The most famous song ever

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What is it?

― Nowell, Monday, 20 September 2004 20:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Happy Birthday

― frankE (frankE), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmmm..."Happy Birthday?"

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

probably something religious

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

"Fuck Martinez" by 2 Live Crew.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

the theme song for "Fame"

― La Monte (La Monte), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

"Ave Maria" vs. "A Mighty Fortress" FITE!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know. I'm just asking.
I was actually thinking of the most famous pop song ever, but...
I can't think of what it could possibly be.

― Nowell, Monday, 20 September 2004 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I hadn't heard "Ave Maria" till a few months ago

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 20 September 2004 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

unless I'm thinking of a different "Ave Maria"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 20 September 2004 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

If you're talking pop songs, I'd nominate "I Want To Hold Your Hand," probably.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)

but i don't even think that's the most famous beatles song.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Beethoven's Fifth. Even sherpas in Nepal can hum this one.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:07 (twenty-one years ago)

greensleeves for serious.

― La Monte (La Monte), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Pop songs = "Yesterday"
Melodies = "Happy Birthday"

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:09 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post)
whatwith them spending all their time accompanying educated europeans and americans up that big hill, i imagine sherpas in nepal can hum a lot more western music than that.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

i hope they know 'milkshake' by kelis in nepal.

― La Monte (La Monte), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

American Pie ?

― Steve WC (Steve WC), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Pop songs: "White Christmas" (but that's only the english language)

50 Cent made the most popular birthday song *since* "Happy Birthday," which is quite an accomplishment when you (or the Beatles or Sugarcubes or Altered Images or ???) think about it.

― chuck, Monday, 20 September 2004 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Fine, fine. I was trying to think of a culture that's supposedly isolated from the rest of the world. Allow me to restate:

"Beethoven's Fifth. Even dentists in Florida can hum this one."

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

50 Cent made the most popular birthday song...

Huh? There's just that "Go shorty/It's your birthday" bit, and people were saying that YEARS before "In Da Club" came out. I even recall seeing it in a Kentucky Fried Chicken advert ("Go Colonel! Go Colonel!") around 1996 or so.

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 20 September 2004 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, scratch my previous post. It's the national anthem of China. Has to be.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

They sing "Go shorty/It's your birthday" in the Chinese national anthem?

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 20 September 2004 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

There are songs more famous to the Chinese than the national anthem.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:22 (twenty-one years ago)

>50 Cent made the most popular birthday song...
Huh? There's just that "Go shorty/It's your birthday" bit, and people were saying that YEARS before "In Da Club" came out. I even recall seeing it in a Kentucky Fried Chicken advert ("Go Colonel! Go Colonel!") around 1996 or so<

And how exactly does any of this prevent 50 Cent's song from being the most popular birthday song since "Happy Birthday" again??

― chuck, Monday, 20 September 2004 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

i guess the question comes down to this: have more people in china heard the 50 cent cd or seen the kfc commercial?

ok, maybe it doesn't come down to that.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

the wedding march or whatever it's called must rank in the top five

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Monday, 20 September 2004 21:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Imagine must be up there.

― supercub, Monday, 20 September 2004 21:44 (twenty-one years ago)

twinkle twinkle little star is somewhere at the top right? and auld lang syne.

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Monday, 20 September 2004 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

And how exactly does any of this prevent 50 Cent's song from being the most popular birthday song since "Happy Birthday" again??

Because it really shouldn't be considered a birthday song. Like I said, there's only that one "We don't give a fuck about your birthday." verse.

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 20 September 2004 22:39 (twenty-one years ago)

tom cleveland wins. Especially if you consider "Twinkle Twinkle" and the ABC song to be the same song.

"We also would have accepted 'Tell Me What You Think of Me.'"

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 20 September 2004 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Jailhouse Rock? Though I'd also say Auld Lang Syne is way up there. And oh got it, Bohemian Rhapsody.

― piers (piers), Monday, 20 September 2004 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Robyn - Do you really want me

I heard a claim somewhere that the mockery melody that children do ("Nananana-naaaanaaaa") exists all over the world! And that song's melody seems to be the exact same! Ooooh!

― Øystein H-O (Øystein H-O), Monday, 20 September 2004 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

it's something from the Beatles. They love it on every continent. Bet it's "Michelle" or something flimsy like that.

― Thea (Thea), Monday, 20 September 2004 23:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Could be "Baba O'Reilly," seeing how it's featured on every other commercial and movie trailer these days. Licensing rules!

― Chris O., Monday, 20 September 2004 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

john cage - 4'33

har har

― you will be shot (you will be shot), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 00:09 (twenty-one years ago)

i love 4'33 jokes

― astroblaster (astroblaster), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 00:28 (twenty-one years ago)

most popular bathetic avant garde music joke ever:
4'33
or
Metal Machine Music

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 00:50 (twenty-one years ago)

"jokes"

― artdamages (artdamages), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 01:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe "Happy Birthday" is in the Guiness Book as the most popular song worldwide.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

mary had a little lamb

three jolly fishermen

― shookout (shookout), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 02:12 (twenty-one years ago)

"Waiting for a Girl Like You" - Foreigner

― 57 7th (calstars), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 02:33 (twenty-one years ago)

that one nickelback song that was playing on a radio station at any given second of every day for an entire year.

― Richard K (Richard K), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 03:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Pachelbel's Canon, if only b/c it shows up in so many mutated forms across both pop and classical music.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Is "Thriller" the most famous album ever?

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 21 September 2004 15:18 (twenty-one years ago)

"Jingle Bells?" Probably not as pancultural as "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." What about "We Are the Champions?" It's a pretty universal song, with basically the same melody as "nyah-nyah-na-nyaaaa-nyaaaah."

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't like how I haven't heard at least three of the nominations for "most famous song ever".

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

i think that article posted a while back about solomon linda, the guy credited for originally singing the melody of The Lion Sleeps tonite, argued that that song could be the most famous song in the world.

― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

i would guess silent night or amazing grace.

― Emilymv (Emilymv), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 18:24 (twenty-one years ago)

The Internationale wishes it was.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

These are good answers.
But I don't think I've even heard "Greensleeves" or "Baba O'Reilly".
I gotta get out more.

― Nowell, Tuesday, 21 September 2004 20:16 (twenty-one years ago)

You'd probably recognize both if you heard them. "Baba O'Reilly" is the Who song that goes "Teenage wasteland, teenage wasteland." Nirvana covered it in concert I think. I don't know how to describe Greensleeves, but you've heard it somewhere I'm sure. It's medieval sounding.

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

OH! I've heard "Baba O'Reilly" before.
And, yeah, I probably have heard "Greensleeves". I think I played it on a piano once.

― Nowell, Tuesday, 21 September 2004 20:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe "Happy Birthday" is in the Guiness Book as the most popular song worldwide.
-- MindInRewind (brune...), September 21st, 2004.

man, nick cave was stiffed on the royalties then, huh?

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 20:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"Happy Birthday" is a great song.

― Nowell, Tuesday, 21 September 2004 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

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