# Non English Language hits in the USA/UK. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403 "2008-11-12T19:46:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/1 "2008-11-12T19:46:56Z")
Okay I’m looking for non-English language hits, that is songs that reached the Top 40 in either the UK or the USA or both. I can think of a few in recent years. O-Zone - Dragostea din tei (Romanian) Los Del Río - Macarena (Spanish) Las Ketchup - Aserejé aka The Ketchup Song (Spanish) Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg - Je t’aime… moi non plus (French) Billboard’s wikipedia has these as number 1s. “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)” by Domenico Modugno (Italian - September 1, 1958 for five weeks) “Sukiyaki” by Kyu Sakamoto (Japanese - June 15, 1963 for three weeks) “Dominique” by The Singing Nun (French - December 7, 1963 for four weeks) “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco (German - March 29, 1986 for three weeks) “La Bamba” by Los Lobos (Spanish - August 29, 1987 for three weeks) What other ones are there? ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/2 "2008-11-12T19:53:19Z")
According to Wikipedia, [99 Luftballons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99_Luftballons) (the original German-language version) hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/3 "2008-11-12T19:56:40Z")
First one that popped in my head just from seeing your title was _Du Hast_ by Rammstein ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/4 "2008-11-12T20:13:57Z")
Eres Tú by Mocedades, #9 in 1973. ETA: and Guantanamera by the Sandpipers, also #9, in 1966. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/5 "2008-11-12T20:20:11Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > First one that popped in my head just from seeing your title was _Du Hast_ by Rammstein Did this chart in the Billboard Hot 100? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/6 "2008-11-12T20:21:53Z")
Ca plane pour moi - Plastic Betrand ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/7 "2008-11-12T20:34:01Z")
Shakira’s “La Tortura” made it to #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/8 "2008-11-12T20:42:24Z")
“Hocus Pocus” by the Dutch band **Focus** charted at #20 in the UK and #9 in the US. Yodeling counts as “Non-English”, right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/9 "2008-11-12T23:33:53Z")
Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina”. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/10 "2008-11-12T23:44:03Z")
Although the original _Macarena_ was in Spanish only, the version best-known in the United States was a remix by the Bayside Boys featuring English-language lyrics and the now-familiar Spanish chorus. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/11 "2008-11-13T01:15:15Z")
I don’t know what it’s called, but there’s a Spanish/English song out there that mainly features the world _bailamos_. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/12 "2008-11-13T01:37:55Z")
> [@Lama\_Pacos](#): > > Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina”. Oh, GOD DAMMIT! I hate that song, yet it gets stuck in my head every time I hear its name. I’ve managed to avoid it for years…now it’s back. dangermom - Bailamos (by Enrique Eglesias) was about half English. The chorus: > [@](#): > > Bailamos - let the rhythm take you over Bailamos > Te quiero amor mio - Bailamos > Wanna live this night forever - bailamos > Te quiero amor mio - Te quiero ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/13 "2008-11-13T01:53:12Z")
_¡Tequila!_ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/14 "2008-11-13T03:07:02Z")
Augie Rios charted with _Donde Esta Santa Claus?_ in 1958. There were a couple of cover versions. The song was mostly English except for the chorus, though. The Beatles _Michelle_ has a chorus in French. They also did _Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand_ and _Sie Liebt Dich_, but not as singles. _Je t’aime . . . moi non plus_ by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin reached #1 in the UK and was an international hit but only reached #58 on the US charts due to censorship issues. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/15 "2008-11-13T03:12:20Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Augie Rios charted with _Donde Esta Santa Claus?_ in 1958. There were a couple of cover versions. The song was mostly English except for the chorus, though. > > The Beatles _Michelle_ has a chorus in French. They also did _Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand_ and _Sie Liebt Dich_, but not as singles. > > _Je t’aime . . . moi non plus_ by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin reached #1 in the UK and was an international hit but only reached #58 on the US charts due to censorship issues. I’m looking for songs that are all or nearly all in another language and also songs that were chart hits. To the best of my knowledge Michelle wasn’t a hit for The Beatles. I could be wrong though. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/16 "2008-11-13T05:54:49Z")
_Oye Como Va_ by Santana hit #13 in the USA. Pretty minimal lyrics, but it’s all in Spanish IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/17 "2008-11-13T16:41:51Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’m looking for songs that are all or nearly all in another language and also songs that were chart hits. To the best of my knowledge Michelle wasn’t a hit for The Beatles. I could be wrong though. Too bad; except for the “Eins, zvei, drei” intro and the line “Alles klar, der Kommissar?”, “Der Kommissar” by \*\*After the Fire \*\*was entirely in English, although it sounded a lot more foreign than it was because the English lyrics were variously incomprehensible and nonsensical. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/18 "2008-11-13T17:05:54Z")
[This, in Latin no less,](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBZ8v9L8444) reached no. 11 in the UK in 1974. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/19 "2008-11-13T17:08:57Z")
> [@The\_Scrivener](#): > > Too bad; except for the “Eins, zvei, drei” intro and the line “Alles klar, der Kommissar?”, “Der Kommissar” by \*\*After the Fire \*\*was entirely in English, although it sounded a lot more foreign than it was because the English lyrics were variously incomprehensible and nonsensical. But the original version, by Falco, was in German. ([cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Kommissar_(song))) Do instrumentals count?😛 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403/20 "2008-11-13T17:23:43Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Did this chart in the Billboard Hot 100? Looks like peak position of #20 in 1998 eta: question was about Du Hast by Rammstein [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-language-hits-in-the-usa-uk/472403.md?page=2)