Korean Curio #2: Maria!

The rock band Blondie apparently has a huge hit song in Korea. Not any of their hits though--not "Heart Of Glass", "Call Me", "Tide Is High" or even a glossy new single--but "Maria" the lead single from their 1999 comeback effort No Exit. I don't think I had heard "Maria" in almost six years; now I hear it almost every day. I've heard it in restaurants, in the subway, blaring from stores and vendors on the streets, and blasting from loud speakers on ski lifts (perhaps another Korean curio, all skiing or snowboarding must be accompanied by loud and often obnoxious pop music). Sometimes I hear a Korean cover version, sometimes it's the original. "Maria" isn't a bad song--in fact, it's much better than the other ubiquitous pop song, something about "rock 'n' roll" and I'm not talkin' Zeppelin--but I just don't understand why "Maria" and not one of Blondie's many greatest hits. Maybe I'm missing something; the music website allmusic.com says "Maria" is "a pure pop delight..it should have been huge." Well, it is, only in Korea and about 8 years later...