Near-Miss Hits: ’70s Edition

Summary

Hit Parade | Near-Miss Hits—’70s Edition

Host: Chris Molanphy
Date: May 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Chris Molanphy shines a spotlight on the “near misses” of the 1970s—a decade when many iconic songs didn’t quite reach the chart peaks that history might suggest. Exploring hits that peaked at number 2, 11, or 41 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Molanphy examines the mysteries of pop stardom and legacy, revealing how cultural impact often outpaces chart success. Through deep dives, trivia, and signature chart analysis, he shows how the ‘almosts’ of the 1970s sometimes outlast the official chart-toppers.

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Key Themes & Insights

What Makes a Song a “Near Miss”?

• Defining the Numbers: The episode centers on songs that peaked at #2, #11, or #41.
  “Those numbers represent near misses. Let me explain.” – Chris Molanphy [03:20]
• Longevity vs. Chart Peaks: Some songs that didn’t reach #1 are more loved and remembered today than the ones that did.

Measuring Lasting Impact

• Legacy Beyond Charts: Molanphy compares original chart peaks to Spotify streams, pointing out that “modern streaming can reveal a song’s enduring appeal better than its chart debut.” [06:27]
• Iconic Example: Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” (a #2 hit) is now more popular than his #1, “Break Your Heart,” thanks to its longevity at parties and on playlists.

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Deep Dives: 1970s “Near Miss” Hits

Number 2 Hits: The Uncrowned Champions

Many artists only ever reach #2, while others have #2s that outshine their #1s.

• Wings—"Live and Let Die"

  • Peaked at #2 in 1973
  • “It spent three weeks at number two, behind three different number one hits… Live and Let Die is better remembered than any of these number one hits. And it fell behind all of them—I call shenanigans.” – Chris Molanphy [16:00]
  • 220 million Spotify streams, far outpacing its predecessor “My Love” (#1 hit with only 80 million streams).

• Sister Sledge—"We Are Family"

  • Peaked at #2 in 1979, behind Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff”
  • Written by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (of Chic)
  • “We Are Family is an all-purpose anthem. One of the most enduring songs the Chic team ever produced.” [17:38]

• The Spinners—"The Rubber Band Man"

  • Their altimeter classic, although only peaking at #2
  • "Their all timer on Spotify is The Rubber Band Man... more than two times the streams of 'Working My Way Back to You' and 16 times the streams of... 'Then Came You.’” [19:20]
  • A favorite both live and on oldies radio.

---

Number 11 Hits: Just Outside the Winners’ Circle

#11 is the heartbreaking spot—so close to the Top 10 but still out of reach.

• Steely Dan—"Peg" and "Reeling in the Years"

  • Both missed the Top 10, peaking at #11, yet are classic radio staples.
  • “‘Reeling in the Years’...their biggest Spotify hit...about 50 million higher than the number six Steely Dan hit ‘Do it Again.’ So you might say Steely Dan were kings of the number 11 spot.” [23:15]

• Jackson Browne—"Running on Empty"

  • Peaked at #11 in 1978, now his signature classic
  • “Today, ‘Running on Empty’ has 238 million streams on Spotify. Far and away Jackson Browne’s most played track.” [25:31]

• Cat Stevens—"Wild World"

  • Peaked at #11 but has nearly 900 million Spotify streams
  • “Wild World is Cat Stevens’s signature hit. It’s got 880 million streams on Spotify. That’s higher than his next two hits combined.” [26:42]
  • More popular than his four actual Top 10s from the 1970s.

---

Number 41 Hits: The Cruel Cutoff

These songs barely missed being part of the famed “Top 40.” Sometimes they become cult classics.

