4 No. 2 Songs From 1969 That Should Have Gone One Spot Higher

A look back at the pop charts from the US in 1969 reveals the fact that there were some outstanding No. 1 singles. When you dig a little deeper, you’ll find some extremely worthy songs that just missed the top spot and stalled at No. 2.

Many of these songs certainly sound like chart-toppers to us. Here are four No. 2s that probably deserve to go one spot higher.

“Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

It’s quite strange that, in 1969, there was a pair of American bands that each sent three songs to No. 2 on the charts, which was as high as they got. We’ll get to the second one of those bands in a moment. First, let’s talk about Creedence Clearwater Revival, who, incredibly, ended up with five No. 2 songs in their career without ever getting to the pinnacle. In 1969, they made it to that near-miss spot with “Proud Mary” and “Green River” as well as “Bad Moon Rising”, the song we picked for his list. As great as those other two songs are, it’s wild to us that “Bad Moon Rising”, a counterintuitively brilliant blend of chipper music and portentous lyrics, missed out on the top spot.

“Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat & Tears

And now we have Blood, Sweat & Tears, the other member of our near-miss all-star team in 1969. At the end of 1968, they released their second album. On their debut, Al Kooper had been the artistic leader of the charge. But artistic differences in both directions resulted in Kooper’s ouster. David Clayton Thomas, a Canadian singer, came down to join the New York City-based group. From that 1968 LP came three No. 2s. There was “You Made Me So Very Happy” at the start of the album cycle and “And When I Die” at the end. For our money, “Spinning Wheel”, sandwiched in between those two, was the true standout of the band’s No. 2s, a whirlwind of irreverent musical touches and subtly philosophical lyrics.

“Crystal Blue Persuasion” by Tommy James & The Shondells

Tommy James seemed to have a knack for rising with killer singles when least expected. And these songs often deviated significantly from what had come before from him and The Shondells. The band churned out garage rock (“Hanky Panky” and “Mony Mony”), bubblegum (“I Think We’re Alone Now”), and psychedelia (“Crimson And Clover”). And they sounded convincing in all of those guises. With “Crystal Blue Persuasion”, the lyrics wandered to the cosmic end of the spectrum. But the music itself drifted to a soulful, jazzy front, the perfect soundtrack to a lazy summer day. This song mostly marked the end of the big-hit era for this resilient band.

“It’s Your Thing” by The Isley Brothers

Sometimes a band needs a change of scenery. You wouldn’t think that would be the case for an act that was in the Motown hit factory in the 60s. But the Isley Brothers struggled to get to the front of the line at the famed Detroit label, despite enjoying some success. They decided to go out on their own. Not long after, success came rolling in thanks to “It’s Your Thing”. You can hear in that ambitious song why the band might have wanted a fresh start. The funky, stop-and-start rhythms of “It’s Your Thing” were quite different from the smooth grooves Motown preferred. The Isleys would parlay this new sound into massive success throughout the 70s via a series of iconic hits and albums.

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