NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 20: NSAI Songwriter-Artist of the Decade honoree, Taylor Swift … [+]
In the world of chart-topping hits, Taylor Swift has proven herself to be an undeniable force. That said, the fact that she has charted eight songs that have peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 is certainly frustrating.
Swift now holds the second-most No. 2 songs of all time, trailing only behind Drake by a mere hit. While her success and influence in the music industry are undeniable, Swift’s pursuit of the No. 1 spot continues to be a tantalizing endeavor. Let’s take a closer look at Swift’s near-misses and her ongoing quest for chart supremacy.
“You Belong with Me”
Swift’s song “You Belong with Me” was a major win for her, as it reached No. 2 on the Hot 100. Considering Swift wasn’t nearly as famous as she is now at the time and her lack of previous chart-toppers, this was still a significant accomplishment. Unfortunately, her ascent to the top was hindered by the Black Eyed Peas’ hit song “I Gotta Feeling,” which held the No. 1 spot. The Black Eyed Peas’ track marked their second consecutive chart-topper and maintained their impressive winning streak for an impressive 26 weeks that year.
“Today Was a Fairytale”
Another example of Swift narrowly missing the top spot on the charts was her track “Today Was a Fairytale,” which she wrote and recorded for the movie Valentine’s Day. Despite its popularity, the song fell just short of reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100. It was unable to surpass Kesha’s breakout hit “Tik Tok,” which dominated the charts and became the biggest hit of 2010.
“I Knew You Were Trouble”
Despite its impressive opening week sales of over 400,000 copies, Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” failed to reach the top spot on the Hot 100 chart. The song faced tough competition from Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” which owned the number one position in early 2013. “I Knew You Were Trouble” served as the third single from Swift’s album Red, which had already produced her first chart-topper with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
“I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”
Swift and former One Direction member Zayn joined forces to create a dark and captivating single “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” for the movie Fifty Shades Darker. With two of the biggest musical superstars collaborating on one track, one would expect it to skyrocket to the top of the charts. However, despite their star power, Swift and Zayn couldn’t overcome the dominance of Ed Sheeran’s immensely popular song “Shape Of You.”
“Me!” & “You Need To Calm Down”
Despite Swift’s status as one of the top pop stars in the world in 2019, her album Lover failed to produce any No. 1 singles, though she came very, very close. The first two tracks released from the album had to settle for second place on the charts, unable to surpass the dominance of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” This country/hip-hop hybrid was in the midst of a remarkable 19-week run at the top, breaking the all-time longevity record in the process. Both “Me!” with Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie and her own “You Need to Calm Down” suffered the same fate at the hands of the brand new viral sensation.
“Lavender Haze”
Similar to Swift’s album Lover, her latest album of original material, Midnights, also produced a pair of songs that peaked at No. 2 on the charts. However, the situations surrounding the two albums were different. When Midnights was released, it debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart with a massive first frame. The lead single from the album, “Anti-Hero,” easily conquered the Hot 100 as well, claiming the No. 1 spot. Simultaneously, Swift achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first artist to occupy the entire top 10 positions on the chart. Despite this extraordinary achievement, the song “Lavender Haze” had to settle for the runner-up spot, as there could only be one No. 1 at a time, and the tune never returned to its high point.
“Karma” with Ice Spice
Swift’s latest single “Karma” had the potential to become her tenth No. 1 hit. With immense publicity surrounding the re-release of her album Midnights and a feature from rising rapper Ice Spice, the stage was set for success. Instead, though, Morgan Wallen’s unstoppable track, “Last Night,” continued its reign at the top, preventing Swift and Spice from earning a collaborative number one hit. While “Karma” reached a commendable position at No. 2, the possibility of a future chart-topping collaboration between the two women remains open.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/06/13/from-you-belong-with-me-to-karma-all-of-taylor-swifts-no-2-hits/