• "Ease on Down the Road"—Diana Ross & Michael Jackson

  • Peaked at #41 in 1978, only credited Michael/Diana duet to make the Hot 100
  • Historic for launching Michael Jackson’s work with Quincy Jones. “That alone makes it a historic song.” [32:05]

• David Bowie—"Changes"

  • Missed the Top 40 not once but twice—#66 on first release, #41 on a re-release.
  • Despite its humble chart origins, now considered an essential Bowie track. [31:13]

• Elton John—"Tiny Dancer"

  • Peaked at #41 in 1972; now has nearly a billion Spotify streams
  • “It’s now got nearly a billion streams on Spotify...the fact that ‘Tiny Dancer’ has turned around and become one of Elton John’s classics is remarkable considering its number 41 peak.” [33:55]

• ZZ Top—"La Grange"

  • Also peaked at #41, now their biggest streaming hit (900 million)
  • “At 900 million plays, it’s overwhelmingly ZZ Top’s biggest Spotify hit...those last two songs, ‘Legs’ and ‘Sleeping Bag’, were top 10 hits in the 1980s for ZZ Top, but their Spotify streams are a fraction of the streams of ‘La Grange’.” [35:20]
  • Legacy built by radio, influence, and constant touring—even as their official hits charted higher.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Numbers are pretty important. But today on the show, we’re going to talk about three very special numbers. 2, 11, and 41.” — Chris Molanphy [01:53]
• “A near miss can be a number two hit, a number 11 hit, or a number 41. ... Some lower charting hits become legendary.” [03:59]
• “The top 10 is regarded as the winner’s circle on the Hot 100 ... Stalling at number 11 is basically the difference between a hit and a big hit.” [20:33]
• “By definition, these songs are not top 40 hits. To be fair, some number 41 hits are curios... But a handful... were truly historic.” [30:07]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:53] Opening & Episode Theme—“Near-Miss” Chart Hits
• [11:12] Number 2 Hits of the 1970s
  • Wings – "Live and Let Die" [14:14]
  • Sister Sledge – "We Are Family" [17:38]
  • The Spinners – "The Rubber Band Man" [18:54]
• [20:33] Number 11 Hits: Missing the Top 10
  • Steely Dan – "Peg"/"Reeling in the Years" [23:15]
  • Jackson Browne – "Running on Empty" [25:31]
  • Cat Stevens – "Wild World" [26:42]
• [28:11] Number 41 Hits: Below the “Top 40”
  • Diana Ross & Michael Jackson – "Ease on Down the Road" [32:05]
  • David Bowie – "Changes" [31:13]
  • Elton John – "Tiny Dancer" [33:55]
  • ZZ Top – "La Grange" [35:20]

---

Final Thoughts

Chris Molanphy’s exploration of “near-miss” hits demystifies the idea that chart-toppers alone define musical legacy. Many of the 1970s' most enduring songs weren’t “official” #1s or Top 10s—but thanks to streaming, radio, and cultural reverence, they stand tall. As Chris puts it, “the Hot 100 is not always the final word.” [08:58]

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For music fans and trivia buffs alike, this episode is a lively reminder to look beyond the numbers and hunt for the real legends hiding just outside the winner’s circle.

Transcript

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[Chris Melanphy]

Welcome to Hit Parade, a podcast of pop chart history from Slate Magazine about the hits from coast to coast. I'm Chris Melanphy, chart analyst, pop critic, and writer of Slate's why Is this Song Number One? Series on today's show. 47 years ago in the summer of 1979, Sister Sledge's We Are Family scaled the charts and took its place as an everlasting celebration anthem. The only catch? It Never reached number one, peaking on Billboard's Hot 100 at number two. So Hit Parade always talks about numbers. We're a chart show, after all, and numbers are pretty important. But today on the show, we're going to talk about three very special numbers. 2, 11 and 41. No, that's not your high school locker combination. Those numbers represent near misses. Let me explain. Nearly a decade ago, we did a Hit Parade episode about a trio of seminal heartbreaking number two hits, the Miracles Shop around, which reached number two in 1961. The Go Go's We Got the Beat, which peaked in the runner up spot in 1982, And Kelly Clarkson's since youe Been Gone, which Silver medalled in 2005.

