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Motown-legend Marvin Gaye is to this day an international success, with his songs crossing several borders. For the German market, he recorded a translated version of 'How Sweet It Is' called 'Wie Schon Das Ist.'
You might be surprised by this one, but The Rolling Stones have an Italian version of 'As tears Go By' called 'Con le Mie Lacrime.' Not bad hearing Mick Jagger sing in charming Italian.
Music is a universally international language that communicates to people, regardless if they comprehend the lyrics or not. And while most world-known artists record in English to appeal to English-speaking fans, many have also recorded in foreign languages to appeal to a specific market. But whatever the exact reason, there's something real soothing in hearing familiar music sound so different.
Click through the gallery to discover artists who recorded songs in another language.
Known for her wide success in the 1960s, British singer Dusty Springfield sang a German version of 'I Only Want to Be With You' called 'Auf Dich nur wart ich Immerzu.'
Johnny Cash’s classic ‘Ring Of Fire’ sounds just as good in Spanish as its original. The translated version is titled 'Fuego D'Amor' and it's definitely worth listening to.
World-renowned jazz singer and pianist Nina Simone made many songs iconic with her unforgettable voice, including 'Ne me quitte pas' by Belgian singer Jacques Brel, sung entirely in French.
British rock band Blur recorded a French version of their song 'To The End.' The song appeared on the 'Parklife' single and album special edition in 1994.
Back in the '90s, before Sophie Ellis-Bextor went solo, she was in a band called Theaudience which recorded a French version of their popular song 'A Pessimist is Never Disappointed.'
Even Queen B has dived into the Spanish-speaking market. In 2007, she released 'Irreemplazable,' an extended EP that featured Spanish and Spanglish songs from her 'B'Day' album.
The acclaimed gypsy punk band from New York has sung in Ukrainian, Russian, and English, as well as Romanian. They even have songs with some Spanish and Portuguese lyrics.
One might say that Blondie as a band were aspiring francophones! They recorded their songs ‘Denis,’ ‘French Kissin’ (In The USA),’ and ‘Sunday Girl’ all in French.
Musical icon David Bowie has had many of his songs covered by foreign artists, but he himself even sang the Italian version of 'Space Oddity' called 'Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola.'
World-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli doesn't only limit himself to Italian and French. He also sings in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin.
English musician Peter Gabriel recorded a German version of his 1980 hit ‘Games Without Frontiers.’ However, the French refrain (“jeux sans frontieres”) sung by Kate Bush remains the same.
Having performed multiple times in Hamburg, Germany, at the beginning of their career, the iconic band recorded ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ (‘Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand’) and ‘She Loves You’ ('Sie Liebt Dich') in German.
With Russian background, Regina Spektor's music has been widely influenced by her origin. Her song 'Aprés Moi' is a medley in English, French, and Russian.
Aside from French and English, Celine Dion has also sung in Spanish, German, and Japanese, as well as Neapolitan, Latin, and Mandarin. Not bad!
The former Fugees member is known to blend French, Creole, and English into his music. But he has also freestyled in French, German, English, Japanese, and Spanish.
The Grammy award-winning Indie rock band has many songs mixed with French lyrics, and some songs are sung entirely in French thanks to their Quebecois vocalist, Régine Chassagne.
Sources: (The Guardian) (NME) (Babbel) (Flavorwire)
See also: Polyglots: The celebrities who speak other languages
Having featured some French in 'Bad Romance' and Italian in 'Born This Way,' Lady Gaga definitely feels inspired by some foreign languages. She even sang 'La Vie en Rose' in 'A Star Is Born' (2018).
Aside from Swedish and English, the Swedish pop group has also recorded in French and German to reach their fans in those markets more effectively.
With a fine command of French, Canadian folk singer Martha Wainwright has regularly thrown French-language songs into her live sets. In 2009, she even released an album of Édith Piaf covers to honor the iconic singer.
The Cuban-American doesn't just stick to Spanish and English. Her 2013 album 'The Standards' features songs in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
Jazz legend Nat King Cole was launched in the Spanish market in 1958 thanks to his album 'Cole Español.' It was one of three Spanish-themed albums he recorded, followed by 'A Mis Amigos' in 1959 and by 'More Cole Español' in 1962.
In 1966, Barbra Streisand released the album 'Je m'appelle Barbra,' which consisted mainly of French songs. It was her eighth studio album to go certified gold.
Beck went all out when he recorded a Spanish version of his song 'Jack-[ ]' from his 1996 'Odelay' album. Called 'Burro,' he even included mariachi trumpets.
Colombian singer Shakira is one of the most multilingual artists around, having performed fluently in Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, and Italian. Impressive!
Known for his psychedelic rock, Devendra Banhart has sung both in his native Spanish and English, as well as in Japanese and Portuguese in various songs.
Fluent in French and Italian as well as English, Mika has sung in all of those languages. His first French track was the song 'Elle Me Dit' from his 2012 album 'The Origin of Love.'
Charli XCX had massive international success in 2014 with 'Boom Clap.' It became so popular that she even recorded a Japanese version.
Artists who recorded songs in another language
From Lady Gaga to David Bowie, these artists have recorded songs in a foreign language
MUSIC Foreign language
Music is an international language that communicates to people, regardless of whether or not they comprehend the lyrics. And while most world-famous artists record in English to appeal to English-speaking fans, many have also recorded in other languages to appeal to a wider market. But whatever the exact reason, there's something really soothing about hearing familiar music sound so different.
Click through the gallery to discover artists who recorded songs in another language.