Creating a song that rises to the top is not an easy task, even for some of the biggest musicians ever. There are someclassic rocksongs that are so good,it’s shocking to learn that they were never number one hits. For some bands, they attempted to continue producing songs in the top spot. For others, they never got to feel the thrill that other acts such as the Bee Gees, theRolling Stones, and Guns N' Roses did, as they did not quite reach the coveted peak.
Nonetheless, it hasn’t stopped these songs from maintaining their popularity. In some cases, the song that has become a band’s biggest hit is not the tune that reached number one;it is actually the one that missed. There is no telling what exactly makes a great song miss the top spot. Often, it is just bad timing when other popular songs are in circulation, or a certain genre isn’t in the mainstream at that moment. Despite missing number one, these 10classic rock songsare still iconic in their own right.
10REO Speedwagon - Take It On The Run
Album: Hi Infidelity (1980)
One of the best decisions REO Speedwagon made was bringing Kevin Cronin back as their lead singer. With him at the helm, the band was able to go in a direction musically that firmly planted them in the mainstream. Many songs contributed to this status, with both “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling” becoming number-one hits. However, another major song of theirs,“Take It on the Run,” didn’t quite make it.
This is where timing can play a significant role, asthe song had to compete with “Keep On Loving You.“Both were on the band’s 1980 album,Hi Infidelity. While the goal of any band is to release as many hits as possible, perhaps if they had been released at different times, both would have reached the top spot. Instead, “Take It on the Run” finished in the fifth position on theBillboardHot 100. This was just about as close as the band could get to two number-one hits at once.
Album: Straight Shooter (1975)
Formed in 1973,Bad Company became one of the greatestrock supergroupsof all timeas musicians from different bands, including Free and Mott the Hoople, came together. They managed to create many staples that have become radio hits, such as “Bad Company,” “Shooting Star,” and “Can’t Get Enough.” The latter came very close to being a number one hit as it reached the fifth spot on theBillboardHot 100.
Perhaps most surprising is the fact that their song “Feel Like Makin' Love” never made it to the top spot. The song seemed to arrive at the perfect time in the ’70s. It was a catchy tune and drew a lot of attention to the band. It was even on the band’s sophomore album, which was certified 3x platinum, but that still did not matter. The good news wasit did reach the Top 10, still making it a triumphant success for a band that formed as a supergroup.
8Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze
Album: Are You Experienced North America Edition (1967)
When the Jimi Hendrix Experience releasedAre You Experiencedin 1967, they immediately made an impact, as the album is considered one of the greatest debuts ever. From it, the singles “Hey Joe,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” and “Purple Haze” all became hits. Over the years,“Purple Haze” has received a lot of attention and is one of the songs Hendrix is most remembered for. It did land on theBillboardHot 100, but it struggled to move up the chart.
While it cracked the Top 70, it stopped at the 65th spot. Still, just getting on the chart was a big deal, and it helped grow the legend of the tune. To this day, it continues to be revered for its innovative sound and guitar style.It is a song that musicians continue to study, as what Hendrix did was groundbreaking. It remains a key landmark of the psychedelic rock era, as it perfectly defines the genre.
7Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
Album: Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd(1973)
After learning how to properly pronounce Lynyrd Skynyrd, listeners quickly fell in love with their Southern rock sound while listening to their debut album. The band held nothing back, asthis record featured some of their biggest hits ever: “Gimme Three Steps,” “Simple Man,” and “Free Bird.“It is surprising to find that none of the songs from this album were able to move far up the charts, but more specifically, “Free Bird” was the one that stood out.
The song had a few chances to reach the top of the charts, as both the studio and live versions performed well. Unfortunately, the closest they got was with the original release, when they reached the 19th spot on theBillboardHot 100. Nonetheless,the song continues to be praised for the excellent story it tells and its musical composition, which transitions from slow to uptempo. It remains a staple of Southern rock and a timeless classic.
6Scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane
Album: Love At First Sting (1984)
Since 1965, founding guitarist Rudolf Schenker has given everything he has to make the Scorpions as successful as possible. The band has been through many different lineup changes but have still managed to produce 19 studio albums. Over that time, they have released many hit songs, butthey haven’t been able to reach the number one spot. It’s rather surprising, considering how big their 1984 tune “Rock You Like A Hurricane” was.
The band has been through many different lineup changes but have still managed to produce 19 studio albums.
