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Posted by: N-S 29th September 2014, 10:19 AM

Every year it seems to have at least one song that for some reason (usually locked at #2 before a huge #1 hit) doesn't get to be #1 but has a long chart life (at least by that era's standards), sells as much if not more than most #1s that year and are more remembered. There are some cases where people get to think that they actually were #1 (like "Mysterious Girl" before 2004). I decided to name these songs "pseudo-number ones" but if anyone comes up with a better term, it's fine by me.

Here are some examples

1984 - Wham! 'Last Christmas'
1985 - A-Ha 'Take on me'
1986 - Kim Wilde - Keep me hangin' on
1988 - Bros 'When will I be famous' and Kylie Minogue 'Loco-motion'
1989 - Technotronic 'Pump up the jam'
1990 - DNA feat. Suzanne Vega 'Tom's diner'
1991 - Right Said Fred 'I'm too sexy'
1993 - 4 Non Blondes 'What's up?'
1994 - All 4 One 'I swear'
1995 - Oasis 'Wonderwall' and Everything But The Girl 'Missing'
1996 - Robert Miles 'Children' and Toni Braxton 'Un-break my heart'
1997 - Natalie Imbruglia 'Torn', Chumbawamba 'Tubthumping' and Robbie Williams 'Angels'
1998 - Stardust 'The music sounds better with you', Pras, Mya & ODB 'Ghetto supastar', LeAnn Rimes 'How do I live' (the lowest-peaking pseudo-number-one), Aerosmith 'I don't want to miss a thing' and Savage Garden 'Truly madly deeply'
1999 - Alice Deejay 'Better off alone' and Shania Twain 'That don't impress me much'
2000 - Baha Men 'Who let the dogs out'
2001 - Wheatus 'Teenage dirtbag'
2002 - Shakira 'Whenever, wherever'
2003 - 50 Cent 'In da club'
2004 - Kelis 'Milkshake'
2005 - Kanye West & Jamie Foxx 'Gold digger'
2006 - Snow Patrol 'Chasing cars'
2007 - Take That 'Rule the world'
2008 - Kings Of Leon 'Use somebody'
2009 - La Roux 'In for the kill'
2010 - Eminem & Rihanna 'Love the way you lie' and Katy Perry 'Firework'
2011 - Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera 'Moves like Jagger' and Adele 'Rolling in the deep'
2012 - Emeli Sandé 'Next to me'
2013 - Passenger 'Let her go'
2014 - John Legend 'All of me'

Can you think of more "Pseudo-number-ones"?

Posted by: *Ben* 29th September 2014, 10:22 AM

Almost all the Sash! number 2 this

Rihanna had a couple of number 2 songs as well.

Posted by: gooddelta 29th September 2014, 10:23 AM

Add Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden and I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith to 1998.

Posted by: Eric_Blob 29th September 2014, 10:58 AM

You could just look at the year-end charts and see which songs from each year are higher than half the #1s.

For example in 2000 you have:

Baha Men - Who Let the Dogs Out
S Club 7 - Reach
Bloodhound Gang - The Bad Touch
Trusteppers & Dane Bowers ft. Victoria Beckham - Out Of Your Mind
Bomfunk MC's - Freestyler
Darude - Sandstorm
Sisqo - Thong Song
Artful Dodger - Movin' Too Fast
Tweenies - Number One
Sweet Female Attitude - Flowers
etc.

Posted by: N-S 29th September 2014, 01:18 PM

In 2000, it was fairly easy for a song not reaching #1 to sell more than the dozens who did it. But although most of the songs you mentioned sold well and are remembered, I think that only Who Let The Dogs Out and maybe Reach fit the high status that I'm thinking of.

P.S - Is there a site where I can see all year-end charts?

Posted by: N-S 29th September 2014, 01:18 PM

Agreed

Posted by: Little_Boyo 29th September 2014, 01:36 PM

Daniel Powter - Bad Day?

Posted by: Eric_Blob 29th September 2014, 01:49 PM

I think it's the case with most recent years too tbh. Probably the 2006-2008 period would have the least as there were long-running #1s in those years, but I think the others years would be a similar story to 2000 with loads of songs which didn't get #1 beating the sales of lot of the actual #1s.

