Editing Boney M. (section)

== UK record sales achievements ==
In 1978, "Rivers of Babylon", a cover of a track by [[The Melodians]] with lyrics partly based on [[Psalm 137]] and partly on [[Psalm 19]],<ref>[[wikisource:Bible (King James)/Psalms#Psalm 137|Psalm 137]] in the [[Bible]] ([[King James Version|King James]])</ref> became (at the time) the second highest-selling single of all time in the UK. After remaining at no.{{px2}}1 for five weeks, "Rivers of Babylon" began dropping down the chart, at which point the [[B-side]] "Brown Girl in the Ring" was given extensive radio airplay, and the single ascended to no.{{px2}}2. The single spent six months in the UK Top 40, including 19 weeks in the Top 10. It eventually sold more than two million copies, the second single to do so, and is still [[List of million-selling singles in the United Kingdom|one of only seven]] to achieve this feat.

The group achieved a second UK million-seller with their version of the [[calypso music|calypso]] song "[[Mary's Boy Child]]", released as a medley, "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord", the first title having previously been a million-seller for [[Harry Belafonte]]. The single sold more than 1.8 million copies, 1.6 million of which were in the four weeks the song was at No. 1 in December 1978.

Boney M. is the only artist to appear twice in the top 12 [[List of best-selling singles in the United Kingdom|best selling singles of all time in the UK]], with "Rivers of Babylon" in seventh place and "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" at number 11.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/naughty-boy-and-sam-smith-reach-1-million-sales-with-la-la-la-3074/|title=Naughty Boy and Sam Smith smash 1 million UK sales with La La La|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|date=10 June 2014|access-date=18 August 2014|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006093121/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/naughty-boy-and-sam-smith-reach-1-million-sales-with-la-la-la-3074/|url-status=live}}</ref> They are also one of six artists to sell a million copies with two singles in the same year.