My Number One
Encyclopedia
As Greece had finished the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest
in third place, the song was pre-qualified for the final in 2005. Thus, it was performed nineteenth on the night, following Croatia
's Boris Novković
and Lado with "Vukovi umiru sami
" and preceding Russia
's Natalia Podolskaya
with "Nobody Hurt No One
".
During the performance, Elena did a stage show of the song. Some of the best remembered visuals from the show include her dancing a traditional Greek Pontian
dance, and her playing an imaginary lyra while her dancers pick her up. At the close of voting, it had received 230 points, finishing at the head of a 24-strong field.
At the Congratulations
special in late 2005, the song was named as one of the five greatest Contest entries of all time, earning the 4th place in ESC
history.
"My Number One" also held 2 Eurovision records:
. People went out onto the streets with Greek flags, and started singing "My Number One", as well as honking car horns. This was similar to when Greece won the 2004 Eurocup
, 2005 Eurobasket
and when Greece won the silver medal in the 2006 FIBA World Championship
. When Elena arrived back to Greece from Kiev
, mass crowds met her at the Athens International Airport, where she held up a Greek flag and the trophy.
After the Eurovision Victory, the video for the song was released in several countries throughout Europe. It went to number one in both Sweden and Greece for 4 weeks and was certified gold
in both countries. The song was played constantly in Greece all through the summer. The success of the single is credited to the popular remix from Chris "The Greek" Panaghi which Sony (Greece) commissioned for the remix.
After the release of "My Number One", a Swedish album followed which contained "My Number One" and in Greece Elena re-released her first album Protereotita
featuring "My Number One" and the other songs in the running for Eurovision pre-selection. It has sold over 90,000 copies in Greece and was certified double platinum.
In 2006 the heavy metal
band Dream Evil
recorded a tongue-in-cheek
cover of the song for their album United
.
In 2009, "My Number One" made its way to the PlayStation 3
karaoke game, Singstar
, as a downloadable content
. It was previously released in the Swedish version of the game, but it is the first time it has become accessible to players from all over Europe. It is also the first time that a song from a Greek singer is included in the Singstar
game.
In early 2006, it was announced that "My Number One" and "Mambo!
" would be remixed and released in the United States by Moda Records
. On August 22, a maxi CD single was released to record stores, featuring 10 remixes, and the original song; the mixes were also released as digital downloads on June 4. The song peaked on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
chart at number 8 and number 25 on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales. In September 2006, the Georgie’s #1 Radio Anthem Mix was added to popular American retailer Abercrombie & Fitch
's store playlist nationwide.
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
in third place, the song was pre-qualified for the final in 2005. Thus, it was performed nineteenth on the night, following Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
's Boris Novković
Boris Novkovic
Boris Novković is a Croatian pop singer. Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in the former Yugoslavia, his interest in a musical career was cultivated by his family background, with a mother who taught music, and a father, Đorđe Novković, who was a leading Croatian songwriter and music manager...
and Lado with "Vukovi umiru sami
Vukovi umiru sami
"Vukovi umiru sami" was the Croatian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, performed in Croatian by Boris Novković ....
" and preceding Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's Natalia Podolskaya
Natalia Podolskaya
Natalia Podolskaya is a Belarusian singer that performed for Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest on May 21, 2005 and was ranked #15. In 2008 she became a Russian citizen.-Early years:Natalia was born in 1982 in Mogilev, Belarus...
with "Nobody Hurt No One
Nobody Hurt No One
"Nobody Hurt No One" was the Russian entry in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest, performed in English by Natalia Podolskaya.On the night of the final the song was performed 20th, following Greece's Helena Paparizou with "My Number One" and preceding Bosnia and Herzegovina's Feminnem with "Call Me"...
".
During the performance, Elena did a stage show of the song. Some of the best remembered visuals from the show include her dancing a traditional Greek Pontian
Pontic Greeks
The Pontians are an ethnic group traditionally living in the Pontus region, the shores of Turkey's Black Sea...
dance, and her playing an imaginary lyra while her dancers pick her up. At the close of voting, it had received 230 points, finishing at the head of a 24-strong field.
