(Credits: Far Out / NASA / Uwe Conrad)
As much as the UK is a music hit-making factory in its own right, it’s also fair to say that our European friends across the channel have provided us with a whole host of bangers across time. From the Swedish karaoke classics of the Abba songbook to the Italian sex-infused rock jolt of Måneskin, those countries definitely know how to churn out a good tune.
Over decades past and present, the influence of European artists has played a pivotal role in shaping popular music all over the world, which is none more so evident in the songs that have crossed the water to hit the number one spot in this country. However, if you’re looking for some refined recommendations to quench your thirst for new continental sonic tastes, this may not be the place for you.
That said, if you’re in need of a good old dose of school disco nostalgia, the Europeans have got you covered. According to a list by the Official Charts Company, the top ten European hits to ever grace the UK airwaves are a delectable mix of novelty pop, chart hits, and downright cringe – with ‘Dancing Queen’ by Abba thrown in for good measure, of course.
But believe it or not – and brace yourself for this – none other than the classic toe-curling dance banger ‘Barbie Girl’ by Aqua takes the golden spot for the best-selling European song in the UK of all time. The Danish-Norwegian four-piece were the overlords of bubblegum Europop back in the heady era of the 1980s and 1990s, and while unbelievably still going strong to this day, their 1997 ode to “life in plastic” scored them their biggest-ever worldwide hit.
How long was ‘Barbie Girl’ by Aqua number one?
‘Barbie Girl’ spent four weeks at the top spot in the UK and even boasts the enviable title of being the 15th best-selling single ever in this country. It’s not bad for a tune that these days will mostly be met with a wave of groans and eye rolls whenever it’s unleashed on a dancefloor, really. Yet while this pink explosion tops the list of the most successful European musical exports, it’s worth also looking further down the list to find some equally cheesy gems.
Joining Aqua in the league of party anthems are the Danish singer Whigfield and her unmistakable ‘Saturday Night’, which not only sold 1.18 million copies in the UK but became the first ever debut song from an artist to enter the charts straight at number one, back in 1994. More relatively recently, you’ve got the likes of Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ and Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up’ filling out the ranks of European bangers.
All in all, the European influence on the UK charts is dominated by the sugary effects of Europop. Whether that’s a notion sweet or too sickly for you to bear, there’s no denying they all had a hand in shaping our chart history and telling the story of the musical evolution across the continent – even if some of the biggest exports at the time can now be left to the school disco graveyard.
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