[Singer/Performer]

But since you've been gone, I can't breathe. All the best,

[Chris Melanphy]

but heartbreaking hits happen all over the Hot 100. A near miss can be a number two hit, a number 11 hit, or a number 41. Billboard's charts measure popularity only one week at a time, but over time, some lower charting hits become legendary. Anytime in chart history will have its share of near miss hits, and some of them may surprise you. So today we're going to zoom in on one era of near misses. In this episode, we're going to walk through 70s chart history and it's well remembered. Number two, number 11 and number 41 hits. By the way, near miss hits are still with us. Let me give you a few current examples. If you caught the recent Grammy Awards, you may have seen Olivia Dean, the British RB singer, winning the best New Artist prize. Her hit Man I Need has been knocking around the top 10 since last fall, but it's never gone higher than number two. It definitely deserved to be a number one hit. Or raise Where Is My Husband? Which has received near universal acclaim from pop fans. It's one of my favorite songs of this year, but it's gotten stuck at number 11, 11. And finally sombers 12 to 12, a new wave slash disco banger that he performed on last fall's Video Music Awards and the Grammys and Saturday Night Live. Despite all that, 12 to 12 only got as high as number 41.

[Singer/Performer]

You would you avoid me or would you look for me too?

[Chris Melanphy]

So how do we measure the reach of a near miss hit? One good way is to compare its chart peak with its Spotify streams. This is not a perfect measurement, but it's a proxy for how a song is regarded in the modern day. For example, Spotify will sometimes reveal that an act's number two hit is better remembered than its number one hit. Some modern examples About a decade and a half ago, the British RB singer Tayo Cruz scored a pair of hits, the number one hit Break youk Heart. And the number two hit Dynamite. In the Air.

[Singer/Performer]

Sometimes,

[Chris Melanphy]

if you've been on a wedding dance floor in the last 15 years, I'm sure you've heard Dynamite. You don't really hear Break your Heart anymore. And sure enough, on Spotify, the streams for Dynamite are far higher than they are for Break youk Heart. I want to go back to the 1970s for this episode because this is the decade that launched Casey Kasem's radio show, American Top 40, which established the top 40 as a public yardstick of hit making.

[Casey Kasem]

Hello and welcome to American top 40. I'm Casey Kasey.

[Chris Melanphy]

At the end of the 70s, Casem would extend that franchise to television with his syndicated Show, America's Top 10.

[Casey Kasem]

Now here's Casey Kasem. Thank you, Charlie. And hello again, Everybody. Welcome to America's Top 10. Let's get right to the action this week on Billboard's pop singles chart and

[Chris Melanphy]

of course, on all of his shows, the biggest, most dramatic moment was the revelation of the number one song.

[Casey Kasem]

So Anietta, Bjorn, Benny and Annafred, you can start packing. This week, you've got the most popular song in America at number one. Here's Abba and Dancing Queen.

[Chris Melanphy]

Of course, most of chart history is dominated by number one hits, top 10 hits, and top 40 hits. But my argument is that the number twos, number 11s, and number 41s reveal how songs develop their own legacy. And it reminds us that the Hot 100 is not always the final word. Stick around.

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[Singer/Performer]

Really?

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[Chris Melanphy]

So let's start with the songs that almost made it all the way to the top. The number two hits of the 1970s, mind you, some acts only ever have a number two hit. For example, the Moody Blues only ever got as high as number two with their classic Nights in White Satin. The Allman Brothers only ever got to number two with Ramblin Man. Randy Newman only ever reached number two as a performer with his novelty hit Short People. And one of my personal favorites, Jerry Rafferty got to number two with Baker Street. Remember that awesome Saxon? What's more surprising about acts with number two hits are the ones that actually did go to number one, but now their number two hit is better remembered or more acclaimed. There have been a few of these that we've already covered on Hit Parade. For example, the Carpenters, the brother sister soft rock duo of the early 70s. They actually scored several number two hits, and the best of them, by general acclaim, is We've Only Just Begun. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it among its top 500 hits of all time. And then John Denver, whom we covered in an episode just a couple of months ago. None of John Denver's number one hits have half as many Spotify streams as his number two hit, Take Me Home, Country Roads. But now let's focus on three number two hits that I think are among the most exceptional number twos of the seventies.

[Singer/Performer]

Let die.

