the song " Congratulations ". In London, Cliff Richard gave the UK its sixth second-place finish, losing to Spain's Massiel . "Congratulations" remains one of only two non-winning UK Eurovision entries to top
3614-416: A tendency to reflect existing trends rather than progressive developments ; and seeks to encourage dancing or uses dance-oriented rhythms. The main medium of pop music is the song, often between two and a half and three and a half minutes in length, generally marked by a consistent and noticeable rhythmic element , a mainstream style and a simple traditional structure . The structure of many popular songs
3753-475: A thriving pop music industry, most of which is devoted to Western-style pop. Japan has for several years produced a greater quantity of music than everywhere except the US. The spread of Western-style pop music has been interpreted variously as representing processes of Americanization, homogenization , modernization, creative appropriation, cultural imperialism , or a more general process of globalization . One of
3892-488: A trend referred to as " poptimism ". Throughout its development, pop music has absorbed influences from other genres of popular music. Early pop music drew on traditional pop , an American counterpart to German Schlager and French Chanson , however compared to the pop of European countries, traditional pop originally emphasized influences ranging from Tin Pan Alley songwriting, Broadway theatre , and show tunes . As
4031-470: A two-hour documentary The Bucks Fizz Story was filmed. It featured in-depth interviews from the original group members as well as management and other behind-the-scenes personnel. A DVD of the documentary was released in August 2010 through Glassbeach Media Ltd, and saw a general release in November 2011. During the 2010s the original Bucks Fizz studio albums were released again as double-disc editions. In
4170-533: A wide audience [...] since the late 1950s, however, pop has had the special meaning of non-classical mus[ic], usually in the form of songs, performed by such artists as The Beatles , The Rolling Stones , ABBA , etc." Grove Music Online also states that "[...] in the early 1960s, [the term] 'pop music' competed terminologically with beat music [in England], while in the US its coverage overlapped (as it still does) with that of 'rock and roll'". From about 1967,
4309-485: A worldwide hit for Cher ) and a compilation album, The Story So Far . These proved to be the end for Bucks Fizz as a recording group, and after a concert tour in 1989, Preston left the group at the end of the year. With the focus on live work and touring, the group continued into the 1990s, now as a three-piece of Baker, G and Nolan. In 1991, celebrating 10 years together, Bucks Fizz released their last album, Live at Fairfield Halls . By this time, Baker had embarked on
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4448-612: A yearly national song contest called Cân i Gymru (Song for Wales). S4C also considered a bid for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008 but decided not to go ahead. Wales eventually made its Junior Eurovision debut in 2018 . In 2009, MEP for Wales Jillian Evans stated her interest in securing Wales a place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 . Wales could be represented by either BBC Cymru Wales , ITV Wales & West or S4C. There
4587-417: Is "designed to appeal to everyone" but "doesn't come from any particular place or mark off any particular taste". Frith adds that it is "not driven by any significant ambition except profit and commercial reward [...] and, in musical terms, it is essentially conservative". It is, "provided from on high (by record companies, radio programmers, and concert promoters) rather than being made from below (...) Pop
4726-550: Is a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), thus eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest . It has participated in the contest representing the United Kingdom since its second edition in 1957. It was alleged that the United Kingdom was expected to take part in the first contest in 1956, and that it missed the submission deadline and therefore could not take part. This
4865-551: Is a small campaign in Northern Ireland for a separate entrant and it could be represented by UTV or BBC Northern Ireland . There are no current plans for England to enter separately. However, to date, these proposed changes have not occurred, and the United Kingdom still participates in the Eurovision Song Contest as a single entrant. In the run-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum , it
5004-425: Is all the collective clubs around the world. Radio is just doing its best to keep up." Songs that talked of escapism through partying became the most popular, influenced by the impulse to forget the economic troubles that had taken over the world after the 2008 crash . Throughout the 2010s, a lot of pop music also began to take cues from Alternative pop . Popularized by artists such as Lana Del Rey and Lorde in
5143-449: Is also broadcast on radio, with BBC Radio 1 (simulcast on Radio 2) in 1968, moving to BBC Radio 2 from the 1971 contest where it has remained ever since (except from 1983 to 1985, the first year of which due to a scheduling clash with the St. George's Day Concert). From 1970, 1980 and again from 1983 until 1985, the contest was also broadcast on BFBS Radio , and on its television service in
5282-526: Is just the singles charts and not the sum of all chart music. The music charts contain songs from a variety of sources, including classical , jazz , rock , and novelty songs . As a genre, pop music is seen to exist and develop separately. Therefore, the term "pop music" may be used to describe a distinct genre, designed to appeal to all, often characterized as "instant singles-based music aimed at teenagers" in contrast to rock music as "album-based music for adults". Pop music continuously evolves along with
5421-533: Is largely the story of the intertwining pop culture of the United States and the United Kingdom in the postwar era. — Bob Stanley According to Grove Music Online , "Western-derived pop styles, whether coexisting with or marginalizing distinctively local genres, have spread throughout the world and have come to constitute stylistic common denominators in global commercial music cultures". Some non-Western countries, such as Japan, have developed
