Stuck at 2: the 1960s
The table below lists every song that reached #2 in the UK charts during the 1960s, but did not make it to the top. When a single was kept off #1 by more than one song, each one is listed, along with how many weeks it kept its rival at #2. In the case of Engelbert Humperdinck, A Man Without Love, non-consecutive weeks when the song was held at #2 by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Young Girl, have been listed separately.
| Month | Act, Title | Weeks at #2 | Act and song that kept it at #2 |
| Feb-60 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, A Voice In The Wilderness | 3 | Anthony Newley, Why |
| Mar-60 | Percy Faith & his Orchestra, Theme From A Summer Place | 1 | Johnny Preston, Running Bear |
| Apr-60 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Fall In Love With You | 1 | Lonnie Donegan, My Old Man’s A Dustman |
| May-60 | Adam Faith, Someone Else’s Baby | 1 | The Everly Brothers, Cathy’s Clown |
| May-60 | Johnny Preston, Cradle Of Love | 3 | The Everly Brothers, Cathy’s Clown |
| Jun-60 | Connie Francis, Mama / Robot Man | 1 | Eddie Cochran, Three Steps To Heaven |
| Sep-60 | Duane Eddy, Because They’re Young | 1 | The Shadows, Apache |
| Sep-60 | Elvis Presley, A Mess Of Blues | 2 | The Shadows, Apache |
| Oct-60 | Shirley Bassey, As Long As He Needs Me | 1 | Roy Orbison, Only The Lonely |
| Nov-60 | Shirley Bassey, As Long As He Needs Me | 4 | Elvis Presley, It’s Now Or Never |
| Dec-60 | Drifters, Save The Last Dance For Me | 3 | Elvis Presley, It’s Now Or Never |
| Jan-61 | Drifters, Save The Last Dance For Me | 1 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, I Love You |
| Feb-61 | Duane Eddy, Pepe | 1 | Elvis Presley, Are You Lonesome Tonight |
| Mar-61 | Allisons, Are You Sure | 2 | The Everly Brothers, Walk Right Back / Ebony Eyes |
| Apr-61 | Allisons, Are You Sure | 4 | Elvis Presley, Wooden Heart |
| Apr-61 | Bobby Darin, Lazy River | 1 | Elvis Presley, Wooden Heart |
| Jul-61 | Ricky Nelson, Hello Mary Lou / Travellin’ Man | 2 | Del Shannon, Runaway |
| Oct-61 | Billy Fury, Jealousy | 1 | The Shadows, Kon-Tiki |
| Oct-61 | John Leyton, Wild Wind | 2 | Helen Shapiro, Walkin’ Back To Happiness |
| Nov-61 | Jimmy Dean, Big Bad John | 1 | Elvis Presley, Little Sister / His Latest Flame |
| Jan-62 | Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, Midnight In Moscow | 1 | Danny Williams, Moon River |
| Jan-62 | Mr Acker Bilk with The Leon Young String Chorale, Stranger On The Shore | 3 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, The Young Ones |
| Feb-62 | Chubby Checker, Let’s Twist Again | 2 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, The Young Ones |
| Mar-62 | Helen Shapiro, Tell Me What He Said | 3 | The Shadows, Wonderful Land |
| Apr-62 | Roy Orbison, Dream Baby | 2 | The Shadows, Wonderful Land |
| Apr-62 | Bruce Channel, Hey! Baby | 1 | The Shadows, Wonderful Land |
| May-62 | Del Shannon, Hey Little Girl | 1 | The Shadows, Wonderful Land |
| Jun-62 | Cliff Richard with The Norrie Paramor Orchestra / Cliff Richard & The Shadows, I’m Looking Out The Window / Do You Want To Dance | 3 | Elvis Presley, Good Luck Charm |
| Jun-62 | Joe Brown & The Bruvvers, A Picture Of You | 2 | Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard, Come Outside |
| Aug-62 | Pat Boone, Speedy Gonzales | 4 | Frank Ifield, I Remember You |
| Sep-62 | Bobby Darin, Things | 1 | Frank Ifield, I Remember You |
| Sep-62 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, It’ll Be Me | 1 | Elvis Presley, She’s Not You |
