On a recent visit to a charity shop I spotted a compilation CD with the dull but (mostly) factually correct title "Swedish Pop Music". Further inspection revealed that it was issued by the Swedish government in 2009 to mark the Swedish Presidency of the EU.
Not the most compelling reason to buy the album perhaps but when I saw it included the likes of Lykke Li, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives and Maia Hirasawa (whose video for "And I Found This Boy" is a thing of pure joy that has featured here many times over the years) I decided it was worth investing 50p.
Most of the tracks on the album are Noughties indie-tinged pop, some of which are included in the videos below. But there are two that really don't fit at all. Needless to say, those are the two that you are getting. And before you ask - yes, it's that Benny.
"Cirkus Finemang" - Benny Andersson's Orkester
"Leksands Skänklåt" - Kebnekasje
That Benny is a god.
ReplyDeleteI listened to about 90 seconds of that first track. It then dawned on me I could switch it off. 83 seconds of track 2.
ReplyDeleteProving that contrary to what you claimed at Rol's place yesterday you don't HAVE to listen to every song all the way through.
DeleteI hope there was some Jens Lekman on there.
ReplyDeleteOn your two selections, I kept waiting for the singing to start.
That Maia Hirasawa song is great though. And I really need to check out some more Hello Saferide.
There wasn't but that is probably because he didn't release any new music in 2009. Hard to believe from the two tracks I shared but everything on the compilation was current at the time it was released.
DeleteI like Lykke Li. A lot. I read a review of the Soundtrack of our Lives way back in the mid 00s and went tearing down to a record shop to buy what sounded like the greatest rock n roll album of the 21st century- and unfortunately it wasn't. I mean it was alright but not much more than that
ReplyDeleteSweden isn't in the Americas. Oh, I see.........
ReplyDeleteI liked the poppy Hello Saferide track - I wonder if they asked them to do a Swedish language version of it considering they were issuing it on a CD celebrating Sweden's presidency of the EU. Just an idea.
Discovered this interesting fact a while back: Excluding the UK, Sweden is the European country to have had the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
ReplyDeleteThe Swedes punch above their weight when in comes to pop music (although I doubt if any of the above became global No. 1 hits).
I didn't know that but it instinctively sounds right. I imagine the likes of ABBA and Roxette had a few each but I can't immediately think of any other European acts that might have had multiple #1s in the US. Daft Punk maybe?
DeleteThere was also Ace Of Base and Blue Swede. Here is what I found out when I wrote about the music of Sweden (a cut and paste from my blog).
DeleteAbba are the second most successful group ever after the Beatles in terms of record sales.
Excluding the UK, Sweden is the European country to have had the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – Songs by Blue Swede (written about here before), Abba, Roxette (with four) and Ace of Base.
Songwriters/Producers Denniz Pop and his protegé Max Martin from Cheiron Studios are behind many of the big hits recorded by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, Katy Perry and Pink. Only Paul McCartney and John Lennon have written more Billboard No. 1 hits than Max Martin.
Sweden has won the Eurovision Song Contest six times, only one less than record holders Ireland. (It's now 7 times.)
Such has been its success abroad, clubs specialising in Swedish dance music have sprung up in major cities like Berlin, Barcelona and London.
Other well-known Swedish names not already mentioned above include: Avicii, Europe, Neneh and Eagle Eye Cherry, Swedish House Mafia, First Aid Kit, The Cardigans, Robyn, Dr Alban, Sylvia, Harpo, Wannadies, The Hives and Eric Prydz.
The Swedish Tourist Board would be proud of you
DeleteKom till Sverige och lyssna på vår musik!
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