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Post by doomsdaymachine on Jan 14, 2012 17:36:39 GMT -5
"Clair"--Gilbert O'Sullivan (1972) Two weeks at No. 2 behind "Me and Mrs. Jones" and "You're So Vain." "Ride Like The Wind"--Christopher Cross (1980) Five weeks at No. 2 behind Blondie's "Call Me." "All Out of Love"--Air Supply (1980)--Five weeks at No. 2 behind "Upside Down" and "Another One Bites the Dust." I have no problem with any of those songs peaking at #2, especially considering the good stuff that kept them from the top spot.
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Post by 40fan on Jan 14, 2012 20:45:22 GMT -5
Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night" kept The Spinners' "Rubberband Man" at #2 for several weeks in '76. I seem to recall The Spinners making mention of that fact when they introduced a Rod Stewart video on The Midnight Special.
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Post by PapaVanTwee on Jan 14, 2012 21:43:30 GMT -5
Robbie Nevil's Cest La Vie was kept out of the #1 spot by "Shake You Down" and "At This Moment". The first is not as criminal as the second. Having grown up at that time, it's one of my favorite songs, too. It wound up #6 for the year, Shake You Down #3, and At This Moment #20.
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Jan 14, 2012 23:28:58 GMT -5
"Joanna" by Kool & The Gang hit #2 in 1984 - not sure how many weeks. It was kept out of the #1 spot by Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon".
Kool & The Gang's other #2 hit of the 1980s, "Cherish", was also kept out of #1 by Starship's "We Built This City", if I remember correctly. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Jody Watley's "Looking For A New Love" spent a month at #2 in the spring of 1987 - not sure what kept Jody Watley out of #1 in 1987 with that hit.
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Post by jlthorpe on Jan 15, 2012 0:28:29 GMT -5
According to the Ultimate Music Database website, it was "I Just Died In Your Arms" (2 weeks) and "With Or Without You" (2 weeks).
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Post by jlthorpe on Jan 15, 2012 0:41:06 GMT -5
I was entertained with this subject a few years ago.(Whitburn books). I believe there was an old Billboard book called "The Billboard Book of Number 2 Hits". I assume it mentioned the songs that kept those hits out of #1.
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Post by doomsdaymachine on Jan 15, 2012 3:09:35 GMT -5
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Post by kchkwong on Jan 15, 2012 3:29:05 GMT -5
Kool & The Gang's other #2 hit of the 1980s, "Cherish", was also kept out of #1 by Starship's "We Built This City", if I remember correctly. Correct me if I'm wrong. Cherish was kept out by Money For Nothing. Another #2 song is Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant. Five weeks at #2 and four of those weeks kept out one of Hervard's favourite songs.
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Post by kchkwong on Jan 15, 2012 4:51:30 GMT -5
Shattered Dreams looked a certain #1 when it moved from #8 to #2 but the following week it dropped to #3 with a bullet. It went back to #2 for a further two weeks, without hitting #1.
And of course in this week's 80s shows Say It Isn't So dropped to #3 after staying at #2 for four weeks.
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Post by kahunaburger61 on Jan 15, 2012 5:35:47 GMT -5
Lest we forget "Dueling Banjos" by Eric Weissberg & Tim Mandrell held out of the top spot by Robert Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" for 4 weeks . Also "Neither One of Us" by Gladys Knight & the Pips kept out of the top spot by "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia" by Vicki Lawrence for 2 weeks & "Cisco Kid" by War kept out of the #1 slot by Tony Orlando & Dawn's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" .
