7 Iconic Non-English Songs That Dominated The Billboard Hot 100

Photo Credit: Divine Treasure, the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license., Wikimedia Commons 

The Billboard Hot 100 is often dominated by songs recorded in English, but throughout history, several international tracks have broken through, proving that music transcends language barriers.

Bad Bunny has earned the most non-English-language Hot 100 top 10 hits, with 13 songs making it onto the chart. Following closely, Korean super group BTS has achieved the second most non-English Hot 100 Top 10s.

Here are 7 iconic non -English-language songs to reach the Hot 100’s top 10 in history.

"Nuevayol" – 2025
Language: Spanish
Artist: Bad Bunny (Puerto Rico)
Set to be the opening track of his sixth solo album, Bad Bunny's "Nuevayol" is already generating buzz for its potential impact on the charts.
Iconic Non-English Hits on the Billboard Hot 100

 

"BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53" – 2023
Language: Spanish
Artists: Bizarrap (Argentina) & Shakira (Colombia)
This viral collaboration became Shakira’s first all-Spanish song to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, while also marking Bizarrap’s first major US chart success.

"Boy With Luv" – 2019
Language: Korean
Artist: BTS feat. Halsey (South Korea)
This BTS hit, featuring American singer Halsey, made history when its music video became the most-viewed online video in 24 hours at the time, amassing over 74.6 million views in a single day.

 

"Despacito" – 2017
Language: Spanish
Artist: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee (Puerto Rico)
The original Spanish version was already a hit, but when Justin Bieber joined the remix, "Despacito" skyrocketed to global fame, dominating the charts in multiple countries and becoming one of the most streamed songs of all time.

"Gangnam Style" – 2012
Language: Korean
Artist: PSY (South Korea)
The viral sensation "Gangnam Style" took the world by storm, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100—at the time, the highest-charting song by a South Korean artist.

 

"Macarena" – 1996
Language: Spanish
Artist: Los Del Río (Spain)A song that remains a party favorite, "Macarena" first charted in 1993. However, it wasn’t until the Bayside Boys remix (which added English lyrics) that it soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks in 1996.

 

"Rock Me Amadeus" – 1986
Language: German
Artist: Falco (Austria)
Originally recorded in German, this song by Austrian musician Falco was inspired by the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, his fame, and financial struggles.