Songs That Peaked at #40 On Billboard Hot 100

Updated April 2021

I've been fascinated by music charts since the mid-70's. I was 10 years old when the chart bug hit me. It was from that point that I began listening to American Top 40 every week.  I'm still hooked decades later. 

The Billboard charts are an endless supply of trivia.  At some point last year I began thinking about songs that peaked at #40 on the Hot 100.  Getting to #40 was a good thing for an artist.  Your song got played on AT40 all over the world.  But some of them sunk after a week. And even I was hard pressed to remember most of these.  And was surprised there were so many. But there are some classics sprinkled throughout:  "Breakdown", "Give It To Me Baby", "Burnin' For You", "Your Move", "Thinkin' Problem", "Video Killed The Radio Star".

Here are just some of the songs that peaked at #40.  Go to the Spotify link below for the rest. 

Spotify link for playlist of the #40's: Peaking at #40

A Love So Fine  - The Chiffons
All I Really Want To Do - Byrds
Angel - Rod Stewart
Angel In Blue - The J. Geils Band
Ask Me No Questions -  B.B. King
Back When My Hair Was Short - Gun Hill Road
Birthday Party -  Pixies Three
Bowling Green - Everly Brothers
Brand New Girlfriend - Steve Holy
Breakdown - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Burnin' for You - Blue Öyster Cult
Buy Me A Rose - Kenny Rogers
Call Me Lightning - The Who
Catch Me I'm Falling - Real Life
Charity Ball - Fanny
Clones (We're All) - Alice Cooper
Cold Blooded - Rick James
Come See - Major Lance
Crazy Downtown - Allan Sherman
Don't Ask Me Why - Eurythmics
Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya - New England
Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards
Don't Pity Me - Dion & The Belmonts
Don't Tell Me You Love Me - Night Ranger
Forever - Kenny Loggins
Freight Train (feat. Nancy Whiskey) - Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group
Friends - Bette Midler
Give It To Me Baby - Rick James
Give It Whatcha Got - B.T. Express
Go On - George Strait
Good Timin' - The Beach Boys
Happy People - The Temptations
Hit the Road Jack - Stampeders
Hold Me 'Til The Morning Comes - Paul Anka
I Can't Wait - Sleepy Brown feat. OutKast
I Want You - Shana
I'd Love To Change The World - Ten Years After
I'll Try Anything (To Get You) - Dusty Springfield
I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking - The Supremes
I'm In Love - Evelyn "Champagne" King
I've Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do) - Eddie Floyd
In The Mood - Henhouse Five Plus Two
Jennifer Eccles - The Hollies
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Just Seven Numbers ( Can Straighten Out My Life) - Four Tops
Kissing You - Keith Washington
Lazy Elsie Molly - Chubby Checker
Lessons Learned - Tracy Lawrence
Let It Be Me - Willie Nelson
Let's Do The Freddie - Chubby Checker
Letter to Me - Brad Paisley
Like a Sunday In Salem - Gene Cotton
Limbo Rock - The Champs
Live My Life - Boy George
Livin' In the Life - The Isley Brothers
Lost! - Coldplay
Love Me Tender - Percy Sledge
Love or Let Me Be Lonely - Paul Davis
Man On The Corner - Genesis
Married Men - Bette Midler
Me And Bobby McGee - Jerry Lee Lewis
Me [Without You] - Andy Gibb
Miracles - Stacy Lattisaw
Mr. Loverman - Shabba Ranks
Music Time - Styx
Nature Boy - Bobby Darin
Nobody But You Babe - Clarence Reid
Oh Happy Day - Glen Campbell
Okay - Nivea
One Trick Pony - Paul Simon
People In Love - 10cc
Plastic Man - The Temptations
Queen Of My Soul -  Average White Band
Rhythm Of Love - Yes
See The Lights - Simple Minds
Shine On - L.T.D.
Show Me - Cover Girls
Six Feet Deep - Geto Boys
So Close - Diana Ross
Spanish Eddie - Laura Branigan
Spice Of Life - The Manhattan Transfer
Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon
Stone Cold - Rainbow
Strung Out - Steve Perry
Sweet Maxine - The Doobie Brothers
Teddy Bear - Red Sovine
Tell Her She's Lovely - El Chicano
The Alvin Twist - Alvin & The Chipmunks
The Bounce - The Olympics
The End Of Our Road -Marvin Gaye
The Last Time I Made Love - Joyce Kennedy & Jeffrey Osborne
The Way He Makes Me Feel - Barbra Streisand
Thinkin' Problem - David Ball
Ticks - Brad Paisley
Tim McGraw - Taylor Swift
Time After Time - Timmy T
Too Tight - Con Funk Shun
True Blue Love - Lou Gramm
Trying to Make a Fool of Me - The Delfonics
Two Hearts - Stephanie Mills & Teddy Pendergrass
Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles
Violet Hill - Coldplay
Watch Out For Lucy - Eric Clapton
Who Do You Think You're Foolin' - Donna Summer
Who Let The Dogs Out - Baha Men
Who's Sorry Now - Marie Osmond
Who’s Your Baby - The Archies
Wolf Creek Pass - C.W. McCall
You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd  - Roger Miller
You Thrill Me - Exile
You've Got Yours and I'll Get Mine - The Delfonics
Young Blood - Rickie Lee Jones
Your Move  - Yes
Your Old Stand By - Mary Wells
Your One & Only Love - Jackie Wilson

Suggestions, etc.  tmlane12@gmail.com