I was amazed that We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You, the two most significant Queen songs apart from Bohemian Rhapsody, only reached number one in France.
The songs are so significant, and the fact that they , out of the entire earth, only reached number one in FRANCE is quite amazing, and almost unbelievable in consideration of both the LEGENDARY status and the quality of these two songs!
And this adds yet another remarkable mysterious coincidence in the ever growing list to me , especially, as i know what they mean in regards to the Freddie Mercury Biopic and the French actor who was destined to play the role. link
perhaps it's worth checking some of the songs that kept WATC/WWRU off the top spot?
this is what was going on release/chart-wise at the time of WATC/WWRU chart entry:
In the UK it was Wings' "Mull of Kintyre" which was i believe a huge seller and stayed at no1 for (i think) seven weeks and was the UKs best selling single of all-time until Band Aid
also, Bonnie Tyler's "It's A Heartache sold over 5 million copies worldwide, hitting no1 in france, sweden canada and norway Japan is a huge part of the singles market - it's been said that it has had more million-selling singles than any other market...but ONLY THREE EVER have been western artists. USA (the biggest music market???) no1 was Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life - and no1 for TEN WEEKS Abba's "Name of the Game" was the biggest selling single across the European continent from 10th Nov-22nd Dec inclusive.
finally, there was the small matter of an Elvis' death in august...his first posthumous single Way Down was a huge European and worldwide hit and was Europe's top seller from 13th-27th Oct and 3rd-10th November.
so all in all WATC/WWRU never really had a chance lol
hope this helps clear it up a little
When put in that context it appears as though there is a reasonable cause.
Until you realise that Champions /rock you were english language by an english language band ONLY reaching number one in a non english speaking country
FRANCE.
And the ex Beatles singer, the Beatles already being internationally famous and used to selling english speaking songs in non english countries Failed to reach number one in FRANCE
And was not Queen at the height of their powers in England at the time?
And even though those other songs , Mull of Kintyre etc are good songs, they certainly not as unique or as great as We Are The Champions/ Rock You
It is also incredible that those two songs are so great in the publics conscience, that most people would think they were number one hits!
They were, BUT ONLY IN FRANCE~!
Most people i expect will find that an amazing FACT!
PLUS your list is of songs that HAD A CHANCE to sneak in amongst each other replacing each other at the NUMBER ONE SPOT, and Also making it around the time of ELVIS PRESLEY'S DEATH!
They made IT , in spite of ALL the odds amongst their peers and the circumstances of Presley's death against them
BUT We Are The Champions/ We Will Rock You made it in FRANCE ALONE, in spite of ELVIS'S death AND all those OTHER massive HITS!
Wow NOW that IS TRULY AMAZING!
LIVING ON MY OWN 1993
WAS number 1 in France for 15 weeks!!!!
15 WEEKS!
EVEN BREAKING INTO ANOTHER YEAR!
And then more remarkably
Leaving number one then GOING BACK! link link
it was number 1 in THE UK for a mere 2 weeks!!!!!I I
01. Living On My Own {1993}
By Freddie Mercury
02. The Key, The Secret
By Urban Cookie Collective
03. It Keeps Rainin' (Tears From My Eyes)
By Bitty McLean
04. The River Of Dreams
By Billy Joel link
2 WEEKS IN UK CHART link
15 WEEKS IN THE FRENCH CHARTS!!!
EVEN BO- RAP ONLY STAYED ON UK CHARTS FOR 9 WEEKS!
FEEL I WANT TO MENTION Kapone AGAIN just for the THRILL OF IT ALL!
Btw, Billy Joe's "River Of Dreams" is a far better track that LOMO. Just my opinion, but the French know hee-haw hee-haw about music if that's the case.
Thistleboy1980 wrote: Just my opinion, but the French know hee-haw hee-haw about music if that's the case.
^^^ this exactly.
what has the French language EVER given popular music?
"Chanson d'amour, ra da da da da, je t'adore
Each time I hear, ra da da da da, chanson, chanson, d'amour"
fucking lyrical genius lol
"Je t'aime je t'aime, oui je t'aime - Moi non plus
Oh mon amour - Comme la vague irrésolue
Je vais, je vais et je viens - Entre tes reins
Je vais et je viens entre tes reins - Et je me retiens"
hysterical
"Joe le taxi - Y va pas partout
Y marche pas au soda - Son saxo jaune
Connait toutes les rues par coeur - Tous les p'tits bars
Tous les coins noirs - Et la Seine
Et ses ponts qui brillent - Dans sa caisse
La musique a Joe - C'est la rumba
Le vieux rock au mambo"
top notch...turd of the highest order
Thistleboy1980 wrote:
Btw, Billy Joe's "River Of Dreams" is a far better track that LOMO. Just my opinion, but the French know hee-haw hee-haw about music if that's the case.
UK singles chart for the week ending 14 August 1993
Living on my own (remix) – Freddie Mercury
The key the secret – Urban Cookie Collective
Pray – Take That
What’s up – 4 Non Blondes
It keeps rainin’ (tears from my eyes) – Bitty McLean
The river of dreams – Billy Joel
Tease me – Chaka Demus and Pliers
Nuff vibes EP – Apache Indian
Dreams – Gabrielle
Rain – Madonna link
THE CHART READS LIKE A PROPHECY
that was the english charts
so it WAS the english NOT THE FRENCH!
Who thought Living On My Own was superior to river of dreams, as IT IS.
River of Dreams was not in the french chart at all!
i don't think.
The french thought
LIVING ON MY OWN WAS SUPERIOR TO EVERYTHING FOR 15 WEEKS!
I wasn't referring to the charting, just that the French went mad for LOMO when Joel hardly got recognised. Please don't get me wrong, I love Freddie, and I love LOMO: but Billy Joel's output is far superior to the majority of Freddie's solo work (Barcelona and In My defence are NOT in the equation when I say this). Can you tell I'm a Billy Joel fan? lol.