Chart placements and No. 1 hits are far from the most important thing in the music industry. However, they certainly don’t hurt to have them, as the charts are one of the few numerical statistics that objectively prove an artist’s public appeal. In some instances, certain songs are a shoo-in to become No. 1 hits, but for some unexplainable reason, they don’t, and that is the case for these incredibly popular country songs.
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“Life Is A Highway” by Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts was one of the biggest country bands of the early 2000s, and the single that propped them up as such was their 2006 hit, “Life Is a Highway”. Country fan or not, if you were listening to the car stereo in 2006, then you heard this song. It was everywhere, including in the blockbuster animated movie, Cars.
Given that this was undeniably one of the most popular songs of 2006, it’s quite baffling to realize that it never peaked at No. 1. Furthermore, it’s baffling to realize that this song did better on the Billboard Hot 100 than it did on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Life Is a Highway” only reached the No. 18 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Weird, right?
“Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain
Shania Twain‘s 1997 single “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” has gone on to become a staple of 1990s country music. To this day, it is the anthem for Nashville bachelorette parties and generally, just a catchy song that has stood the test of time. Though it didn’t reach enough ears to become a No. 1 hit upon its release.
Don’t get us wrong, Twain’s single was a hit, just not as big a hit as we were expecting. Following its 1997 release, the single peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and missed the No. 1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart by three spots, reaching No. 4.
“Fancy” by Reba McEntire
In 1990, Reba McEntire released her staple track, “Fancy”. Despite its far-reaching appeal and legacy, the song did not become a No. 1 hit following its release. Specifically, McEntire’s “Fancy” only peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
By 1990, Reba McEntire was famous, to say the least. After her 1984 album, My Kind of Country, McEntire had become a household name thanks to the two number-one singles the album garnered her. So, why did “Fancy” not become a No. 1 hit? Who knows…
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