Famous stars that never had a number one hit

[lucio]

I was surprised at this list. In the past it used to bother me that huge Elvis recordings like Can't Help Falling In Love and Burning Love never hit #1 on Billboard. This list reminds me that chart success doesn't always equate to popularity.

Amongst the artist listed include Jerry Lee Lewis, B Springsteen, B Dylan and James Brown.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/15-beloved-musicians-who-were-never-1/ss-AA1md1f8?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=b45d67ab470f444083b150d645287e89&ei=59#interstitial=4

[drjohncarpenter]

Cash Box is also a valid source for #1 hits, and this impacts the artist list. Billboard is not the be-all or end-all, one guy decided to craft a small industry of chart books using that magazine, and too many folks fell in line.

One easy-to-use resource:

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’50s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/50s_files/50s.html

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’60s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/60s.html

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’70s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/70s.html

[brian]

I was surprised at this list. In the past it used to bother me that huge Elvis recordings like Can't Help Falling In Love and Burning Love never hit #1 on Billboard. This list reminds me that chart success doesn't always equate to popularity.

Amongst the artist listed include Jerry Lee Lewis, B Springsteen, B Dylan and James Brown.

It makes sense that some of those artists didn't have a #1 single on the pop charts. Bob Dylan wasn't a singles artist he was an album artist. Due to his singing style and singing ability the absolute best versions of his songs were probably covers. Several artists had #1 hits with covers of Bob Dylan's songs. Jerry Lee Lewis recorded for Sun records a tiny independent label that didn't have a lot of money for distribution and promotion. A lot of great songs on Sun records didn't become hits at all. In 1957-1958 Jerry Lee Lewis's career was on a roll until he married his 13 year old cousin and after that he never had anymore pop hits. That makes sense that Jerry Lee Lewis wouldn't have had a #1 pop hit on the Billboard charts. Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen were also album artists like Bob Dylan was. A hit single wasn't their thing they were focused on albums. My favorite band Credence Clearwater Revival never had a #1 hit either and it was probably because they recorded for an independent record label. A #1 hit isn't easy to get.

[drjohncarpenter]

It makes sense that some of those artists didn't hit #1. Bob Dylan wasn't a singles artist he was an album artist. Due to his singing style and singing ability the absolute best versions of his songs were probably covers. Several artists had #1 hits with covers of Bob Dylan's songs. Jerry Lee Lewis recorded for Sun records a tiny independent label that didn't have a lot of money for distribution and promotion. A lot of great songs on Sun records didn't become hits at all. Jerry Lee Lewis's career was on a roll until he married his 13 year old cousin and after that he wouldn't have anymore pop hits. That makes sense that Jerry Lee Lewis wouldn't have had a #1 pop hit on the Billboard charts. Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen were also album artists like Bob Dylan was. A hit single wasn't their thing.

Ah, no. Why do you post this stuff?


Bob Dylan reached #1 in a very crowded field of great singles in 1965.





Bob Dylan "Like A Rolling Stone" (Columbia 43346, July 17, 1965)
Cash Box "Top 100" #1, September 18. 1965
Billboard "Hot 100" #2 September 4, 1965

https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/19650918.html

To date, no human being has ever touched this recorded performance of the song, or Bob's incredible vocal. A landmark 20th century moment.

He would also reach the top on Billboard in 2020, with his new song "Murder Most Foul," a nearly 17-minute chronicle of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The astonishing ballad debuted at #1 on the "Rock Digital Song Sales" chart for April 11.


Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13-year-old cousin Myra on December 12, 1957. He hit on the charts after that in 1958 with "Breathless" (Sun 288) which went to #7 and "High School Confidential" (Sun 296), which made it to #21.

Other singles would appear on the lower reaches of the pop charts as far out as 1968, with his great stab at "What'd I Say" (Sun 356) reaching #30 in 1961. After that his biggest successes would be on the country charts, a good run of singles from 1968 to 1980.


Keep it real.

[brian]

Alright then Bob Dylan had a #1 hit if you count Cashbox. He's not on the list if you include Cashbox. I've noticed that most of time when people are talking about artists that didn't have a #1 single they are talking about the Billboard charts. The Billboard hot 100 specifically. Could that be what I was referring to. Quite possibly.

[drjohncarpenter]

Alright then Bob Dylan had a #1 hit if you count Cashbox. He's not on the list if you include Cashbox. I've noticed that most of time when people are talking about artists that didn't have a #1 single they are talking about the Billboard charts.

Did you miss the first reply on this topic?

Also: Jerry had pop hits after his marriage to Myra.

[Mike C]

Actually, Springsteen did have a #1 hit -- as a songwriter. Manfred Mann's cover of "Blinded By The Light" was #1 in 1977.

[brian]

Actually, Springsteen did have a #1 hit -- as a songwriter. Manfred Mann's cover of "Blinded By The Light" was #1 in 1977.

They don't mean you write a song that someone else covers and their version goes to #1. That doesn't count that's not what they are talking about. They mean Bruce Springsteen as a performer never had a #1 on the Billboard pop singles charts.

[Mike C]

Actually, Springsteen did have a #1 hit -- as a songwriter. Manfred Mann's cover of "Blinded By The Light" was #1 in 1977.

They don't mean you write a song that someone else covers and their version goes to #1. That doesn't count that's not what they are talking about. They mean Bruce Springsteen as a performer never had a #1 on the Billboard pop singles charts.

Yes, I know. The closes he came as "Dancing in the Dark". Prince kept him from hitting number one.

[Troubleman]

Alright then Bob Dylan had a #1 hit if you count Cashbox. He's not on the list if you include Cashbox. I've noticed that most of time when people are talking about artists that didn't have a #1 single they are talking about the Billboard charts. The Billboard hot 100 specifically. Could that be what I was referring to. Quite possibly.

That's what happened with Burning Love; it was number 1 on Cashbox but only reached number 2 on the Billboard chart. Chuck Berry's 'My ding-a-ling' stopped it from reaching number one. Apparently, it would be Chuck's only number one song on Billboard.

[lucio]

Cash Box is also a valid source for #1 hits, and this impacts the artist list. Billboard is not the be-all or end-all, one guy decided to craft a small industry of chart books using that magazine, and too many folks fell in line.

One easy-to-use resource:

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’50s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/50s_files/50s.html

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’60s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/60s.html

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’70s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/70s.html

I agree 100% with what you are saying Doc.

Unfortunately not only does Billboard often seem to get mentioned as the main source for chart positions in articles that I see on the internet, recent statisticians have started using the Hot 100 as the basis for hits thereby discounting major stars of early rock and roll including Bill Haley and Elvis' initial RCA singles.

[drjohncarpenter]

Cash Box is also a valid source for #1 hits, and this impacts the artist list. Billboard is not the be-all or end-all, one guy decided to craft a small industry of chart books using that magazine, and too many folks fell in line.

One easy-to-use resource:

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’50s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/50s_files/50s.html

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’60s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/60s.html

Cash Box Top Singles - The ’70s Charts
https://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/70s.html

I agree 100% with what you are saying Doc.

Unfortunately not only does Billboard often seem to get mentioned as the main source for chart positions in articles that I see on the internet, recent statisticians have started using the Hot 100 as the basis for hits thereby discounting major stars of early rock and roll including Bill Haley and Elvis' initial RCA singles.

Sometimes you have to trust your own research in order to understand the history.