Space Man crowned ‘Ultimate 21st Century Eurovision Song’

Radio 2 listeners have voted the Sam Ryder track their favourite of the past 25 years…

Radio 2 has revealed that Space Man by Sam Ryder – the UK’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 – has topped the chart in Your Ultimate 21st Century Eurovision Song, as voted for by the listeners.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2:

“We know how much Eurovision means to the Radio 2 listeners so to kick off the celebrations, head to BBC Sounds now to hear this fantastic show and all our other special programming ahead of Radio 2’s Eurovision Super Saturday on Saturday 17th May!”

With tens of thousands of votes cast by music fans, Euphoria by Loreen (2012) is in second place, Rise Like A Phoenix by Conchita Wurst (2014) is in third place, Fairytale by Alexander Rybak (2009) is in fourth, and Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä (2023) rounded off the top five.

The vote gave listeners the opportunity to ‘make their mind up’ and cast up to five votes from a list of 67 songs which featured all the winning Eurovision songs from 2000-2024, plus a selection of other memorable entries drawn from the last 25 years of the contest, as chosen by our panel of Eurovision experts. The Top 40 features in this special show, Your Ultimate Eurovision Song, hosted by Radio 2 presenter and lifelong Eurovision superfan, Michelle Visage.

It is now available on BBC Sounds, ahead of its broadcast on Radio 2 on Saturday 17 May (3-5pm), when all the shows that day will be building the excitement to the Grand Final that night in Basel, Switzerland.

“Radio 2’s celebration of Eurovision launches today on BBC Sounds which will also feature Your Ultimate 21st Century Eurovision Song – The Extras, an hour-long bonus playlist featuring some of the songs that didn’t make the Top 40, plus Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Eurovision Kitchen Disco Special, and Rylan and Scott Mills’ Pop Top 10s: Eurovision Icons with guest Duncan James, and more.” – BBC Radio 2