5560-479: Is not a do-it-yourself music but is professionally produced and packaged". According to Frith, characteristics of pop music include an aim of appealing to a general audience, rather than to a particular sub-culture or ideology, and an emphasis on craftsmanship rather than formal "artistic" qualities. Besides, Frith also offers three identifying characteristics of pop music: light entertainment, commercial imperatives, and personal identification. Pop music grew out of
5699-457: Is represented as a part of the British entry and is represented by the BBC. On 11 February 2008, the EBU stated that a Scottish broadcaster could apply for EBU membership, but under the current rules could not enter the Eurovision Song Contest as the BBC currently has exclusive rights to represent the entire United Kingdom. It was announced in late May 2008 that the UK would be participating in
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5838-430: Is that of a verse and a chorus, the chorus serving as the portion of the track that is designed to stick in the ear through simple repetition both musically and lyrically. The chorus is often where the music builds towards and is often preceded by "the drop" where the bass and drum parts "drop out". Common variants include the verse-chorus form and the thirty-two-bar form , with a focus on melodies and catchy hooks , and
5977-464: The 2015 contest via the internal selection process, but announced that in addition, for the first time since 2008, it would be giving the general public the option to submit an entry for consideration. Ultimately, the entry for 2015 came through open submission, with the song " Still in Love with You " performed by the duo Electro Velvet finishing in 24th place with five points. On 30 September 2015,
6116-514: The BPI . By this stage, although Bucks Fizz faced harsh criticism in the media for their lightweight pop image, the music press were acknowledging the group's highly polished performances and sturdy productions, gaining favourable mentions in the NME and Record Mirror . With an eye to harden their sound, the group's next single, " When We Were Young ", featured a heavy production and doom-laden lyrics. With
6255-434: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The BBC has allowed the public to choose the British entry in the contest through a national selection process on many occasions. The BBC has hosted the contest a record nine times. London was the host city in 1960 , 1963 , 1968 , and 1977 , Edinburgh in 1972 , Brighton in 1974 , Harrogate in 1982 , Birmingham in 1998 , and Liverpool in 2023 . The United Kingdom had
6394-434: The barbershop quartet-style harmony (i.e. ii – V – I) and blues scale -influenced harmony. There was a lessening of the influence of traditional views of the circle of fifths between the mid-1950s and the late 1970s, including less predominance for the dominant function . In October 2023, Billboard compiled a list of "the 500 best pop songs". In doing so, they noted the difficulty of defining "pop songs": One of
6533-556: The rock and roll style of "Making Your Mind Up". As Baker has stated: "Our follow-up single was nothing at all like 'Making Your Mind Up', it was a good, strong, contemporary pop song" "Piece of the Action" became an immediate hit and quickly rose to No.12 in the UK charts. It also charted highly across Europe. Buoyed by this success, the group launched into recording their debut album for RCA Records with producer Andy Hill. Released in July,
6672-626: The self-titled album also became a top 20 hit in the UK charts, as did their third single, " One of Those Nights ". In November 1981, Bucks Fizz represented the UK at the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo , where they achieved the "Best Song Award" and fifth place overall with their song "Another Night". The song was released as a single there and went on to be included on their second album. In late 1981, Andy Hill, along with former King Crimson member Peter Sinfield , wrote
6811-483: The 2009 contest and, therefore, Scotland was not represented in 2009 as a separate entrant. Scotland could be represented by STV , ITV Border or BBC Scotland . MEP Alyn Smith has said in the European Parliament : "Other small countries have done it [entered the competition] and I will be happy to help any of the broadcasting companies through the progress." In 2011, the EBU stated that there
6950-551: The 2013 contest, with the Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler , best known for her 1983 US and UK number one hit " Total Eclipse of the Heart ", representing the country with her song " Believe in Me ". In Malmö, she finished 19th with 23 points. In 2014, the BBC internally selected unknown singer Molly Smitten-Downes , through BBC Introducing , which supports new and unsigned acts. She represented
7089-454: The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The BBC subsequently announced that BBC Studios would produce Eurovision: Come Together , a replacement show for BBC One featuring classic Eurovision performances, interviews and a look at the entries that would have taken part in 2020. The show was part of the BBC's plan to "entertain the nation in time of need". The contest returned in 2021 , with Newman being selected again with
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#17327906977727228-589: The 2024 contest; and later also on BBC Radio 2. In 2014, Ana Matronic provided commentary for the second semi-final of the 2014 contest on BBC Radio 2 Eurovision , a temporary station which was broadcast on DAB radio over four days, as well as the BBC Radio 2 website. She continued this role in 2015. In the 1998 contest, hosted in Birmingham, Terry Wogan acted as both commentator and on-stage presenter (together with Ulrika Jonsson ). Graham Norton performed
7367-507: The 25th anniversary of the accident — the same venue they played the night of the crash. The anniversary of the crash was reported on local BBC News , with the members revisiting the crash location. With Nolan recuperating during early 1985, the group returned to recording and released their next single in June. However, within the group, tensions had mounted to the point that Jay Aston no longer wanted to continue. After early promotion and
7506-435: The American and (from the mid-1960s) British music industries , whose influence has made pop music something of an international monoculture, but most regions and countries have their own form of pop music, sometimes producing local versions of wider trends, and lending them local characteristics. Some of these trends (for example Europop ) have had a significant impact on the development of the genre. The story of pop music