[Chris Melanphy]

Wings. Live and Let Die was the direct follow up to a number one hit, the 1973 ballad My Love, which, by the way, was the first single credited to Paul McCartney and Wings. When Live and Let Die peaked at number two, it was the closest to that date that a James Bond theme had ever gotten to number one. Back in the 60s, Shirley Bassey's gold finger peaked at number eight.

[Singer/Performer]

Pretty Girl, Beware of this hot couple.

[Chris Melanphy]

What's also crazy about Live and Let Die is that it spent three weeks at number two, behind three different number one hits. The Morning after by Maureen McGovern.

[Singer/Performer]

We're moving closer to to the shore I know we'll be.

[Chris Melanphy]

Touch Me in the Morning by Diana Ross and think about the last time

[Singer/Performer]

that you touched me in the morning.

[Chris Melanphy]

And the Story's brother, Louie.

[Singer/Performer]

Lou Lou Lou.

[Chris Melanphy]

Live and Let Die is better remembered than any of these number one hits. And it fell behind all of them I call shenanigans. As for Legacy, although Live and Let Die is not Paul McCartney's biggest wings era hit on Spotify, for the record, it's behind Banned on the run, which has 370 million lifetime streams. Still, Live and let Die, with 220 million streams, crushes the number one hit that it followed, My Love, which only has 80 million streams. For our second number two hit. I want to talk about one of my favorite 70s bands. Chic. But their most legendary 70s hit is arguably a song they gave away away to a different group. It peaked at number two and it's now better known than their number one hits. The song is We Are Family. Sung by the four woman sibling group Sister Sledge. Written and produced by Sheiks Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards, it's now a staple of weddings, gay pride marches, and even the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates. In the summer of 79, it got stuck at number two behind Donna Summers chart topper Hot Stuff. It was a good summer for female fronted R B. Hot Stuff is a disco rock classic, but We Are Family is an all purpose anthem. One of the most enduring songs the Chic team ever produced. But I would argue that the ultimate 70s number two hit is the Spinners, the Rubber Band Man.

[Singer/Performer]

Hey y', all, prepare yourself for the Rubber Band. You never heard a sound like the Rubber Band Man. You're bound to lose control.

[Chris Melanphy]

When the Rubber Band the spinners only scored one Hot 100 number one. That was in 1974 when their duet with Miss Dionne Warwick, the Philly Soul Disco Bop, Then Came you topped the chart.

[Singer/Performer]

Then came you, Then came you. I never knew Love Before.

[Chris Melanphy]

The Spinners have other hits that are favorites on the radio. Their oldies staple is their disco medley cover of the Four Seasons, Working My Way Back to youo. As popular as those two hits are their all timer on Spotify is the Rubber Band man. It's got 209 million streams on Spotify, more than two times the streams of Working My Way Back to you and 16 times the streams of the Dion Warwick duet. Then came you.

[Singer/Performer]

How much of this stuff do we think we can stand? So much rhythm, grace.

[Chris Melanphy]

And of course, longtime Muppet show fans may recall that when Lynda Carter hosted the show with Kermit and the Gang, she performed the Rubber Band man too. Take it, Sam.

[Singer/Performer]

And here they are, ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, the Rubber Bandman.

[Chris Melanphy]

So those are some great number two hits from the 1970s. Let's travel a little further down the chart and talk about number 11 hits. What makes those especially frustrating? The top 10 is regarded as the winner's circle on the Hot 100. Many chart feats revolve around top 10 hits. Stalling at number 11 is basically the difference between a hit and a big hit, the kind that's likely to make the year end chart. However, we've discussed several singles on Hit Parade that are well remembered despite peaking at number 11. For example, in our Woodstock episode, we talked about the biggest hit by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Woodstock, written by Joni Mitchell. It peaked at number 11 in 1970. In our Fleetwood Mac episode, we talked about the breakthrough album before Rumors, their self titled 1975 LP. It had no top 10 hits, but it had two hits that reached number 11, Rhiannon. And say you love me. Finally, in our Jim Steinman episode, Meatloaf's biggest hit on Bat out of Hell wasn't Paradise by the Dashboard Light or you took the words right out of my mouth. Both of those songs peaked way down at number 39. The biggest hit on the album was the number 11 hit. Two out of three ain't bad.