| Oct-62 | Little Eva, The Loco-Motion | 3 | The Tornados, Telstar |
| Nov-62 | Chris Montez, Let’s Dance | 1 | The Tornados, Telstar |
| Nov-62 | Chris Montez, Let’s Dance | 3 | Frank Ifield, Lovesick Blues |
| Dec-62 | Del Shannon, Swiss Maid | 1 | Frank Ifield, Lovesick Blues |
| Feb-63 | Beatles, Please Please Me | 2 | Frank Ifield, Wayward Wind |
| Mar-63 | Beatles, Please Please Me | 1 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Summer Holiday |
| Apr-63 | Ned Miller, From A Jack To A King | 3 | Gerry & The Pacemakers, How Do You Do It |
| May-63 | Andy Williams, Can’t Get Used To Losing You | 1 | The Beatles, From Me To You |
| May-63 | Jet Harris & Tony Meehan, Scarlett O’Hara | 1 | The Beatles, From Me To You |
| Jun-63 | Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Do You Want To Know A Secret | 2 | The Beatles, From Me To You |
| Jun-63 | Shadows, Atlantis | 2 | Gerry & The Pacemakers, I Like It |
| Aug-63 | Freddie & The Dreamers, I’m Telling You Now | 2 | Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Bad To Me |
| Sep-63 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, It’s All In The Game | 3 | The Beatles, She Loves You |
| Oct-63 | Crystals, Then He Kissed Me | 2 | Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, Do You Love Me |
| Nov-63 | Searchers, Sugar And Spice | 1 | Gerry & The Pacemakers, You’ll Never Walk Alone |
| Dec-63 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Don’t Talk To Him | 1 | The Beatles, She Loves You |
| Jan-64 | Swinging Blue Jeans, Hippy Hippy Shake | 1 | The Dave Clark 5, Glad All Over |
| Feb-64 | Gerry & Pacemakers, I’m The One | 2 | The Searchers, Needles & Pins |
| Mar-64 | Dave Clark Five, Bits And Pieces | 2 | Cilla Black, Anyone Who Had A Heart |
| Mar-64 | Dave Clark Five, Bits And Pieces | 1 | Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Little Children |
| Mar-64 | Hollies, Just One Look | 1 | Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Little Children |
| May-64 | Bachelors, I Believe | 1 | The Searchers, Don’t Throw Your Love Away |
| May-64 | Millie, My Boy Lollipop | 1 | The Four Pennies, Juliet |
| Jun-64 | Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, Someone Someone | 2 | Roy Orbison, It’s Over |
| Sep-64 | Four Seasons featuring The Sound Of Frankie Valli, Rag Doll | 2 | Herman’s Hermits, I’m Into Something Good |
| Nov-64 | Kinks, All Day And All Of The Night | 2 | The Supremes, Baby Love |
| Dec-64 | Gene Pitney, I’m Gonna Be Strong | 1 | The Rolling Stones, Little Red Rooster |
| Dec-64 | Gene Pitney, I’m Gonna Be Strong | 1 | The Beatles, I Feel Fine |
| Dec-64 | Petula Clark, Downtown | 3 | The Beatles, I Feel Fine |
| Jan-65 | Cilla Black, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ | 1 | The Moody Blues, Go Now |
| Feb-65 | Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, Game Of Love | 1 | The Seekers, I’ll Never Find Another You |
| Apr-65 | Them, Here Comes The Night | 1 | The Beatles, Ticket To Ride |
| May-65 | Peter & Gordon, True Love Ways | 1 | Jackie Trent, Where Are You Now (My Love) |
| Jun-65 | Everly Brothers, The Price Of Love | 1 | Elvis Presley, Crying In The Chapel |
| Jul-65 | Yardbirds, Heart Full Of Soul | 1 | The Hollies, I’m Alive |
| Jul-65 | Yardbirds, Heart Full Of Soul | 2 | The Byrds, Mr Tambourine Man |
| Aug-65 | Animals, We Gotta Get Out Of This Place | 1 | The Beatles, Help! |
| Aug-65 | Fortunes, You’ve Got Your Troubles | 1 | The Beatles, Help! |
| Oct-65 | Manfred Mann, If You Gotta Go Go Now | 1 | Ken Dodd, Tears |
