# Weirdest songs to ever hit the Top 40 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 10, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927 "2006-10-10T14:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/101 "2006-11-02T04:27:08Z")
And then there’s **Sukiyaki** by Kyu Sakamoto, which hit #1 in the US in June, 1963. Discussion [at this site.](http://www.maddmansrealm.com/sukiyaki/) That’s real talent, to be able to sing so well and convincingly, that you have a number one hit in a country in which only a tiny percentage of the population could understand the lyrics. [Hijack] Are there any other US Top 40 songs that were completely in a foreign language? By that, I mean absolutely no English. Hmm. [/Hijack] ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/102 "2006-11-02T04:36:16Z")
> [@Hometownboy](#): > > [Hijack] Are there any other US Top 40 songs that were completely in a foreign language? By that, I mean absolutely no English. Hmm. [/Hijack] “Volare” comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/103 "2006-11-02T05:16:49Z")
[QUOTE=Hometownboy] Are there any other US Top 40 songs that were completely in a foreign language? By that, I mean absolutely no English. [/QUOTE] _Eres Tu_ by Mocedades. Top Ten in 1974. Totally in Spanish. An English version was recorded entitled “Touch The Wind,” which, of course, had nothing to do with the beautiful Spanish lyrics of the original. [Here’s the lyrics with the English translation.](http://www.songfacts.com/lyrics.php?findsong=6499) ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/104 "2006-11-02T05:46:47Z")
_Autobahn_ by Kraftwerk. Totally in German. “…jetzt schalten wir das radio an, aus dem lautsprecher klingt es dann Wir fahr’n fahr’n fahr’n auf der Autobahn…” ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/105 "2006-11-02T07:23:56Z")
[QUOTE=Cicero] Ernie- Drove The Fastest Milkcart in The West. Benny Hill I think. (stretching the memory). [/QUOTE] Fastest Milkman in the West, I believe. I know it because it was the #1 song in the UK the day I was born. Sigh. The #1 song in the US then was “Brand New Key” by Melanie Safka. General weirdness on both sides of the pond. ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/106 "2006-11-02T15:09:00Z")
[QUOTE=Hometownboy] [Hijack] Are there any other US Top 40 songs that were completely in a foreign language? By that, I mean absolutely no English. Hmm. [/Hijack] [/QUOTE] Both Nena’s “99 Luftballons” and Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” spring to mind. Both were in German except the title in Falco’s and \ the words “Captain Kirk” in Nena’s. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/107 "2006-11-02T15:26:32Z")
Does [Kung-Fu Fighting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_Fighting) qualify. If so, I would consider this the Weirdest song to hit the Top 40. What is weirder is it hit #1 (Billboard Hot 100) & #1 (UK Singles Chart) Jim ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/108 "2006-11-02T15:35:54Z")
Lyricist Tim Rice has a few top 40 gems: Jesus Christ Superstar Don’t Cry For Me Argentina One Night in Bangkok ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/109 "2006-11-02T16:26:12Z")
I am on record for loving terrible '70s songs and am just _appalled_ at the lack of love for Kung Fu Fighting. It was Kung Fu! And fighting! [aside]I was a 10-year-old kid when this song came out, presumably due to the popularity of the TV show _Kung Fu_ (and similar movies). We kids were so unfamiliar with kung-fu, we thought that was David Carradine’s _name_! :eek: [/aside] I’ve never listened closely to the lyrics of Brown Sugar and vaguely thought it was some sort of homage to hot black girls. Guess I was WRONG. ☹ Gah. ---
**Author:** ![Neon\_Leon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e47c2d/32.png) [@Neon\_Leon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neon_Leon)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/110 "2013-06-27T18:05:06Z")
How about Dah Dah Dah by Trio? Or #1 Song In Heaven by Sparks. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/111 "2013-06-27T18:08:33Z")
What about _Zombie_ by the Cranberries? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/112 "2013-06-27T18:33:28Z")
A #1 hit that was both weird AND in a foreign language: “Dominique,” by Soeur Sourire (literally “Sister Smile,” but widely known in the USA as “The Singing Nun”)… A musical biography of St. Dominic, sung in French. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/113 "2013-06-27T18:37:16Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > What about _Zombie_ by the Cranberries? It’s the time of the season for braaaaaains. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/114 "2013-06-27T18:38:41Z")
The best thing about zombie threads, is having no recollection of the thread or what your 7-years-ago self had to say about it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/115 "2013-06-27T18:42:49Z")
The best part of reading an old zombie thread is getting to a post that you particularly agree with, and then realizing _you_ wrote it! ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/116 "2013-06-27T18:50:43Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The best part of reading an old zombie thread is getting to a post that you particularly agree with, and then realizing _you_ wrote it! I’ve learned to carefully read the whole zombie post so I don’t post the same damn thing twice. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/117 "2013-06-27T18:55:29Z")
Did I get to be the first to mention ‘Hocus Pocus’? I did? Good. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/118 "2013-06-27T18:58:47Z")
I, personally, find it mind-boggling that in the year 2013, the #2 spot on the Billboard charts is currently occupied by [a disco track composed by two French robots who haven’t had a hit since the '90s.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NV6Rdv1a3I) ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/119 "2013-06-27T20:12:41Z")
I’d nominate Tiny Tim’s Tiptoe through the Tulips, everyting about it and Tim was weird. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927/120 "2013-06-27T20:33:44Z")
> [@overeasy4](#): > > I swear I read somewhere someone claimed they were really chanting Who got sucked off instead of ooga chaka. Rumor? I don’t know about a rumor, but “Ooga Ooga Chukka” was given as the alternate title on the vinyl single–I have a copy. And “Ooga Ooga Chukka” was also printed as a “back-up” lyric on the piano roll at a Shakey’s in Gardena, years ago. I think it sounded like the guys were playing choo-choo train! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdest-songs-to-ever-hit-the-top-40/375927.md?page=7)