The Billboard Book of Number Two Singles

by Christopher Feldman

This text chronicles the history of those singles that almost, but never quite, reached the top of the Billboard charts. The book cites every hit that placed number two since 1955 and details each... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823076954
• ISBN13: 9780823076956
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Billboard Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

okay for chart thinking people

#1 isn't everything, neither is #2, #3, #4, and on down the chart. if a person likes a song, they don't care what chart peak it reached. but, this book is a fascinating study of major hits that people assume hit #1 but didn't. the author also highlights the singles at the top that kept the #2 single from reaching #1. This isn't a Joel Whitburn book so there's nothing obscure or exhaustive...only a list of #2 singles and a few pages of artist achievements. LeAnn Rimes holds the record for the #2 single with the most longevity on the Hot 100: 69 weeks and 3,000,000 copies sold. on the back of the book is says that the author is a passionate music fan and record collector who at the time lived in Iowa.

Feldman is Fantastic

I think that the careful consideration of the facts and the excellent presentation of the information is a wonderful combination. Chris has done a fabulous job of showing how 2nd best isn't anything to be ashamed about. People get blind-sided by the #1's, but the #2's manage to stay in our hearts forever. Sometimes we're just not ready for them to be #1's. Sometimes timing and other circumstances prevent them from being #1, but it doesn't mean they're not good enough to be #1. Because we all know they are. So is Chris Feldman. Thank you for being #1 Chris.

Nothing wrong with Number 2#

many songs here are better than many songs that have reached Number 1 to me.I have heard some sorry songs go to number 1# & stay there way too long overall to me.and nowadays easily the songs here are far & away better than what's tops now.if a song is Good it doesn't really matter where it lands just as long as you remember it.charts don't really always tell the full picture to alot of Artists & Groups.

Interesting

This is very interesting, and a perfect companion to Fred Bronson's #1 hits book. no offense, author, but who really wants to read about songs that hit #2? It's like reading about songs that peaked at a number, what say, 8. The songs that reached the top are the most important. Great book and I'm glad you found the time to stall a buttload of information on each songpage.

Always the Bridesmaid, never the bride.

Even though there may be some repetition,The "Billboard Book One-hit Wonders" set is the companion to the "Billboard Book of #2 Hits": avid followers of the Billboard charts and the trivia over the years are not the only ones for whom these set are appropriate; fans of a given artist whose only hits were also number-two singles find added biographical and circumstancial material about the artists and the novelty singles that prompted them to attempt to follow an artist, who because of their ephemeral presence on the charts, had all but disappeared. For instance, Jane Child falls under both categories: "Don't Wanna Fall in Love", her only U.S. Top 40 hit, reached number 2. Had the song reached #1, maybe the course of the gifted singer's career would have run more smoothly. The astounding level of airplay the song received may stun the casual observer who would have probably continued to think the song was a number one Billboard Top 40 Single; it did, however, peak at #1 on the US Radio and Records Chart. It is also interesting to note that the "Billboard Book of #2s" tracks the songs by the most familiar artists such as Madonna, whose "Frozen" was kept out of the #1 spot by lesser-known KC and Jo-Jo's "All My Life". Both the casual chart observer-or someone who had a distaste for Madonna- and more confessed-guru would probably thrive on such esoteric trivia that also, in case you are wondering, details the number of weeks Madonna tried to achieve summit-status holding on at #2. Foreigner's "Waiting for A Girl Like You" was second-bested for 10 weeks by two different singles, a phenomenon that must frustrate the artist. The set occasioanlly documents the artists' prespective and perspective on being second-best, which is also gives the trivia a fresher perspective. Even though-albeit very subjectively- "Frozen" may not be considered in the same league as more classic Madonna hits such as "Express Yourself" or "Cherish", guess what? These hits were prevented from #1 status as well. The set confirms that so many classics you may assume went to the top did not.