These 12 Artists Reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 With Their First Hit — Then Never Made the Chart Again
Billboard highlights 12 artists whose first and only appearance on the US Hot 100 peaked at No. 2, making them an unusual group of near-chart-topping one-hit wonders.
– The Jaynetts: “Sally, Go ’Round the Roses” spent two weeks at No. 2 in 1963, behind Bobby Vinton’s “Blue Velvet”.
– The Crazy World of Arthur Brown: “Fire” reached No. 2 for one week in 1968, held off by The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”.
– Fat City: with John Denver, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” reached No. 2 in 1971, behind the Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”.
– The article argues that these artists’ brief chart success still illustrates how difficult it is to reach the Hot 100 at all.
- Twelve artists peaked at No. 2 with their only Hot 100 entry.
- Their hits came just short of the chart’s top position.
- Billboard presents the examples in chronological order.