How were these songs not their biggest hit? Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for total bangers that we can’t believe weren’t an artist’s highest charting track.
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00:00 ♪ You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess ♪
00:04 - Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06 And today we're counting down our picks
00:08 for total bangers that we can't believe
00:10 weren't an artist's highest charting track.
00:13 (upbeat music)
00:14 ♪ Heartbeats, say to me ♪
00:17 - If you like what you're hearing,
00:19 be sure to check out the full song at the link below.
00:22 (upbeat music)
00:23 ♪ Looking at the walls around me ♪
00:25 ♪ I find myself wondering what the future holds ♪
00:30 ♪ Everyone that leaves this ♪
00:33 - Number 10, Tiny Dancer, Elton John.
00:36 In an impressive catalog of certified classics,
00:39 Tiny Dancer stands tall among the rest.
00:42 ♪ Blue jean baby ♪
00:46 ♪ LA lady ♪
00:48 - The storytelling, courtesy of lyricist Bernie Topin,
00:52 ranks high next to other hits.
00:54 With the help of Almost Famous,
00:56 audiences were reminded of the greatness of this track.
00:59 The single only hit 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
01:03 Meanwhile, in the singer's home country,
01:06 the composition did even worse.
01:08 ♪ Ballerina ♪
01:12 ♪ You must have seen her ♪
01:15 - For context, many songs of the same decade,
01:18 such as Crocodile Rock and Benny and the Jets,
01:21 did better on the charts.
01:22 Still, all of these years later,
01:24 Tiny Dancer endures for its emotional
01:26 and dramatic execution.
01:28 ♪ Hold me closer, tiny dancer ♪
01:35 - The piano ballad can't be beat
01:37 in terms of melodic excellence
01:39 and could easily be called John's finest statement.
01:43 ♪ You had a better day today ♪
01:50 - Number nine, Blitzkrieg Bop, Ramones.
01:53 Few of the Ramones songs received the recognition
01:56 they deserved in the 70s.
01:58 ♪ Falling in a state of shock ♪
02:01 ♪ You're going through a time warp ♪
02:03 ♪ You can't go to the left, left ♪
02:05 - Aside from tracks like Sheena as a punk rocker
02:08 and Rockaway Beach, the band generally missed out
02:11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
02:12 Their signature song, Blitzkrieg Bop,
02:15 didn't even make the popular chart in its first run,
02:18 despite the track transcending the subgenre
02:20 with its anthemic chorus.
02:23 ♪ Hey, oh, let's go ♪
02:25 ♪ Sheena in the back now ♪
02:27 - The upbeat groove and distorted chords
02:29 give it an edge that represents
02:31 everything the band stood for.
02:32 ♪ The pollen in the black seats ♪
02:37 ♪ The generous did hit ♪
02:39 - While it didn't get the fiscal success
02:40 it deserved in its day,
02:42 Blitzkrieg Bop has fortunately become a mainstay
02:45 of American punk music since then.
02:47 ♪ If you could listen to my heart ♪
02:49 ♪ You could speak for me ♪
02:52 - Number eight, Jolene, Dolly Parton.
02:55 Among the most beloved country stars,
02:57 Dolly Parton is an icon known
02:59 for her incredible songwriting.
03:01 The legendary track Jolene features
03:04 some of the genre's best storytelling.
03:06 ♪ Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene ♪
03:12 - And despite being one of the songs
03:15 Parton is best known for,
03:16 this emotional powerhouse only made it to 60 on Billboard.
03:20 ♪ Your beauty is beyond compare ♪
03:23 ♪ With flaming locks of Orphan Ham ♪
03:26 - Her output in the latter decade
03:28 was much more successful for its time.
03:30 ♪ Jolene, I'm begging of you ♪
03:34 ♪ Please don't take my man ♪
03:38 - Here You Come Again rose to number three
03:40 on the Hot 100, featuring more of a pop sound
03:43 that connected with wider audiences.
03:45 There's also her work in the 1980s
03:47 that includes a hit collaboration with Kenny Rogers.
03:50 These are all worthy releases,
03:52 but ultimately this 1973 single
03:55 should have seen more commercial fortune.
03:57 ♪ Jolene, please don't take him just because you can ♪
04:02 - Number seven, Once in a Lifetime, Talking Heads.
04:08 If there's one anthem that defines the Talking Heads,
04:11 it's arguably Once in a Lifetime.
