Top 10 Music Artists Who Have Had Multiple Top 5 Hits but Never Had a Number One Hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.

Sometimes, music artists peak near the top of the Billboard charts but just miss the number one spot. However, there are some artists who have multiple songs in the Top 5, yet none of them reached number one.

Basically, as long as an artist has had at least two Top 5 hits but no number ones, feel free to add them. This list includes the first 10 artists I could find that qualified, ranked in order of points (2nd place gave 4 points, 3rd place gave 3 points, 4th place gave 2 points, and 5th place gave 1 point). In the event of a tie, the artist I found first was given the higher position.

I also included a random fun fact for each artist to make the list a little more interesting.

The Top Ten

  1. One Direction

    One Direction (commonly abbreviated as 1D) was a British and Irish pop boy band composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and originally Zayn Malik, who departed on March 25, 2015.

    The group formed on The X Factor UK in 2010, finishing third, and then signed with Simon... read more

    Best Song Ever peaked at number 2. Drag Me Down and Live While We're Young peaked at number 3, and What Makes You Beautiful peaked at number 4 (12 points).

    Also, fun fact: What Makes You Beautiful, despite being only their 4th highest-peaking song, is considered their biggest song due to staying on the charts longer (33 weeks). On the other hand, Live While We're Young is only considered their 11th biggest hit, despite tying for their 2nd highest-peaking song (only spent 12 weeks on the charts).

  2. Twenty One Pilots

    Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio, best known for their hits "Stressed Out," "Heathens," and "Ride." The band formed in 2009 with Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih. Today, the lineup consists of Tyler Joseph (lead vocals. Piano. Keyboards. Synthesizers. Ukulele... read more

    Stressed Out and Heathens each peaked at number 2, and Ride peaked at number 5 (9 points).

    Also, fun fact: Even though Heathens has over 500 million views less than Stressed Out on YouTube, it got 93rd on the Billboard End Chart for the entire 2010s, while Stressed Out didn't make it into the top 100 at all.

  3. OneRepublic

    OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2002 by lead singer Ryan Tedder and guitarist Zach Filkins. The band gained early attention and success on Myspace as an unsigned act. Their debut single, Apologize, became a major hit after being remixed by Timbaland.

    Counting Stars and Apologize each peaked at number 2 (8 points).

    Also, fun fact: Despite Apologize peaking at number 2, the band had no song that peaked higher than 40 in the 2000s.

  4. Imagine Dragons

    Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Provo, Utah, now based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band's lineup includes lead vocalist Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and touring drummer Andrew Tolman.... read more

    Radioactive peaked at number 3, and Believer and Thunder each peaked at number 4 (7 points).

    Also, fun fact: Radioactive was the second-highest song on the Billboard End Chart for the 2010s decade that was not a number one hit, ranking 36th. It was only behind Happier, which got 33rd. In that case, it was the highest-ranked song that didn't reach the top 2. On that note, it stayed on the chart for 87 weeks!

  5. Ellie Goulding

    Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding, born December 30, 1986, in Hereford, England, is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She's well known in the U.S. for her singles "Lights," "Love Me Like You Do," and "Burn," and has been featured on tracks with artists such as Calvin Harris. She has... read more

    Lights peaked at number 2, and Love Me Like You Do peaked at number 3 (7 points).

    Also, fun fact: Burn is actually considered a bigger hit than Love Me Like You Do, despite only peaking at 13th.

  6. Florida Georgia Line

    Florida Georgia Line is an American country music duo formed in 2010 by Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley. Their breakout single "Cruise" became the best-selling digital country song of all time and was certified 11 times platinum, with over 7 million downloads.... read more

    Meant to Be peaked at number 2, and Cruise peaked at number 4 (6 points).

    Also, fun fact: Both of those songs are collaborations, so it seems like they might be relying on other artists to get major hits. I may never know.

  7. Psy

    Park Jae-sang (Korean: 박재상, born December 31, 1977), better known by his stage name Psy, stylized as PSY, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, record producer, and rapper.

    Known domestically for his humorous music videos and performances and internationally for his hit single "Gangnam Style,... read more

    Gangnam Style peaked at number 2, and Gentleman peaked at number 5 (5 points).

    Also, fun fact: Gangnam Style is the most viewed song on YouTube that didn't peak at number one. Well, unless you count Baby Shark, but really that's just a nursery rhyme for kids.

  8. Khalid

    Khalid Donnel Robinson, known mononymously as Khalid, is an American singer and songwriter. He is signed to Right Hand Music Group and RCA Records. His debut album, American Teen, released in 2017, received critical acclaim and earned him multiple Grammy nominations.

    Talk and 1-800-273-8255 (please don't click that number because well you know why) each peaked at number 3 (6 points)

    Also fun fact: Neither of these songs are his most streamed song on Spotify (that would be Lovely, possibly thanks to Billie Eilish).