7645-406: The BBC announced that it would forgo the national selection and instead internally select the next representative, eventually selecting the boy band Blue to represent the UK. They finished 11th with 100 points. In 2012, the UK were facing calls to quit the contest when the UK entry, Engelbert Humperdinck , finished 25th (out of 26) with only 12 points. However, the UK confirmed its participation in
7784-411: The BBC confirmed the national selection show would return in 2016. Six acts competed in the national final on 26 February and the winner was selected entirely through a public vote, consisting of televoting and online voting. " You're Not Alone " performed by Joe and Jake won the national final broadcast live on BBC Four . In the final, they came 24th with 62 points in total. Of these only 8 were from
7923-452: The BBC, but more recently televoting and online. In 2009 and 2010, the singer was chosen by a public vote and the song internally selected. From 2011 to 2015, there was no televised selection, and both the artist and song were selected internally by the BBC. This resulted in the national selection process being suspended; however, this returned in 2016, re-titled Eurovision: You Decide , with viewers once again choosing which song to enter into
8062-523: The Eurovision Song Contest a record nine times. The BBC stepped in and hosted the contest for the Netherlands in 1960 , France in 1963 , Monaco in 1972 and Luxembourg in 1974 due to the winning countries' financial and capacity issues, and for Ukraine in 2023 due to the Russian invasion of the country . On four occasions (1968, 1977, 1982, and 1998) the UK was given the right to host as
8201-537: The UK Albums Chart and was BBC Radio 2 's 'album of the week' by Ken Bruce . They have subsequently recorded a Christmas album - Christmas with the Fizz and their third album Smoke & Mirrors was released on 6 March 2020, helmed again by Mike Stock. Original member Bobby G continued up until 2018 as Bucks Fizz with the line-up of Heidi Manton, Tammy Choat and Paul Yates. There have been 16 members of
8340-425: The UK achieved its third win in 1976 with Brotherhood of Man and " Save Your Kisses for Me ", who won with 164 points, which would remain the highest points total for ten years. In 1977, the UK finished second for the tenth time, represented by singer-songwriters Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran . The UK's fourth victory came in 1981, with Bucks Fizz and " Making Your Mind Up ". The group was created especially for
8479-426: The UK and Ireland on 3 April 2015. The show was watched by 1.89 million viewers in the United Kingdom with a market share of 9.5%. Additionally, several British conductors have conducted for other countries (not counting instances where a British musical director had to step in for another country that didn't bring their own conductor), including: Each participating broadcaster in the Eurovision Song Contest assigns
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#17327906977728618-646: The UK charts. The UK's second victory was provided by the Scottish singer Lulu , who won with the song " Boom Bang-a-Bang " in 1969, in a four-way tie with France, Spain and the Netherlands. Another established performer, she had previously topped the US Billboard Hot 100 with " To Sir with Love " in 1967. Having finished second on three further occasions in the 1970s – with Mary Hopkin in 1970, The New Seekers in 1972 and The Shadows in 1975 –
8757-596: The UK in Copenhagen under her mononym Molly. In the final, she performed the song " Children of the Universe ", which she co-wrote with Anders Hansson and finished in 17th place with 40 points, having been regarded as one of the favourites to win the contest. In October 2014, Guy Freeman stated that the BBC were still engaging with record companies and the BBC Introducing platform in order to find an entry for
8896-440: The UK in 2024 and finished 18th, receiving 46 points, all from the juries. On 24 January 2024, the BBC announced that a number of series' tender rights would be put up for auction as part of the corporation's "Competitive Tender" policy, allowing third-parties to bid on producing the programme. The UK's participation in the 2025 contest was confirmed on 25 July 2024. On 9 August 2024, it was announced that BBC Studios had retained
9035-452: The UK televised selection contest, A Song for Europe (a programme which in later years would be renamed to Making Your Mind Up ). At Eurovision in Dublin, they defeated Germany's Lena Valaitis by four points. The group went on to continued success, with 13 UK top 40 hits over the next five years. This would be the last UK win for 16 years, although the country continued to be competitive at
9174-629: The United Kingdom in the contest: Although the United Kingdom was entered twice into Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest , with Cliff Richard 's 1968 runner-up entry " Congratulations " and Brotherhood of Man 's 1976 winning song " Save Your Kisses for Me ", the BBC decided not to air the event or participate in the voting, but instead aired an hour-long special programme in May 2006, titled Boom Bang-a-Bang: 50 Years of Eurovision and hosted by Terry Wogan . The programme featured archive footage and highlights of past contests, along with
9313-464: The album nor "Golden Days" dented the top 40. As Christmas 1984 came around, the group embarked on another UK tour and released the album's title single , a minor hit that reached No. 34. On 11 December 1984, while on tour and returning from a sold-out gig in Newcastle , the group's tour bus was extensively damaged after colliding with an articulated lorry. While no one was killed, several members of
9452-525: The best result achieved by the UK since 1998, earning the most points in the jury vote, and the most points ever received for a UK entry. Ryder also won the Marcel Bezençon Award in the Press category, becoming the first ever UK act to receive the award since its inception in 2002. He was praised by the media for his positive attitude and desire to change the UK public and press' perception of
