‘We are the Champions’ tops Walkman Phones 100 global poll

LONDON – The Queen’s We are the Champions has emerged victorious in the first global search for the world’s favorite music by Sony Ericsson. 

Around 700,000 voters worldwide joined the Walkman Phones 100, a global music poll to coincide with the launch of Sony Ericsson’s new family of Walkman phones.

We are the Champions came from the 1977 Queen album News of the World. The most popular sports anthem to this day, the song follows seamlessly to another track that made it at No. 12 in the Walkman Phones 100, We Will Rock You. Seventies DJs often played the songs one after the other, pushing the album to platinum sales.

The operatic harmony of Bohemian Rhapsody made it the third Queen hit to appear in the countdown at No. 26. With three songs in the Walkman Phones 100, Queen is No. 1 among favorite global artists.

After weeks of topping the countdown, Princess of Pop and new mom Britney Spears clinched the No. 2 spot with Toxic, while seminal disco track Billie Jean by Michael Jackson comes in at No. 3.

Hotel California, the 1977 Grammy Award winner for Record of the Year by The Eagles, was an early favorite that ended at No. 4.

The only non-English song in the global top 10 is sexy Spanish singer Shakira’s latest, La Tortura at No. 5. Nirvana’s defiant Smells Like Teen Spirit follows at No. 6. 

The most covered pop song of all time, Yesterday by The Beatles, is at No. 7. Irish rock band U2 is the seventh most popular global artist with its hit One at No. 8. 

John Lennon’s Imagine and Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing round up the top 10 results of the Walkman Phones 100 countdown of the world’s favorite music.

The global poll, conducted in 66 countries and translated into 20 languages, illustrates how music is a universal passion, with the numerous musical styles and tastes contributing to every person’s own soundtrack to his life.

Votes were collected from countries as diverse as China, Brazil, Finland, Turkey and the Philippines.

Western acts dominated the countdown but singers like Ximena Abarca, Sasha Sokol, Carolina Soto and other international artists also contributed to the world’s sound-track of favorite music.

Dee Dutta, corporate vice president and head of marketing of Sony Ericsson, said, "The Walkman Phones 100 gave us a fantastic platform from which to launch the first Walkman phone and the opportunity to communicate directly with hundreds of thousands of music fans around the world."

The Walkman Phones 100 global poll is powered by European portal provider Lycos Europe and was compiled over six weeks.

Having registered their three songs, voters were also given the chance to win the ultimate collectable item for any serious music lover – one of the new Walkman phones complete with the world’s 100 favorite songs, as voted by music fans worldwide on the site.

Sony Ericsson gave lucky runners-up a member of its new family of Walkman phones, which include the critically acclaimed debut Walkman phone, the W800i.

To see the Walkman Phones 100 results in full, visit www.walkman-phones100.com.