Looking at some of the History of the "Billboard Hot 100" Chart, there were some songs that I noticed never reached #1 but are were Huge Hits at the time and are considered infamous today.


"Whoomp! There It Is" by Tag Team (Peaked at #2 and spent numerous weeks at #2 through July and August of 1993, could never crack into the #1 spot though, which was held by UB40's "Can't Help Falling In Love")


"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana (Sure it's even more popular today than it was when it originally came out due to Cobain's death, but it did Peak at #6 in Early 1992 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was massive at that time.  It's competition at that time were songs like "Black Or White" by Michael Jackson and "All For Love" by Color Me Badd)


"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind (Many people consider this to be THE Song of the '90s, but it peaked at #4 around July and August of 1997.  It got massive radio airplay though and is still played on Top 40 Stations occasionally for the sheer popularity of it)


"U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer (This one is probably my biggest shocker, it peaked at #8 in Early 1990.  Sheesh, the other crap on the Charts at that time were boring songs.  This was just one of those Songs that caught on like wildfire as the new craze but never hit #1, kind of similar to what "Achey Breaky Heart" did.  MC Hammer ended up having 4 other different songs that peaked higher on the Billboard Hot 100  ???, yet he's only remembered for this track, lol)


"You Gotta Be" by Des'ree (According to VH1, this song holds the record for the most times having it's Music Video shown on VH1.  It also stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 9 Months! from September 1994 until June 1995.  Never quite reached #1 though, it peaked at #5 in March 1995)


"I Believe I Can Fly" by R.Kelly (It came close, but peaked at #2 in December 1996.  This song was Huge at the time, having the "honor" of following the "Macarena's" popularity)


"Another Night" by Real McCoy (Very popular Dance Hit at the time.  It peaked at #3 around Christmas of 1994.  They had another hit song that peaked at #3 called "Run Away" in Early 1995, which also got alot of radio play)


"Ironic" by Alanis Morissette (I remember this song being Huge and getting played on MTV alot, and at the end of that year, they ranked the Music Video as #1 for 1996.  The song peaked at #4 in March 1996)


"Breakfast At Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something (We all remember this smash hit from Late 1995/Early 1996. Another one of those songs that you identify the '90s with.  It peaked at #5 in January 1996)


"Mambo #5" by Lou Bega (I thought this was going to be the Next "Macarena" when it came out, huge hit, but never reached #1, it peaked at #3 in Late 1999)


"Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba (aka, the "I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again" Song.  Huge at the time, but only peaked at #6 in November 1997)


Can anyone think of some others?

"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia
"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls
"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer
"Wonderwall" by Oasis
"Good Riddance" by Green Day

Heaps of popular 90s songs never made it to No. 1...many songs made in the 90s are probably more famous today than they were in the 90s! Like, Jane's Addiction, which is probably just as popular now as it was back in the day. It's a bit like how the Velvet Underground were not well known in the late 60s, but are such a huge cult group. I like to tell people, much to their surprise, just how little chart success super-bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin had in their halycon years. And I reckon the trend is going to continue into the future.

"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia
"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls
"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer
"Wonderwall" by Oasis
"Good Riddance" by Green Day


Actually, both of them did, kinda.  Read this...

As many Hot 100 chart policies have been modified over the years, one rule always remained constant: songs were not eligible to enter the Hot 100 unless they were available to purchase as a single. During the 1990s, a growing trend in the music industry was to promote songs to radio without ever releasing them as singles. It was feared by major record labels that singles were cannibalizing album sales, so they were slowly phased out. During this period, accusations began to fly of chart manipulation as labels would hold off on releasing a single until airplay was at its absolute peak, thus prompting a top ten or, in some cases, a number one debut. In many cases, a label would delete a single from its catalog after only one week, thus allowing the song to enter the Hot 100, make a high debut and then slowly decline in position as the one-time production of the retail single sold out.

It was during this period that several extremely popular mainstream hits never charted on the Hot 100, as they were not released as singles and thus ineligible to chart. Many of these songs dominated the Hot 100 Airplay chart for extended periods of time:

    * 1995 The Rembrandts