Cliff Richard second in favourite song poll

Cliff Richard has emerged ahead of The Beatles, Queen and John Lennon in a poll to find the world’s most popular song.

His 1979 hit We Don’t Talk Any More may not be the obvious choice for British pop fans, but music-lovers across the globe disagree.

The song is currently second in a poll compiled by the BBC World Service, ahead of such classics as The Beatles’ Yesterday and Lennon’s Imagine.

Top of the list is the Tamil song Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu, taken from the Indian film Thalapathi – reflecting the fact that India has submitted the most votes.

But, Richard, 62, is running a close second with the song that marked his return to the top of the charts in 1979 after an 11-year wait.

Cher’s 1998 hit Believe is at number three, followed by Imagine, while Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody makes it to number six.

Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin is eighth, Yesterday is ninth and The Eagles’ Hotel California sneaks in at number 10.

The two other places in the poll are taken up by Indian hits – Vande Mataram by Bankim Chandra Chatarji, said to be the country’s national song, and Chaiyya Chaiyya by Sukhvinder, taken from the 1998 Bollywood movie Dil Se.

Listeners in 112 countries have cast their votes so far since the poll opened two weeks ago.

The World Service has also canvassed the opinions of various world leaders on their favourite song of all time.

Former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos chose The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, while Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi picked the theme music from the Robert De Niro film Once Upon A Time In America.

The president of Mongolia, Natsagiin Bagabandi, went for The Beatles’ Let It Be.

The final result will be announced by Steve Wright in his Wright Round The World show on Saturday December 21.

Current poll for the world’s most popular song:

1 Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu – SP Balasubramaniyam Suvarnalatha

2 We Don’t Talk Any More – Cliff Richard

3 Believe – Cher

4 Imagine – John Lennon

5 Vande Mataram – Bankim Chandra Chatarji

6 Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

7 Chaiyya Chaiyya – Sukhvinder

8 Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin

9 Yesterday – The Beatles

10 Hotel California – The Eagles