July 5, 20169 yr I'm nothing to do with the Now albums, just an avid fan haha. :D I am an avid fan also - well, up to 2001. I may compile a compilation when this list expands from around 40 tracks.
July 5, 20169 yr Author I may compile a compilation when this list expands from around 40 tracks. I'd be very interested to see the finished product! Rihanna feat. Drake - Work :P sash had all those Ecuador and Adelante songs But not many lyrics ;-) Very true, most have just one or two words in total!
July 5, 20169 yr Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin - Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus It even got to number 1 despite being banned back in 1969 by both Radio 1 and Top Of The Pops! Edit: I've just noticed richie has posted the song. In which case: Plastic Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour Moi Edited July 5, 20169 yr by Robbie
July 5, 20169 yr Author I found the below Top 10 chart interesting from the OCC. I don't think it takes into account the success of Gangnam Style though! http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/750x600q90/924/yeJlo0.jpg
July 5, 20169 yr And for any international readers wondering where the hell 'Ai Se Eu Te Pego' is in this thread...it didn't chart high in the UK. #66 is the best it got. One of the biggest European hits ever that didn't make its way across the channel, surely> I'll never forget the awkwardness of being at a house party about a year later, this playing on the random Spotify "party" playlist...and everyone stopping dancing in confusion, wondering what the hell they're listening to, and someone stopping the track after a few seconds to put Pharrell on or something.
July 5, 20169 yr Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla in their made-up language :) 'Hoppípolla' is actually in Icelandic! I believe it's only the '( )' album that's sung in their made-up language.
July 5, 20169 yr I found the below Top 10 chart interesting from the OCC. I don't think it takes into account the success of Gangnam Style though! http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/750x600q90/924/yeJlo0.jpg That list looks all over the place. Dragosta Din Tae couldn't have outsold Macarena, could it? Where is La Bamaba?
July 5, 20169 yr Oh AND: Con Te Partirò by Andrea Bocelli was very successful too, yes there was an english version too, but the Italian one was just as famous. I always used to sing (and still do because my boyfriend is Italian and I like to pee him off hahaha; "Con te farty raw, tsunami, Ferrari!!" He loves it.
July 5, 20169 yr Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki. Reached #6 in 1963. Fun fact - the song is actually called "Ue wo Muite Arukō" in Japan, however when it was being released in English speaking countries they thought that it was too clunky, so they gave it a name that was familiar to their audience whilst still sounding vaguely Oriental, hence why the song is named after a Japanese stew despite its lyrics having nothing to do with it. It would be like "Hold On, We're Going Home" by Drake being renamed "Hamburgers" in Japan because the title was too clunky, but Hamburgers sounds vaguely American.
July 5, 20169 yr Is 'Sunchyme' in any recognisable language at all? I thought it was just chanting. The vocals are of course sampled from 'Life In A Northern Town', but that also features English lyrics. A few other big ones that I haven't seen mentioned yet: Luciano Pavarotti 'Nessun Dorma' [italian] 2, 1990 Enigma 'Sadness Part 1' [Latin/French] 1, 1991 Kyu Sakamoto 'Sukiyaki' [Japanese] 6, 1963 Kraftwerk 'Autobahn' [German] 11, 1975 Kula Shaker 'Govinda' [sanskrit] 7, 1996 Fairport Convention 'Si Tu Dois Partir' [French] 21, 1969 The Kula Shaker and Fairport singles are also notable as English-speaking acts singing in foreign languages.
July 5, 20169 yr Ryu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki. Reached #6 in 1963. Fun fact - the song is actually called "Ue wo Muite Arukō" in Japan, however when it was being released in English speaking countries they thought that it was too clunky, so they gave it a name that was familiar to their audience whilst still sounding vaguely Oriental, hence why the song is named after a Japanese stew despite its lyrics having nothing to do with it. It would be like "Hold On, We're Going Home" by Drake being renamed "Hamburgers" in Japan because the title was too clunky, but Hamburgers sounds vaguely American. "Hold On, We're Going Home" is a very unwieldy name -_-
July 5, 20169 yr It's also interesting to note those who haven't had any hits in non-English languages, despite thinking that they have. Enya has recorded songs in lots of different languages, including Irish, Latin, Japanese, and even her own invented language, Loxian, however as far as I can tell, every one of her singles to have made the top 40 have been recorded in either English, or are instrumentals. Her family did have a non-English hit single though - Clannad's "Theme From Harry's Game", sung in Irish got to #5 in 1982. Chicane then had a top 10 hit with "Saltwater" in 1999, which is based around the same song.
July 5, 20169 yr Enigma - Sadness (Part 1) has some sung Latin parts and a few spoken French words. Wes - Alane is sung in Duala.
July 5, 20169 yr Author I may compile a compilation when this list expands from around 40 tracks. Well Colm, we've managed to get over 40 chartworthy tracks for you to compile! Thanks everyone for your suggestions, and please keep them coming for any others you think of. After creating this post, a thought came to me... Has there been any non-English songs to make an impact on the UK charts as a result of the Eurovision Song Contest since its inauguration? :o
July 5, 20169 yr Author Is 'Sunchyme' in any recognisable language at all? I thought it was just chanting. The vocals are of course sampled from 'Life In A Northern Town', but that also features English lyrics. A few other big ones that I haven't seen mentioned yet: Luciano Pavarotti 'Nessun Dorma' [italian] 2, 1990 Enigma 'Sadness Part 1' [Latin/French] 1, 1991 Kyu Sakamoto 'Sukiyaki' [Japanese] 6, 1963 Kraftwerk 'Autobahn' [German] 11, 1975 Kula Shaker 'Govinda' [sanskrit] 7, 1996 Fairport Convention 'Si Tu Dois Partir' [French] 21, 1969 The Kula Shaker and Fairport singles are also notable as English-speaking acts singing in foreign languages. Maybe you're right about Sunchyme, I thought of it, gave it another listen and thought it was a foreign track, but didn't know of its origin. Will take it out if you wish? Also, as you seem clued up on the languages, how do you feel tackling the languages of all the 40+ tracks on the first page of this thread, if you have the time (and patience) of course! ^_^
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