Eurovision | Songs That End on a Tierce de Picardie

➡️ What is a tierce de picardie?
Also known as a Picardy third/Picardy cadence, a tierce de picardie is a major chord of the tonic at the end of a musical section that is either modal or in a minor key. This is achieved by raising the third of the expected minor triad by a semitone to create a major triad, as a form of resolution.
➡️ What does that mean?
It basically means that a minor (in general, sad) song ends unexpectedly on a chord in the parallel major key (in general, happy).
A tierce de picardie can't just be any major chord- it has to be in the parallel major to the preceding minor key. The parallel major of A minor would be A major- the same root note of a different scale (as opposed to the relative major- C major- same scale but different root). A few Eurovision songs in a minor key end on a major chord that isn't the parallel major- if you're wondering why one of these is missed out, that's probably the reason!
A few of the songs in the video sound like they should be major before the end, but I've kept them in because those songs mix between the minor key and its relative major quite a lot- and it's only the end that settles on the unexpected parallel major chord.
(Spoilers) shoutout to Nora Brockstedt for both of her entries appearing, to Poland for ending with a tierce de picardie 3 years in a row, and of course to the the legendary woman who froze mid-clapping.
Intro music: "The Story" Jewel (Alaska's American Song Contest entry)

[@clarinetmoonesc]

Older songs I missed which will be added to the updated version of the video: 🇵🇹 Neste barco à vela (1987) 🇳🇱 Ik wil alles met je delen (1990)

[@morbidsearch]

I think Malta 1991 ends with one as well but I'm not sure

[@clarinetmoonesc]

@@morbidsearch the whole song is major, the ending chord is just in a different key

[@tzoreehandler9163]

What about Seninle bir dakika (🇹🇷 1975)?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

@@tzoreehandler9163 there is no major at the end

[@booms4337]

And what about Spain 1989 ?

[@aijamberisabel]

Did not even know what a “Tierce de picarde” was before this video. Very interesting concept. Great job again! Loved the video!

[@aliccolo]

"The woman was too stunned to clap" 😂😂😂

[@AgnessaMo]

Mad respect for this video, very informative for music theory dummies like me

[@Cleeves358]

I love how you can see it being en vogue in the 60s, being almost a standard for ballads, then slowly going out of fashion until the early 80s with one great exception in the much underrated song "Viel zu weit" (D 93), only to be reintroduced in the mid-2000s in a much different style. I have to say I find the more recent examples not always easily distinguishable. Great video!

[@zwiadowca13]

Wow. There's no other eurovision youtuber, who know so much about music AND statistics. Amazing

[@jejtherusheddoodle23]

Idea for a video: Youngest participant in every contest

[@kizbarnes3391]

the Finnish lady from 1961 looked so shy at the end bless her

[@martaooooo1909]

This is one of my favorite musical techniques, and god the one at the end of Með hækkandi sól was so beautifully executed. I wish it was on the studio track as well, it's such a perfect ending to the song

[@cypriotmappers5342]

Very interesting video, found it interesting that this was a trend at the start of Eurovision, died out and became a trend again. Also here's an interesting idea for a video: countries ranked by the percentage of times sung in English. ( Of course this would only apply for 1973-1977 and 1999-present)

[@kaitlinbilous4605]

65 if you count Sweden bending the rules

[@cypriotmappers5342]

@@kaitlinbilous4605 true lol😂

[@Krzysztof25XD]

You would be the most qualified person in any national jury 😁

[@guillemmartinez9958]

Love that you used The Story as your opening piece

[@apoyta]

Nice! You should also do a video of the reverse cases in Eurovision (i.e. major pieces ending on a minor chord). Only Levina (Germany 2017) comes to my mind.

[@UFOPOLI]

This! I'd be really interested because I love that phenomenon while I hate this one XD

[@Krzysztof25XD]

Does "Space Man" count as well?

[@guybensman300]

Actually the song that came to my mind was Iceland 2022. I remembered they finished with a major chord

[@eurovisionconnor]

A video I never knew I wanted to see! This trend really did fall completely out of fashion by the 80s, but during the 60s it felt like the majority of songs in minor were featured here! I guess it's sort of had a renaissance, although only Iceland this year since 2016, although a lot of those 2010s examples were really subtle.

[@misterahtapot]

I love this, I have zero idea about music theory but it's nice to actually learn stuff via Eurovision

[@pointlessnostalgic78]

such an excellent video, personal and technical at the same time! It's pretty interesting to notice how many times it's a trick used when you absolutely don't know how to finish a songs (I guess Vivre is the most relevant), whereas sometimes it truly makes sense in terms of the flow and of the artistic composition (Dansevise, of course)

[@Lheafar]

Even though I didn't what it was at first when you described it I immediatly knew it was that undescribable change at the end of Iceland's song haha

[@OlliTamminen]

I love this channel. I truly love. ❤

[@andreaskrapp12]

Omg young LPS😍😂

[@annakobuk3618]

You will never run out of ideas for new videos. 😁

[@Jixjax]

Now THIS is the content I subscribe for!!

