International songs that have topped Billboard charts

Written by:
August 4, 2021
Ian Gavan // Getty Images

International songs that have topped Billboard charts

You don't have to be bilingual to rock out to an international smash hit. Even if you can't understand the lyrics, it's hard to not get up and dance to amazing music from around the world. Just take a look at South Korean sensation PSY's "Gangnam Style," which had millions around the world on their feet mimicking his iconic dance moves.

And who doesn't remember the Macarena鈥攁 Spanish language sweeping success that had the world singing along throughout the '90s. Over the decades, some of the most memorable songs, whose lyrics we've all memorized, are in languages we can't understand. The power of music is what brings people together around the world.

looked into data from's Hot 100 chart history and listed the 21 non-English language tracks that have breached the top 10. From the many songs by K-pop band BTS to one-hit wonders like Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus," these are the international songs that have taken the world by storm. Some of these tunes have even been translated into the English language, though the translations paled in comparison to the success of the originals. How many of these do you have memorized, and of those, how many do you know the meaning of?

鈥楳脥A鈥 by Bad Bunny (feat. Drake)

Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny teamed up with Drake for the hit single, 鈥淢脥A.鈥 It was the second single from Bad Bunny's debut studio album, 鈥淴 100pre.鈥 According to Pitchfork, it was the first song in which Drake .

鈥極n鈥 by BTS

South Korean boy band BTS released the song "On" in February 2020 as the album's lead single. A month later, a remix was released with Sia. According to The Korea Herald, 12 hours before the song's official release. It was the first time BTS debuted a sample of a new song on a video-sharing platform.

鈥楤oy With Luv鈥 by BTS

Korean pop group BTS teams up with American singer Halsey for the song "Boy With Luv." Not only was the tune an international success, the video smashed records as well. According to Forbes, the boy band's music video for the song collected on YouTube. It hit 100 million views in less than two days.

鈥楩ake鈥 Love" by BTS

Recorded in both Korean and Japanese, "Fake Love" is a fusion of emo, hip-hop, grunge, rap, and electro-pop. According to Paper Magazine, BTS has been the "undeniable ringleader" in K-pop's breakthrough in recent years, and called "Fake Love"  the band brings.

'Permission to Dance' by BTS

Yet another hit from K-pop band BTS, "Permission to Dance" is a 2021 smash that. According to Variety, BTS and YouTube launched the Permission to Dance Challenge, which invited fans from around the world to record their own 15-second versions of the band's music video.

鈥楤utter鈥 by BTS

Not to be outdone by themselves, BTS' 2021 hit "Butter" broke the band's own records for the most YouTube views in the first 24 hours. by midnight the day of its release, according to Variety. This broke BTS' previous record for their 2020 single, "Dynamite."

鈥榁olare鈥 by Domenico Modugno

It's not a scene from an Italian restaurant without the lilt of "Volare" in the background. Released in 1958, Modugno's single was for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

鈥楢l di l脿鈥 by Emilio Pericoli

Italian composer Carlo Donida's "Al di l脿'' was first recorded by Betty Curtis, though the most known record of the song is by Emilio Pericoli. According to IMDb, "Al di l脿'' was , and the song was used in the film "Rome Adventure" in 1962.

鈥楽adeness, Part I鈥 by Enigma

The debut single from German group Enigma, "Sadeness (Part I)," was released in 1990 as the first of four singles. The lyrics are in Latin and French. Neg Raggett of AllMusic described the song as a fusion of everything from "." It reached number one in 14 countries.

'Rock Me Amadeus' by Falco

Austrian artist Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" was written by the artist alongside Dutch producers Bolland & Bolland. It is still the only German language song to peak at #1e on the Billboard Hot 100, .

鈥楳i Gente鈥 by J Balvin and Willy William (feat. Beyonc茅)

Colombian singer J Balvin and French singer/producer Willy William came together to release "Mi Gente" in 2017, which is a remix of William's song, "Voodoo Song." , which was named Best New Track by Pitchfork.

鈥楽ukiyaki鈥 by Kyu Sakamoto

Famous Japanese artist Kyu Sakamoto released "Sukiyaki" in 1961. According to NPR, the song spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard charts and marked following the devastation of World War II.

鈥楽ailor, Your Home Is the Sea鈥 by Lolita

Originally written in German, "Sailor, Your Home Is the Sea" became an international hit in 1960-61. The song was later covered by world-renowned singer, Petula Clark. The song was recorded in a variety of languages, and Clark's version became , writes Song Facts.

鈥楳acarena (Bayside Boys Remix)鈥 by Los Del Rio

If you were around in the '90s, then you simply cannot forget the "Macarena." The song, by Los Del Rio, included an iconic dance that had the world moving. The clave-rhythm song was while the Sevillian artist duo were attending a party in Caracas, Venezuela, writes Vanity Fair.

'La Bamba' by Los Lobos

Originally from the state of Veracruz in Mexico, "La Bamba" is a folk song that has been covered by many artists, but most famously by Ritchie Valens. The original song is a combination of indigenous, African and Spanish elements.  "La Bamba," which tells the story of Valens' life.

鈥楧espacito鈥 by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee (feat. Justin Bieber)

The year 2017 was the year of "Despacito," the reggaeton and Latin pop song that swept the world. The song was beloved by critics and audiences all over the world, and it stayed in the #1 spot on the Hot 100 for 16 weeks. Rolling Stone named it on its list of .

鈥99 Luftballons鈥 by Nena

The German hit "99 Luftballons" burst onto the scene in 1983 off of Nena's self-titled album. While an English version was recorded, it never reached nearly the success of the original German song. that kept "99 Luftballons" from hitting the top of the American Billboard charts that year was Van Halen's "Jump," according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

鈥楪entleman鈥 by PSY

South Korean musician PSY released his song "Gentleman" in 2013, which became his 19th single and a followup to the wildly successful "Gangnam Style." In 2013, PSY held the record for  on YouTube with more than 38 million views. It was seen 100 million times in less than four days, according to YouTube Trends.

鈥楪angnam Style鈥 by PSY

Speaking of "Gangnam Style," the massively successful hit was PSY's breakout song. The song launched in 2012 as a fusion of K-pop and dance-pop and came along with a signature dance. , and as of 2021, the song has more than 4.1 billion views.

'Guantanamera' by The Sandpipers

Translated as "The Woman From Guantanamo," "Guantanamera" is one of the best-known songs in Cuba. The official song lyrics are based on poetry by Cuban poet Jos茅 Marti. It has been recorded by numerous artists, but the most famous is The Sandpipers' version from 1966.

鈥楧ominique鈥 by The Singing Nun

Belgian singer Jeannine Deckers, aka The Singing Nun, is known for her song "Dominique," which is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born priest who founded the Dominican Order. "Dominique," which is a ballad accompanied by a single acoustic guitar, and earned a gold record, according to the Los Angeles Times.

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