3 Songs That Should Have Been No. 1 Hits

Part of music’s magic is its mystery. Who knows why some songs become chart-topping hits and others do not? Music charts give us a measurement stick, but they reveal an incomplete story. Many of the greatest songs in history have never reached the charts, let alone the top spot.

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This list highlights three classics that should have been no. 1 hits. One of them came close. And a quick look at Billboard’s chart history shows a man they call The Boss has exactly zero no. 1 singles as an artist. So, of course, he makes the list.

“The Masterplan” by Oasis

The title track to the Oasis B-sides compilation might be Noel Gallagher’s best song. And that includes “Wonderwall”, “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, and “Supersonic”. Gallagher’s epic first-period run of songs produced more iconic tracks than the first two Oasis albums could handle. Oasis (and most Britpop) fans know it. But if “The Masterplan” had appeared on a studio album, “Please, brother, let it be” might be the band’s most famous lyric instead of “I said maybe.”

“Dancing In The Dark” by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen released “Dancing In The Dark” as a single in 1984. It spent 21 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at no. 2. Now, no one sneezes at no. 2, but this remains one of the greatest rock songs ever committed to tape. Admittedly, Springsteen was up against Prince’s “When Doves Cry”, to give you an idea of the colossal releases The Boss was competing against in May 1984. If you needed just one song to explain Springsteen’s job assignment, this is it.

“Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles

John Lennon and Paul McCartney weren’t always welcoming to Beatles guitarist George Harrison’s songs. Yet Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Something” remain among The Beatles’ best tunes. “Here Comes The Sun” appears on the album Abbey Road as the band was nearing its end. “Something” was released as a single, and as gorgeous as it is, “Here Comes The Sun” seems like the more obvious choice for radio promotion. As of this writing, it’s The Beatles’ most-played song on Spotify and has endured as a timeless and hopeful anthem.

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