Written by Eric Tyler
The US Billboard Hot 100 has been the gold standard when ranking current music for over 60 years. The chart breaks down radio airplay, online streaming, sales numbers and ranks the biggest songs on the planet each week. Hitting number one is hard. Very hard. Only 17 songs hit number one in 2019. Some of the biggest tracks on your playlists never reached number one. Here’s ten HUGE songs that never quite made it to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100:
1. ED SHEERAN & JUSTIN BIEBER “I DON’T CARE” (2019)
“I Don’t Care” debuted in May of 2019 as the lead single from Sheeran’s “No 6 Collaborations Project”. It was well-received out of the gate and debuted at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Unfortunately for Ed and Justin’s track, “Old Town Road” was in the middle of a record setting stay at number one preventing “I Don’t Care” from ever reaching number one. The song hit number one in 26 countries and number two in 7 others (behind… you guessed it… “Old Town Road.”)
2. IMAGINE DRAGONS “RADIOACTIVE” (2012)
“Radioactive” is certified diamond and one of the best selling singles of all time. In fact, it’s the top selling rock song in US history. It also holds the record for most weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 with 87 (#2 all time is AWOLNATION “Sail”, a full 8 weeks less with 79). Yet, despite spending over a year on the US Billboard Hot 100, “Radioactive” peaked at #3. Since then, Imagine Dragons have had two songs hit #4, but have still yet to hit number one.
3. BACKSTREET BOYS “QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH MY HEART” (1996)
The Backstreet Boys are one of the best selling artists of all time. “Quit Playing Games With My Heart” was arguably their biggest single selling two million copies in the US. It also peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. The two songs that split time at number one while BSB was number two? Notorious B.I.G. “Mo Money Mo Problems” and Mariah Carey “Honey”. Backstreet Boys have sold over 100 million records worldwide and have never had a number one song on the US Billboard Hot 100.
4. BRITNEY SPEARS “TOXIC” (2004)
Britney is one of the most successful pop stars in history with 5 number #1’s on the US Billboard Hot 100. “Toxic” was not one of them. The only song that has ever earned Britney a Grammy only reached number 9 on the chart.
5. ONE DIRECTION “WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL” (2011)
One Direction has sold out stadiums worldwide and spawned five successful solo careers. Their biggest track, “What Makes You Beautiful” was number one in the UK and propelled the group into the mainstream. Yet, the tracked peaked at number four. One Direction was the first group in history to have their first four albums debut at number one on the US Billboard 200. However, they have never had a single reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
6. JASON MRAZ “I’M YOURS” (2008)
“I’m Yours” was a top five song all around the world including hitting number one on the US pop chart. It was nominated for multiple Grammys and was the biggest song of Jason Mraz’s career. Despite spending 76 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100, the track peaked at number 6. In 2018, Billboard released the Top 600 of all time and “I’m Yours” is the only song on that list to never hit the top 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
7. KELLY CLARKSON “SINCE U BEEN GONE” (2004)
The original American Idol has had three number one songs on the US Billboard Hot 100. “Since U Been Gone” wasn’t one of them. It peaked at number two behind 50 Cent “Candy Shop”. The song won a Grammy and The Atlantic called it the best pop song of the last decade in 2014. Not bad for a song that was originally offered to both Pink and Hilary Duff.
8. TIMBALAND ft. ONE REPUBLIC “APOLOGIZE” (2006)
“Apologize” set the record for most spins in a week on Top 40 radio (which was later broken by Leona Lewis “Bleeding Love”, a song also written by One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder). The track spent 25 consecutive weeks in the top ten and was ranked number 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Songs of the Decade. Yet, “Apologize” peaked at number two on the Hot 100 chart (behind Chris Brown “Kiss Kiss”). It wouldn’t be the only time One Republic just missed hitting number one. “Counting Stars” hit number two in 2014 behind Pitbull & Kesha “Timber”. To this day, the group has yet to hit the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
9. LADY ANTEBELLUM “NEED YOU NOW” (2009)
“Need You Now” is only one of two country songs to win the Grammy for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year (Dixie Chicks “Not Ready To Make Nice” is the other). In fact, the song ended up win four total Grammys in 2011. After crossing to pop, it became a top five hit around the world. Lady Antebellum’s biggest hit to date peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March of 2010 behind Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris “Break Your Heart.”
10. PSY “GANGNAM STYLE” (2012)
The song went viral in 2012 and propelled Psy from K-Pop star to worldwide phenomenon. “Gangnam Style” spent almost five years with the title “Most Viewed Video On YouTube”. It has over 3.5 billion views (for what it’s worth, that’s almost half the population on Earth). Even though it hit number one in dozens of countries around the world, it only hit number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 behind Maroon 5 “One More Night.”
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