This has become a signature song for the band and during its release, it was given a ton of promotion. It came out during the beginning of theMTV Generation, which was great because the music video was able to get into heavy rotation on the channel. The popularity of it skyrocketed, butits peak on theBillboardHot 100 would be the 25th spot. However, onBillboard’sMainstream Rock chart, it did reach the fifth spot.
5The Eagles - Take It Easy
Album: Eagles (1972)
As theband whose best-selling greatest hits albumfeatures songs from their first four records,it shows exactly how good the Eagles’ early hits were. From their debut self-titled album, they had three songs chart high on theBillboardHot 100. “Peaceful Easy Feeling” reached the 22nd spot, “Witchy Woman” got to number 9, and “Take It Easy” peaked at number 12. The latter is especially surprising because it has become so synonymous with the band.
Not only was it their debut single, butit is one that has been covered many times, including by country star, Travis Tritt. The song remains a top hit due to its relatable lyrics and its catchy melody. On the band’s Spotify, it is inching closer to having over one billion streams, as it currently has over 763 million. Nonetheless, it firmly sits as the band’s second-biggest hit on the platform, with number three being over 300 million streams away.
4Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Album: The Wall (1979)
When music pundits consider the biggest bands of all time, Pink Floyd is always in the conversation. The band has multiple number one hit albums, including one of the best-selling ever,The Dark Side of the Moon. However,when it comes to songs charting at number one, the band hasn’t had a lot of luck. The one song that did make it to the coveted spot was “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2,” but that may not be the track many would have anticipated.
It has been covered numerous times, with two of the most famous being the Scissor Sisters, and most recently by Body Count in 2024.
Also on the same record as that song was the legendary tune, “Comfortably Numb.” This has become one of Pink Floyd’s most well-known tracks ever. It has been covered numerous times, with two of the most famous being the Scissor Sisters, and most recently by Body Count in 2024. In fact,David Gilmour even joined Ice-T and his band Body Count on the track. Over the years, it has appeared on the charts again, so maybe there is hope it could reach a number that reflects its rich history.
3The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun
There are many ways to describe the Beatles. They are the best-selling band of all time, one of the most influential and innovative groups that truly made music an art form. Formed in 1960, their time together lasted only a decade, but during that period they produced over 10 studio albums. In that span,they achieved 20 number-one hits. This was an astonishing number, ranking them once again among the best musicians ever.
Of course, many of their hits that reached this impressive mark are not surprising, including songs like “Hey Jude” and “Come Together.” If you look at the band’s Spotify, it would be safe to assume that “Here Comes the Sun” was also one of those songs, as it has over one billion streams, making it the band’s most popular song on the platform. However, it was not one of the 20 songs to reach that mark. Nonetheless,it has not stopped the fans’ love for it, and it was even bolstered by an emotional music video released in 2019.
2AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
Album: Back In Black (1980)
It’s hard to find a band that overcame tragedy as seamlessly as AC/DC. Just as they were hitting their stride, the death of lead singer Bon Scott suddenly occurred. However, they quickly replaced him with Brian Johnson and went on to produce one of the best-selling albums of all time,Back in Black. Since this album became so big,it would logically seem it should have produced a number one hit, but that was not the case.
The song that has come the closest to climbing the charts is “You Shook Me All Night Long.” From the record, it was the song that performed best, reaching the 35th spot on the chart. Over the years, it has charted many more times,including in 2017 when it reached the 11th spot on theBillboardHot Rock & Alternative Songschart. Although it didn’t quite make it to the top spots, the song is still certified 6x platinum in the United States, making it one of the most sought-after tunes the band has ever produced.
1Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
Album: Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
When a song debuts, it is not always appreciated as much as it will come to be. Surprisingly, “Stairway to Heaven” never rose as high on the charts, with one of the issues being that the band did not release it as a single. However, it has not stopped the track from receiving a tremendous amount of recognition throughout the years.It is consistently hailed as one of the greatest rock songs of all timeand has even been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
It became one of the cornerstones that helped theUntitledalbum(Led Zeppelin IV)achieve 24x platinum in the United States. There is not much more praise the song could receive, but the number one spot is the one glaring omission from its stat sheet. Either way,it will continue to be remembered for the impact it has had on music as a whole. Additionally, it remains appreciated, now having been performed by over 350 artists (setlist.fm).
