In Sweden Meanwhile….
(See - told you it would all hang together). In Sweden they know how to do it properly. Melodifestivalen is the event, and it's a true highlight. Twenty-odd songs compete in an equivalent of the main contest itself for the honour of representing Sweden. And there, it *is* an honour. So in the mix you'll find honest-to-God pop stars; people who the Swedes can name, unlike the man with the schoolgirls whose name is long gone from my mind. Performers who have had (*gasp*) chart hits outnumber the 'who the fuck?' element, and the songs are frequently both rock-solid pop numbers and also guaranteed EuroSong hits.
Weird then that the Swedes themselves frequently screw up their own chances by, for example, selecting the truly rubbish Las Vegas last year and the good-but-there-are-better-available thing they've selected this year.
Melodifestivalen is released every year on CD by the way. That's how seriously they take it.