[Singer/Performer]

Two out of three.

[Chris Melanphy]

So let's talk about three 70s acts that wound up with some pretty big number 11 hits. The first act I want to discuss is Steely Dan, which actually scored two of their biggest hits at number 11. A classic from their Asia album in 1977 is the hit Peg, An essential yacht rock song. It's got Spotify streams of 126 million and it never cracked the top 10. But even bigger than Peg is their rocker reeling in the years. That's their biggest Spotify hit with 394 million lifetime streams. By the way, that's about 50 million higher than the number six Steely Dan hit Do it Again. So you might say Steely Dan were kings of the number 11 spot. What about Jackson Brown? Jackson Brown did score top ten hits both in the 1970s. For example, Dr. My Eyes reached number eight in 1972.

[Singer/Performer]

Tell me what you see I hear that cry.

[Chris Melanphy]

And in the 80s, somebody's baby got all the way to number seven. But Jackson Brown's most anthemic hit, Running on Empty, is an even better remembered song.

[Singer/Performer]

Running on Empty.

[Chris Melanphy]

When Running on Empty peaked at number 11 in April 1978, there was some tough competition in the top 10. The winner's circle was filled with hits from both Saturday Night Fever and Grease. However, today Running on Empty has 238 million streams on Spotify. Far and away Jackson Brown's most played track, and it's his classic rock radio standard.

[Singer/Performer]

If it takes all night, that'll be all right.

[Chris Melanphy]

But I would argue that the ultimate number 11 hit of the 70s is from Cat Stevens, Wild World.

[Singer/Performer]

Oh baby, baby, It's a wild world it's hard to get by just upon a smile

[Chris Melanphy]

oh baby, baby Wild World is Cat Stevens signature hit. It's got 880 million streams on Spotify. That's higher than his next two hits combined, Father and Son and Morning Has

[Singer/Performer]

Broken Morning has broken like the first

[Chris Melanphy]

morning

[Singer/Performer]

Blackbird has spoken.

[Chris Melanphy]

Cat Stevens did score four top tens in the 1970s, including the aforementioned Morning Has Broken as well as Peace Train, Take this country, Come Take Me Home

[Casey Kasem]

Again,

[Chris Melanphy]

and oh Very Young, oh very young.

[Singer/Performer]

What will you do Leave us this time? There'll never be a better chance to change your mind.

[Chris Melanphy]

But none of these cat Stevens top 10 hits has nearly the number of streams as Wild World.

[Singer/Performer]

Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world.

[Chris Melanphy]

So the number 11s are the ones that almost made it into the winner's circle. What about the songs that didn't even get counted down by Casey Kasem? What makes number 41 hits the cruelest of all?

[Singer/Performer]

Listen to the music that my idols made. I knew every single record the DJs played from Honk can't talk to Hound, no does Johnny Be good

[Chris Melanphy]

More in a moment.

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[Chris Melanphy]

By definition, these songs are not top 40 hits. To be fair, some number 41 hits are curios, and it's remarkable they got as high as the threshold of the top 40. For example, Wigwam, a loungy Bob Dylan near instrumental from 1970. I say near instrumental because it does have lyrics, but they go la da dee da da and ta da da da da. Or Bloat On, a Cheech and Chong parody of the floaters. Number one R B2 pop hit float on, bloat on also reached number 41.

[Singer/Performer]

Ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome the fabulous Bloaters.

[Chris Melanphy]

And finally, we just discussed a few months ago, David Bowie's Changes. It's an undeniable classic, but it missed the top 40 twice, reaching number 66 on its first release in 1972 and number 41 in 1975. So those are the curios. But a handful of number 41 hits in the 70s were truly historic. Let's talk about Ease on down the Road.

[Singer/Performer]

He's on down the road.

[Chris Melanphy]

This duet between Diana Ross and Michael Jackson is from the movie musical the Wiz.

