Very true! Although I think Blur themselves have had a couple of near misses with the top of the chart, Song 2 is the one I remember off the top of my head but I think the symmetry of it peaking at #2 is worth it missing #1! :lol:

One more artist we have to mention if we are talking about the most #2 peaks is surely Rihanna. On top of her 9 #1s, 9 more of her singles have peaked at #2 which I think puts her only behind Kylie and Madonna in that respect.

The Sweet had 5 #2s and just 1 #1

Calvin Harris also had a lot of #2s, seven, four of which were from the same album too admittedly the very drawn out era that was 18 Months, but impressive nonetheless. His later three were even more unlucky for being genuinely massive hits not boosted by being a held back release:

 

"How Deep Is Your Love" was especially unlucky to have climbed to #2 the week One Direction decided to drop a new single in "Drag Me Down" (which proceeded to drop 1-9), then the following week it remained at #2 as "Marvin Gaye" got its download release and shot to the top.

 

"This Is What You Came For" was likewise unlucky to be stuck behind "One Dance". Then "Giant" for spending as many as 5 weeks at #2 because of "Someone You Loved".

One Dance was very lucky to stay at number one for so long - almost like Moves Like Jagger in reverse - it seemed to have crept over the line week after week towards the end

It's a shame Girls Aloud didn't get nine no.1s. Imagine that PLUS their 20 top 10 consecutive hits? :o

Some of their fans would have swapped all their #1s for Untouchable getting once place higher!

Very true! Although I think Blur themselves have had a couple of near misses with the top of the chart, Song 2 is the one I remember off the top of my head but I think the symmetry of it peaking at #2 is worth it missing #1! :lol:

 

dont forget Tender who almost reached number 1 but Britney’s baby one more time prevented it with the biggest sales of the year for a number 1

dont forget Tender who almost reached number 1 but Britney’s baby one more time prevented it with the biggest sales of the year for a number 1

It was Britney's second week at #1, but yes 'Tender' debuted with 176k which would have been enough for #1 any other week previously in 1999 had it not been for 'Baby One More Time'. Same goes to the #3, Whitney Houston's 'It's Not Right, But It's Okay', which debuted with 161k - huge sales for a #3!

dont forget Tender who almost reached number 1 but Britney’s baby one more time prevented it with the biggest sales of the year for a number 1

 

Very true, I knew there was another near miss for Blur I couldn’t quite remember!

It was Britney's second week at #1, but yes 'Tender' debuted with 176k which would have been enough for #1 any other week previously in 1999 had it not been for 'Baby One More Time'. Same goes to the #3, Whitney Houston's 'It's Not Right, But It's Okay', which debuted with 161k - huge sales for a #3!

 

Those are massive sales for a #3!

 

Did Whitney’s My Love Is Your Love come very close to #1 the week it was at #2?

Those are massive sales for a #3!

 

Did Whitney’s My Love Is Your Love come very close to #1 the week it was at #2?

It sold nearly 130k in its first week but was up against '9PM (Till I Come)' which sold 270k, would have been #1 if pushed back a week.

It sold nearly 130k in its first week but was up against '9PM (Till I Come)' which sold 270k, would have been #1 if pushed back a week.

 

Cheers for the stats Liam!

 

Singles sales were huge around the turn of the millennium! It's a shame Whitney didn't release the week after though, its one of my favourite of her songs so would have been nice to see it get #1.

How did we go from those crazy sales of nearly 200K for a #2 in the late 90s/early 00s

to Elvis being #1 with 20K and the Manics being #2 with 12K in 2005!!!!!

Oasis - Wonderwall

Geri Halliwell - Look At Me (She deserved five consecutive # 1 singles in UK)

Westlife - What Makes A Man

Edited February 17, 20214 yr by Last Dreamer

How did we go from those crazy sales of nearly 200K for a #2 in the late 90s/early 00s

to Elvis being #1 with 20K and the Manics being #2 with 12K in 2005!!!!!

 

Downloads. Took way too long to introduce them.

Madonna's rerelease, Holiday was unlucky to have been stopped from reaching number one by her already charting Into The Groove,

Brandy and Monica The Boy Is Mine was number 2 for a few weeks (from memory). Def had a healthy chart run.

Edited February 18, 20214 yr by vibe