4 Unforgettable Hits That Got Stuck at No. 2 in 1973
Four familiar songs reached No. 2 on the US pop chart in 1973 but did not make the top spot. The near-misses included singles by Paul Simon, Elton John, Wings and Gladys Knight & The Pips, showing how competition from other hits shaped that year’s chart results.
Simon had two runners-up, “Kodachrome” and “Loves Me Like A Rock”; Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round In Circles” kept the former from No. 1. Elton John’s “Daniel” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” also peaked at No. 2, with other chart-toppers blocking the latter. Wings’ “Live And Let Die” missed the summit, while Gladys Knight & The Pips’ “Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)” was held back by “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia”. Later in 1973, “Midnight Train To Georgia” gave Knight and her group their first No. 1.
In short
- Four major 1973 hits peaked at No. 2.
- Paul Simon and Elton John each had two near-misses.
- Gladys Knight & The Pips later reached No. 1 that year.
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