| Oct-65 | Andy Williams, Almost There | 3 | Ken Dodd, Tears |
| Nov-65 | The Who, My Generation | 2 | The Seekers, The Carnival Is Over |
| Dec-65 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Wind Me Up (Let Me Go) | 3 | The Beatles, Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out |
| Feb-66 | Crispian St Peters, You Were On My Mind | 1 | The Overlanders, Michelle |
| Feb-66 | Rolling Stones, Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown | 3 | Nancy Sinatra, These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ |
| Mar-66 | Mindbenders, A Groovy Kind Of Love | 1 | Nancy Sinatra, These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ |
| Mar-66 | Hollies, I Can’t Let Go | 3 | The Walker Brothers, The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore |
| May-66 | Lovin’ Spoonful, Daydream | 2 | Manfred Mann, Pretty Flamingo |
| May-66 | Beach Boys, Sloop John B | 1 | Manfred Mann, Pretty Flamingo |
| May-66 | Troggs, Wild Thing | 1 | The Rolling Stones, Paint It Black |
| Jul-66 | Gene Pitney, Nobody Needs Your Love | 1 | The Kinks, Sunny Afternoon |
| Jul-66 | Los Bravos, Black Is Black | 1 | Chris Farlowe, Out Of Time |
| Aug-66 | Beach Boys, God Only Knows | 2 | The Beatles, Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby |
| Oct-66 | The Who, I’m A Boy | 1 | Jim Reeves, Distant Drums |
| Oct-66 | Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, Bend It | 2 | Jim Reeves, Distant Drums |
| Oct-66 | Troggs, I Can’t Control Myself | 1 | The Four Tops, Reach Out I’ll Be There |
| Nov-66 | Hollies, Stop Stop Stop | 2 | The Four Tops, Reach Out I’ll Be There |
| Nov-66 | Manfred Mann, Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James | 1 | The Beach Boys, Good Vibrations |
| Nov-66 | Spencer Davis Group, Gimme Some Loving | 1 | The Beach Boys, Good Vibrations |
| Dec-66 | Val Doonican, What Would I Be | 1 | Tom Jones, Green Grass Of Home |
| Dec-66 | Seekers, Morningtown Ride | 1 | Tom Jones, Green Grass Of Home |
| Dec-66 | Donovan, Sunshine Superman | 1 | Tom Jones, Green Grass Of Home |
| Jan-67 | Seekers, Morningtown Ride | 2 | Tom Jones, Green Grass Of Home |
| Jan-67 | Move, Night of Fear | 1 | The Monkees, I’m A Believer |
| Feb-67 | Cat Stevens, Matthew And Son | 2 | The Monkees, I’m A Believer |
| Mar-67 | Beatles, Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever | 3 | Engelbert Humperdinck, Release Me |
| Mar-67 | Vince Hill, Edelweiss | 1 | Engelbert Humperdinck, Release Me |
| Apr-67 | Harry Secombe, This Is My Song | 1 | Engelbert Humperdinck, Release Me |
| May-67 | Mamas & The Papas, Dedicated To The One I Love | 1 | The Tremeloes, Silence Is Golden |
| May-67 | Kinks, Waterloo Sunset | 2 | The Tremeloes, Silence Is Golden |
| Jun-67 | Engelbert Humperdinck, There Goes My Everything | 4 | Procol Harum, A Whiter Shade Of Pale |
| Jul-67 | Monkees, Alternate Title | 1 | The Beatles, All You Need Is Love |
| Jul-67 | Vikki Carr, It Must Be Him | 1 | The Beatles, All You Need Is Love |
| Aug-67 | Tom Jones, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again | 2 | Scott McKenzie, San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) |
| Sep-67 | Tom Jones, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again | 2 | Engelbert Humperdinck, The Last Waltz |
| Sep-67 | Keith West, Excerpt From A Teenage Opera | 2 | Engelbert Humperdinck, The Last Waltz |
| Oct-67 | Move, Flowers In The Rain | 1 | Engelbert Humperdinck, The Last Waltz |
| Oct-67 | Move, Flowers In The Rain | 1 | The Bee Gees, Massachusetts |
