The Biggest No. 2 Hot 100 Hits of All Time

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Though they fell short of the Hot 100's top spot, some No. 2 hits have generated cultural legacies that rival or even eclipse their chart-topping competition.

Dua Lipa, Juice WRLD, LeAnn Rimes, and Eddie Murphy.

Kevin Mazur/GI for The Recording Academy. JA/Everett Collection. Rick Kern/WireImage. Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via GI

In his autobiography Q, Quincy Jones wrote, “Numbers 2, 6, and 11 are my least-favorite chart positions.” It doesn’t take a Jones-like genius to determine why. Despite a clear vote of public favor, each song that peaks at those ranks can come with a pang of disappointment as a song’s creators and performers just miss out on forever claiming a No. 1, top five or top 10 hit.