Lady Gaga, Prince, Queen & More: Who Has the Best Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 Hit of All Time? Vote!

While reaching the apex of the Billboard Hot 100 remains the ultimate ambition for recording artists, some of the most phenomenal and culturally defining tracks in music history stopped just short of the summit, peaking resolutely at No. 2.

Recently, our editorial team curated a comprehensive ranking of the 100 greatest songs to ever stall in the runner-up position on the Hot 100. These are the undeniable earworms and generational anthems that came excruciatingly close to claiming the crown. Now, we are turning the spotlight over to you to discover your personal favorite.

Our curated ballot highlights ten monumental tracks spanning diverse eras and musical genres. From Queen’s operatic masterpiece “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Prince and the Revolution’s hypnotic “Purple Rain” to Lady Gaga’s electrifying “Bad Romance” and Missy Elliott’s boundary-pushing “Work It”—the selection covers heavy hitters. Furthermore, if the runner-up track closest to your heart is missing from our selections, our write-in option allows you to champion any song of your choosing.

These nominated tracks represent merely a fraction of the incredible catalog of near-misses that narrowly missed the apex of the Hot 100 chart. Throughout music history, countless tracks have achieved legendary status and sustained generational relevance without ever needing to wear the chart-topping crown.

Over the years, we have examined this intriguing statistical phenomenon from multiple angles—including analyzing artists who secured massive No. 2 hits almost effortlessly, as well as those unique acts whose debut singles peaked at the runner-up spot, only to never grace the charts again.

Explore our complete definitive ranking of the greatest runner-up hits to see which timeless masterpieces made our editorial staff’s final cut.

Now, the stage is yours: Which track truly reigns supreme as the greatest No. 2 hit of all time? Cast your vote in the interactive poll below, and let us know which overlooked runner-up deserves an honorable mention.

Cast your vote in our poll below:

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