04:13 ♪ You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack ♪
04:17 - It might shock fans to know
04:18 that the song never even reached the Hot 100 at all.
04:22 After the music video received airplay on MTV,
04:25 the track earned an important spot in pop culture history.
04:28 ♪ Letting the drinks go wild ♪
04:30 ♪ Let the water hold me down ♪
04:32 ♪ Letting the drinks go wild ♪
04:34 - David Byrne's preacher-like performance
04:36 blends satire and social commentary
04:39 in a defining work of the 1980s.
04:41 This composition highlights the act's unique energy,
04:44 musicianship, and diverse influences.
04:47 ♪ Once in a lifetime ♪
04:49 ♪ Born a flowing undercover ♪
04:52 - Their later single, Burning Down the House,
04:54 reached the top 10 on the same Billboard chart,
04:57 giving the band one of their most significant hits
04:59 during their original run.
05:01 Both releases feature their trademark and complex sound,
05:04 but the earlier piece should have done even better.
05:07 ♪ Same as it ever was ♪
05:10 ♪ Same as it ever was ♪
05:12 ♪ Same as it ever was ♪
05:14 - Number six, Landslide, Fleetwood Mac.
05:18 If you go back in a time machine to the mid-1970s,
05:21 tell Fleetwood Mac to make this one a single.
05:23 ♪ I took my love, took it down ♪
05:30 - Landslide was released on their self-titled album
05:33 as an album track.
05:35 Stevie Nicks' incredible songwriting
05:37 and soulful performance
05:38 grew in popularity through the years,
05:40 eventually receiving a live release
05:42 alongside their 1997 album, The Dance.
05:46 ♪ Well, I've been afraid of changing ♪
05:52 - Nicks' artistry stands the test of time,
05:55 providing the beating heart of the collective
05:57 through their 1970s and 1980s period.
06:01 It also takes on a whole new meaning
06:03 given the singer's complicated life.
06:05 ♪ But time made you bolder ♪
06:08 ♪ Even children get older ♪
06:12 - Along with their chart-topping classic, Dreams,
06:15 this track encapsulates the deeply personal nature
06:18 of the group's releases.
06:19 ♪ I left my love, bring it down ♪
06:23 - Number five, Changes, David Bowie.
06:30 What song better represents David Bowie's hold
06:32 on the counterculture?
06:34 ♪ Still don't know what I was waiting for ♪
06:38 ♪ And my time was running wild ♪
06:41 - This oft-quoted track features
06:43 some of the musician's greatest lyrics
06:45 in his classic 1970s style.
06:47 It only ended up as a moderate hit,
06:49 climbing to 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
06:53 One could argue that Bowie was too ahead of his time
06:55 with his larger message.
06:57 ♪ Ch-ch-ch-changes ♪
06:58 ♪ Turn the face this way ♪
07:01 ♪ Ch-ch-changes ♪
07:03 - Several years later, his single Fame skyrocketed
07:06 to number one on the same chart.
07:08 The artist proves that he's incredibly versatile
07:11 in these two tracks, spanning eclectic sounds
07:14 in such a short time.
07:16 ♪ Strange fascination ♪
07:20 ♪ Fascinating ♪
07:22 - He has almost a dozen songs
07:24 that should have been bigger in retrospect,
07:27 but Changes stands in a class all its own
07:29 for the amazing performance.
07:31 ♪ I said that time may change me ♪
07:35 ♪ But I can't trace that ♪
07:38 - Number four, Love Story, Taylor Swift.
07:41 It only took two albums for Taylor Swift
07:44 to become a household name.
07:45 ♪ We were both young when I first saw you ♪
07:49 ♪ I closed my eyes and the flashback started ♪
07:52 - Fearless was more pop-oriented than her first record,
07:56 featuring hits like Love Story and You Belong With Me.
07:59 The former single remains a favorite among Swifties,
08:02 but it never actually reached the top spot
08:05 of the US Billboard Hot 100.
08:07 ♪ See the lights, see the party, the ballgowns ♪
08:13 - It would hit number four, which is still great,
08:16 but given its popularity,
08:18 some might be surprised to learn this.
08:20 It would take a couple of years
08:21 before We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
08:23 claimed that honor.
08:25 With references to Shakespeare,
08:26 Swift's lyrics are wise beyond their years.
