Official Charts Pop Gem #61: Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim, Mya –

We crown the star-studded Moulin Rouge ladies' Number 1 from 2001 our ultimate collaboration.

Pop music is all about cooperation– a featured artist or a guest rap can make all the difference. So this week in our search for overlooked classics, we asked for your top COLLABORATIONS, tunes which benefitted from a helping hand by a popstar or two.

You nominated your top team-ups and while it was tough whittling them down, whittle we did, until we reached a final 10. But who’d take the prize? (We admit the title of this page may be something of a giveaway, but play along, eh?)

Yes, that’s right, we picked Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya and their Moulin Rouge special edition of Lady Marmalade.

Watch the video before we tell you why it had to be this very special quartet…

Why it had to be Lady Marmalade

Collaborations occasionally bring together popstars you might not expect to see even sharing a lift never mind vocal duties on a song, but Lady Marmalade was a real event, thanks to the blockbuster movie Moulin Rouge. It was the first glimpse of a new-look Christina Aguilera, who had shaken off her squeaky clean image to reveal something really quite different underneath.

For Pink too, this was a transitional phase, as she prepared to leave behind her R&B beginnings and get a little rockier. Add Lil’ Kim and Mya to the mix, plus a cameo from the track’s producer Missy Elliott and this is a full-on celebfest that practically redefines pop collaborations.

And it looks so much fun, we’re sure there were no shortage of stars who’d have willingly joined in! But it was tough for them – they weren't on the Moulin Rouge's guestlist.

The song

Lady Marmalade has been a hit three times in the UK, and has reached the summit twice! First a Number 17 hit for LaBelle in 1975, the track was covered by UK girlgroup All Saints, who whacked it into a double-A side (ask your mum) with a cover of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Under The Bridge and took it to Number 1 in 1998!

Just three years later, the Moulin Rouge lot got their hands on it and the rest is Pop Gem history! Christina and the ladies’ version has sold over 560,000 copies and spent a week at Number 1 in summer 2001.

Christina’s chart story

Christina Aguilera has scored 23 Top 40 hits, including 17 Top 10 hits and four Number 1s: Genie In A Bottle (1999), Lady Marmalade itself, Dirrty (2002) and Beautiful (2003). Her biggest seller didn’t actually get to Number 1 at all! Her collabo with Maroon 5, the hip-swivelling maelstrom of amazingness that is Moves Like Jagger only reached Number 2, but has sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK.

Pink’s chart story

Pink – real name Alecia Moore – scored her first UK hit in 2000 with There You Go, whiche reached Number 6. Lady Marmalade was the first of three Number 1s, the others being Just Like A Pill (2002) and So What (2008). Pink has notched up 27 Top 40 hits, including 18 Top 10s. Her biggest seller in the UK is another collaboration – 2012’s Just Give Me A Reason FT fun’s Nate Ruess. The track paked at Number 2 and has sold over 780,000 copies.

Lil’ Kim’s chart story

Rapper Lil’ Kim racked up her first UK chart hit in 1997, when Crush On You reached Number 36. Lady Marmalade is her first and only Number 1, and she’d only hit the Top 10 one more time, with Christina Aguilera again. Can’t Hold us Down reached Number 6 in 2003. Kim has scored 11 Top 40 hits altogether.

Mya’s chart story

Mya’s very first chart hit in the UK was a feature on former Fugee Pras Michel’s Ghetto Superstar, which hit Number 2 in 1998. Since then, she’s enjoyed six more Top 40 hits, the most recent in 2003. Lady Marmalade is her biggest hit.

Well done on a very worthy Pop Gem, ladies. And a special congrats for Christina – it’s her second Pop Gem, don’tcha know?

Video playlist

Take a look at all 10 of our collaboration contenders!

Pop Gem Hall Of Fame

Today's Pop Gem is the latest in a long line of amazing pop songs that have been inducted into our Pop Gem Hall Of Fame. Take a look at all the tracks who've received the honour so far

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