For many artists, it may be one of the most frustrating times of their career. They have a big record but, for multiple weeks, they just haven't been able to get that last bit of sales or airplay to push them over the top from 2 to 1.
Creedence Clearwater Revival is probably the biggest artist to be a perennial bridesmaid. They never made it to number 1 with five of their singles (Proud Mary, Bad Moon Rising, Green River, Travelin' Band and Looking Out My Back Door) stalling out at number 2. Overall, though, those five records only spent a total of eight weeks at number 2 between them which can't equal the frustration of poor Missy Elliott who spent ten weeks there with her song Work It as did Foreigner's Waiting for a Girl Like You.
Those two records lead Billboard's list of the biggest tracks that peaked at number 2 on their Hot 100. A total of 40 recordings have made it to that spot, staying there for five weeks or more, and never taking the final step to the top.
Because of changes in the way the charts have been calculated over the years, this list is filled with many more hits from the last two decades than the early years of the rock era when hits had a much shorter lifespan.
The list:
•10 Weeks at Number 2
◦Waiting For a Girl Like You - Foreigner (1981)
◦Work It - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott (2002)
•9 Weeks
◦I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis (1996)
◦You're Still the One - Shania Twain (1998)
•8 Weeks
◦If I Ever Fall in Love - Shai (1992)
◦Nobody's Supposed to Be Here - Deborah Cox (1998)
◦Back at One - Brian McKnight (1999)
◦I Don't Wanna Know - Mario Winans Featuring Enya and P. Diddy (2004)
•7 Weeks
◦Whoomp! (There It Is) - Tag Team (1993)
◦You Make Me Wanna... - Usher (1997)
◦Survivor - Destiny's Child (2001)
◦What's Luv? - Fat Joe Featuring Ashanti (2002)
◦1, 2 Step - Ciara Featuring Missy Elliott (2005)
◦Crazy - Gnarls Barkley (2006)
◦Bad Romance - Lady Gaga (2009)
◦Gangnam Style - Psy (2012)
•6 Weeks
◦Louie Louie - Kingsmen (1963)
◦Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty (1978)
◦Open Arms - Journey (1982)
◦Baby-Baby-Baby - TLC (1992)
◦Sometime Love Just Ain't Enough - Patty Smyth (1992)
◦All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow (1994)
◦Shake It Off - Mariah Carey (2005)
◦Party Like a Rock Star - Shop Boyz (2007)
◦With You - Chris Brown (2008)
◦Payphone - Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa (2012)
•5 Weeks
◦Return to Sender - Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires (1962)
◦More Than I Can Say - Leo Sayer (1980)
◦Rosanna - Toto (1982)
◦Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant (1983)
◦It's All Coming Back to Me Now - Celine Dion (1996)
◦Breathe - Faith Hill (2000)
◦Without Me - Eminem (2002)
◦Ignition - R. Kelly (2003)
◦Right Thurr - Chingy (2003)
◦Once Call Away - Chingy Featuring J. Weav (2004)
◦Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day (2005)
◦Hate It or Love It - The Game Featuring 50 Cent (2005)
◦Smack That - Akon Featuring Eminem (2006)
◦Dead and Gone - T.I. Featuring Justin Timberlake (2009)
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