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Post by unclesox on Jan 15, 2012 14:14:47 GMT -5
"Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty - 6 weeks at #2, kept from #1 by "Shadow Dancing" "Waiting For A Girl Like You" by Foreigner - Famously spent 10 weeks at #2, it was kept out of #1 by "Physical" (9 weeks) and "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" (1 week) "Open Arms" by Journey - Spent 6 weeks at #2, kept from the top by "Centerfold" (3 weeks) and "I Love Rock And Roll" (3 weeks) Toto's "Rosanna" 5 weeks at #2 .....Don't You Want Me spent 3 weeks at #1 and Eye of the Tiger spent 2 weeks at #1 In late 1963-early 1964,The Kingsmen could only manage a #2 showing for their frat rock classic "Louie Louie"-Two different songs prevented it from reaching #1:"Dominique" by The Singing Nun & "There! I've Said It Again" by Bobby Vinton. Another #2 song is Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant. Five weeks at #2 and four of those weeks kept out one of Hervard's favourite songs. To those I've quoted above I'd like to add two more songs that stayed put at #2 for at least five weeks: "Return To Sender" by Elvis Presley (5 weeks) kept out by "Big Girls Don't Cry" (The Four Seasons, 5 weeks) "More Than I Can Say" by Leo Sayer (5 weeks) kept out by "Lady" (Kenny Rogers, 3 weeks) and (Just Like) Starting Over (John Lennon, 2 weeks)
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Post by jlthorpe on Jan 15, 2012 16:56:28 GMT -5
One more I wanted to add that wasn't a number #2 hit. James Brown's biggest hit on the pop singles chart was "I Got You (I Feel Good)", which spent 3 weeks at #3. Since James has the record for the most chart hits without hitting #1 (107 hits total), I wanted to see what songs kept him from #1. They were:
First week: "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by the Byrds (#1), "Over And Over" by the Dave Clark Five (#2) Second week: "Over And Over" (#1), "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (#2) Third week: "Sounds Of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel (#1), "We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles (#2)
To get away from songs for a moment, I saw that the Stray Cats' album "Built For Speed" spent 15 weeks at #2. Is that the record for most weeks at #2 for an album without hitting #1? And what album(s) kept it from the top (I tried using the UMD website to check, but I think their album charts are all messed up)?
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Post by jgve1952 on Jan 15, 2012 20:01:14 GMT -5
How about "Im Not In Love being number two for three weeks and three different number ones kept it out of the top spot--"The Hustle", "One of These Nights" and "Jive Talkin'". That has to be brutal that THREE songs pass you up to be Number 1. I really am enjoying this thread!!!!
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Post by jgve1952 on Jan 15, 2012 20:04:17 GMT -5
I think "Business As Usual" by the Aussie boys Men At Work kept the album by the Stray Cats out of #1.
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Post by blackbowl68 on Jan 15, 2012 20:28:48 GMT -5
Wanted to add a few #2 songs that got caught in the same unusual situation. Period is from the start of the Hot 100 to the Soundscan changeover in 1991.
1960: Poetry In Motion - Johnny Tillotson, bridesmaid to: Georgia On My Mind - Ray Charles
1963: The End of the World - Skeeter Davis, bridesmaid to: Our Day Will Come - Ruby & the Romantics
1964: Do You Want To Know a Secret - The Beatles, bridesmaid to: Hello, Dolly - Louis Armstrong
1964: She's Not There - The Zombies, bridesmaid to: Mr. Lonely - Bobby Vinton
1967: Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley, bridesmaid to: The Happening - The Supremes
1969: And When I Die - Blood, Sweat & Tears, bridesmaid to: Come Together/ Something - The Beatles
1974: Jazzman - Carole King, bridesmaid to: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive
1986: Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins, bridesmaid to: Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
1987: Somewhere Out There - Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram, bridesmaid: Jacob's Ladder - Huey Lewis & the News
1987: U Got the Look - Prince (with Sheena Easton), bridesmaid to: Lost In Emotion - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
1988: Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard, bridesmaid to: Hold On To The Nights - Richard Marx
1989: Girl You Know It's True - Milli Vanilli, bridesmaid to: Eternal Flame - The Bangles
1989: Soldier of Love - Donny Osmond, bridesmaid to: Rock On - Michael Damian
1989: Cover Girl - New Kids On The Block, bridesmaid to: Listen To Your Heart - Roxette
And just after the changeover to mention:
1992: Can't Let Go - Mariah Carey, bridesmaid to: All 4 Love - Color Me Badd
What do all of the instances have in common? Both songs in each occurence spent only one week in their peak position.
Also wanna add a couple of sort-of's:
1961: Raindrops - Dee Clark, bridesmaid to: Travelin' Man - Ricky Nelson (1st of its 2 non-consecutive weeks @ #1)
1966: Red Rubber Ball - The Cyrkle, bridesmaid to: Paperback Writer - The Beatles (2nd of its 2 non-consecutive weeks @ #1)
1973: Also Sprach Zarathustra - Deodato, bridesmaid to: Killing Me Softly With Song - Roberta Flack (Last of its 5 non-consecutive weeks @ #1)
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