| Oct-67 | Traffic, Hole In My Shoe | 1 | The Bee Gees, Massachusetts |
| Dec-67 | Dave Clark Five, Everybody Knows | 1 | Long John Baldry, Let The Heartaches Begin |
| Dec-67 | Dave Clark Five, Everybody Knows | 1 | The Beatles, Hello Goodbye |
| Dec-67 | Tom Jones, I’m Coming Home | 1 | The Beatles, Hello Goodbye |
| Dec-67 | Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour EP | 3 | The Beatles, Hello Goodbye |
| Mar-68 | Tom Jones, Delilah | 2 | The Beatles, Lady Madonna |
| Apr-68 | Tom Jones, Delilah | 1 | Cliff Richard, Congratulations |
| May-68 | 1910 Fruitgum Co, Simon Says | 1 | Louis Armstrong, What A Wonderful World / Cabaret |
| May-68 | Small Faces, Lazy Sunday | 1 | Louis Armstrong, What A Wonderful World / Cabaret |
| May-68 | Engelbert Humperdinck, A Man Without Love | 1 | Louis Armstrong, What A Wonderful World / Cabaret |
| May-68 | Engelbert Humperdinck, A Man Without Love | 1 | Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Young Girl |
| Jun-68 | Bobby Goldsboro, Honey | 1 | Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Young Girl |
| Jun-68 | Engelbert Humperdinck, A Man Without Love | 1 | Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, Young Girl |
| Jul-68 | O C Smith, Son Of Hickory Holler’s Tramp | 3 | The Equals, Baby Come Back |
| Oct-68 | Leapy Lee, Little Arrows | 1 | Mary Hopkin, Those Were The Days |
| Oct-68 | Casuals, Jesamine | 1 | Mary Hopkin, Those Were The Days |
| Nov-68 | Barry Ryan, Eloise | 2 | Hugo Montenegro, The Good The Bad And The Ugly |
| Dec-68 | Nina Simone, Ain’t Got No – I Got Life / Do What You Gotta Do | 1 | Scaffold, Lily The Pink |
| Dec-68 | Foundations, Build Me Up Buttercup | 2 | Scaffold, Lily The Pink |
| Apr-69 | Dean Martin, Gentle On My Mind | 1 | Marvin Gaye, I Heard It Through The Grapevine |
| Apr-69 | Lulu, Boom Bang-A-Bang | 1 | Marvin Gaye, I Heard It Through The Grapevine |
| Apr-69 | Mary Hopkin, Goodbye | 1 | Desmond Dekker & The Aces, The Israelites |
| May-69 | Mary Hopkin, Goodbye | 2 | The Beatles with Billy Preston, Get Back |
| May-69 | Herman’s Hermits, My Sentimental Friend | 2 | The Beatles with Billy Preston, Get Back |
| May-69 | Fleetwood Mac, Man Of The World | 1 | The Beatles with Billy Preston, Get Back |
| Jun-69 | Edwin Hawkins Singers, Oh Happy Day | 2 | The Beatles, The Ballad Of John & Yoko |
| Jul-69 | Elvis Presley, In The Ghetto | 3 | Thunderclap Newman, Something In The Air |
| Jul-69 | John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band, Give Peace A Chance | 3 | The Rolling Stones, Honky Tonk Women |
| Aug-69 | Robin Gibb, Saved By The Bell | 2 | The Rolling Stones, Honky Tonk Women |
| Sep-69 | Bee Gees featuring Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb & Colin Peterson, Don’t Forget To Remember | 1 | Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bad Moon Rising |
| Nov-69 | Lou Christie, I’m Gonna Make You Mine | 1 | The Archies, Sugar Sugar |
| Nov-69 | Fleetwood Mac, Oh Well | 2 | The Archies, Sugar Sugar |
| Nov-69 | Tremeloes, (Call Me) Number One | 2 | The Archies, Sugar Sugar |
| Dec-69 | Stevie Wonder, Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday | 1 | The Archies, Sugar Sugar |
| Dec-69 | Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town | 1 | The Archies, Sugar Sugar |
| Dec-69 | Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town | 4 | Rolf Harris, Two Little Boys |
| Jan-70 | Elvis Presley, Suspicious Minds | 1 | Rolf Harris, Two Little Boys |
To return to the “Stuck at 2” page, with links to all the other lists and articles, please click here.
The Compartments 