Close but No Cigar: The No. 2 Hits of 1988 — Part 3

Episode 649: There may be no lonelier number in pop music than No. 2.

Reaching the second spot on the charts means nearly everything went right. The song was everywhere. Radio embraced it. Fans bought it. MTV probably played the video often enough to permanently burn a few images into our memories.

But one other song stood in the way.

That’s the inspiration behind our recurring Stuck in the ’80s series, “Close but No Cigar,” in which we revisit the hits that climbed all the way to No. 2—but never took that final step to No. 1.

This week, we return to the wonderfully unpredictable musical landscape of 1988 for Part 3.

Apparently, two previous installments weren’t enough to contain all the songs that came within one position of chart immortality that year. Then again, 1988 was hardly a normal year for pop music.

The decade’s biggest stars were colliding with emerging new voices. Rock, dance music, R&B and glossy mainstream pop were all competing for the same radio airtime. Artists who had dominated the early ’80s were trying to remain relevant, while newer performers were elbowing their way onto MTV and into the Top 40.

Caught in the middle were our latest No. 2 finishers, including songs from Robert Palmer, Elton John, Pebbles and more.

Some of these records felt like No. 1 hits. In our memories, they may even seem bigger than whatever song technically occupied the top spot. Others capture a very specific moment in 1988—a time when musical tastes were changing quickly and a single week could separate a chart-topper from an eternal runner-up.

That’s what makes these songs so fascinating.

A No. 2 peak isn’t necessarily a judgment on quality. Sometimes it’s simply bad timing. Release the same song a few weeks earlier or later, and its chart history might look completely different.

Of course, history doesn’t offer do-overs. The record books say these songs never reached No. 1.

Our radios, mixtapes and memories may tell a different story.

Join us for Part 3 of the No. 2 hits of 1988, as we determine which songs were robbed, which ones probably finished exactly where they belonged and which supposed runners-up still sound like champions nearly four decades later.

Come Sail Away to the Actual ’80s

You can spend all day debating which song should have reached No. 1—or you can join thousands of fellow fans aboard The ’80s Cruise and sing the hits at the top of your lungs somewhere in the Caribbean.

It’s a full week of live concerts, celebrity guests, theme nights, trivia, parties and the wonderfully strange experience of realizing you’re not the only person who remembers every word to songs the rest of the world forgot.

Book your cabin using promo code STUCK and receive $250 in onboard cabin credit.

Second place may be painful on the charts. On The ’80s Cruise, the only bad position is being left back on shore.

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