By now you’ve hopefully had a chance to dip into Billboard’s latest megalist: The 100 Best Hot 100 No. 2 Hits, a subjective ranking of the editorial staff’s favorites drawn from a master list of the more than 540 singles that have peaked in the runner-up spot on the Billboard Hot 100 since the chart was introduced in August 1958.
There’s an old saying in the music business that the worst positions to peak at are No. 2, No. 6, No. 11 and No. 41. An artist came so close and just missed out on the greater glory of a No. 1, top five, top 10 or top 40 hit. After all, nobody ever talks about how many top 41 hits an artist had.
Just missing out on a No. 1 hit must be especially disappointing. But one look at The 100 Best Hot 100 No. 2 Hits, studded as it is with hits you doubtless know and love, will convince you that there’s no shame in being in this company.
The Beatles, the GOAT of pop groups, stalled at No. 2 three times – with “Twist and Shout,” “Do You Want to Know a Secret” and “Yellow Submarine.” And The Beatles are hardly alone in this: Of the 13 acts with 10 or more No. 1 singles on the Hot 100, fully 12 have gotten stuck at No. 2 at least once.
Here are 15 amazing facts and feats about No. 2 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
