Grantland

Engelbert Humperdinck

Resize Font: A- A+

GRADING THE CHARTS

Grading the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest Finals!

By Molly Lambert at

Eurovision is the world's biggest singing competition. Its finals were held this weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan. Below are the 26 finalists. And Grantland's Molly Lambert graded them all.

1. Engelbert Humperdinck, "Love Will Set You Free" (England)

Eurovision is all about schmaltz, and who does schmaltz better than Engelbert Humperdinck? From his Wikipedia page: "Humperdinck's easygoing style and good looks, a contrast to Tom Jones's energetic and overtly sexual style, earned Humperdinck a large following among women. His hardcore female fans, who included the young Princess Anne, called themselves 'Humperdinckers.'" This ballad is all about the crucial key change two and a half minutes in.
Grade: B+
Best YouTube Comment: "it's not Engelbert's fault they lose the contest. He just singing REAL MUSIC but kids these days just love deep shits" — s19971997

Top Stories

MOST POPULAR

  1. Rating the lead singers of active bands in 2013
  2. Jonah Keri ranks the MLB teams
  3. A not-so-brief conversation with Damon Lindelof, the writer behind 'Lost,' 'Prometheus,' and 'Star T
  4. The Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Round 2 of the NHL playoffs
  5. The excellence of Matt Harvey and the misery of the Mets