Bob Marley

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Bob Dylan

James Brown

KISS

Beastie Boys

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Green Day

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REM

The Who

Metallica

Van Morrison

Nirvana Splash News

Hendrix

Pearl Jam

Sabbath

Johnny Cash

Clash

Kinks

Ramones

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grateful_dead

talking_heads

CCR

Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Who, James Brown. These are legends who have written songs that changed the course of rock, and will live on as classics for as long as there are music lovers roaming the planet. In fact, all of these artists appear within the top twenty slots of VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll list, compiled by polling some of the greatest musicians and rock scholars around. So obviously these guys know how to pen a tune. But it would probably surprise you to learn that all these HUGE rock forces have NEVER had a number one song!

Well, more specifically, they’ve never topped the charts on the Billboard Top 40 chart, which factors in both sales and airplay and is viewed as the official ranking system in the US (as opposed to the genre charts). But still, it’s pretty insane that these musical monsters haven’t scaled this mountain and tasted Billboard glory. Sure they might have number one albums, gold/platinum records and tons of cash, but it’s all about the songs, man! Head up the gallery above and let your mind be blown but these 25 unforgettable rock titans who’ve never gone all the way on Billboard. Their classic tracks are number one in our hearts, if not on the charts…

[Photo: Getty Images]