[Singer/Performer]

I'm on my way to find the Wiz.

[Chris Melanphy]

He's gonna get me back home.

[Singer/Performer]

Well, that's nice. Thank you.

[Chris Melanphy]

That alone makes it a historic song because it's the start of Michael Jackson's relationship with producer Quincy Jo. Moreover, Diana and Michael worked together on other hits in the 80s. Michael wrote Diana's hit Muscles, And he even kind of dueted with her on her hit Get Eaten Alive. But Ease on down the Road, a number 41 hit in 1978, is the only time a credited duet between Diana Ross and Michael Jackson made the Hot 100. That in itself is historic. While we're Talking about number 41 hits, I would be remiss if I didn't bring up yet again Elton John's Tiny

[Singer/Performer]

Dancer, Blue Jean Baby, Seamstress for the ban.

[Chris Melanphy]

Is it possibly the Most famous number 41 hit? It's certainly the one with the biggest turnaround in fortunes. It's now considered one of Elton John's standards, but it was an also ran in 1972. As we discussed in our Legacy hits episode of Hit Parade. Before the year 2000, Tiny Dancer was considered a deep cut only occasionally played in concert by Elton John. But then the scene in the movie Almost Famous made it a radio staple. I have to go home. It's now got nearly a billion streams on Spotify. At last count, 971 million. I would argue the only thing that keeps Tiny Dancer from being the ultimate 1970s number 41 is that else Elton John has even bigger hits on both the radio and Spotify. For example, Rocketman, one of his earliest top 10 hits, now has 1.5 billion Spotify streams. And of course the classic you song, which has 1.1 billion Spotify streams. Nonetheless, the fact that Tiny Dancer has turned around and become One of Elton John's classics is remarkable considering its number 41 peak. But I would argue the biggest number 41 over performer of the 70s is ZZ Topps La Grange. This was ZZ Top's first major hit, named after a Texas brothel called LaGrange, an electric blues that, by the way, borrows from two songs by blues man John Lee Hooker. It takes its riff from his boogie Chillin. And it takes takes one of its catchiest lyrics a how how how how from John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom. The shocker about Lagrange. At 900 million plays, it's overwhelmingly ZZ Top's biggest Spotify hit. That's right, it's bigger than Sharp Dressed Man. Legs. Or sleeping bag. Those last two songs, Legs and Sleeping Bag, were top 10 hits in the 1980s for ZZ Top, but their Spotify streams are a fraction of the streams of Lagrange. Legs has 120 million streams, sleeping bag only 18 million. In my legacy Hits episode of Hit Parade, I named Sharp Dressed Man ZZ Top's Legacy hit. But with the streams of lagrange rising ever higher, I just might reconsider. Besides all those influences from John Lee Hooker, lagrange was co written by the three main members of ZZ Top Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill. Dusty Hill passed away in 2021, but to this day, Beard and Gibbons are still on the road, still playing lagrange. This is how you keep a number 41 hit alive into the 21st century. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Hit Parade. Our show was conceived, researched and narrated by Chris Melanfi. That's me. My producer is Kevin Bendis, our supervisor producer is Joel Meyer, and the Executive Producer of Slate Podcasts is Mia lobel. Check out Slate's roster of [e-mail] podcasts. You can subscribe to Hit Parade wherever you get your podcasts, in addition to finding it in the Slate Culture feed. If you're subscribing on Apple Podcasts, please rate and review us while you're there. It helps other listeners find the show. Thanks for listening and I look forward to leading the Hit Parade back your way. We'll have a brand new episode for you in two weeks. Until then, keep on marching on the one I'm Chris Melanvy.

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[Autotrader Announcer]

don't use if allergic to Skyrizi. Serious allergic reactions, increased infection or lower ability to fight them may occur before treatment. Get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor about any flu like symptoms or vaccines.

[Aramco Announcer / Skyrizi Testimonial Speaker]

Thanks to Skyrizi, there's nothing like clearer skin and better movement. And that means everything. Ask your doctor about SkyRizi, visit skyrizi.com or call 1-866-SkyRizi to learn.