Browse the A-Z
See which of your favourites have made it onto our list of nominees.
Japanese Boy – Aneka (1981)
HIGHEST CHART POSITION: 1
Scottish folksinger Mary Sandeman dressed as a Japanese Geisha to land this number one hit in 1981 using the pseudonym 'Aneka'. After this taste of stardom, Mary chose to pack up her kimono and wig and head back to a quieter life north of the border.
Je T'Aime – Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg (1969)
HIGHEST CHART POSITION: 1
This provocative little number was the first time a foreign language record achieved such success in the UK. The song was banned by broadcasters in Spain, Sweden, Brazil and Britain and condemned across the world as immoral, not least by the Vatican. It was so saucy that original co-vocalist Brigitte Bardot refused to approve its release. Scandalous singer Serge Gainsbourg soon found a willing partner in British Jane Birkin and it became the first French song on our list to climb to number one.
HIGHEST CHART POSITION: 1
This provocative little number was the first time a foreign language record achieved such success in the UK. The song was banned by broadcasters in Spain, Sweden, Brazil and Britain and condemned across the world as immoral, not least by the Vatican. It was so saucy that original co-vocalist Brigitte Bardot refused to approve its release. Scandalous singer Serge Gainsbourg soon found a willing partner in British Jane Birkin and it became the first French song on our list to climb to number one.
Jilted John – Jilted John (1978)
HIGHEST CHART POSITION: 4
Memorably introduced on Top of the Pops as "one of the most bizarre singles of the decade", Jilted John's eponymous tale of teen angst, rejection and confrontation went to number four in the chart. Actor Graham Fellows' bratty rendition follows the adventures of John, Gordon the Moron and Julie, and remains one of the most memorable singles of British punk/new wave.
HIGHEST CHART POSITION: 4
Memorably introduced on Top of the Pops as "one of the most bizarre singles of the decade", Jilted John's eponymous tale of teen angst, rejection and confrontation went to number four in the chart. Actor Graham Fellows' bratty rendition follows the adventures of John, Gordon the Moron and Julie, and remains one of the most memorable singles of British punk/new wave.
Joe Le Taxi – Vanessa Paradis (1988)
HIGHEST CHART POSITION: 3
Although her subsequent acting and modelling success overshadowed her pop career, French singer Vanessa Paradis, aka Mrs Johnny Depp, was only 15 when she shot to fame with her first single 'Joe le Taxi'. The song detailed the drinking habits, dancing exploits and nightly wandering of the mysterious Joe. Vanessa received mixed reviews from French critics so uprooted to London where she found fleeting success on the UK pop scene.
HIGHEST CHART POSITION: 3
Although her subsequent acting and modelling success overshadowed her pop career, French singer Vanessa Paradis, aka Mrs Johnny Depp, was only 15 when she shot to fame with her first single 'Joe le Taxi'. The song detailed the drinking habits, dancing exploits and nightly wandering of the mysterious Joe. Vanessa received mixed reviews from French critics so uprooted to London where she found fleeting success on the UK pop scene.
