3 Classic Rock Tracks From the 1980s That Somehow Didn’t Land at No. 1

The charts have always been a tricky ranking system, and they’ve only become trickier. Though great songs and bands getting duped by the charts is nothing new, as it has been happening ever since the inception of the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts. That being said, here are three classic rock tracks from the 1980s that somehow didn’t land at No. 1.

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“Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey

When one thinks of classic 1980s rock ‘n’ roll, they surely think of Journey‘s staple track, “Don’t Stop Believin’”. It is the group’s most popular track and the song that unofficially defines the classic rock sound of the 1980s. Well, despite this, the song never reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, which is incredibly surprising given this track’s longevity.

Released in 1981, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” had a great chart run, but it never climbed to the very top. Rather, it peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its release. Since its 1981 release, the track has become immortalized for a multitude of reasons, one of those reasons being that it was one of the best-selling digital tracks of the 20th century.

“Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie

Many would probably call Queen and David Bowie‘s collaboration on “Under Pressure” one of the most iconic collaborations in rock ‘n’ roll history. However, making history doesn’t always entail hordes of popularity, and that is certainly the case for this classic rock track. To be frank, this single got absolutely robbed on the charts.

Following the release of “Under Pressure” in 1981, the collaborative single went on to peak at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. What? How? Why? Those are the questions probably running through your brain right now, because it’s one thing to not score a No. 1 hit, but to not score even a Top 10 hit, especially for a song of this caliber, is just mind-boggling.

“Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses

During their heyday, Guns N’ Roses were one of the it bands of the 1980s. During the decade, the classic rock band scored four Top 10 hits, one of those being the No. 1 hit “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. Of those four Top 10 hit was their single, “Paradise City”, which certainly had the legs to get to No. 1, but unfortunately, fell short.

Other than “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “Paradise City” is probably the band’s second most successful song. Regardless, it failed to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100, as it peaked at No. 5 in 1989. Again, given this song’s longevity, you’d think it would have peaked at No. 1. However, as we stated, that was not the case.

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