Certainly, it's great to be No. 1. But, the Hot 100's rich archives reveal winners at every number.
Here's part one. Come back a week from today, on Jan. 13, for part two, covering venerable hits that peaked between Nos. 75 and 51.
No. 100
"Oh Santa!," Mariah Carey (2011)
Proof right off the bat that one chart's No. 100 song is another chart's No. 1. This track topped Adult Contemporary for four weeks, becoming Carey's seventh topper on the tally and first since 1996. It also marked Carey's second No. 100 Hot 100 peak in-a-row, following "Up Out My Face," featuring Nicki Minaj (an aptly titled preview to the pair's eventual American Idol-fueled standoff).
Honorable Mentions:
"Judy," Frankie Vaughan (notable as the anchor song on the inaugural Hot 100 dated Aug. 4, 1958)
"Sweet Georgia Brown," Carroll Bros. (1962)
"Killer," Seal (1992)
"Leave It All to Me (The iCarly Theme Song)," Miranda Cosgrove (2008)
"Ten Feet Tall," Afrojack feat. Wrabel (2014)
No. 99
"Kernkraft 400," Zombie Nation (2000)
Even if you aren't familiar with this song by title, chances are you've heard it following a goal at a hockey game or a buzzer-beater at a basketball game. Its composer, Florian Senfter, describes the track as "a quirky electro song" and muses that if he knew it would achieve such widespread popularity, "I would have chosen a friendlier name."
Honorable Mentions:
"In Between Days," the Cure (1986)
"Fat," Weird Al Yankovic (1988)
"Save the Last Dance for Me," Michael Buble (2006)
"Dreaming with a Broken Heart," John Mayer (2007)
"Left Hand Free," Alt-J (2014)
No. 98
"Bizarre Love Triangle," New Order (1995)
Honorable Mentions:
"The Life of Riley," Lightning Seeds (1992)
"Sad But True," Metallica (1992)
"7 Seconds," Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry (1994)
"Love Is Gone," David Guetta & Chris Willis (2008)
"Wild Horses," Susan Boyle (2009)
No. 97
"Sie Liebt Dich (She Loves You)," Die Beatles (1964)
Honorable Mentions:
"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," Bon Jovi (1993)
"Vow," Garbage (1995)
"Daughter/Yellow Ledbetter," Pearl Jam (1996)
"Freedom," Paul McCartney (2001)
"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," U2 (2005)
No. 96
"The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)," the Banana Splits (1969)
Honorable Mentions:
"The Race Is On," George Jones (1965)
"Electrolite," R.E.M. (1997)
"Soulmate," Natasha Bedingfield (2009)
"This Is What It Feels Like," Armin Van Buuren feat. Trevor Guthrie (2013)
"Last Christmas," Ariana Grande (2013)
No. 95
"I'm Happy Just to Dance with You," the Beatles (1964)
Honorable Mentions:
"I Believe in Father Christmas," Greg Lake (1976)
"Something Happened on the Way to Heaven," Deborah Cox (2004)
"I'll Be Home for Christmas (Live)," Josh Groban (2006)
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes," Bruce Springsteen (2008)
"Cough Syrup," Young the Giant (2012)
No. 94
"Ridin' the Storm Out," REO Speedwagon (1977)
Honorable Mentions:
"Fall on Me," R.E.M. (1986)
"Solitude Standing," Suzanne Vega (1987)
"Similar Features," Melissa Etheridge (1989)
"Rubberneckin'," Elvis Presley (2003)
"It's a Beautiful Day," Michael Buble (2013)
No. 93
"Should've Been a Cowboy," Toby Keith (1993)
Honorable Mentions:
"Nightrain," Guns N' Roses (1989)
"That's Just What You Are," Aimee Mann (1995)
"Nothing Really Matters," Madonna (1999)
"When a Woman Loves," R, Kelly (2011)
