



























© Getty Images
0 / 28 Fotos
Led Zeppelin
- Not only didn't any of their singles make it to the top, their famous song 'Stairway to Heaven' didn't even chart. This is because the band never released it as a single. We'll never know if it could have been their #1.
© Getty Images
1 / 28 Fotos
Bob Dylan
- Bob Dylan might have a Nobel Prize in his resume, but he's yet to have a #1 on the Billboard Top 100.
© Getty Images
2 / 28 Fotos
Metallica
- They might be one of the biggest metal bands of all time, but their only song to have ever charted on the top 10 was 'Until It Sleeps,' a song that many fans turn their nose up at. 'Enter Sandman' for instance, only made it to #16.
© Getty Images
3 / 28 Fotos
Backstreet Boys - Tell me why, they never had a #1? Though they did get close with 'Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)' at #2. It's worth mentioning that their 2019 album 'DNA' reached #1, so maybe it's not too late for the boy (or shall we say man?) band!
© Getty Images
4 / 28 Fotos
Shania Twain
- Twain is the world's best-selling female country music artist, with over 100 million records sold. Despite her huge success, the closest she got to the top of the Hot 100 was with 'You're Still the One,' which reached #2.
© Getty Images
5 / 28 Fotos
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Can you believe "The Boss" never had a #1 single? The closest he got was with 'Dancing in the Dark' in 1984, which peaked at #2.
© Getty Images
6 / 28 Fotos
R.E.M. - The band has had numerous hits, including the huge 'Losing My Religion,' which peaked at #4, but none made it to the top position.
© Getty Images
7 / 28 Fotos
Bob Marley
- The reggae legend didn't have immediate worldwide success, so maybe that's why Bob Marley and the Wailers never got a single in the #1 spot.
© Getty Images
8 / 28 Fotos
AC/DC
- The Aussie rockers have sold millions of albums but never reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
© Getty Images
9 / 28 Fotos
James Brown - Can you believe the "Godfather of Soul" never reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100? Though over 90 of his songs made it to the charts!
© Getty Images
10 / 28 Fotos
Kenny G
- The saxophonist's single 'Songbird' reached a respectable #4, but he's yet to have a single peak to #1 on the Hot 100.
© Getty Images
11 / 28 Fotos
Jimi Hendrix
- To this day, Hendrix is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, though none of his singles ever reached the top position of the famous chart.
© Getty Images
12 / 28 Fotos
Sheryl Crowe - Crowe's hit 'All I Wanna Do' did really well, but didn't quite make it to #1. Though it did peak at a very respectable #2!
© Getty Images
13 / 28 Fotos
Johnny Cash
- "The Man in Black" had a long and successful career, but he too failed to reach the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
© Getty Images
14 / 28 Fotos
Green Day - The band had numerous #1 tracks on the Alternative Airplay chart, but the closest they got to the top of the Hot 100 was with 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams,' which peaked at #2.
© Getty Images
15 / 28 Fotos
Missy Elliot
- The rapper had numerous hits, but the closest she got to the top was with 'Work It,' which reached #2.
© Getty Images
16 / 28 Fotos
Demi Lovato
- You would have thought a star like Lovato would have already had a few #1 singles on the Hot 100. Well, she didn't. The closest she got was with 'Sorry Not Sorry,' at #6.
© Getty Images
17 / 28 Fotos
Garth Brooks
- Brooks has sold millions of albums and has had multiple #1 singles in the country charts. The only time he reached the top 10 of the Hot 100? With 'Lost In You,' which was released under his fictional persona, Chris Gaines.
© Getty Images
18 / 28 Fotos
Journey
- Can you believe that 'Don't Stop Believin'' wasn't a #1 single? In fact, it peaked at #9.
© Getty Images
19 / 28 Fotos
The Who
- The British band were pretty big in the '60s and '70s, but they too never had a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
© Getty Images
20 / 28 Fotos
Nirvana
- Nirvana had two #1 albums, 'Nevermind' and 'In Utero,' but it was a different story when came to singles.
© Getty Images
21 / 28 Fotos
Nirvana
- Despite the success of Kurt Cobain's band in the '90s, they never really got a #1 single. Their biggest hit, 'Smells Like Teenage Spirit,' peaked at #6.
© Getty Images
22 / 28 Fotos
One Direction - Though the group never got a #1 spot on the Hot 100 in the US, two of its former members did.
© Getty Images
23 / 28 Fotos
One Direction
- Zayn Malik did it with 'Pillowtalk' in 2016, and Harry Styles with 'Watermelon Sugar' in 2020.
© Getty Images
24 / 28 Fotos
George Strait
- Strait has hit the Country Top 10 more than 80 times! Most didn't even make it to the Hot 100, however.
© Getty Images
25 / 28 Fotos
Linkin Park
- The band found great success with the alternative crowd, but when it came to the Hot 100, 'In the End' was their best-performing single, peaking at #2.
© Getty Images
26 / 28 Fotos
Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Some people might not remember them, but they were pretty big in the US in the '60s and '70s. So much so, that they hold a record of five #2 hits! See also: Iconic songs that performed surprisingly poorly in the charts
© Getty Images
27 / 28 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 28 Fotos
Led Zeppelin
- Not only didn't any of their singles make it to the top, their famous song 'Stairway to Heaven' didn't even chart. This is because the band never released it as a single. We'll never know if it could have been their #1.
