What's the best number two?

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There's been a poll to decide the best number one that didn't quite make it:

The top 10 number 2s

1 The Beatles - Let it Be (1970), eclipsed by Wanderin' Star by Lee Marvin.

2 Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds (1969), beaten by Two Little Boys by Rolf Harris.

3 Oasis - Wonderwall (1995), held down by Up on the Roof by Robson and Jerome.

4 Elton John - Rocket Man (1977), beaten by Metal Guru by T Rex.

5 The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar (1971), beaten by Knock Three Times by Dawn.

6 The Beach Boys - God Only Knows (1966), beaten by Yellow Submarine by The Beatles.

7 The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony (1997), blocked by I'll be Missing You by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans.

8 The Who - My Generation (1965), beaten by Carnival is Over by The Seekers.

9 Pulp - Common People (1995), kept down by Unchained Melody by Robson and Jerome.

10 The Jacksons - I Want You Back (1970), beaten by Lee Marvin's Wanderin' Star.

Not quite sure why 'Rocket Man' is considered better than 'Metal Guru'. Or 'Let it be' better than 'Wanderin Star' for that matter.

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:05 (twenty-three years ago)

that top ten is the wrong way round definitely...other number twos i can remember that maybe shouldve been #1

Erasure 'Sometimes'
Luciano Pavarotti 'Nessun Dorma'
Prodigy 'Everybody In The Place' (if Freddie Mercury hadnt died this wouldve been their first chart-topper)
SL2 'On A Ragga Tip'
Right Said Fred 'I'm Too Sexy'
Underworld 'Born SLippy'
Sash! 'Encore Un Feu!' (now now, its better than 2 Unlimited's 'No Limits')
Stardust 'Music Sounds Better With You'
Truesteppers ft Victoria Beckham and Dane Bowers 'Out Of Your Mind'

but a couple of those mightve only got to number 3...and i dont like all of em but all #1 material huh?

― blueski, Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:22 (twenty-three years ago)

i suppose Robbie Williams rubbish 'Angels' was number 11 in that list as well, feh

― blueski, Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Suspicious Minds!!

― original bgm, Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Wasn't "Vienna" by Ultravox stalled at number two by "Shaddap Your Face" by Joe Dolce?

― Dr. David Jackson, Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:28 (twenty-three years ago)

"Groove Is In The Heart" Deee-Lite
"Tom's Diner" Suzanne Vega vs DNA
"Turn It Up" Busta Rhymes

That's off the top of my head, anyway.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Ooooh, oooooh, oooooh, I know!

"Little Red Corvette" #2 January 1985

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:33 (twenty-three years ago)

good ones Dom, i remember the whole debacle regarding Deee-Lite when it was claimed both 'Groove Is In The Heart' and Steve Miller Band's 'The Joker' has both sold exactly the same amount of copies that week (or so Gallup could calculate) which seems very unlikely - but they gave it to 'THe Joker' based on previous weeks sales i think - but unfair really, i wouldve deducted points from it because it was only re-released cos of a jeans advert

― blueski, Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:34 (twenty-three years ago)

lets not forget both 'Last Train To Trancentral' and 'Justified & Ancient' by the KLF, both piss all over 'Rocket Man' easily (apples n oranges tho i suppose)

― blueski, Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:36 (twenty-three years ago)

If only Deee-Lite had've spoke of the pompitouse of love, it could all have been avoided.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Other truly great number #2s (Hey, I've got nothing to do today)

"Downtown" Petula Clarke (November 1964)
"Alternate Title" The Monkees (June 1967)
"Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus" Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg (Jul 1969)
"All Right Now" Free (Jun 1970)
"You Can Get It If You Really Want" Desmond Dekker (Aug 1970)
"Ride A White Swan" T-Rex (Oct 1970)
"Jeepster" T-Rex (Nov 1971)
"The Jean Genie" David Bowie (Dec 1972)
"This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Us" Sparks (May 1974)
"Love Really Hurts Without You" Billy Ocean (Feb 1976)
"Denis" Blondie (Feb 1978)
"Oliver's Army" Elvis Costello and the Attractions (Feb 1979)
"Cool For Cats" Squeeze (Mar 1979)
"Some Girls" Racey (Mar 1979)
"Pop Muzik" M (Apr 1979)
"Dance Away" Roxy Music (Apr 1979)
"Can't Stand Losing You" The Police (Jul 1979)

80s and 90s to come...