"I'll Be Home for Christmas," Kelly Clarkson (2011)
No. 92
"Moondance," Van Morrison (1977)
Honorable Mentions:
"Border Song," Elton John (1970)
"Only a Memory," The Smithereens (1988)
"Nick of Time," Bonnie Raitt (1990)
"Into the Great Wide Open," Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1991)
"Best of Both Worlds," Hannah Montana (2006)
No. 91
"Anyone Else But You," Michael Cera & Ellen Page (2008)
Honorable Mentions:
"Once in a Lifetime," Talking Heads (1986)
"Castles in the Sky," Ian Van Dahl (2001)
"Come Into My World," Kylie Minogue (2003)
"Kids," MGMT (2009)
"Video Games," Lana Del Rey (2012)
No. 90
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You," Glen Campbell (2014)
Honorable Mentions:
"Crossroads," Tracy Chapman (1989)
"Shut Up and Kiss Me," Mary Chapin Carpenter (1994)
"King Nothing," Metallica (1997)
"L.A. Song," Beth Hart (2000)
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," Sam Smith (2014)
No. 89
"Home Sweet Home," Motley Crue (1985)
Honorable Mentions:
"Cheap Sunglasses," ZZ Top (1980)
"Let Love Rule," Lenny Kravitz (1990)
"Galileo," Indigo Girls (1992)
"Freak on a Leash (Unplugged)," Korn featuring Amy Lee (2007)
"Long Road to Ruin," Foo Fighters (2008)
No. 88
"The Old Apartment," Barenaked Ladies (1997)
Honorable Mentions:
"If I Had a Rocket Launcher," Bruce Cockburn (1985)
"Big Time Sensuality," Bjork (1994)
"Our Country," John Mellencamp (2006)
"Radar," Britney Spears (2009)
"You're Mine (Eternal)," Mariah Carey (2014)
No. 87
"Body and Soul," Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse (2011)
The duet brought Bennett back to the Hot 100 for the first time since 1967 and, at the time, made him the oldest artist – he was then 85 – to grace the chart. In 2013, Fred Stobaugh snared the record, as the then-96-year-old charted as featured on Green Shoe Studio's "Oh Sweet Lorraine," the tribute love song he wrote for his late wife. (It spent a week at No. 42.)
Honorable Mentions:
"Master and Servant," Depeche Mode (1985)
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," Jimmy Somerville (1990)
"Maps," Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2004)
"Breathe," Taylor Swift feat. Colbie Caillat (2008)
"Jungle," Jamie N Commons & X Ambassadors (2014)
No. 86
"Talk," Coldplay (2006)
With its hypnotic instrumental hook a reinvention of Kraftwerk's "Computer Love," the third single from X&Y topped Adult Alternative Songs and reached No. 5 on Alternative Songs. According to Chris Martin, "What happened with 'Talk' is that it was all going great, and then someone said 'That should be the first single,' and we all just freaked out and scrapped it all. I hate choosing singles, it's so hard. (But) when we heard it mixed properly, it sounded mega."
Honorable Mentions:
"Melissa," Allman Brothers (1972)
"The Boy in the Bubble," Paul Simon (1987)
"Pop Song '89," R.E.M. (1989)
"The Man Who Can't Be Moved," the Script (2010)
"Give a Little More," Maroon 5 (2010)
No. 85
"Marry You," Bruno Mars (2011)
A rare song that Fox's Glee covered that wasn't a proven hit. In fact, the original wound up never even being a proper radio single. Still, Mars' version continues to receive pockets of airplay by programmers smitten by the song's infectious melody and romantic lyrics. To date, Mars' recording, from his debut full-length Doo-Wops & Hooligans, has sold 2.2 million downloads, according to Nielsen Music, an incredibly hefty total for an album cut.
