Radio 1 plays out Ode To Joy after pro-EU anthem beats Brexit song to top of downloads chart

The Dutch composer André Rieu’s live rendition of Beethoven’s song, an anthem for the pro-European movement, overall charted at Number 30 in the official singles chart.

Whilst it missed out on the overall number one slot, it managed to make the top of the downloads chart, and has been consistently top of the iTunes and Amazon chart all week.

According to the official charts company data Rieu has never had a single in the UK Top 75 chart before.

By contrast, a pro-Brexit campaign to get Dominic Frisby’s 17 Million F**k Offs to number one also failed, and missed the Top 40 too.

After an initial burst of momentum the efforts by the Brexiteers stalled – ending up at number 43 in the official chart – beaten by a song by London rapper M Huncho called Pee Pee.

It meant that Ode To Joy was played on Radio 1’s Chart Show with Scott Mills, while Frisby’s track failed to get air time.

Andrew Tipler, one of the campaigners behind the efforts to get Ode To Joy to the top spot, said: “It’s a desperately sad day for many of us. The belief that we are stronger together is still one that we feel deeply.

“We wanted to mark the day, but in a civilised and humble manner that articulated our views on this historic day.

“It might be a small and token gesture, but if it does anything to remind the rest of the country that we – the 16 million – are still here and fighting for an open, liberal and tolerant UK that we still believe our great nation can be; then that’s got to be worth 99p of anyone’s money- number one or not.”

The song to top the charts this week was Lewis Capaldi’s Before You Go, only his second number one in chart history, leaping back up the chart after entering at number four the week before.

Capaldi had previously joked he would quit music if he failed to secure the top slot this week.