It’s official: “Yassu” by Static & Ben-El Tavori, Eden Ben Zaken, and Stephane Legar is the most played song on Israeli radio in 2019, Walla reports. Having spent weeks at #1, and with a dream-team combination of four of Israel’s biggest stars, that’s hardly surprising.
What IS surprising is that women played starring (ish) roles in just THREE of the top 25 songs played this year. Eden Ben Zaken played a large role in “Yassu” (#1); Miri Mesika hit #5 with “Mefached Alayich”, and “Shevet Achim VaAchayot” (featuring several women) came in at #10 for the year.
Zehu. That’s all. NONE of the other top 25 songs were performed by women, and only a handful more were in the top 50. (Meanwhile, Benaia Barabi appears FIVE times in the top 50!)
Why?
Why don’t women get sufficient airplay on Israeli radio? Do they make fewer songs? Are there fewer female “stars” in Israeli music? Is there a lack of talent? Is station management biased against women? Does the radio-listening public enjoy listening to men more than women?
This is not a new problem, by the way. Galgalatz radio – Israel’s biggest music radio station – has been heavily criticized for its masculine playlists over the years. But c’mon…this is 2019! Can’t we find a way to solve this problem by now?
Anyway, the year is over, and what’s done is done. We can try to repair this broken system in 2020. But what were the most-played songs on Israeli radio in 2019? Here’s the list, as reported by Walla.
The Most Played Songs on Israeli Radio in 2019
- Static & Ben-El, Eden Ben Zaken, Stephane Legar – Yassu
- Omer Adam – Rachok MiKulam
- Itai Levi – Kirot
- Eyal Golan & Benaia Barabi – MiMah At Mefachedet
- Miri Mesika & EZ – Mefached Alayich
- Rotem Cohen – BaLeilot
- Benaia Barabi – Tafasta Li Makom
- Mergui – HaZug HaZeh
- Idan Raichel – V’im Tavo’i Elai
- Various Artists – Shevet Achim VaAchayot
- Eliad – Massa
- Moshe Peretz – Matai?
- Benaia Barabi – Mishehu Iti Kan
- Hanan Ben Ari – Aluf HaOlam
- Omer Adam – Shnei Meshuga’im
- Static & Ben-El – Goomigam
- Osher Cohen – BaRega’im SheAt Holechet
- Eyal Golan – Lo Mevina Ivrit
- Benaia Barabi – Achshav HaLev Patuach
- Omer Adam – Chaverot Shelach
- Ishay Ribo – HaLev Sheli
- Eden Hason – Shikorim
- Idan Raichel – At Lo Nisheret Levad
- Nadav Guedj – Mah At Omeret
- Uri Ben Ari – Lifamim
- Eden Ben Zaken – Mexico
- Rotem Cohen – A Vida
- Idan Amedi – Ma At Margisha
- Noy Fadlon – Sveder
- Eden Ben Zaken – Tagid Li Je T’aime
- Omer Adam – Temperatura
- Yishai Levi & Shir Levy – Mashehu Tov
- Eyal Golan – Hafuch MeHaYekum
- Liran Danino – Yesh Yamim
- Subliminal – Ten LaMuzika Ledaber
- Netta Barzilai – Bassa Sababa
- Stephane Legar – Comme ci Comme ça
- Nathan Goshen – Bati Lachlom
- HaUltras & Gazoz – Hee Lo Teda
- Lior Narkis – Olam Yafeh V’chadash
- Omer Adam – Ya’aseh Lanu Kavod
- Gil Vain – Tzva’im
- Kobi Aflalo – Ahava Sheli
- Maor Edri – Yaala Ma’ak
- Static & Ben-El Tavori – Bananot
- Loren Peled – Tibet
- Narkis – MiMah Ata Boreach
- Keren Peles & Ron Buchnik – Shkufim
- Gil Vain & Benaia Barabi – Al Tishali
- Netta Barzilai – Toy
The Most Played Artists on Israeli Radio in 2019
Looking at the list of Israeli artists who received the most airtime in 2019, the picture for women is just as bleak. There are only three women in the top 25! Oh, and by the way? It’s good to be Eyal Golan…
- Eyal Golan – 24,257 plays
- Omer Adam – 18,529
- Shlomo Artzi – 15,144
- Moshe Peretz – 15,097
- Arik Einstein – 14,729
- Sarit Hadad – 14,709
- Eden Ben Zaken – 14,130
- Lior Narkis – 11,742
- Itay Levy – 11,715
- Dudu Aharon – 11,195
- Shlomi Shabbat – 11,169
- Ethnix – 9,716
- Chaim Moshe – 9,422
- Yishai Levy – 9,043
- Static & Ben-El Tavori – 9,038
- Maor Edri – 8,331
- Zohar Argov – 7,927
- Peer Tasi – 7,644
- Gidi Gov – 7,616
- Eliad – 7,539
- Ehud Banai – 7,469
- Benaia Barabi – 7,434
- Eden Hason – 7,380
- Yehudit Ravitz – 7,288
- Stephane Legar – 7,181
What was your favorite Israeli song of 2019? Did your favorite song or artist make the list? And why do you think Israeli radio seems to have shunned female performers? Let us know in the comments!