List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Listed here are Billboard magazine's number-one rhythm and blues hits from 1942–1959. The Billboard R&B chart is today known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Note: From May 22, 1948 to October 13, 1958, multiple charts (usually jukebox, DJ, and sales charts) were used, which explains the overlap in the dates of the charts. Because of the existence of multiple charts, some dates had more than one number-one song during the week.

Contents

[edit] Chart names

  • Harlem Hit Parade — 1942 to February 10, 1945.
  • Juke Box Race Records — February 17, 1945 to June 17, 1957.
  • Billboard's "Best Sellers" — May 22, 1948 to October 13, 1958.
  • Rhythm & Blues — June 25, 1949 to November 30, 1963.
  • Billboard's "Jockeys" — January 22, 1955 to October 13, 1958.
  • Hot R&B — October 20, 1958 to November 30, 1963. Reinstated January 30, 1965 and continued under that name until the week ending August 16, 1969.
  • Soul Singles — August 23, 1969 to July 7, 1973.
  • Hot Soul Singles — July 14, 1973 to June 19, 1982.
  • Hot Black Singles — June 26, 1982 to October 1990.
  • Hot R&B Singles — October 1990 to 1998.
  • Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs — 1998 to present.

An asterisk after a song title means that the song lost and then regained the number-one spot.

[edit] 1940s

[edit] 1942

[edit] 1943

[edit] 1944

  • January 1: "Ration Blues" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (1 week) - DECCA 8654
  • January 15: "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" - Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (8 weeks)* - VICTOR 20-1547
  • January 22: "G.I. Jive" — Johnny Mercer with Paul Weston And His Orchestra (1 week) - CAPITOL 141
  • March 11: "Solo Flight" — Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (1 week) - COLUMBIA 36684
  • March 25: "Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)" — The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald (1 week) - DECCA 18587
  • April 1: "Main Stem" — Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (4 weeks)* - VICTOR 20-1556
  • April 15: "When My Man Comes Home" — Buddy Johnson and His Band (1 week) - DECCA 8655
  • April 29: "Straighten Up and Fly Right" — The Nat King Cole Trio (10 weeks)* - CAPITOL 154
  • July 15: "G.I. Jive" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (6 weeks)* - DECCA 8659
  • August 19: "Till Then" — The Mills Brothers (1 week) - DECCA 18599
  • September 2: "Hamp's Boogie Woogie" — Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra (6 weeks)* - DECCA 18613
  • September 30: "I'm Lost" — Benny Carter and His Orchestra (2 weeks)* - CAPITOL 165
  • October 21: "Gee-Baby — Ain’t I Good to You" — The Nat King Cole Trio (4 weeks) - CAPITOL 169
  • November 18: "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" — The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald (11 weeks)* - DECCA 23356

[edit] 1945

[edit] 1946

  • January 12: "Buzz Me" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (9 weeks) - DECCA 18734
  • March 16: "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" — Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra (16 weeks)* - DECCA 18754
  • March 23: "Don’t Worry 'bout That Mule" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (1 week) - DECCA 18734
  • June 29: "The Gypsy" — The Ink Spots (3 weeks)* - DECCA 18817
  • July 10: "Stone Cold Dead in the Market (He Had It Coming)" — Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (5 weeks) - DECCA 23546
  • August 24: "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (18 weeks)* - DECCA 23610
  • November 23: "Ain’t That Just Like a Woman (They’ll Do It Every Time)" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (2 weeks)* - DECCA 23669

[edit] 1947

  • 17 January: "Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (17 weeks)* - DECCA 23741
  • 26 April: "Texas and Pacific" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (2 weeks)* - DECCA 23810
  • 17 May: "I Want to Be Loved (But Only By You)" — Savannah Churchill and the Sentimentalists (8 weeks)* - MANOR 1046
  • 24 May: "Old Maid Boogie" — Eddie Vinson and His Orchestra (2 weeks)* - MERCURY 8028
  • 28 June: "Jack You’re Dead" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (7 weeks)* - DECCA 23901
  • 30 August: "Boogie Woogie Blue Plate" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (14 weeks)* - DECCA 24104
  • 22 November: "(Opportunity Knocks But Once) Snatch and Grab It" — Julia Lee and Her Boy Friends (12 weeks)* - CAPITOL/AMERICANA 40028

