Beatles head list of best tunes beaten to top spot

The Beatles' final single "Let It Be" was named yesterday as the greatest chart-topper that never was.

The song, which was held off the prime spot by Lee Marvin's "Wand'rin' Star", topped a poll of the best songs which were denied a number one and peaked one place below.

Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" was the next greatest number-two track, according to a study by the Music Choice TV channel to mark the 50th anniversary of the charts this week. Presley's song was denied the number-one slot by Rolf Harris's sentimental tune "Two Little Boys", recently performed on Stars In Their Eyes by Pulp's Jarvis Cocker.

Many of the number twos chosen in the poll are arguably better known and better loved than the songs which deprived them of the glory spot.

"Brown Sugar" by the Rolling Stones, at number five in the list, was kept off by Dawn's "Knock Three Times" in 1971. Oasis's "Wonderwall" – ranked third best runner-up – was beaten into second place by Robson and Jerome's "Up On The Roof" in 1995.

The actors-turned-singers Robson and Jerome also nobbled Pulp's "Common People" – which came in at number nine in the all-time number-two poll – the same year with "Unchained Melody".

Despite The Beatles bowing out on a number two with "Let It Be" in 1970 after a run of 17 hits, they also held off a few worthy hits themselves. The Beach Boys' gem, "God Only Knows" failed to claim number one thanks to the Fab Four's double A-side "Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby".

Music Choice is to play all the UK's chart-toppers back to back to mark the anniversary.