For the year-end charts you can see them on Wikipedia, if you search "2000 in British Music Charts" or something like that.

Posted by: gooddelta 29th September 2014, 02:06 PM

The only flaw in this logic is that it suggests that The Tweenies should have had a No.1 single! I don't think the song is very remembered at all...

Posted by: Kath ♡ 29th September 2014, 02:10 PM

Lady Gaga - Born This Way (#3, 690k)
Lady Gaga - Paparazzi (#4, 585k)
Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory (#6, 581k)

Posted by: donnahjaneymack 29th September 2014, 02:18 PM

I would imagine that "Empire State Of Mind" by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z would probably be a good candidate for 2009? And maybe Aloe Blacc's "I Need A Dollar" for 2011, and Nicki Minaj's "Starships" for 2012 (just off the top of my head)?

Posted by: *Tim 29th September 2014, 02:20 PM

Unbreak My Heart didn't go to #1?!?!

What kind off injustice

Posted by: MC Delroy 29th September 2014, 02:22 PM

There's a silly joke on youtube which I don't get where if you ask what the name of any song is this Darude song gets mentioned.

Posted by: MC Delroy 29th September 2014, 02:25 PM

MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This

Gwen Stefani ft Akon - The Sweet Escape

Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl

Posted by: BillyH 29th September 2014, 03:23 PM

Ask anyone what position 'Mr Brightside' or 'Seven Nation Army' got to and you'll probably not get anything lower than #2, when both of which were low top 10 hits that disappeared off the charts quickly.

Posted by: JAY17 29th September 2014, 03:38 PM

MC Hammer fair enough, but the other two...?

If I were to say any Gwen Stefani song I'd say 'What Are You Waiting For?', but even that I don't think's worthy enough.

Underworld 'Born Slippy' from '96 and 'Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve in '97 I would both class as classics, both of which didn't reach number one.

Posted by: Dobbo 29th September 2014, 05:42 PM

Oasis - Little By Little
Kate Nash - Foundations
Flo Rida - Low & Whistle
Nickelback - Rockstar
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble
Calvin Harris - Bounce & Feels So Close
Mariah Carey - We Belong Together
Beyonce - Halo & Single Ladies

Posted by: Sheikh Abdul 29th September 2014, 05:43 PM

The Game - One Blood

Posted by: fchd 29th September 2014, 06:28 PM

I'd say "You Keep me Hanging On" is not a very good example from 1986, and "Unbreak My Heart" from a decade later doesn't really belong either. "Manic Monday" would be a better 1986 example. Others from the mid-late 80s - "1999" by Prince, "Fairytale of New York" of course and "Gold" by Spandau Ballet from even a little bit farther back.

Posted by: مدهش* 29th September 2014, 06:34 PM

1992 would have to be Michael Jackson's Heal The World.

Posted by: Iz~ 29th September 2014, 06:41 PM

I don't know, I came into this thread thinking of 'The Bad Touch' and 'Sandstorm' with regards to 2000 at least if we were thinking of songs people might think had been a #1. Both are very significant I'd say, more than 3/4s of the #1s that year, I doubt anyone doesn't know the former even if they only know it as the 'Discovery Channel one', while the latter has the below + the soundtrack to every workout mix ever:



*.* Love that meme. Makes the comments on the actual Sandstorm video one of the most entertaining comments sections on Youtube.

The rest of Eric's 2000 list I would say no to, with the possible exception of Freestyler.

Posted by: colinn 29th September 2014, 07:42 PM

'Fancy' is the most recent one for me. How on Earth did it only manage to get to #5?

Posted by: Sheikh Abdul 29th September 2014, 07:48 PM

Bauuer - You Can Do The Harlem Shake

Posted by: fchd 29th September 2014, 08:06 PM

Does anyone remember how that goes, even 18 months on?

Posted by: Aphrodite 29th September 2014, 08:27 PM

2 unlimited get ready for this and always by bon jovi.

Posted by: Juranamo 29th September 2014, 08:35 PM

Unfortunately.

