What Does Our List of the Best No. 2 Hits Say About What a No. 2 Hit Means — And Does It Still Mean the Same Thing Today? Greatest Pop Stars Podcast
Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars podcast examines the cultural meaning of songs that reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 but never topped it. The discussion accompanies the publication’s staff list of its 100 favourite No. 2 hits and considers whether finishing runner-up carries a distinct legacy, particularly as chart success has changed over time.
Host Andrew Unterberger and Billboard charts specialist Eric Frankenberg discuss the list’s top 10, disputed omissions and placements, and unusual chart-history cases. Topics include Prince’s “Purple Rain”, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby”, Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” and the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.”, alongside the question of whether No. 2 hits remain as widely recognised today as they once were.
- Billboard podcast explores the legacy of No. 2 Hot 100 hits.
- Staff compiled a list of 100 favourite runner-up songs.
- Hosts question whether No. 2 still carries the same significance.