Some rock songs through the years have stuck with the public consciousness in a big way. And some of those songs, surprisingly, weren’t big charting hits upon their release. Let’s look at a few examples of non-charting rock songs that are still massively popular today. You’ll definitely recognize at least a few of these classics!
1. “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” by The Clash
This punk rock outfit made waves with songs like “London Calling” and “White Riot”. However, they also had a hit in later years with the incredibly memorable 1982 song “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”. It was a hit in the figurative sense, considering that The Clash didn’t even graze the Top 40 in the United States with this song. “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” charted well on other charts, but it was considered, more or less, a non-charting hit in the US. That’s wild, as even non-punk fans know how to hum this tune.
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2. “Home Sweet Home” by Mötley Crüe
Now this one’s pretty shocking. “Home Sweet Home” by Mötley Crüe is one of the band’s most well-known songs, outside of “Smokin’ In The Boys Room”. That hit made it to the Top 20. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense that “Home Sweet Home”, their follow-up single, avoided the Top 40. In fact, it only peaked at no. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. What the heck?!
3. “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)” by AC/DC
This deeply loved classic from hard rockers AC/DC is still in rotation on classic rock radio stations today. However, despite being such a loved band, AC/DC had a lukewarm relationship with the Hot 100. “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)” didn’t even make it to the Hot 100, though it did chart well on the smaller rock charts.
4. “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne
This one’s a pretty surprising entry on our list of non-charting rock songs. If you’re a classic rock fan, you’ve definitely heard this hit on more than one occasion. Shockingly, “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne never actually hit the Top 40. In fact, it failed to even make it to the Billboard Hot 100 at all. Yet, “Crazy Train” remains a staple in Ozzy fan collections, even today.
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