20. Bimbo Jet – El Bimbo (1974)
Shuffling French Euro-disco with vocals in Spanish and a melody line worthy of a John Barry spy thriller theme, El Bimbo is likely to be the apotheosis of the 70s “vacation hit”, introduced again from the continent as a memento just like the musical equal of a straw donkey. Nonetheless, much better than 1974’s different massive vacation hit, Y Viva España.
19. O-Zone – Dragostea din Tei (2003)
It wobbles unsteadily alongside the road that separates catchy from infuriating, however Dragostea Din Tei stays the UK’s solely ever hit in Romanian. It was maybe greatest the lyrics stayed that approach: a translation into English reveals they’re both nonsense, or – in accordance with one imaginative on-line interpretation – about ejaculation.
18. Severine – Un Banc, un Arbre, une Rue (1971)
Non-English-language Eurovision winners have been seldom UK hits, however you’ll be able to see why the general public made an exception for Un Banc, un Arbre, une Rue: it seemed like a Francophone tackle the type of British bubblegum pop made by White Plains, Butterscotch and the unique Brotherhood of Man that was enormous within the charts round 1970-71.
17. Sash! – Encore une Fois (1997)
On which a manufacturing crew from Viersen, close to Monchengladbach, contrived a intelligent melding of two massive late-90s dancefloor developments: the music is audibly impressed by the trance-tinged “epic home” of Faithless and the vocal hinted on the emergent French contact scene – though Daft Punk would probably have beheld the outcomes avec horreur.
16. Falco – Rock Me Amadeus (1985)
A German-language tribute to Mozart is a curious concept for a UK No 1, however to provide him his due, Falco threw each then-hip pop sound possible at Rock Me Amadeus: it’s obtained slap bass, “n-n-n-Nineteen” stammering vocals, and Fairlight-sampled bangs. Additionally: earworm refrain.
15. Enigma – Sadeness Half I (1990)
Thoughts you, by way of bizarre No 1s, Sadeness Half I takes the biscuit: a Café del Mar-friendly chill-out observe that includes synthesised pan pipes, Gregorian chanting, Soul II Soul drums and a whispering French vocalist alternately begging to be dominated by the Marquis de Sade and discussing his “gospel of evil”.
14. Alizée – Moi … Lolita (2000)
File underneath “completely different occasions”. With out wishing to sound like a kind of woke warriors GB Information get so upset about, it appears uncertain {that a} 16-year-old singing about being “a schoolgirl underneath tight blue denims” with “a mouth that doesn’t inform my mom” would fly right this moment, fabulous melody and big refrain however.
13. Rammstein – Keine Lust (2005)
The decide of the German industrial metallic band’s transient run of UK chart hits, Keine Lust seems like glitter beat-fuelled glam rock on steroids. Further factors for the video, which picks up on the track’s theme of fame-induced ennui and runs with it, that includes the band in “fats fits” surrounded by limousines.
12. Françoise Hardy – Tous les Garçons et les Filles (1962)
Hardy undoubtedly made higher information than her greatest British hit after she wrested artistic management of her profession – her eponymous 1971 album is a masterpiece – however Tous les Garçons … has a wispy appeal of its personal: a measured, coolly Gallic tackle an early 60s pop ballad.
11. Sigur Rós – Hoppípolla (2005)
Overlook its interval of ubiquity as a TV soundtrack for nature programmes and triumphs on The X Issue alike: Hoppípolla – partly in Icelandic and partly in Sigur Rós’s personal made-up language of Hopelandic – is a superb observe, its triumphal orchestration spiked with disorientating reverse-tape results and Jónsi Birgisson’s melancholy vocal.
10. Two Man Sound – Que Tal America (1979)
A veritable European union – German producer, Belgian musicians, vocals in Spanish – Que Tal America is refined, slinky Eurodisco: an enormous underground membership observe within the US, a minor UK hit – its progress maybe stymied by an excruciating High of the Pops efficiency – and subsequently sampled on umpteen home tracks.
9. Vanessa Paradis – Joe le Taxi (1987)
Paradis’ biggest single is her effervescent 1992 Motown pastiche Be My Child: alas, not eligible for this checklist as a result of its lyrics are in English. However her breakthrough Joe le Taxi remains to be fairly nice: “Blow me down, a French file that’s not crap,” provided Smash Hits’ single reviewer in response to its atmospheric charms.
after publication promotion
8. Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin – Je t’aime (Moi Non Plus) (1969)
As with Françoise Hardy, Gainsbourg made many infinitely higher information than his greatest British success however by no means thoughts: bask as a substitute in its lyrical weirdness, its Salvador Dalí-inspired title, the distinction between the music’s virtually church-y grandeur and Birkin’s panting moans, and the controversy all of it brought on, the latter a lot to its writer’s amusement.
7. Stromae – Alors on Danse (2010)
Belgium isn’t notably famous for its contributions to hip-hop, however Stromae’s Alors On Danse – a vocal that’s insouciant to the purpose of sounding contemptuous, monolithic synth, nagging sax hook – nonetheless turned the most-played Francophone observe on the earth in 2010, upsetting a Kanye West remix and a canopy by – zut alors! – Pitbull.
6. Nena – 99 Luftballons (1984)
The 80s hit 99 Pink Balloons began life in German earlier than being translated into English (99 Luftballons appeared on the UK 12-inch and on Nena’s eponymous UK debut album): each methods, it welds Blondie-ish pop-punk sparkle to a really 1984 sense of nuclear paranoia.
5. Air – Horny Boy (1998)
Air’s debut album was largely in English, however title apart, Horny Boy caught to their native French. It nonetheless sounds superb – alternately sleazy and spacey electronics behind a lyrical critique of unattainable magnificence requirements that’s extra related within the Instagram age than ever. Sarcastically, it continuously ended up soundtracking TV footage of male fashions.
4. Trio – Da Da Da Ich Lieb Dich Nicht Du Liebst Mich Nicht Aha Aha Aha (1982)
A fabulously off-kilter pop track: lyrics in German and English lyrics, rhythm and keyboards supplied by a toy synthesiser, no bass, oddly menacing vocal. It provoked a superb High Of the Pops look, throughout which Trio appeared bored inflexible, stopped miming with the intention to gentle cigarettes and mocked England’s current ejection from the World Cup.
3. Plastic Bertrand – Ça Airplane Pour Moi (1977)
Typically ersatz beats the true factor, and so it was with Ça Airplane Pour Moi: Belgium’s Plastic Bertrand was clearly an opportunistic chancer, the track was meant as a pastiche, however, as Joe Strummer as soon as famous, the consequence was “lots higher than a whole lot of so-called punk information”.
2. Kraftwerk – Autobahn (1974)
You may have simply have 1983’s Tour de France on this spot – the final actually nice Kraftwerk observe – however let’s plump for the primary full flowering of Kraftwerk’s genius: a Seashore Boys homage, a succession of fantastically easy melodic hooks, the sound of the long run, laced with refined dry wit.
1. Desireless – Voyage Voyage (1986)
Claudie Fritsch-Mentrop was a one-hit marvel: even in her native France, her success as Desireless was fleeting, whereas Voyage Voyage took two years and a remix to make the UK High 10. However what a success. Voyage Voyage was one of many nice pop singles of the 80s: epic, hovering, subtle and atmospheric, it pulled off the feat of sounding ineffably shifting even should you couldn’t perceive a phrase of the lyrics. It was an unrepeatable coup – Fritsch-Mentrop had a implausible voice and an unbelievable, androgynous picture, however what she didn’t have was one other track anyplace close to pretty much as good as Voyage Voyage. Typically, one track is all you want.
