The biggest songs that missed the Top 40 in the first half of 2017

The Top 40 can be a tough nut to crack. And while we’re usually all about the songs that make it into the top tier of the Official Singles Chart, some big tracks, for whatever reason, don’t quite make it in.

Obviously, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad song. Sometimes an artist is just unlucky, the timing is off and the stars never quite align in the way they might have hoped.

Now we’re past the halfway point of the year, Official Charts has revealed the biggest songs of the year to date that missed out on a Top 40 placing. It just goes to show, it really is all down to you. 

Imagine Dragons – Believer

Released: February 1
Chart peak: 42

Despite being bold, brassy and undeniably banger-y, the lead single from the US band’s third album landed at Number 42 in its debut week back in February.

It’s since spent 20 weeks in the Top 100, though it looks like it’s going to have to settle on just missing out on the top tier on this occasion. As things stand, it’s the biggest selling single to miss the Top 40 this year (when streams and sales are combined).

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest songs of 2017 so far

Lana Del Rey – Love

Released: February 18
Chart peak: 41

Lana brought some much-needed love to the world when she unveiled the lead single from her upcoming album Lust For Life back in March. However, the love wasn’t reciprocated quite as strongly; the song entered at a frustrating 41 in its first week and slipped to 42 the following week. Argh.

MORE: Lana Del Rey's complete Official Chart history

Louisa Johnson – Best Behaviour

Released: March 3
Chart peak: Number 48

Released back in March, Louisa’s third single proper Best Behaviour debuted just outside the Top 40, landing at 48. You might remember, it was the same week that every song from Ed Sheeran’s Divide album entered the Top 40.

The track hung around the Top 100 for another 12 weeks – in itself pretty impressive - though it never quite managed to sneak higher than its initial peak. We’re just throwing this out there, but we reckon this fizzy electro-pop banger would have cleaned up at Eurovision.

Kasabian – You’re In Love With A Psycho

Released: March 17
Chart peak: 62

The psychedelic rockers returned in March with what is possibly one of their most radio friendly songs in recent memory. But while You’re In Love With A Psycho went down well with critics and radio, it didn’t set the charts alight, topping out at Number 62.

Still, the song did its job on selling its parent album For Crying Out Loud, which went on to become their fifth Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart in May.

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2017 so far

Stargate ft. Sia and Pink – Waterfall

Released: March 10
Chart peak: 47

On paper, this track should have been huge. Even if you’re aware of Stargate (makers of 30-plus huge hits over the last 18 years), Sia is proving unstoppable at turning out hits of late, and there’s a thirst for new music from Pink following an extended break after giving birth in December.

Still, the song never quite caught on in the way you might have expected, and topped out at  Number 47 in March. Possibly a case of too many cooks?

DJ Khaled ft. Beyonce & Jay Z – Shining

Released: February 12
Chart peak: 71.

Proving big names on the bill doesn’t always equal chart smash, DJ Khaled’s megastar collaboration with the world’s ultimate power couple didn’t manage to break the Top 40, peaked at Number 71 in March this year and spent just two weeks in the Top 100.

One reason for this is likely to be because it was exclusive to Tidal for the first few weeks of its release, drastically limiting its chances of impacting the chart.

Sigrid – Don’t Kill My Vibe

Released: February 10
Chart peak: 62

Norwegian singer Sigrid has been the artist to watch since arriving on to the scene with Don’t Kill My Vibe in February. After a slow build, the song started to impact the Top 100 in May and peaked at 62 in early June. We've got a sneaking suspicion she's got plenty more bangers up her sleeve.

Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano

Released: February 3
Chart peak: 92

Despite its heavy rotation on radio, the emotional trailer single for Sampha’s highly anticipated debut album didn’t take off in the charts, topping out at Number 92 in February. It didn’t harm his album though, which landed straight in the Top 10 at Number 7 later that month.

Halsey – Now Or Never

Released: April 4
Chart peak: 80

Released back in April, the moody, atmospheric lead single for Halsey’s second album hopeless fountain kingdom lingered around the lower end of the Top 100 for seven weeks. It might have failed to reach the upper echelons of the chart, but it helped her album land at a respectable Number 12 in June.

Dave & J Hus – Samantha

Released: January 27
Chart peak: 63

British rapper Dave teamed up with afrobeats star J Hus on this slow burner of a track back in January. It never climbed higher than its opening week debut at Number 63, though it’s since logged an impressive ten weeks in the Top 100, making it the third biggest selling single to miss the Top 40 so far this year.

Sia - Helium

Released:February 10
Chart peak: 45

This big piano ballad featured on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, released in Februray. After Taylor Swift & Zayn's I Don't Wanna Live Forever, which was billed as the film's big single, it's the most popular song from the soundtrack, just missing out on a spot in the Top 40 after peaking at 45.

The Official Top 40 biggest songs released in 2017 that missed the Top 40 so far in 2017

POS	TITLE	ARTIST	PEAK
1	BELIEVER	IMAGINE DRAGONS	42
2	BEST BEHAVIOUR	LOUISA JOHNSON	48
3	SAMANTHA	DAVE & J HUS	63
4	GOOD LIFE	G-EAZY & KEHLANI	53
5	COME CLOSER	WIZKID FT DRAKE	58
6	DON'T KILL MY VIBE	SIGRID	62
7	T-SHIRT	MIGOS	82
8	P Y T (PRETTY YOUNG THING)	JOHN GIBBONS	52
9	NOW OR NEVER	HALSEY	80
10	TUNNEL VISION	KODAK BLACK	N/A
11	PRIVACY	CHRIS BROWN	86
12	JORJA INTERLUDE	DRAKE	42
13	BLINDED BY YOUR GRACE - PT 2	STORMZY FT MNEK	55
14	SHOW YOU LOVE	KATO/SIGALA/HAILEE STEINFELD	91
15	LOVE	LANA DEL REY	41
16	SO GOOD	ZARA LARSSON FT TY DOLLA SIGN	44
17	ROLLIN	CALVIN HARRIS/FUTURE/KHALID	43
18	SACRIFICES	DRAKE FT 2 CHAINZ & YOUNG THUG	51
19	DO NOT DISTURB	DRAKE	61
20	SHINING	DJ KHALED FT BEYONCE & JAY Z	71
21	BEAUTY AND THE BEAST	ARIANA GRANDE & JOHN LEGEND	52
22	WATERFALL	STARGATE FT PINK & SIA	47
23	THERE FOR YOU	MARTIN GARRIX & TROYE SIVAN	41
24	SELFISH	FUTURE FT RIHANNA	94
25	THE ONE	CHAINSMOKERS	63
26	LOOK AT ME	XXXTENTACION	N/A
27	LOSE YOU	DRAKE	54
28	NO FRAUDS	NICKI MINAJ/DRAKE/LIL WAYNE	49
29	ICE MELTS	DRAKE FT YOUNG THUG	65
30	GLOW	DRAKE FT KANYE WEST	55
31	CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING	DRAKE	58
32	FISHERMAN	J HUS FT MOSTACK & MIST	47
33	ROLEX	AYO & TEO	N/A
34	BABY	ANTON POWERS & PIXIE LOTT	97
35	HELIUM	SIA	45
36	SWEET CREATURE	HARRY STYLES	46
37	F WITH U	KID INK FT TY DOLLA SIGN	52
38	NOTHINGS INTO SOMETHINGS	DRAKE	62
39	MADNESS	MIST	N/A
40	1-800-273-8255	LOGIC/ALESSIA CARA/KHALID	78

©2017 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

©2017 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Which songs do you think have been overlooked so far this year? Leave your comments below.