Creedence Clearwater Revival Holds a Disappointing Record With the Most No. 2 Hits
There are a lot of classic rock bands that have managed to thrive in the industry for decades, but few have the staying power of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The band’s music was based in classic Southern rock while encompassing elements of blues, swamp rock, and country rock. With hit songs like “Lodi,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” and “Up Around the Bend,” Creedence Clearwater Revival, better known as CCR, provided the soundtrack for the late 1960s and early 1970s. While CCR had a lot of hits over the course of its career and received many accolades, the band never scored the coveted No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 10 charts.
How did Creedence Clearwater Revival become famous?
Creedence Clearwater Revival was formed in California in the late 1950s. The group went through numerous name changes before settling on CCR, including the Blue Velvets and the Golliwogs, according to All Music. The band, which originally included members John Fogerty, his brother Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford, didn’t decide on the name CCR until 1967, by which time the group had been playing together for close to 10 years.
By 1969, CCR had become one of the hottest acts in rock music. Fans loved the classic Southern rock sound and appreciated the group’s song lyrics, which often had to do with political and social movements rather than love and romance. Even John Lennon expressed his appreciation for CCR, noting, “They make beautiful Clearwater music – they make good rock ‘n’ roll music.”
Creedence Clearwater Revival never had a No. 1 hit on the Billboard chart
Throughout their time as a group, Creedence Clearwater Revival had nine top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with 16 songs that broke into the Hot 100 overall. According to Billboard, CCR had five songs that peaked at No. 2, including such hits as “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Green River,” “Travelin’ Band/Who’ll Stop the Rain,” and “Lookin’ Out My Back Door/Long As I Can See The Light.”
Other CCR tunes that made it to the top 10 include “Down On The Corner/Fortunate Son,” “Suzie Q.,” “Up Around The Bend/Run Through The Jungle,” “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” and “I Put A Spell On You.” While CCR never managed to score a No. 1 hit with Billboard, they hold the unique distinction of having the most No. 2 hits on the Billboard chart without ever having a No. 1.
Several other iconic artists never had No. 1 hits
Creedence Clearwater Revival is far from the only group to have never gotten a Billboard No. 1 hit. The boy band group One Direction peaked at No. 2 with their song “Best Song Ever,” while “The Boss,” Bruce Springsteen never made it higher on the charts than No. 2 with his song “Dancing in the Dark.” According to Billboard, Imagine Dragons, Backstreet Boys, Missy Elliott, and Don Henley all never had No. 1 hits throughout their legendary careers.
Even the “Godfather of Soul” himself, James Brown, never got a No. 1 hit, even though he charted over 90 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including songs like “I Got You (I Feel Good).” Perhaps the most surprising artist of all to never crack the Billboard No. 1 spot is Bob Dylan – who has been releasing popular songs since the 1960s but never made it higher than No. 2 on the charts, with songs such as “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Rainy Day Women #12 & #35.”