[edit] 1948

[edit] 1949

  • 19 February: "Boogie Chillen" — John Lee Hooker (1 week) - MODERN 627
  • 19 February: "The Deacon's Hop" — Big Jay McNeely's Blue Jays (1 week) - SAVOY 685
  • 5 May: "The Huckle-Buck" — Paul Williams and His Hucklebuckers (14 weeks)* - SAVOY 683
  • 4 June: "Trouble Blues" — The Charles Brown Trio (15 weeks) - ALADDIN 3024
  • 20 August: "Ain't Nobody's Business" (Parts 1 & 2) — Jimmy Witherspoon (1 week) - SUPREME 1506
  • 10 September: "Roomin' House Boogie" — Amos Milburn (2 weeks) - ALADDIN 3032
  • 17 September: "All She Wants to Do Is Rock" — Wynonie Harris (2 weeks)* - KING 4304
  • 17 September: "Tell Me So" — The Orioles (1 week) - JUBILEE 5005
  • 24 September: "Baby Get Lost" — Dinah Washington (2 weeks) - MERCURY 8148
  • 8 October: "Beans and Corn Bread" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (1 week) - DECCA 24673
  • 15 October: "Saturday Night Fish Fry" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (12 weeks)* - DECCA 24725
  • 24 December: "For You My Love" — Larry Darnell (8 weeks)* - REGAL 3240

[edit] 1950s

[edit] 1950

[edit] 1951

  • 6 January: "Bad, Bad Whiskey" — Amos Milburn (3 weeks)* - ALADDIN 3068
  • 3 March: "Black Night" — Charles Brown (14 weeks) - ALADDIN 3076
  • 9 June: "Rocket 88" — Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (5 weeks) - CHESS 1458
  • 9 June: "Chica Boo" — Lloyd Glenn (2 weeks) - SWING TIME 254
  • 30 June: "Sixty Minute Man" — The Dominoes (14 weeks)* - FEDERAL 12022
  • 1 September: "Don’t You Know I Love You" — The Clovers (2 weeks) - ATLANTIC 934
  • 22 September: "The Glory of Love" — The Five Keys (4 weeks)* - ALADDIN 3099
  • 3 November: "'T' 99 Blues" — Jimmie Nelson and the Peter Rabbit Trio (1 week) - RPM 325
  • 10 November: "Fool, Fool, Fool" — The Clovers (6 weeks)* - ATLANTIC 944
  • 10 November: "I Got Loaded" — "Peppermint" Harris (2 weeks)* - ALADDIN 3097
  • 17 November: "I'm in the Mood" — John Lee Hooker (4 weeks)* - MODERN 835
  • 8 December: "Because of You" — Tab Smith and His Orchestra (2 weeks) - UNITED 104
  • 29 December: "Flamingo" — Earl Bostic and His Orchestra (4 weeks)* - KING 4475

[edit] 1952

  • January 12 "Weepin' & Cryin'" — Griffin Brothers Orchestra (3 weeks) - DOT 1071
  • January 12 "Cry" — Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads (1 week) - OKEH 6840
  • February 2 "3 o’Clock Blues" — B.B. King (5 weeks) - RPM 339
  • March 15 "Night Train" — Jimmy Forrest (7 weeks) - UNITED 110
  • March 15 "Booted" — Roscoe Gordon (1 week) - CHESS 1487
  • May 3 "5–10–15 Hours" — Ruth Brown (7 weeks) - ATLANTIC 962
  • June 14 "Have Mercy Baby" — The Dominoes (10 weeks)* - FEDERAL 12068
  • June 21 "Goin' Home" — Fats Domino (1 week) - IMPERIAL 5180
  • July 12 "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" — Lloyd Price (7 weeks)* - SPECIALTY 428
  • August 23 "Mary Jo" — Four Blazes (3 weeks) - UNITED 114
  • September 6 "Ting-a-Ling" — The Clovers(1 week) - ATLANTIC 969
  • September 27 "My Song" — Johnny Ace (9 weeks) - DUKE 102
  • September 27 "Juke" — Little Walter (8 weeks)* - CHECKER 758
  • November 8 "Five Long Years" — Eddie Boyd (7 weeks)* - JOB 1007
  • November 8 "You Know I Love You" — B.B. King (2 weeks)* - RPM 363
  • December 27 "I Don't Know" — Willie Mabon and His Combo (8 weeks) - CHESS 1531