Posted by: BillyH 29th September 2014, 10:30 PM

COORYOH PAHHLA VITA
du du du du du
dudu dudu dudu dudu dudu
du du du du du
dudu dudu dudu dudu dudu
du du du du du
dudu dudu dudu dudu dudu
du du du du du
dududududu AND DO THE HARLEM SHAKE

Repeat until bored.

Posted by: Chez Wombat 29th September 2014, 10:53 PM

Fairytale of New York for 1987 surely? Admittedly, a lot of it's reputation comes from not getting to number 1, but it's undeniably outlived most number 1s from that year.

Posted by: Sheikh Abdul 30th September 2014, 12:21 AM

Colo tela rita ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta you can do the harlem shake

(electronic instrumental)

en colo tela rita

ROAR!!!!! (lion's roar)

Posted by: N-S 30th September 2014, 10:14 AM

It's actually "Con los terroristas"! I've heard that although that voice sounds female, it may be actually from a male raggaton rapper, though Baauer himself doesn't know where does the sample that he got come from.

Posted by: fiesta 30th September 2014, 01:12 PM

It Mustve Been Love - Roxette
You Got The Love - Source

Posted by: Sheikh Abdul 30th September 2014, 06:59 PM

Snoop Dogg feat Pharell - Drop It Like It's Hot

Terror Squad - Lean Back

Posted by: { bré } 30th September 2014, 09:03 PM

It was confirmed to be Héctor Delgado who is indeed male. I was surprised there was never a big outrage that there was a big hit (#1 for 5 weeks in the US!) which had a hook that is literally someone saying 'with the terrorists', albeit in Spanish.

Posted by: The Days 30th September 2014, 09:15 PM

Harlem Shake didn't sell more than the #1s of last year though? It certainly didn't spend that long in the charts anyway (only 8 weeks top 40)

on an aside note I really do hope we get another song blowing up from being featured on a viral internet video/trend soon, it was unbelievably amazing seeing an underground trap song in the UK top 3!

Posted by: Dobbo 30th September 2014, 09:58 PM

Probably because barely anyone knew those were the actual lyrics...

Posted by: { bré } 30th September 2014, 10:46 PM

It would potentially only take one person to make a big deal out of it.

Posted by: stebags 1st October 2014, 12:18 AM

Venus bananarama & katrina's walking in sunshine both #8 smashes if memory serves

Posted by: hotchoc26 1st October 2014, 09:25 AM

Thriller by (you know who )

It only made 10!

Posted by: mr_aly 1st October 2014, 12:07 PM

Because it grew in popularity after it was released and was a slow burning hit?

Posted by: Dobbo 1st October 2014, 12:21 PM

Exactly, a song's peak itself is seldom the best indicator of it's success/longevity. Obvious case in point Me And My Broken Heart vs. Fancy/All Of Me

Posted by: MC Delroy 1st October 2014, 02:11 PM

Kelis - Milkshake (early secondary school anthem )

Posted by: Sheikh Abdul 3rd October 2014, 07:12 PM

LMFAO - Sexy And I Know It

Posted by: Hagstör 3rd October 2014, 08:54 PM

Outkast - Hey Ya!

Posted by: ML Hammer95 4th October 2014, 07:47 PM

Labrinth - Earthquake
Macklemore - Can't Hold Us
Kanye West- Gold Digger
50 Cent - In Da Club
Drake - Hold On, We're Going Home
Kevin Lyttle - Turn Me On

Posted by: gavindeejay 4th October 2014, 08:26 PM

Idina Menzel - Let It Go

Posted by: Sheikh Abdul 20th October 2014, 07:37 PM

Duck Sauce - Barbra Striesand

This song was EVERYWHERE when it came it out, I don't know how it didn't get to #1!

Posted by: tgl92 20th October 2014, 07:56 PM

Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts

Posted by: ►▲N 20th October 2014, 08:01 PM

It was #3 behind 'Forget You' and 'Just the Way You Are (Amazing)' which sold far more than that.

It was sadly stopped going to #2 on its 2nd week by The Wanted's non-#2 'Heart Vacancy' though oops