4 No. 2 Songs From 1969 That Should Have Gone One Spot Higher
The article looks back at the US pop charts of 1969 and picks out four songs that reached No. 2 but never claimed the top spot, arguing each deserved to go one place higher. It highlights how chance and competition can keep even outstanding singles from reaching No. 1, offering a lighter piece of music history for fans revisiting that year's hits.
The featured tracks are "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (one of five career No. 2s for the band, which never hit No. 1), "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat & Tears (from the album that introduced singer David Clayton Thomas), "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Tommy James & The Shondells (marking the end of their major hit run), and "It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers (recorded after they left Motown to go independent).
- Article picks four 1969 No. 2 hits deemed worthy of No. 1
- Creedence Clearwater Revival never scored a US No. 1 single
- Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing" came after leaving Motown
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Bad Moon Rising, Spinning Wheel, Crystal Blue Persuasion and It's Your Thing were all big American hits in 1969, and all four stalled at No. 2 on the US singles chart instead of reaching the top. The songs came from very different corners of the pop and rock scene of the day: Creedence Clearwater Revival's swamp-rock, Blood, Sweat & Tears' jazz-inflected pop, Tommy James & The Shondells' bubblegum-psychedelia, and The Isley Brothers' soul, recorded independently after the group had left Motown.
Reaching No. 2 without ever hitting No. 1 is a recognised quirk of chart history, since it depends on which other songs happen to be popular at the same time rather than on quality alone. Each of these artists had a strong run of hits around this period, making their near-misses a notable footnote in their careers.
The piece revisiting these songs is a retrospective feature rather than breaking news, aimed at readers with an interest in the pop charts and music of the late 1960s.