© Getty Images
1 / 28 Fotos
Bob Dylan
- Bob Dylan might have a Nobel Prize in his resume, but he's yet to have a #1 on the Billboard Top 100.
© Getty Images
2 / 28 Fotos
Metallica
- They might be one of the biggest metal bands of all time, but their only song to have ever charted on the top 10 was 'Until It Sleeps,' a song that many fans turn their nose up at. 'Enter Sandman' for instance, only made it to #16.
© Getty Images
3 / 28 Fotos
Backstreet Boys - Tell me why, they never had a #1? Though they did get close with 'Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)' at #2. It's worth mentioning that their 2019 album 'DNA' reached #1, so maybe it's not too late for the boy (or shall we say man?) band!
© Getty Images
4 / 28 Fotos
Shania Twain
- Twain is the world's best-selling female country music artist, with over 100 million records sold. Despite her huge success, the closest she got to the top of the Hot 100 was with 'You're Still the One,' which reached #2.
© Getty Images
5 / 28 Fotos
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Can you believe "The Boss" never had a #1 single? The closest he got was with 'Dancing in the Dark' in 1984, which peaked at #2.
© Getty Images
6 / 28 Fotos
R.E.M. - The band has had numerous hits, including the huge 'Losing My Religion,' which peaked at #4, but none made it to the top position.
© Getty Images
7 / 28 Fotos
Bob Marley
- The reggae legend didn't have immediate worldwide success, so maybe that's why Bob Marley and the Wailers never got a single in the #1 spot.
© Getty Images
8 / 28 Fotos
AC/DC
- The Aussie rockers have sold millions of albums but never reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
© Getty Images
9 / 28 Fotos
James Brown - Can you believe the "Godfather of Soul" never reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100? Though over 90 of his songs made it to the charts!
© Getty Images
10 / 28 Fotos
Kenny G
- The saxophonist's single 'Songbird' reached a respectable #4, but he's yet to have a single peak to #1 on the Hot 100.
© Getty Images
11 / 28 Fotos
Jimi Hendrix
- To this day, Hendrix is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, though none of his singles ever reached the top position of the famous chart.
© Getty Images
12 / 28 Fotos
Sheryl Crowe - Crowe's hit 'All I Wanna Do' did really well, but didn't quite make it to #1. Though it did peak at a very respectable #2!
© Getty Images
13 / 28 Fotos
Johnny Cash
- "The Man in Black" had a long and successful career, but he too failed to reach the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
© Getty Images
14 / 28 Fotos
Green Day - The band had numerous #1 tracks on the Alternative Airplay chart, but the closest they got to the top of the Hot 100 was with 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams,' which peaked at #2.
© Getty Images
15 / 28 Fotos
Missy Elliot
- The rapper had numerous hits, but the closest she got to the top was with 'Work It,' which reached #2.
© Getty Images
16 / 28 Fotos
Demi Lovato
- You would have thought a star like Lovato would have already had a few #1 singles on the Hot 100. Well, she didn't. The closest she got was with 'Sorry Not Sorry,' at #6.
© Getty Images
17 / 28 Fotos
Garth Brooks
- Brooks has sold millions of albums and has had multiple #1 singles in the country charts. The only time he reached the top 10 of the Hot 100? With 'Lost In You,' which was released under his fictional persona, Chris Gaines.
© Getty Images
18 / 28 Fotos
Journey
- Can you believe that 'Don't Stop Believin'' wasn't a #1 single? In fact, it peaked at #9.
© Getty Images
19 / 28 Fotos
The Who
- The British band were pretty big in the '60s and '70s, but they too never had a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
© Getty Images
20 / 28 Fotos
Nirvana
- Nirvana had two #1 albums, 'Nevermind' and 'In Utero,' but it was a different story when came to singles.
© Getty Images
21 / 28 Fotos
Nirvana
- Despite the success of Kurt Cobain's band in the '90s, they never really got a #1 single. Their biggest hit, 'Smells Like Teenage Spirit,' peaked at #6.
© Getty Images
22 / 28 Fotos
One Direction - Though the group never got a #1 spot on the Hot 100 in the US, two of its former members did.
© Getty Images
23 / 28 Fotos
One Direction
- Zayn Malik did it with 'Pillowtalk' in 2016, and Harry Styles with 'Watermelon Sugar' in 2020.
© Getty Images
24 / 28 Fotos
George Strait
- Strait has hit the Country Top 10 more than 80 times! Most didn't even make it to the Hot 100, however.
© Getty Images
25 / 28 Fotos
Linkin Park
- The band found great success with the alternative crowd, but when it came to the Hot 100, 'In the End' was their best-performing single, peaking at #2.
© Getty Images
26 / 28 Fotos
Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Some people might not remember them, but they were pretty big in the US in the '60s and '70s. So much so, that they hold a record of five #2 hits! See also: Iconic songs that performed surprisingly poorly in the charts
© Getty Images
27 / 28 Fotos
Artists who never had a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
You'll be surprised how many world-famous musicians never topped the charts
© Getty Images
Success doesn't always translate into chart entries. In fact, many hugely successful bands and singers have sold millions of records and never had a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. Indeed, many of these artists have ranked high in numerous charts, including alternative and country, but they never quite made it to the top spot of this specific chart.
Browse through the following gallery and find out which famous music stars never reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU















MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week