9591-492: The birth of the modern pop music industry, including in country , blues , and hillbilly music . According to the website of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , the term "pop music" "originated in Britain in the mid-1950s as a description for rock and roll and the new youth music styles that it influenced". The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that while pop's "earlier meaning meant concerts appealing to
9730-475: The charts and became their third number-one single. With this they became the first British group of the 1980s to score three number ones within a year. Further success followed in May with the group's second studio album, Are You Ready , which went Gold and became their first top-ten album. This album received particularly good reviews, including a 10-out-of-10 rating in Smash Hits . Attempting diversity,
9869-442: The contest each year, the BBC also organises the selection process for the entry, often with a televised national final (historically titled A Song for Europe ). The process has varied between selecting both performer and song, or just the song, with the artist being selected internally. For most years the public has been able to vote for the winner, in the past with postcard voting, where the viewers sent postcards with their vote to
10008-400: The contest in 1959, the UK achieved the first of its record sixteen runner-up positions, when Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson sang " Sing Little Birdie ". The UK would go on to achieve four more second-place finishes with Bryan Johnson in 1960, The Allisons in 1961, Matt Monro in 1964 and Kathy Kirby in 1965, before eventually winning for the first time in 1967. Sandie Shaw was already
10147-488: The contest is the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The country has won the contest five times: in 1967 , with " Puppet on a String " performed by Sandie Shaw ; in 1969 (a four-way tie), with " Boom Bang-a-Bang " by Lulu ; in 1976 , with " Save Your Kisses for Me " by Brotherhood of Man ; in 1981 , with " Making Your Mind Up " by Bucks Fizz ; and in 1997 , with " Love Shine
10286-452: The contest with four more second-place results during this time. In 1988, Scott Fitzgerald lost to Celine Dion , who was representing Switzerland, by just one point. In 1989, Live Report lost out to Yugoslavia by seven points. Michael Ball in 1992, also finished second, behind Linda Martin of Ireland. The 1993 entry, Sonia , had already had ten UK top 30 hits, including a 1989 number one with " You'll Never Stop Me Loving You ", when she
10425-455: The contest, but withdrew due to her nationality being Australian. Patricia Bredin was the first performer to represent the UK at Eurovision, finishing seventh in 1957. The UK was the first choice to stage the third contest in 1958, however following a failure to reach an agreement from various artistic unions, the BBC withdrew its bid in the summer of 1957 and the UK did not enter for the second and last time to date. At their second attempt in
10564-542: The contest. The BBC continued its partnership with TaP Music for the 2023 contest, after the success of 2022. However, they were unable to replicate the previous year's success, with Mae Muller and her entry " I Wrote a Song " finishing in 25th place on home soil in Liverpool , with 24 points in total. Later that year, TaP Music announced that it would end its partnership with the BBC. Former Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander and his song " Dizzy " represented
10703-484: The contest. Since 2017, the votes from a professional jury panel have been combined with the public vote to select the winner. The televised selection process was suspended again in September 2019, with the BBC returning to internally selecting its entry (in partnership with BMG in 2020 and 2021, and with TaP Music in 2022 and 2023). Below is a list of all songs and their respective performers that have represented
10842-413: The crew were badly injured, including all the members of Bucks Fizz. Bobby G was treated for whiplash, Jay Aston was hospitalised for back injuries and severe head pains and Cheryl Baker broke three vertebrae in her spine , but it was Mike Nolan who suffered the worst injuries. Nolan's head was badly injured with internal bleeding and he fell into a coma. After an operation, he was reported to have died on
10981-775: The decade, it was common for pop producers, songwriters, and engineers to freely experiment with musical form, orchestration , unnatural reverb , and other sound effects. Some of the best known examples are Phil Spector 's Wall of Sound and Joe Meek 's use of homemade electronic sound effects for acts like the Tornados . At the same time, pop music on radio and in both American and British film moved away from refined Tin Pan Alley to more eccentric songwriting and incorporated reverb-drenched electric guitar, symphonic strings, and horns played by groups of properly arranged and rehearsed studio musicians. A 2019 study held by New York University in which 643 participants had to rank how familiar
11120-478: The earlier 'A Song for Europe' contest in 1977; subsequently performing the same routine on 'Top of the Pops' after failing to win the competition. On 11 March, A Song for Europe took place with the then unknown Bucks Fizz competing against well-known act Liquid Gold , as well as Hill and Martin's own group, Gem. "Making Your Mind Up" became an easy winner and the group recorded the song with Hill as producer. Later in
11259-563: The early 2010s and later inspiring other highly influential artists including Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift , it gave space to a more sad and moody tone within pop music. United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest The United Kingdom has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 66 times. Its first participation was at the second contest , in 1957, and it has entered every year since 1959 . The British participant broadcaster in
11398-531: The final of that year's edition ended. Since the introduction of the Big Four/Five, the United Kingdom has finished last in the contest five times, with Germany finishing last four times. The United Kingdom also has the fewest top ten results of the Big Five in the 21st century, but has achieved more top five results than Spain, having reached the top five in 2002, 2009 and 2022. As well as broadcasting