Honorable Mentions:
"Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord," Boney M (1979)
"South Central Rain (I'm Sorry)," R.E.M. (1984)
"Winter Games," David Foster (1988)
"Did I Shave My Legs for This?," Deana Carter (1998)
"Celebrity Skin," Hole (1998)
No. 84
"Englishman in New York," Sting (1988)
Honorable Mentions:
"Tennessee Flat-Top Box," Johnny Cash (1961)
"Terms of Endearment," Michael Gore (1984)
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine," the California Raisins (1988)
"I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying," Toby Keith with Sting (1997)
"1901," Phoenix (2010)
No. 83
"Where Everybody Knows Your Name (The Theme From Cheers), Gary Portnoy (1983)
Honorable Mentions:
"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," Bruce Springsteen (1976)
"Rappin' Rodney," Rodney Dangerfield (1983)
"All I Want Is You," U2 (1989)
"All Alone on Christmas," Darlene Love (1993)
"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)," Hillsong United (2014)
No. 82
"Holiday Road," Lindsey Buckingham (1983)
Honorable Mentions:
"Theme From Raging Bull (Cavalleria Rusticana)," Joel Diamond (1981)
"A Million Miles Away," the Plimsouls (1983)
"Wherever I May Roam," Metallica (1992)
"We Will Become Silhouettes," the Postal Service (2005)
"Danza Kuduro," Don Omar & Lucenzo (2011)
No. 81
"No Parking (On the Dance Floor)," Midnight Star (1984)
Honorable Mentions:
"I Will Follow," U2 (1984)
"Graceland," Paul Simon (1987)
"Use It Up and Wear It Out," Pat & Mick (1991)
"Watermelon Crawl," Tracy Byrd (1994)
"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To," Weezer (2009)
No. 80
"Johnny B. Goode," Chuck Berry (1958)
An asterisk on this position: this influential early rock standard reached No. 8 on the Hot 100's predecessor chart, the Top 100, in April 1958. When the Hot 100 bowed with the chart dated Aug. 4, 1958, the song remained strong enough to appear for one week. Younger audiences are perhaps more familiar with Michael J. Fox's version from Back to the Future in 1985. (Or, more correctly, 1955).
Honorable Mentions:
"Don't Change," INXS (1983)
"Dreamin' of Love," Stevie B (1988)
"What's the Matter Here?," 10,000 Maniacs (1988)
"The Chanukah Song," Adam Sandler (1999)
"Nookie," Limp Bizkit (1999)
No. 79
"Caribbean Blue," Enya (1992)
Honorable Mentions:
"I'm Free," the Soup Dragons (1990)
"Jeremy/Yellow Ledbetter," Pearl Jam (1995)
"Love's Divine," Seal (2004)
"Bruises," Train feat. Ashley Monroe (2013)
"On Top of the World," Imagine Dragons (2014)
No. 78
"Radio Free Europe," R.E.M. (1983)
Honorable Mentions:
"Call Me Irresponsible," Frank Sinatra (1963)
"High and Dry," Radiohead (1996)
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore," Madonna (1996)
"Never There," Cake (1999)
"Just Breathe," Pearl Jam (2010)
No. 77
"Good Enough," Sarah McLachlan (1994)
Honorable Mentions:
"Owwww!," Chunky A (aka: Arsenio Hall) (1989)
"How I Could Just Kill a Man/The Phuncky Feel One," Cypress Hill (1992)
"Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)," Billy Joel (1994)
"I Can Love You Better," Dixie Chicks (1998)
"Accidental Racist," Brad Paisley feat. LL Cool J (2013)
No. 76
"I Melt With You," Modern English (1990)
Honorable Mentions:
"Please Come Home for Christmas," Charles Brown (1962)
"Theme From Ice Castles (Through the Eyes of Love)," Melissa Manchester (1979)
"Johnny Come Home," Fine Young Cannibals (1986)
"Hey Man Nice Shot," Filter (1995)
"The Rockafeller Skank," Fatboy Slim (2000)
http://www.billboard.com/articles/co...-76?page=0%2C0