The organisers recently launched the contest at the website www.alomslager.origo.hu ? ?dream hit? in Hungarian. In the first round, participants were asked to add another 100 songs to the list of 400 popular melodies the organisers, together with hit radio station Sláger Rádió, had chosen. The public sent in 5,000 nominations, from which 100 were picked by the organisers, leaving a list of 500 songs.
Although the competition is open to songs of all genres, most of the 500 are pop songs from a broad range of artists including ones as diverse as Illés, one of Hungary?s biggest 60s bands, and Kistehén Tánczenekar, a novelty act formed a few years ago. But the list of 500 songs includes as well 59 folk songs and some of the best of Hungary?s operettas and operas ? among them two numbers from István a Király, Hungary?s most famous rock opera. More than half of the songs on the list were written before 1960, and just 16 were recorded after 2000.
In the second round, to end on June 26, the choice will be narrowed to 60 songs, and to 10 in the third. The fourth and final round, to take place in September, will determine the most popular Hungarian song of all time.