11537-400: The first high definition broadcast of the contest began in 2007 when the contest was simulcast on BBC HD for the first time (this continued until the channel's closure). Outside the UK, the final was broadcast by BBC Prime from its launch in 1995 and continued to 2006; it was previously aired by its predecessor BBC World Service Television from 1992 and on BBC TV Europe in 1991. The final
11676-417: The fourth Bucks Fizz single. Titled " The Land of Make Believe ", the song was produced by Hill and featured a strong melody. Released in November, it hit the charts and by Christmas was in the top five. In January 1982, it overtook The Human League 's " Don't You Want Me " to reach No.1. It stayed there for two weeks and remained in the UK charts for 16 weeks, becoming the group's best-selling single and one of
11815-578: The genre evolved more influences ranging from classical , folk , rock , country , electronic music , and other popular genres became more prominent. In 2016, a Scientific Reports study that examined over 464,000 recordings of popular music recorded between 1955 and 2010 found that, compared to 1960s pop music, contemporary pop music uses a smaller variety of pitch progressions, greater average volume, less diverse instrumentation and recording techniques, and less timbral variety. Scientific American ' s John Matson reported that this "seems to support
11954-422: The group "David Van Day's Bucks Fizz Show". This group however was short-lived and soon Van Day returned to performing as Dollar . This chapter of the group's history has been referred to as one of the "messiest break-ups in music history". In 2004, BMG Records released all of Bucks Fizz's original studio albums on compact disc , which renewed interest in the group. In 2005, BBC viewers were invited to vote on
12093-426: The group since its formation in 1980. Bucks Fizz operated as a trio between 1990 and 1993. The only constant member and owner of the legal rights to use the name of the group was Robert Gubby ( a.k.a. Bobby G ). [REDACTED] Media related to Bucks Fizz at Wikimedia Commons Pop music Identifying factors of pop music usually include repeated choruses and hooks , short to medium-length songs written in
12232-540: The group's Greatest Hits album, which, despite reaching the top thirty and remaining on the charts for three months, fell short of expectations. Early in 1984, the group decided to take time out of the public eye, fearing overexposure for their recent downward trend and instead concentrating on recording in Switzerland. In May, they embarked on a 40-date tour of the UK, selling out many venues. In August they revealed their new look and new harder-edged rock sound with
12371-464: The group's manager, Hill as producer and Martin as co-songwriter, they worked with record company A&R head Bill Kimber to continue the group's success, determined that they would not become another Eurovision one-hit wonder . A follow-up single was recorded amid promotional tours and the group's image was revamped. In May, the single " Piece of the Action " was released. The song boasted a contemporary pop sound and high production values, in contrast to
12510-409: The home. By the early 1980s, the promotion of pop music had been greatly affected by the rise of music television channels like MTV , which "favoured those artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna who had a strong visual appeal". Multi-track recording (from the 1960s) and digital sampling (from the 1980s) have also been used as methods for the creation and elaboration of pop music. During
12649-451: The jury vote with 99 points and 20th in the televote with 12 points. In 2018 , " Storm " by SuRie was selected by the public to represent the UK. Her performance during the final was marred by an invader who ran onstage halfway through the song and grabbed her microphone, interrupting her performance; however, she was able to complete her performance. She finished in 24th with a combined score of 48. Michael Rice 's song " Bigger than Us "
12788-414: The late 1970s and would not reemerge until the rise of Internet stars. Indie pop , which developed in the late 1970s, marked another departure from the glamour of contemporary pop music, with guitar bands formed on the then-novel premise that one could record and release their own music without having to procure a record contract from a major label. The 1980s are commonly remembered for an increase in
12927-400: The late 2010s Bucks Fizz continued performing live as well as another line-up performing under the name the Fizz . Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston achieved comeback success under this name, recording their first studio album in thirty years with record producer and songwriter Mike Stock of Stock Aitken Waterman fame. The F-Z of Pop , the group's comeback album reached the top 30 in
13066-401: The late 20th century that became global superstars include Whitney Houston , Michael Jackson , Madonna , George Michael , and Prince . At the beginning of the 2000s, the trends that dominated during the late 1990s still continued, but the music industry started to change as people began to download music from the internet. People were able to discover genres and artists that were outside of
13205-411: The lead, although they remained close throughout. Ultimately, Bucks Fizz won the contest by a margin of four points, beating Germany into second place. "Making Your Mind Up" became a major hit around the continent, reaching No.1 in the UK as well as eight other countries. It charted highly in other countries such as Australia , eventually selling four million copies worldwide. With Shirley remaining as
13344-501: The main purpose of pop music is to create revenue. It is not a medium of free articulation of the people. Instead, pop music seeks to supply the nature of personal desire and achieve the instant empathy with cliche personalities, stereotypes, and melodrama that appeals to listeners. It is mostly about how much revenue pop music makes for record companies. Music scholar Timothy Warner said pop music typically has an emphasis on recording, production, and technology, rather than live performance;
13483-514: The mainstream and propel them to fame, but at the same time smaller artists had a harder time making a living because their music was being pirated. Popular artists were Avril Lavigne , Justin Timberlake , NSYNC , Christina Aguilera , Destiny's Child , and Britney Spears . Pop music often came from many different genres, with each genre in turn influencing the next one, blurring the lines between them and making them less distinct. This change
