Who had the most #2 singles without hitting #1?
En Vogue had three singles that fell just short, as did Blood, Sweat & Tears, but the champion of silver medals on the Billboard Hot 100, without a doubt, was Creedence Clearwater Revival, who had five #2 singles, all of them between March 1969 and October 1970: “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Green River,” “Travelin’ Band,” and “Lookin’ Out My Back Door.” (That falls short of the record for the most #2 singles ever, which belongs to Madonna with six; of course, she has a dozen #1 singles to go along with them.) Bandleader John Fogerty was philosophical about not making it to the top of the pops, saying, “Number two tries harder and all that.”