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:45 (twenty-three years ago)

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" The Eurythmics (Feb 1983)
"Temptation" Heaven 17 (Apr 1983)
"Walk Of Life" Dire Straits (Jan 1986)
"Manic Monday" The Bangles (Feb 1986)
"Got My Mind Set On You" George Harrison (Oct 1987) (Actually, this IS the best number two ever)
"Fairytale Of New York" The Pogues ft Kirstey McColl (December 1987)

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:49 (twenty-three years ago)

"People Everyday" Arrested Development (Oct 1992)
"Streets Of Philadelphia" Bruce Springsteen (Mar 1994)
"Guaglione" Perez Prado (May 1995)
"Mis-Shapes / Sorted For E's And Wizz" Pulp (Oct 1995)
"Murder On The Dancefloor" Sophie Ellis Bextor (Dec 2001)
"How Wonderful You Are" Gordon Haskell (Dec 2001)

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:54 (twenty-three years ago)

urgh, it feels like people have forgotten that Gordon Haskell track already...there's something annoying about it though thats for sure, mind you i'd rather that had been number one than the Robbie n Nicole drivel

― blueski, Tuesday, 12 November 2002 14:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Creedence Clearwater Revival never had a number one but at least two or three number twos, so they're easily the best No. 2 band ever.

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 15:11 (twenty-three years ago)

"Bad Moon Rising" (which I don't like) was #1 in Britain, though, and "Up Around The Bend" (which I *do* rather like) was #1 in Holland.

You've all forgotten the greatest UK #2 ever: "Magic Fly" by Space (which would have been #1 if Elvis hadn't died, cf "Everybody In The Place" and Freddie Mercury, because "Way Down" would NEVER have got to #1 in normal circumstances).

Also, from the same year and the same country, La Belle Epoque's version of "Black Is Black", the most exotically thunderous Eurodisco record ever (apart from all the other ones).

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 18:54 (twenty-three years ago)

oh, "Up The Junction" is better than "Cool For Cats". Boney M's "Ma Baker" and "Rasputin" are both great. The bizarre thing about this poll is that "Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever" isn't in the Top 10. Does ANYONE honestly think that bloody "Let It Be" is actually better than either?

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 18:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Dylan never had No. 1, right? "Like A Rolling Stone" was No. 2. That's the best ever.

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 19:11 (twenty-three years ago)

O Superman

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 22:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Not quite sure why 'Rocket Man' is considered better than 'Metal Guru'. Or 'Let it be' better than 'Wanderin Star' for that matter.

It wasn't a poll - it was the true most selling number twos. I read about it in the star today.

*ducks*

/coat

― dog latin, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 00:19 (twenty-three years ago)

According to The Guardian it was a "poll commissioned by the digital music channel Music Choice".

So it must be true.

― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 09:58 (twenty-three years ago)

What about "God Save the Queen"? The BBC kept it at No 2 - does this qualify?

― bham, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 10:15 (twenty-three years ago)

six months pass...

revive! for hopefully obvious reasons

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 19 May 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

But but but tha Girlz might still a-clamber to the summit (although, obviously not, alas.) Also:

Kylie Minogue - Better The Devil You Know

...d'you know, no others spring to mind, am at work and do not have wealth of almost-not-quite CDs and singles to hand. I've a feeling that Kylie held record for Most Singles That Peaked At Number 2, though this may not be the case any longer.

Also, was there not some vague controversy with Groove Is The Heart? I don't remember what the number one was at the time, but I've a feeling that the sales difference between the two was so microscopic they ended up having to draw straws for it, or something.

― Alex Linsdell (Alex in Doncaster), Monday, 19 May 2003 11:55 (twenty-two years ago)

The way I remember it, the panel sales (i.e. sample of total sales taken from scanned product at selected shops) for Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" and the Deee-Lite single were identical, so #1 went to which ever record had the greater sales increase over the previous week. Which was Stevie M. Lame joke at the time - have a joint #1 and call it Miller Lite.

My fave #2s: O Superman and Happy Birthday (AI).

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 19 May 2003 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Far Far Away by Slade

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 19 May 2003 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

JUSTIFIED AND ANCIENT

― Alex in Rotherham (Alex in Doncaster), Tuesday, 20 May 2003 08:47 (twenty-two years ago)

CCR had a slew of Top Five singles but never got #1.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Tuesday, 20 May 2003 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"Bittersweet Symphony" for sure. And that was my answer before I even read any of this thread.

As a side note, "The Drugs Don't Work" was the only UK #1 for The Verve, and it was released the Monday after Lady Di passed away... so the British public were in the mood for a melancholy ballad.

― blutroniq (blutroniq), Tuesday, 20 May 2003 21:46 (twenty-two years ago)

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