3 Songs From the 80s That Kept Massive Hits From Going All the Way to No. 1

The 80s produced plenty of memorable hits, but not all of them went No. 1. Here are a few songs you’ve likely heard of that blocked other popular hits from the top of the charts.

“Saving All My Love For You” by Whitney Houston

“Take On Me” by A-ha is one of those songs that truly defines the 80s, no question about it. Shockingly, though, it never made it to No. 1, partially thanks to this Whitney Houston hit.

This was actually the first of Houston’s songs to top the Billboard Hot 100. The song sings about having an affair with a partner who is married. Houston herself could relate to this particular scenario, as she had an affair of her own with Jermaine Jackson, who was married at the time.

“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham!

While this Wham! song was undeniably a massive hit, “Wake Me Up” kept Prince’s career-defining “Purple Rain” from reaching the top spot.

Famously, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” was written after Wham! Member Andrew Ridgeley left a note for his mom on his bedroom door. He accidentally wrote “Wake me up-up before you go,” so Ridgeley added an extra “go” to even things out. George Michael saw the note, and inspiration hit.

“Purple Rain” ended up being the biggest song of Prince’s career, but it still only reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Jump” by Van Halen

This Van Halen smash hit dominated the charts for 5 weeks in the US. In fact, “Jump” was at No. 1 for so long that it actually kept Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” from reaching the top spot on the charts during that time.

It’s okay, though, because according to Van Halen’s frontman, David Lee Roth, lots of Van Halen songs were made with the girls in mind. Many Van Halen hits, including “Jump” are around a BPM of 126, which is pretty danceable.

“I purposely licensed only to contact sports, girl-friendly commercials, and movies that were really physical, but girl-friendly,” he admitted to People.

Photo by: Richard Corkery/NY Daily News via Getty Images

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