‘Say It to Me Quietly’ wins Hit of the Century Music Poll

From January till May Radio Prague listeners had the opportunity to hear 100 songs which have gone down in the history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. And listeners from all over the world helped us to select the best songs every week. Today we bring you the overall winner, a 1947 song called ‘Say It to Me Quietly’.

Photo: Supraphon

Dance music was the rage after the end of WWII, spurred by the joy from the liberation of the country. Established bands produced dozens of new melodies for music-hungry audiences eager to enjoy life to the full.

The love song Říkej mi to potichoučku was performed by Jiřina Salačová, a newly married singer from Karel Vlach’s Orchestra. The name of the song, “Say It to Me Quietly,” comes from the lyrics “Please, say it to me quietly, that I am your one and only…” This was a wish that was most likely shared by many of the happy couples who danced to the song in 1947.

The winners are:

Alfred Albrecht– Germany

Roberto Alvarez Galloso – USA

Jorge Luis Dávila– Peru

Ernesto Esquivel Torres– Mexico

Saroj– India

Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak– Poland

Kamal Hossain – Bangladesh

Rosemarie Reinersch– Germany

Jorge Ocegueda– Mexiko

Erika Schürmann - Germany

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