British music fans have voted Ultravox's 'Vienna' as the greatest song to hit #2 in the charts, without reaching the top spot.
The poll was conducted by BBC Radio 2 and the Official Charts Company to mark 60 years of the singles chart in the UK.
'Vienna', a slow-burning and hypnotic synthpop ballad released in 1981, was kept off the #1 spot by novelty single 'Shaddup You Face' by Australian Joe Dolce.
"We are extremely pleased and very humbled to have been given this honorary number one," said Ultravox singer Midge Ure, "especially knowing the outstanding records which were also in the running - 'Strawberry Fields Forever', 'Hound Dog' and 'Wonderwall' to name just a few."
Radio 2 spokesman Jeff Smith praised the public's choice.
"'Vienna' is a brilliant track, a true classic. It was up against hits by some of the world's biggest acts - 'We Are The Champions' by Queen, 'Rocket Man' by Elton John and 'Rolling In The Deep' by Adele. The countdown is packed with some amazing songs."
Coming in second was the Pogues' Christmas classic 'The Fairytale of New York', which hit #2 in 1987, kept off the top spot by the Pet Shop Boys' 'Always on My Mind'.
The top 10:
1. Ultravox, 'Vienna', 1981 (kept off the top by Joe Dolce, 'Shaddup You Face')
2. The Pogues feat Kirsty MacColl, 'Fairytale Of New York', 1987 (Pet Shop Boys, 'Always On My Mind')
3. Don McLean, 'American Pie', 1972 (Chicory Tip, 'Son Of My Father', Nilsson, 'Without You')
4. James, 'Sit Down', 1991 (Chesney Hawkes, 'The One And Only')
5. The Stranglers, 'Golden Brown', 1982 (The Jam, 'Town Called Malice')
6. The Kinks, 'Waterloo Sunset', 1967 (The Tremeloes, 'Silence Is Golden')
7. The Beatles, 'Penny Lane'/'Strawberry Fields Forever', 1967 (Engelbert Humperdinck, 'Release Me')
8. Queen, 'We Are The Champions', 1977 (Abba, 'The Name Of The Game', Wings, 'Mull Of Kintyre/Girls' School')
9. The Beach Boys, 'God Only Knows', 1966 (The Beatles, 'Yellow Submarine'/'Eleanor Rigby')
10. A-ha, 'Take On Me', 1985 (Jennifer Rush, 'The Power Of Love')
Other notable entries include Oasis' 'Wonderwall' at #13, The Who's 'My Generation' at #12, Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep' at #34, Elton John's 'Rocket Man' at #37, Pulp's 'Common People' at #16 and the Manic Street Preachers' 'A Design for Life' at #37.
3 News
source: newshub archive