13622-587: The male members of the group ripped the female members' outer skirts off to reveal much shorter mini-skirts beneath (in line with the part of the lyrics "...if you want to see some more"). The group went on to have a successful career around the world (although they were commercially unsuccessful in the United States), but the UK remained their biggest market, where they had three No.1 singles with " Making Your Mind Up " (1981), " The Land of Make Believe " (1981) and " My Camera Never Lies " (1982) and became one of
13761-448: The manner in which pop has been disseminated", which helped to move pop music to "a record/radio/film star system". Another technological change was the widespread availability of television in the 1950s with televised performances, which meant that "pop stars had to have a visual presence". In the 1960s, the introduction of inexpensive, portable transistor radios meant that teenagers in the developed world could listen to music outside of
13900-403: The mid-1960s, pop music made repeated forays into new sounds, styles, and techniques that inspired public discourse among its listeners. The word "progressive" was frequently used, and it was thought that every song and single was to be a "progression" from the last. Music critic Simon Reynolds writes that beginning with 1967, a divide would exist between "progressive" pop and "mass/chart" pop,
14039-423: The moment where the girls' skirts are ripped off halfway through – only to reveal shorter skirts underneath (in line with the part of the lyrics "... when you see some more"). The routine itself was choreographed by Chrissie Wickham, a former member of dance troupe Hot Gossip , although Martin, Baker and Aston have all since laid claim to the skirt-rip idea, Martin had used a similar idea when 'Rags' had taken part in
14178-512: The moniker "Bucks Fizz", despite never having been a member of the hit-making line-up. By this time, G and co-star (and now wife), Heidi Manton had acquired the legal rights to the name "Bucks Fizz", and brought a case in the High Court against Van Day, at this point Fox and Price hastily left the group Bucks Fizz as a registered UK trade mark was filed in favour of Manton on 25 June 1997 and then registered in 2001 in classes 09 and 41. In 2001,
14317-460: The month it was released as a single and entered the charts at No.24. By the time the contest was staged, the single had risen to No.2. On 4 April, Bucks Fizz represented United Kingdom in the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest , which was held in Dublin . Although they were favourites to win, the song faced stiff competition, and early votes were poor. Halfway through the voting process, Bucks Fizz took
14456-435: The most memorable Eurovision moments ever. Bucks Fizz won with the " Making Your Mind Up " skirt-rip routine. A double CD collection of all the group's hits on both RCA and Polydor, The Ultimate Anthology , came out that summer. In 2006 and 2008, two albums The Lost Masters and The Lost Masters 2 were released. These were made up of previously-unreleased Bucks Fizz material and were well received by fans. In early 2009,
14595-421: The music that appears on record charts is considered to be pop music, the genre is distinguished from chart music . David Hatch and Stephen Millward describe pop music as "a body of music which is distinguishable from popular, jazz, and folk music". David Boyle, a music researcher, states pop music as any type of music that a person has been exposed to by the mass media. Most individuals think that pop music
14734-473: The next six months. The effects of the crash remain with him today, including epilepsy , short-term memory loss and a 50% loss of vision in both eyes. Following this, Baker and Nolan helped set up the HeadFirst charity for crash victims suffering head injuries. On 12 December 2009, the original Bucks Fizz (Nolan, Baker and Aston) played a benefit concert for HeadFirst at Newcastle City Hall to commemorate
14873-408: The operating table but placed on a life support machine. He remained in a coma for three days whilst the British press kept Bucks Fizz on the front-page headlines. Surgeon Anthony Strong at Newcastle General Hospital said that Nolan's condition was critical. On 15 December, it was reported that Nolan awoke from his coma with the words "I'm all right". Following this, Nolan was ordered not to work for
15012-802: The pop music styles that developed alongside other music styles is Latin pop , which rose in popularity in the US during the 1950s with early rock and roll success Ritchie Valens . Later, Los Lobos and Chicano rock gained in popularity during the 1970s and 1980s, and musician Selena saw large-scale popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, along with crossover appeal with fans of Tejano musicians Lydia Mendoza and Little Joe . With later Hispanic and Latino Americans seeing success within pop music charts, 1990s pop successes stayed popular in both their original genres and in broader pop music. Latin pop hit singles, such as " Macarena " by Los del Río and " Despacito " by Luis Fonsi , have seen record-breaking success on worldwide pop music charts. Notable pop artists of
15151-400: The popular anecdotal observation that pop music of yore was "better", or at least more varied, than today's top-40 stuff". However, he also noted that the study may not have been entirely representative of pop in each generation. In the 1960s, the majority of mainstream pop music fell in two categories: guitar, drum and bass groups or singers backed by a traditional orchestra. Since early in
15290-447: The position (which she didn't). At the end of these auditions, Martin had found a male singer, Stephen Fischer and female, Jay Aston . Unsure of which female vocalist to use, she ultimately decided to use both Baker and Aston as she felt their vocals complemented each other and Martin stepped down from the group in order to team up with Hill for another line-up as they had two songs in the competition. Fischer then became unavailable as he
15429-597: The programme's live airing. In February 2019, the BBC launched Eurovision Calling , a weekly BBC Sounds podcast hosted by Mills and comedian Jayde Adams . In January 2023, the BBC launched Eurovisioncast , a weekly podcast produced by the BBC News podcast team ahead of the 2023 contest in Liverpool, hosted by Måns Zelmerlöw , Nina Warhurst , BBC News Eurovision reporter Daniel Rosney and BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Ngunan Adamu, and broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Merseyside. On 20 January 2022, it
