What's Another Year

This article is about the song. For the album, see What's Another Year (album).

"What's Another Year" was Irish singer and composer Johnny Logan's first Eurovision Song Contest winning song, achieving success in the 1980 edition of the contest, as well as Ireland's second Eurovision victory. Composed by Shay Healy (who also wrote "The Ultimate Country and Western Song" performed by Billy Connolly), the song reached number one in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in May.^[1]

"What's Another Year"
Single by Johnny Logan
from the album What's Another Year
B-side	"One Night Stand"
Released	April 1980
Genre	Pop
Length	3:08
Label	Release Records Epic
Songwriter(s)	Shay Healy
Producer(s)	Bill Whelan Dave Pennefather
Johnny Logan singles chronology
"Angela" (1979) "What's Another Year" (1980) "In London" (1980)
Eurovision Song Contest 1980 entry
Country	Ireland
Artist(s)	Seán Michael Patrick Sherrard
As	Johnny Logan
Language	English
Composer(s)	Shay Healy
Lyricist(s)	Shay Healy
Conductor	Noel Kelehan
Finals performance
Final result	1st
Final points	143
Entry chronology
◄ "Happy Man" (1979)
"Horoscopes" (1981) ►

When showband frontman Glen Curtin, the original choice of singer, turned down "What's Another Year", the song was rearranged by Bill Whelan to suit Johnny Logan's singing style.^[2] Whelan later composed "Riverdance" for the interval entertainment slot at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin. Musically, the song is easily identifiable by its saxophone introduction played by Scottish musician Colin Tully, who now lives and teaches in Wales. The success of "What's Another Year" launched Logan's Eurovision career (he would go on to achieve success in 1987 with "Hold Me Now", and he would have another win as songwriter for Linda Martin's "Why Me?" in 1992). In addition, the song was selected as one of the 14 greatest Eurovision entries in a special to mark the 50th anniversary of the contest. It was covered by Shane MacGowan of The Pogues in the Song for Eurotrash cover album of 1998.

Famously, after being announced as the winner of the Contest, Logan was overcome with emotion and could not achieve the high notes near the end of the song in his reprise. Instead, he called out "I love you Ireland", a phrase he would repeat seven years later.

The song was performed seventeenth on the night, following France's Profil with "Hé, hé M'sieurs dames" and preceding Spain's Trigo Limpio with "Quédate esta noche". At the close of voting, it had received 143 points, placing 1st in a field of 19. The song was succeeded as Eurovision winner at the Eurovision Song Contest 1981 by British band Bucks Fizz and the song "Making Your Mind Up". It was succeeded as Irish representative at the 1981 contest by Sheeba with "Horoscopes".

Johnny Logan released German-language and Spanish-language versions of "What's Another Year".

During the 2020 special Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, Logan performed the song live in a studio in Dublin. He was backed by the special's presenters Edsilia Rombley, Chantal Janzen and Jan Smit from their studio in Hilversum, and a chorus of Eurovision Song Contest fans from around the world. A short video highlighting Logan's three Eurovision wins (1980 and 1987 as main performer, 1992 as composer) was shown during the instrumental bridge of the song.

Track listing

• European single 7" / 45 RPM single (RL 1005)/(EPC 8572)

A. "What's Another Year"

B. "One Night Stand"

• Spanish single 7" single (EPC 8572)

A. "Por un Año Más" - 3:08

B. "One Night Stand" - 3:52

• West German single 7" single (EPC 8732)

A. "Was Ist Schon Ein Jahr" - 3:08

B. "One Night Stand" - 3:52

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1980) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[3] 5 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[4] 1 Denmark (Hitlisten)^[5] 6 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[6] 1 Ireland (IRMA)^[7] 1 Israel (IBA)^[8] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[9] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[10] 6 Norway (VG-lista)^[11] 1 Portugal (AFP)^[12] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[13] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[14] 2 UK Singles (OCC)^[15] 1 West Germany (Official German Charts)^[16] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1980) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[17] 17 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)^[18] 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[19] 48 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[20] 74 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[21] 20 West Germany (Official German Charts)^[22] 23

References

1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 4380–1. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
2. The Irish Times, "Golden boy, forgotten man", 8 August 2009
3. "Johnny Logan – What's Another Year" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
4. "Johnny Logan – What's Another Year" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
5. "Danish Charts Archive?".
6. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Johnny Logan". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 150. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
7. "Ireland singles charts". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
8. "Israel Singles Charts 1987-1995".
9. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 23, 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
10. "Johnny Logan – What's Another Year" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
11. "Johnny Logan – What's Another Year". VG-lista.
12. "TOP 20 TMP Portugal - number one in the 80's airplay charts".
13. "Johnny Logan – What's Another Year". Singles Top 100.
14. "Johnny Logan – What's Another Year". Swiss Singles Chart.
15. "Johnny Logan: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
16. "Offiziellecharts.de – Johnny Logan – What's Another Year". GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
17. "Jahreshitparade Singles 1980". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
18. "Jaaroverzichten 1980". Ultratop. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
19. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
20. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
21. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1980". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
22. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 September 2021.