Do you know these 11 huge A-list musicians never scored a number 1 hit?

It's probably shocking to read that The Boss has never had a number one hit song. Bruce Springsteen, who celebrated his 77th birthday on September 23, has been rocking since his teens. And while the singer has a slew of hit songs, he's never reached number one.

The closest Bruce has been to number one was with his 1984 song "Dancing in the Dark," which reached number two. But, for Bruce, it's not about chart topping hits. The "Born in the USA" singer is still touring and releasing new music in his 70s!

Sure, Bob Dylan hasn't had a number one song, but how many artists can say they won a Nobel Prize? In 2016, Bob won the Nobel Prize in Literature for "having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

Bob, 85, has had several number two hits during his career, including "Like a Rolling Stone." The singer returned to the stage in 2026 for a tour across the United States and Europe.

Nirvana was only together for seven years, yet the American grunge band left a major mark on the music industry. Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl created hit songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come as You Are."

In 1994, Kurt died by suicide at 27. His band members broke up Nirvana immediately after Kurt's death, with Dave forming Foo Fighters and Kris pursuing other musical projects.

While Missy Elliott has won four Grammy Awards, she's never landed a number one song. The 55-year-old rapper got as far as number two, twice, with "Work It" and "1,2 Step." But, both were surpassed by other songs.

Missy's discography has sold over 40 million records worldwide and she was the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So…Missy is doing just fine.

Directioners may rebuke their favorite band being on this list. But, the beloved boy band never landed a number one hit in the United States. One Direction's 2011 hit "What Makes You Beautiful" reached the top of the UK chart, as did "Drag Me Down" in 2015.

A year later, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. Harry Styles, who is arguably the most famous member of One Direction, has achieved three number one hits since going solo. Zayn Malik also earned a number one hit for his debut single "Pillowtalk" in 2016.

Chaka Khan may be the Queen of Funk, but she has yet to achieve a number one hit. The 73-year-old singer broke onto the scene as the lead singer of the band Rufus and created iconic songs like "I'm Every Woman" and "What Cha' Gonna Do for Me."

Chaka has won eleven Grammy Awards and worked with legends like Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, and Joni Mitchell.

In 2013, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. But, the pop rock song peaked at number three on the charts. The band, who is led by Minka Kelly's boyfriend Dan Reynolds, have sold more than 74 million albums worldwide, but are still in search of a number one hit.

Much like One Direction, Backstreet Boys never earned a number one hit song. The '90s boy band, made up of Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson, created some iconic songs.

"I Want It That Way" was an earworm that reached number one in countries like Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Backstreet Boys, who were formed in 1993, are still making music today.

The French DJ and producer has been part of dozens of hit songs, but has yet to achieve a number one hit. David Guetta, 58, has been in the top 10 with "Turn Me On," "Without You," "Sexy Chick," and "Titanium."

He's still creating music today. For the 2026 World Cup, he produced the official anthem alongside Andrea Bocelli, Megan Thee Stallion, and Ejae.

The music industry wouldn't be what it is today without James Brown. The Godfather of Soul had over 90 songs appear on the Billboard Hot 100, but he never reached number one. James, who died in 2006 at 73, is known for songs like "It's a Man's Man's World" and "I Got You," which peaked at number three on the list.

When Sheryl Crow released her beloved song "All I Wanna Do," there was probably no doubt in her mind it would reach number one. But, the hit pop song peaked at number two for six straight weeks, being beaten by Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love To You."

Since then, Sheryl, 64, has had many songs appear on the Billboard Hot 100, like "Strong Enough," "If It Makes You Happy," and "Picture."