15568-697: The promotion of their Spanish album. They performed in the music festival Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar , which was broadcast in Chile and many countries in South America, as well as in Spain. In the UK, chart success continued with the release of the hit singles " If You Can't Stand the Heat " and "Run for Your Life" . The group's third studio album, Hand Cut , was released in March 1983, becoming another top-twenty hit and certified silver by
15707-469: The public vote, the second lowest public score, following 0 to the Czech Republic. In spite of the disappointing result, the BBC announced the national final format would be retained for 2017. Six acts again participated in the final, which was held on 27 January 2017. It was broadcast on BBC Two as opposed to BBC Four the previous year, and the winner was determined by a combination of scores from
15846-503: The reasons pop can be hard to summarize is because there’s no real sonic or musical definition to it. There are common elements to a lot of the biggest pop songs, but at the end of the day, "pop" means "popular" first and foremost, and just about any song that becomes popular enough...can be considered a pop song. In the 1940s, improved microphone design allowed a more intimate singing style and, ten or twenty years later, inexpensive and more durable 45 rpm records for singles "revolutionized
15985-416: The rule remained in place. In the same year, the BBC defended using money from TV licence fee payers for the contest when Liberal Democrat MP Richard Younger-Ross had tabled a Commons motion which called on the corporation to withdraw its £173,000 funding for the annual contest. Former Eurovision commentator Sir Terry Wogan, that same year, also claimed that the show is "no longer a music contest" after
16124-527: The single "Talking in Your Sleep" . The break proved to be advantageous, as this single returned the group to the UK top 20, peaking at No. 15. The follow-up single " Golden Days " was released alongside group's fourth studio album, I Hear Talk . The group had recorded " What’s Love Got To Do With It " for inclusion on the album, but the track was omitted when Tina Turner released her version first. The group saw their fortunes tumble once again, as neither
16263-508: The song " Come Back ", and Jade Ewen in 2009, who was praised for ending the country's poor run of results for much of the decade, by finishing fifth with the song " It's My Time ". In 2003, the UK finished last in the final for the first time with the duo Jemini , who received the infamous nul points . The country then finished last on two further occasions over the next seven years, with Andy Abraham , who received 14 points in 2008, and Josh Dubovie , who received 10 points in 2010. In 2011,
16402-423: The song " Where Are You? ", losing to Israel's Dana International . The UK would not finish in the top two again for 24 years. The UK has fared less well in the contest in the 21st century. After girl-group Precious finished 12th in 1999, the UK regularly placed in the bottom half of the scoreboard, with a few exceptions. In the 2000s, those exceptions were Jessica Garlick in 2002, who finished joint third with
16541-438: The tender to produce the live UK coverage for two years starting in May 2026. In the event that the UK wins during the life of this tender, as host broadcaster, the BBC will run a separate tender to select the producer of the global event. In 1999 , a rule change allowed the United Kingdom, along with France , Germany , and Spain , to automatically qualify for the final (irrespective of their recent scores and without entering
16680-399: The term "pop music" was increasingly used in opposition to the term rock music, a division that gave generic significance to both terms. While rock aspired to authenticity and an expansion of the possibilities of popular music, pop was more commercial, ephemeral, and accessible. According to British musicologist Simon Frith , pop music is produced "as a matter of enterprise not art", and
16819-419: The term's definition. According to music writer Bill Lamb, popular music is defined as "the music since industrialization in the 1800s that is most in line with the tastes and interests of the urban middle class." The term "pop song" was first used in 1926, in the sense of a piece of music "having popular appeal". Hatch and Millward indicate that many events in the history of recording in the 1920s can be seen as
16958-405: The top-selling groups of the 1980s. They also had UK Top 10 hits with " Now Those Days Are Gone " (1982), " If You Can't Stand the Heat " (1982), " When We Were Young " (1983) and " New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) " (1986). Bucks Fizz have sold over 50 million records worldwide. The line-up of the group has changed a number of times over the years, most famously when Jay Aston quit the group in 1985 and
17097-669: The top-selling singles of the decade. It also reached No.1 in the Netherlands and Ireland and became the group's best-selling single in Germany. The song has since been hailed as a 1980s classic and is regarded as the group's best song by some critics. Early in 1982, the group were awarded 'best group' at the Daily Mirror Rock and Pop awards ceremony and received a nomination at the Brit awards . In March they released their fifth single, " My Camera Never Lies ", which swiftly climbed
17236-552: The two failed to gel. In 1997, Van Day quit the group after a show in the Falkland Islands . Unable to come to an agreement with G, Van Day teamed up with Mike Nolan and two new female recruits (Lianna Lea and Sally Jacks) to form a new version of Bucks Fizz. Unhappy with the situation, G put an injunction on the name, resulting in the second group to go under the name; "Bucks Fizz starring Mike Nolan and featuring David Van Day". Under Van Day's guidance, this version released
17375-629: The use of digital recording , associated with the usage of synthesizers , with synth-pop music and other electronic genres featuring non-traditional instruments increasing in popularity. By 2014, pop music worldwide had been permeated by electronic dance music . In 2018, researchers at the University of California, Irvine , concluded that pop music has become 'sadder' since the 1980s. The elements of happiness and brightness have eventually been replaced with electronic beats making pop music more 'sad yet danceable'. Pop music has been dominated by