At the Congratulations
Congratulations (Eurovision)
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest was a television programme organised by the European Broadcasting Union to commemorate the Eurovision Song Contest's fiftieth anniversary and to determine the Contest's most popular entrant of its fifty years. It took place at Forum,...
special in late 2005, the song was named as one of the five greatest Contest entries of all time, earning the 4th place in ESC
ESC
-As an abbreviation:* Ecole Supérieure de Commerce, a business school in the French system of "Grandes Ecoles"* Edison State College* Edmonton Ski Club* Electronic stability control* Electronic Systems Center* Electronic speed control...
history.
"My Number One" also held 2 Eurovision records:
- The first one is that "My Number One" scored an average of only 6.05 points per jury, the second lowest average for a winning song to date. This record was previously held by YugoslaviaYugoslavia in the Eurovision Song ContestYugoslavia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 27 times, debuting in 1961 and competing every year until its last appearance in 1992, with the exceptions of 1977–1980, and 1985...
in 1989Eurovision Song Contest 1989The Eurovision Song Contest 1989 was the 34th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 6 May 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Switzerland gained the hosting rights after Celine Dion's victory in Dublin the previous year. The presenters were Lolita Morena and Jacques Deschenaux. Riva was the winner of...
with the song "Rock Me", and was later broken by Azerbaijan in 2011Eurovision Song Contest 2011The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
with Running Scared, by Ell & Nikki. - The second one "My Number One" held, was the record for most 12 points given out to one country. "My Number One" received 10 12 points, tying it with the UK's 1997Eurovision Song Contest 1997The Eurovision Song Contest 1997, was the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest and it was held at the Point Theatre Dublin, Ireland, on 3 May 1997. Boyzone member Ronan Keating and Carrie Crowley were the presenters of the show....
entry "Love Shine a Light" by Katrina and the WavesKatrina and the WavesKatrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
for the record (Televoting was only in place for 5 countries by 1997). This record was later broken by FairytaleFairytale (Alexander Rybak song)"Fairytale" is a song written and composed by Norwegian violinist/singer Alexander Rybak, and the first single from Rybak's debut album Fairytales...
, the winning song in 2009, which scored 16 12 points out of 41 countries who were allowed to vote for it.
After Eurovision
After Greece won Eurovision, a mass party started on the streets of AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. People went out onto the streets with Greek flags, and started singing "My Number One", as well as honking car horns. This was similar to when Greece won the 2004 Eurocup
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
, 2005 Eurobasket
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
and when Greece won the silver medal in the 2006 FIBA World Championship
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
. When Elena arrived back to Greece from Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, mass crowds met her at the Athens International Airport, where she held up a Greek flag and the trophy.
After the Eurovision Victory, the video for the song was released in several countries throughout Europe. It went to number one in both Sweden and Greece for 4 weeks and was certified gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in both countries. The song was played constantly in Greece all through the summer. The success of the single is credited to the popular remix from Chris "The Greek" Panaghi which Sony (Greece) commissioned for the remix.
After the release of "My Number One", a Swedish album followed which contained "My Number One" and in Greece Elena re-released her first album Protereotita
Protereotita
-Euro Edition :-My Number One :-Protereotita: Euro Edition + Mambo! :-Greek singles:The first single to be released from the original album Protereotita was "Anapandites Kliseis". "Anapantites Kliseis"' was double A-side single with "Treli Kardia." The single peaked at number 1 for a successful 6...
featuring "My Number One" and the other songs in the running for Eurovision pre-selection. It has sold over 90,000 copies in Greece and was certified double platinum.
In 2006 the heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Dream Evil
Dream Evil
Dream Evil is a heavy metal band from Sweden, assembled and integrated by renowned musical producer Fredrik Nordström in 1999.-Biography:Producer Fredrik Nordström had the ambition of creating a power metal band of his own for a long time, but had difficulty finding anyone with musical ideals...
recorded a tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
cover of the song for their album United
United (Dream Evil album)
United is the 4th full length album by the Swedish heavy metal band Dream Evil. This is the first album by Dream Evil since the departures of Gus G...