  9. Alessia Cara

    Alessia Caracciolo, born July 11, 1996, is a Canadian singer and songwriter professionally known as Alessia Cara. She gained widespread recognition with her debut single Here, which became a sleeper hit in 2015. Cara has since released multiple albums and won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

  10. Skylar Grey

    Holly Brook Hafermann, who goes by the stage name Skylar Grey, is an American singer and songwriter from Mazomanie, Wisconsin. She gained recognition for co-writing Eminem and Rihanna's hit Love the Way You Lie. Grey has also released several solo albums and collaborated with numerous artists across... read more

    The song Love the Way You Lie was originally sung by her, but the producer chose Rihanna because Skylar Grey was touring in Ireland and couldn't record the song. The song peaked at number 1 on the chart.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Martha and the Vandellas

  12. ?

    Don Henley

    Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the Eagles and later achieved a successful solo career. Henley released popular solo hits such as "The Boys of Summer" and "Dirty Laundry" and has won multiple Grammy Awards both... read more

    13. The Contenders

  13. Creedence Clearwater Revival

    Creedence Clearwater Revival, commonly abbreviated as CCR or simply Creedence, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty. His brother, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty. Bassist Stu Cook. And drummer... read more

  14. Train

    Train is an American roots rock band from San Francisco that was formed in 1993. The current lineup includes lead vocalist Patrick Monahan, guitarist Jimmy Stafford, keyboardist Jerry Becker, guitarist Luis Maldonado, bassist Hector Maldonado, drummer Drew Shoals, and backing vocalists Nikita Houston... read more

    Hey Soul Sister peaked at number 3, and Drops of Jupiter/Tell Me peaked at number 5 (4 points).

    Also, fun fact: Hey Soul Sister is one of the few songs that never reached the top 2 but made the decade-end chart.

  15. MØ

    Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted Andersen, better known by her stage name MØ, is a Danish singer, songwriter, and pianist. She was born on August 13, 1988, in Ubberud, Denmark. MØ gained international fame with the 2014 hit single Lean On with Major Lazer and DJ Snake.

  16. Shania Twain

    Shania Twain (born Eilleen Regina Edwards on August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, she is the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Her 1997 album Come On Over remains the... read more

  17. Zedd

    Zedd is a Russian-German DJ and music producer known for hits such as Clarity, Transmission, and Break Free. He gained major recognition for his album True Colors, which tied with Skrillex's Recess for the highest debut on the Billboard 200 chart for an EDM album. Zedd is also considered one of the... read more

  18. Lil Yachty

    Miles Parks McCollum, professionally known as Lil Yachty, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained early recognition in August 2015 with the singles "One Night" and "Minnesota" from his debut EP Summer Songs. He released his debut mixtape Lil Boat in March 2016, which helped establish... read more

  19. David Guetta

    Pierre David Guetta is a French DJ, songwriter, record producer, and remixer who has sold over nine million albums and thirty million singles worldwide. In 2011, Guetta was voted as the number one DJ in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll. He is considered a pioneer of the EDM genre and has collaborated with... read more

  20. Bruce Springsteen

    Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and humanitarian. Known as "The Boss," he's the leader of the E Street Band.

    He's celebrated for his poetic lyrics, working-class themes, political messages tied to his native New Jersey,... read more

  21. Sheryl Crow

    Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of pop, rock, folk, country, and blues. She has won multiple Grammy Awards and has released several successful albums over her career.

  22. Bob Dylan

    Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author, and artist who has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. He gained fame in the 1960s with songs that became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements. In 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in... read more

  23. James Brown

    James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. A progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century popular music and dance, he's often referred to as the "Godfather of Soul." His energetic performances and innovative rhythms influenced... read more

  24. Missy Elliott

    Melissa Arnette Elliott is an American musician, hip hop recording artist, dancer, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1990s with her debut album Supa Dupa Fly and has won multiple Grammy Awards. Missy Elliott is known for her innovative music videos, unique style, and influence on modern... read more

  25. Future

    Nayvadius DeMun Cash (born November 20, 1983), known professionally as Future, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Recognized for his mumble-styled vocals and prolific output, Future is credited with pioneering the use of Auto-Tuned melodies in hip-hop and trap music. Due... read more

  26. Logic

    Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, better known as Logic, is one of the most influential artists in modern rap. He was born on January 22, 1990, in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and first gained major recognition after being featured in the 2013 XXL Freshman Class. Among that year's class, he has become one of the... read more

  27. Sam Smith

    Samuel Frederick "Sam" Smith is an English singer-songwriter born in London on May 19, 1992. They rose to fame in October 2012 after being featured on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch," which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. Smith is well known for hit songs such as "Stay With... read more

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