The children's TV favourites that conquered the Official Chart

It's been a while since a kids TV character took control over the Official Chart, but it may be happening again very soon.

Baby Shark, the viral smash by educational YouTube favourite Pinkfong, has been watched more than 1.5 billion times and is now heading for the Official UK Top 40 this week. It's not the first time a song aimed at pre-schoolers that has found a wider audience...

Teletubbies

Tinky Winky, Dispy, Laa Laa and Po reached Number 1 in 1997 with Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh!. At this point, the multicoloured creatures were a worldwide phenomenon; the track sold a massive 547,000 copies in just a fortnight and went on to sell over one million in total. It was very nearly that year's Official Christmas Number 1, though a force even greater than them - the Spice Girls - knocked them off with Too Much.  

The Simpsons

The Simpsons have enjoyed success on both the Official UK Singles and Albums Charts. Back in 1991, Do The Bartman - a new jack swing number written by Michael Jackson (!) - reached Number 1, while follow-up Deep Deep Trouble topped out at Number 7. Both songs were taken from The Simpsons Sing The Blues album, which bowed at Number 6.

Kidz Bop Kids

In today's world of expletive-laden pop, Kidz Bop Kids serve as a handy moderator for your children so you don't have to. The compilation franchise, which claims to have sold 16 million albums worldwide, re-records the hits of the moment smoothing out any dodgy lyrics. Some of their covers have unintentionally gone viral, like this poor child who attempted to cover Mariah Carey's We Belong Together (wait for the final note):

Mr. Blobby

Believe it or not, this creepy pink and yellow polka dot character from Noel Edmonds' Saturday night variety BBC show Noel's House Party was considered both child-friendly and comedic back in 1990s. The self-titled single Mr Blobby claimed the 1993 Official Christmas Number 1, defeating the mighty Take That with their track Babe.  

The Archies

The Archies were the group that started it all when it comes to giving kids some pocket money to spend on music. The animated band from the hit US cartoon series The Archie Show scored a UK chart topper in 1969 with Sugar, Sugar. The Archie Show only ran for 17 episodes, but that was enough to captivate the kids, and Sugar, Sugar spent an impressive eight weeks at the top.

Bob the Builder

The Neil Morrissey-voiced animated builder bagged the Official Christmas Number 1 2000 (spotting a trend here?) with Can We Fix It?, outselling sure-fire festive chart-toppers Westlife with their single What Makes A Man. Can We Fix It? went on to be a million seller, and the following year, Bob the Builder scored a second Number 1 hit with his cover of Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5.

The Tweenies

Tweenie clock, where will it stop? Song time! The Tweenies claimed five consecutive Top 20 hits on the Official Chart, their biggest being Number 1, which reached, erm, Number 5. The Tweenies attempted to join Blobby and Bob in the Official Christmas Number 1 club in 2001 with I Believe In Christmas, but it stalled at Number 9.

The Wombles

Eco-warrior legends The Wombles have an incredible 26 years of history on the Official Chart, and while they haven't manage to net a Number 1, they did collect four Top 10 hits. Wombling Merry Christmas is their highest charting single, peaking at Number 2 in 1974.  

The Muppets

The Muppets have been entertaining families for generations, and they are the only act featured here to land a Number 1 album. In 1977, The Muppet Show dethroned The Beatles and spawned the Top 10 hit Halfway Down The Stairs. After a 32-year absence, Kermit, Miss Piggy and co. returned to the Top 40 in 2009, teaming with Queen for a cover of Bohemian Rhapsody.