.
In 2009, "My Number One" made its way to the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
karaoke game, Singstar
SingStar
SingStar is a competitive music video game series for PlayStation consoles, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. 23 English-language instalments of the series have been released for the PlayStation 2, and six versions for the PlayStation 3 have been released...
, as a downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
. It was previously released in the Swedish version of the game, but it is the first time it has become accessible to players from all over Europe. It is also the first time that a song from a Greek singer is included in the Singstar
SingStar
SingStar is a competitive music video game series for PlayStation consoles, developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. 23 English-language instalments of the series have been released for the PlayStation 2, and six versions for the PlayStation 3 have been released...
game.
In early 2006, it was announced that "My Number One" and "Mambo!
Mambo!
"Mambo!" was Helena Paparizou's fifth CD single and the first from her international album The Game of Love. There were two versions of the song; a Greek version and an English version...
" would be remixed and released in the United States by Moda Records
Moda Records
Moda Records is a record label servicing hip hop, urban, rap, dance and pop music artists. Spearheaded by Nicky Kalliongis, Moda Records has been since its inception on the forefront of discovering alternate methods to producing music in addition to directing artists’ careers.-Artists:Anna Vissi,...
. On August 22, a maxi CD single was released to record stores, featuring 10 remixes, and the original song; the mixes were also released as digital downloads on June 4. The song peaked on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart at number 8 and number 25 on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales. In September 2006, the Georgie’s #1 Radio Anthem Mix was added to popular American retailer Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
's store playlist nationwide.
Track listings
- International edition
- "My Number One"–2:58
- "I Don't Want You Here Anymore"–4:09
- German edition
- "My Number One"–2:58
- "I Don't Want You Here Anymore"–4:09
- "O.K."–2:58
- "My Number One" (Music video)
- Swedish edition
- "My Number One"–2:58
- "My Number One" (Instrumental)–2:58
- US edition
- "Josh Harris Radio Mix"–3:38
- "Norty Cotto's My Radio Lover Mix"–3:29
- "Original Radio"–2:55
- "Georgie's #1 Radio Anthem Mix"–3:18
- "Mike Cruz Radio Mix"–4:03
- "Chris "The Greek" Panaghi Radio Mix"–3:35
- "Valentino's Radio Epic Mix"–3:02
- "Josh Harris Vocal Club Mix"–6:53
- "Norty Cotto's My Clubber Lover Mix"–6:57
- "Georgie's #1 Anthem Mix"–7:00
- "Mike Cruz Vox Mix"–9:44
Music video
The music video of "My Number One" premiered in the US in 2006. There were two separate videos. One is the original video, that was also shown in Europe. The second is a re-edited version of the same video, to the beat of the Josh Harris Remix from the CD Single.Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
March 24, 2005 | Sony BMG | |
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
May 4, 2005 | Bonnier Amigo | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
|||
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
May 30, 2005 | ||
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
|||
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Sony BMG | ||
| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
|||
| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
June 6, 2005 | CD single | |
| Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
|||
| Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
June 7, 2005 | ||
| Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
July 1, 2005 | CD Single, digital download | |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
June 4, 2006 | Moda Moda Records Moda Records is a record label servicing hip hop, urban, rap, dance and pop music artists. Spearheaded by Nicky Kalliongis, Moda Records has been since its inception on the forefront of discovering alternate methods to producing music in addition to directing artists’ careers.-Artists:Anna Vissi,... |
Digital download |
| August 22, 2006 | CD single |
Charts and certifications
| Chart | Providers | Peak position |
Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
1 | Gold |
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
IFPI | 1 | Gold |
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
17 |
| Greece (IFPI Greece IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... ) |
1 |
| Hungary (Mahasz Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... ) |
9 |
| Romania (UPFR Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... ) |
4 |
| Russia (EMI Russian Music Charts The Russian Music Charts are Russian music industry standard popularity rankings compiled weekly by 2M and Tophit . Albums and tracks rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through retail data captured electronically each week from Russian music retailers... ) |
19 |
| Charts (2006) | Peak position |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
25 |