The Crazy Frog song Axel F is certified Platinum as Official Charts reveals how many people are listening to the novelty Number 1 in 2017

The months of May and June in 2005 were a particularly baffling moment in the Official Chart's 65-year history. For those who can't remember or have chosen to forget, it was when Crazy Frog's Axel F reached Number 1 on the Singles Chart.

The track, called Axel F (but more commonly known at the Crazy Frog song), was one of those novelty songs that caught the ears of the whole country, its nonsensical ramblings set to the tune of a happy hardcore re-work of the 1984 Beverly Hills Cop movie theme seeped not only into the public consciousness but also our mobile phones after it was co-opted by ringtone company Jamsta.

The story of Crazy Frog's creation is a complicated one, but in a nutshell: the computer-animated character - originally called The Annoying Thing - was born in 2003 by Swedish actor Erik Wernquist. It's shrill and grating noise was the work of Gothenburg student Daniel Malmedahl, who six years earlier at the age of 17 recorded himself imitating the noises produced by internal combustion engines. The sound became a viral hit, appearing on file sharing networks and eventually into the ears of Erik, who matched it up with his character. 

Axel F charged straight in at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart and spent four weeks there, famously beating Coldplay's Speed Of Sound to the top in its opening week by four copies to one - no mean feat given it was the band's lead single from their X&Y album. Four more singles followed shortly after (who could forget its decimation of Wham!'s Last Christmas?), after which the novelty had well and truly worn off, right? 

MORE: See where all of Crazy Frog's singles charted

Well, not quite it, seems. This week sees Crazy Frog's signature hit awarded Platinum status by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), for amassing combined sales of over 600,000, according to Official Charts Company data. 493,441 of that figure is physical CD purchases from its original 2005 release, while it's download count is 93,285, and it's been streamed 1.3 million times since 2014.

A number one single in 2005, the unforgettable 'Axel F' by Crazy Frog is now a Platinum single! #bpiAwards https://t.co/U9Gpw4rdJP

— bpi music (@bpi_music) October 6, 2017

Delving deeper still, the track has been downloaded an average of 45 times a week in 2017, while its weekly average play count across streaming services is 14,300. Not too shabby for a so-called flash in the pan, right? 

Crazy Frog is, of course, not the only fictional character to reach the top of the Official Chart. Walking blancmange Mr Blobby reached the summit in Christmas 1993 with his self-titled debut, while animated DIY expert Bob The Builder scored two Number 1s with Christmas chart-topper Can We Fix It? and follow-up Mambo No.5 in 2000 and 2001, the former of which has sold over one million copies. At this rate, it won't be long until Crazy Frog reaches the same sales highs...