17514-607: The years 1989–1991, 1993, and 1997–2006. A simulcast of the 2002 contest was broadcast on BBC Choice with alternative commentary by Jenny Eclair . This was the first time the BBC had provided three different commentary options, the second was in 2023. For the 2023 contest, additional coverage of all three shows was broadcast on BBC iPlayer with British Sign Language interpretation; in 2024, this coverage moved to BBC Red Button . From 2004 to 2015, and again in 2022, both semi-finals were broadcast on BBC Three . During BBC Three's tenure as an online only channel, semi-final coverage
17653-558: Was announced that the BBC would move its coverage of the contest from London to Salford . This therefore means that spokespersons in contests from 2022 onwards would announce the points of the British national jury live from Dock10 in Salford. For several years, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has campaigned for a place in the Eurovision Song Contest for Scotland but had been rejected numerous times, as Scotland
17792-433: Was appearing in a musical at the time and Martin hired another auditionee, Bobby G for the group. The four members came together for the first time on 11 January 1981. Jill Shirley, with whom Martin had been in a group called Rags who had appeared in the 1977 'A Song for Europe' contest (placing fourth), agreed to manage the group. During rehearsals, a dance routine was devised for the song which went on to become famous for
17931-412: Was broadcast on BBC Four . In 2023, the semi-finals and final were broadcast on BBC One, BBC Radio 2 , and BBC Radio Merseyside , with the latter providing alternative Liverpudlian commentary by Claire Sweeney and Paul Quinn (chosen as part of the station's "The Voice of Eurovision" talent search campaign) for the final. In August 2023, it was confirmed that the semi-finals would remain on BBC One for
18070-457: Was epitomized in Spears' highly influential 2007 album Blackout , which under the influence of producer Danja , mixed the sounds of EDM , avant-funk , R&B , dance music , and hip hop . By 2010, pop music impacted by dance music came to be dominant on the charts. Instead of radio setting the trends, it was now the club. At the beginning of the 2010s, Will.i.am stated, "The new bubble
18209-460: Was keen to point out that they were never friends. Aston was sued by management over breach of contract while a replacement member was quickly sought to continue promotion for the current single. Auditions were held at the Prince of Wales Theatre , where 800 girls were seen. Eventually, 21-year-old Shelley Preston was given the job. In early 1986, the group's contract with RCA Records expired and
18348-489: Was later revealed by the EBU in January 2017 to be a myth created by fans of the contest. The EBU further went on to explain that the Festival of British Popular Songs , a contest created by the BBC for the United Kingdom, was the inspiration that brought in format changes to the contest elements from 1957 onwards. However, it's also believed that the United Kingdom had selected Shirley Abicair to perform "Little Ship" at
18487-492: Was nothing to prevent Scotland from submitting its own entry, although STV stated that there were no current plans for a separate entry. If Scotland were to participate, it is unknown whether or not England , Wales and Northern Ireland would show any interest in entering the Eurovision Song Contest independently as well, although S4C (the Welsh language media channel) has expressed an interest and, in addition, already holds
18626-410: Was replaced by Graham Norton from 2009. The final of the contest has been broadcast by BBC One (previously BBC Television Service and BBC TV) since the first contest in 1956, the first live colour transmission of the contest in the United Kingdom was the Eurovision Song Contest 1970 (though the 1968 contest had been repeated in colour on BBC Two the day after the live telecast on BBC One), and
18765-437: Was replaced by Shelley Preston . Bobby G's official version of Bucks Fizz has been almost inactive since 2018, while another group, the Fizz , continues with other Bucks Fizz alumni. In late 1980, Nichola Martin and Andy Hill sought to create a new group to enter their song " Making Your Mind Up " in the Eurovision Song Contest. The first member to be recruited was Mike Nolan , who was known to Martin. Together, they recorded
18904-443: Was selected by the public to represent the UK in 2019. It finished in 26th place in the final after amassing 11 points, marking the fourth time since the turn of the century that the UK had finished last. Ahead of the 2020 contest, the BBC stated that it would return to internally selecting its representative, in collaboration with record label BMG . James Newman was chosen as the entrant with his song " My Last Breath "; however,
19043-529: Was selected to represent the UK in Millstreet . She finished second to Ireland's Niamh Kavanagh , who won by 23 points. Despite only finishing eighth in the 1996 contest, Gina G went on to huge success with her entry " Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit ", which became only the second non-winning UK entry to top the UK Singles Chart. It also reached the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100 and received
19182-515: Was to remain part of the UK, and the aforementioned BBC retains exclusive rights to represent the UK, including Scotland. Since 2006, Gibraltar has been attempting to gain EBU membership through broadcaster Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) and thus participate independently in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, GBC cannot obtain EBU membership due to the British Overseas Territories not being independent from
19321-489: Was unknown what would happen if Scotland were to become an independent country. On 25 November 2013, the Scottish government released a referendum blueprint, which detailed plans for the transfer of BBC Scotland into a Scottish Broadcasting Service (SBS) and EBU membership, as well as participation in competitions, including Scottish entries in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the referendum result on 18 September 2014
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