King George I and Falco: Two German-Language Speakers who Went to No. 1 in the UK (with Emphasis on The Latter)

This date marks the 300th anniversary of King George I's rise to the throne in England during 1714. No, this isn't King George better known to fans of the American Revolution but it is the King George who essentially left the UK with parliament as the primary manager of law. So you guys kind of owe him one.

He's better known for another aspect of his personality however: his German heritage. He took the throne from Queen Anne, who had more than 50 relatives technically in line for the throne before him, but the Act of Settlement 1701 established that no Catholic should hold the crown, thus canceling out most of Anne's relatives. George came over from Hanover to take his place, somewhat grudgingly, and suffered the criticism of his more well spoken (in English that is) underlings.

Today we celebrate the life of another German-speaking celebrity, Falco, the Austrian pop star who had a better career in the UK than any other. Perhaps not as great a run as King George but he still managed to make the UK Top 100 five times. Check out his biggest hits:

"Emotional"...no. 85 in 1987

Falco's last song to crack into the Top 100 in the UK was "Emotional," a track that suggests Austrian pop was a little late to the new wave/synthesizer/electronic drum kit scene. The headliner's verses are in German but we still get an English translation for those ignorant English speakers trying to keep up: "He's a desperate man in a world so cold." That's a message that an '80s pop star can understand in any language.

"The Sound of Musik"...no. 61 in 1986

No, it's not Falco performing his own version of the title track from the classic musical set in his homeland of Austria. The performer bounces back and forth between his native German and English while instructing listeners to "feel the beat and move your feet," all while citing classics like "Jailhouse Rock" and the big band era. What briefly seems to be just a dramatic hook ends up carrying on for the rest of the song, propelled by the chant of "the sound of music" (pronounced "mew-seek").

"Jeanny"...no. 68 in 1985

Jeanny did alright in the UK but it probably would have done better if English speakers could understand the controversy behind the track. Although the English hook is a rousing rock ballad call for the titular character to stay strong (because someone needed her) became a much more Police-esque creeper tale when Falco played a kidnapper obsessing and kidnapping a young woman to hold captive in the sewers. The video is epic in a "November Rain" fashion and, like that Guns N' Roses single, is part of a three-song series.

"Vienna Calling"...no. 10 in 1985

You may have noticed, but Falco's hits are hitting higher rankings the earlier we go into his career. This track came near the peak of his career and, in our humble opinions, is actually his best track. The synthy dance number is essentially a predecessor to Ludacris' "Area Codes" but on an international level...Falco is essentially discussing how many girls he has around the world, from choices as curious as Tuscon, AZ and Toronto.

"Rock Me Amadeus"...no. 1 in 1985

If you immediately think that this is one of the earliest examples of white people doing hip-hop, you're not entirely wrong but you may be making psychological associations. It's easy to subconsciously link the recognizable hook to Tech N9ne's hit "I'm A Playa," which admittedly uses the same rhythm for its hook. If you take the lyrics into context, Falco's chant of "Am-a-de-us, Am-a-de-us" and Tech's "I'm-a-playa, I'm-a-playa" mean the same things: These guys are rock stars and desirable. This is also the only German language song to go to no. 1 in the United States as well.