'70s Rock Band Ranked Among 'Greatest Artists of All Time' Broke the Record for Having the Most No. 2 Singles

When it comes to an iconic band like Creedence Clearwater Revival, most people probably assume that the group's popular songs (which are still on the radio nonstop to this day) were number one hits.

In fact, Creedence never had a single song go all the way to the top of the charts...but they got close. In fact, they got super close, more times than any other classic rock band.

Creedence Clearwater Revival has the distinction of having held the #2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 more often than any other group of the same genre, with five of their songs taking second place over the course of just a couple of years: "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising" and "Green River" in 1969, plus "Lookin' Out My Back Door/Long As I Can See The Light" and "Travelin' Band/Who'll Stop The Rain" in 1970.

Another impressive feat: Those five #2 songs only make up a little more than half of Creedence's total top 10 hits, which also include "Down On The Corner/Fortunate Son" (#3, 1969), "Up Around The Bend/Run Through The Jungle" (#4, 1970), "Sweet Hitch-Hiker" (#6, 1971) and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain/Hey Tonight" (#8, 1971).

While CCR might be the classic rock band with the most #2 songs ever, as American Songwriter pointed out, there are pop stars with even more, including Taylor Swift with 10, Madonna with six and Drakewith 12. (Elvis Presley actually ties CCR's record for the same amount of #2 songs...but he also holds a record for #1 songs, and he wasn't a whole band.)

"John Fogerty wrote more classic songs in a three-year stretch than anyone other than the Beatles," wrote Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus for Rolling Stone, which ranked CCR #82 on a "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list.

Malkmus went on to praise Fogerty's "inimitable voice."

"He puts it to the test over and over - and wins," Malkmus continued. "The rhythm section is rad. You try to play this stuff and you'll see they had chops. The rhythm guitar kicks, too. Fogerty plays what I would if I was 22, more talented and into the blues."

"The focus is on the songs and not the rock star BS that was taking over back then," Malkmus added, "but they weren't afraid to create a mood. When Cream came out, everybody started a power trio. But basically, 'Suzie Q' has all the drama you would ever need."

Fun fact: "Suzie Q" only peaked at #11 on the charts...but clearly, numbers aren't everything.

Related: Beloved '70s Rock Classic Is Suddenly Climbing the Charts 56 Years Later

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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 7:38 PM.