[@xander2609]

Interesting video! I've been subscribed to your channel quite for some time now. And I appreciate the creativity you put into it. I was wondering: could you make a top 5-related video? Like for example: - A top with the participating countries in the last decade that have come at least once in the top 5 and the last time they achieved it, ordered from newest to the oldest (Ukraine, UK, Spain, Sweden, Serbia to the oldest (maybe Poland? [1994]) - The longest streaks from a top 5 result to the next one (I can already think of Austria 1989-2014, Switzerland 1993-2019, Spain 1995-2022. And I know there are some in the XX century too) - A top with all the countries that have been in the top 5 and how many times (I think the UK would be the 1st, despite not being the country with the most victories) These are just suggestions, so it's okay if you prefer other ideas. I will keep enjoying your content nevertheless :)

[@alexescromania]

i love this

[@woniemayvihye3750]

This is so imformative tysm

[@alfie.fenn1]

not the booing after dustin the turkey’s performance 💀💀

[@EAvaan2]

You always have the coolest videos!! Keep it up!

[@davidmb1316]

I'm amazed that two thirds of the songs on this list are either from the 1960's or the 2010's

[@mysticmaksio1755]

Very great collection! But I don't think Slovenia 2013 ends in Major Edit: I think I've changed my mind ^^

[@sannev8407]

Very interesting concept for a video, thank you for making this!

[@ibaijabat1]

Amazing research work through the contest. Very original and interesting. Bravo!

[@halbtonschritt3702]

Love those kind of videos!

[@JeSuisRene]

The Duskeys really were the Derry Girls of their time, performing as confidently as that. Or perhaps even the Spice Girls of their time? (Sorry)

[@Dr_seger]

Great video, I really enjoyed it. Btw expected to see Netherlands 1993 here

[@clarinetmoonesc]

The choruses are already major, the penultimate chord of them all is just an unexpected minor one

[@jeffreyb1307]

Considering you have an ASC song as an intro, were there any cases of a "tierce de picarde" in any JESC or ASC song? I honestly really like your unique ideas, something I never really thought about. Great video!

[@sophiajacobski8677]

Love this video, even though the Tierce de Picardie is one of my least favourite harmonic/tonal techniques 😂

[@c.citizenerased]

wow, you're so creative, love the idea! :D btw maybe also albania 2009 should be here, but I'm not sure

[@clarinetmoonesc]

It ends on a single E note, no indication of a raised third

[@nadirhajjour]

Nice video! Thanks

[@arthurjacobs4722]

Does Nije ljubav stvar actually end in major? To my ear it ends at the B-sharp minor. Same with Igranka, I can't hear it going to a major tone, I think it remains in G-minor.

[@clarinetmoonesc]

I always heard the third being raised in nije ljubav stvar, maybe it's more obvious in the studio version. For igranka it's extremely subtle but somewhere in the instrumental the third is raised

[@livsanimations561]

Cool vid, have you ever thought about making a video about Eurovision songs that use modes?

[@MegaJK97]

Very interesting video! I had some songs in mind although not being musically educated enough to know or her the difference between minor and major keys 😅 But I was wondering.... Does Austria 1968 qualify for this list? It's so sad that Karel Gott didn't get the recognition in Eurovision he deserves... Born in Czechia, became a star in Germany. And the song was written by non other than the great Udo Jürgens who took part three times and won in 1966. He also became a big star in Germany ^-^

[@clarinetmoonesc]

I can't hear any major in the ending of austria 1968

[@benthewheel30]

Czechia 2016: the end doesn’t contain a B, but it just sounds like it’s major

[@clarinetmoonesc]

Well sorry but it isn't

[@JeSuisRene]

Doesn’t Go (🇬🇧 88) finish in a tiercé de Picardie?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

The rest of the song is too major for that, I don't think the minor chord before the end is enough for it to count as a key change to a minor key

[@escargoon9757]

The only good thing Picardie has to their name

[@eurovisioncyan9550]

I wonder, is my winner this year (Belgium) also ending in a Tierce de Picardie?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

No

[@veksivv3993]

belgium 1981 has tierce de picardie too hasn't it?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

No it doesn't

[@veksivv3993]

​@@clarinetmoonesc the song is in minor but the ending is major?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

@@veksivv3993 the ending is also minor

[@veksivv3993]

​​@@clarinetmoonescok you win ☹️

[@tzoreehandler9163]

You didn't include Love Will Set You Free (🇬🇧 2012), which also ends with Tierce de Picarde.

[@clarinetmoonesc]

The last chorus is major and so is the last chord

[@lucaswallo8127]

COOL

[@spacebar148]

I think we have Slovenia this year? Not sure.

[@clarinetmoonesc]

Not the right type of major chord, there is another song this year that does though

[@zanderdrivescars]

Oh so this is what that Twitter thing was about…

[@Kobi1111111]

Why doesn't Portugal 1997 fit here? I was expecting to see it...

[@clarinetmoonesc]

I was kind of conflicted but the song is practically always in F major including the section before the end chord

[@isabeldg373]

PT 1972

[@benthewheel30]

Russia 2016? Is the last chord minor, or the piece is too major

[@clarinetmoonesc]

Everything is minor

[@benthewheel30]

Was georgia junior 2008 one?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

It's all major

[@ufuksnmez98]

Turkey 1975?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

The last chord is very minor

[@benthewheel30]

Were there any in 2023 or 2024?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

@@benthewheel30 you will find out

[@benthewheel30]

@@clarinetmoonesc How?

[@avkalkonien]

Portugal 1987 also?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

You're right, I missed that!

[@avkalkonien]

I found another one, Slovenia 2007 :)

[@Dr_seger]

Does Austria 2023 count as one?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

It never changes to B major at all

[@lai17]

is Slovenia 2007 not this

[@clarinetmoonesc]

I can't hear any major in the last chord

[@joan3117]

Greece 2017?

[@clarinetmoonesc]

The whole song is practically all major