08:29 ♪ And I said, you know me, you'll take me ♪
08:33 ♪ Somewhere we can be alone ♪
08:35 - Even so, the catchy songwriting
08:37 doesn't feel dated in the slightest.
08:39 Forever an earworm, Love Story has all the trademarks
08:42 of her greatest and most resonant releases.
08:45 ♪ It's a love story, baby, just say yes ♪
08:50 - Number three, Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin.
08:55 Of all the impressive music on Led Zeppelin IV,
08:58 this was more of a deep track
08:59 that didn't strike a chord with the US charts.
09:03 ♪ There's a lady who's sure ♪
09:06 ♪ All it glitters is gold ♪
09:09 - The epic piece has since become an entity unto itself,
09:13 featuring a classic riff and dynamic production
09:15 that's nothing short of iconic.
09:18 ♪ Ooh, and she's buying the stairway to heaven ♪
09:24 - Stairway to Heaven has grown in popularity
09:27 so much since its release
09:28 that it's now considered overplayed.
09:31 However, in the late 1960s and early 1970s,
09:34 the band was more successful with hits
09:36 like the bluesy Whole Lotta Love
09:38 and the hard rock staple Immigrant Song.
09:41 Maybe this composition was considered too long
09:43 or too cerebral for its time.
09:46 ♪ If there's a bustle in your head, show me a long neck ♪
09:52 - Either way, it stood the test of time.
09:55 ♪ I want it all ♪
09:58 ♪ To be a rock and not the roll ♪
10:01 - Number two, I Want to Hold Your Hand, The Beatles.
10:05 The Beatles have so many number ones
10:07 that it's hard to articulate their sheer impact
10:09 on popular music.
10:11 ♪ Oh yeah, I'll tell you something ♪
10:15 ♪ I think you'll understand ♪
10:18 - In less than a decade,
10:19 the group conquered music and made history.
10:22 I Want to Hold Your Hand ranks
10:24 as one of their most important breakthroughs
10:26 from the early 1960s.
10:28 ♪ And when I touch you, I feel happy inside ♪
10:34 - It helped to initiate the British invasion
10:37 and also was a significant reason
10:39 that the band made it big in America.
10:41 Beatlemania might've been in full blast
10:43 when this song came out.
10:45 ♪ You've got the power of that heart ♪
10:50 - But it was Hey Jude that eventually spent
10:52 the longest time at the top of the charts.
10:55 You can make an argument for any number of songs,
10:57 but this fun rocker feels like the one
10:59 that represents a turning point in their career.
11:02 ♪ I want to hold your hand ♪
11:06 (crowd cheering)
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11:23 Number one, Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen.
11:28 Despite all of the praise this track receives,
11:31 it only reached number nine in the US
11:33 upon its release in 1975.
11:36 ♪ Mama just killed a man ♪
11:39 - Hits like Another One Bites the Dust
11:44 fared much better in their original run,
11:47 but Bohemian Rhapsody is quite possibly
11:49 the culmination of Queen's artistic career.
11:52 ♪ Goodbye everybody ♪
11:55 ♪ I've got to go ♪
11:59 - Combining operatic songwriting
12:01 with fantastic performances,
12:03 this song captures the greatness of the band
12:05 in one epic production.
12:07 Given its popularity with general audiences,
12:10 you might expect this to have been the group's biggest hit.
12:13 ♪ So you think you can stop me ♪
12:15 ♪ I've spent my life ♪
12:19 - Thankfully for future generations,
12:21 the song gained further attention in subsequent decades
12:25 after more pop culture appearances like in Wayne's World.
12:29 ♪ Mama mia ♪
12:29 ♪ Mama mia let me go ♪
12:31 ♪ Beelzebub has the devil put aside for me ♪
12:35 - Did we forget another song
12:37 that should have been more successful?
12:39 Let us know in the comments.
12:41 ♪ Rah, rah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
12:43 ♪ Rah, ma, rah, ma, ma ♪
12:45 ♪ Ga, ga, ooh la la ♪
12:47 ♪ Wah, jah, meh, rah, meh ♪
12:49 - Do you agree with our picks?
12:51 Let us know in the comments.
12:52 And hey, if you're a fan of the song playing right now,
12:55 be sure to check out the music video for it right here.
12:58 ♪ Can't take me from the place that I love ♪
13:00 ♪ But you can never take my heart from me ♪
13:03 ♪ Can't take my ♪
13:05 ♪ I find myself in empty ♪