[edit] 1953

  • 21 February: "Baby Don't Do It" — The "5" Royales (3 weeks) - APOLLO 443
  • 7 March: "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" — Ruth Brown (5 weeks) - ATLANTIC 986
  • 18 April: "Hound Dog" — Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton" (7 weeks) - PEACOCK 1612
  • 30 May "I'm Mad" — Willie Mabon and His Combo" (2 weeks) - CHESS 1538
  • 13 June: "Help Me Somebody" — The "5" Royales (5 weeks)* - APOLLO 446
  • 4 July: "Please Love Me" — B.B. King (3 weeks)* - RPM 386
  • 18 July: "The Clock" — Johnny Ace (5 weeks)* - DUKE 112
  • 22 August: "Crying in the Chapel" — The Orioles (5 weeks)* - JUBILEE 5122
  • 19 September: "Shake a Hand" — Faye Adams (10 weeks)* - HERALD 416
  • 21 November: "Money Honey" — Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters (11 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1006
  • 5 December: "Honey Hush" — Big Joe Turner (8 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1001

[edit] 1954

[edit] 1955

[edit] 1956

  • 7 January: "The Great Pretender" — The Platters (11 weeks)* - MERCURY 70753
  • 7 January: "At My Front Door" — The El Dorados (1 week)* - VEE JAY 147
  • 17 March: Why Do Fools Fall in Love - Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers (5 weeks) - GEE 10020
  • 24 March: Drown in My Own Tears - Ray Charles (2 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1085
  • 14 April: Long Tall Sally - Little Richard (8 weeks) - SPECIALTY 572
  • 19 May: I'm in Love Again - Fats Domino (9 weeks)* - IMPERIAL 5386
  • 21 July: Fever - Little Willie John (5 weeks) - KING 4935
  • 28 July: Treasure of Love - Clyde McPhatter (1 week) - ATLANTIC 1092
  • 4 August: Rip It Up - Little Richard (2 weeks) - SPECIALTY 579
  • 18 August: My Prayer - The Platters (2 weeks) - MERCURY 70893
  • 25 August: Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2) - Bill Doggett (13 weeks)* - KING 4950
  • 1 September: Let the Good Times Roll - Shirley & Lee (3 weeks)* - ALADDIN 3325
  • 15 September: Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel - Elvis Presley (6 weeks)* - RCA VICTOR 20-6604
  • 13 November: Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino (11 weeks)* - IMPERIAL 5407

[edit] 1957

[edit] 1958

[edit] 1959

For continuation, 1960 to present, start search here.

[edit] Gap in the chart

From November 30, 1963 to January 23, 1965 there was no Billboard R&B singles charts. Some publications have used Cash Box magazine's stats in their place. No specific reason has ever been given as to why Billboard ceased releasing R&B charts, but the prevailing wisdom is that the chart methodology used was being questioned, since more and more Caucasian acts were reaching number-one on the R&B chart. According to researcher Joel Whitburn, "there was so much crossover of titles between the R&B and pop singles (Hot 100) charts that Billboard considered the charts to be too similar. This does not mean that R&B artists stopped turning out hits. After all, it was during this 14-month period that Motown established itself as an R&B institution."[1]

[edit] 1970s

  • Total number of weeks at #1 (as lead artist)
    • 1. The Jackson 5 (24 weeks)
    • 2. Aretha Franklin (22 weeks)
    • 2. Stevie Wonder (22 weeks)
    • 4. Marvin Gaye (21 weeks)
    • 5. Al Green (16 weeks)
    • 5. The O'Jays (16 weeks)
    • 7. Earth, Wind and Fire (15 weeks)
    • 7. James Brown (15 weeks)
    • 9. Gladys Knight & The Pips (14 weeks)
    • 9. The Spinners (14 weeks)
    • 11. Barry White (12 weeks)
  • Most #1 Hits of the Decade (as lead artist)
    • 1. Aretha Franklin - 10 #1's
    • 2. James Brown - 8 #1's
    • 2. Stevie Wonder - 8 #1's
    • 2. The O'Jay's - 8 #1's
    • 5. Al Green - 6 #1's
    • 5. Chic - 6 #1's
    • 5. Earth, Wind and Fire - 6 #1's
    • 5. Gladys Knight & The Pips - 6 #1's
    • 5. Marvin Gaye - 6 #1's
    • 5. The Commodores - 6 #1's
    • 5. The Floaters - 6 #1's
    • 5. The Jackson 5 - 6 #1's
    • 5. The Spinners - 6 #1's

7 acts had 5 #1's a piece, and 14 acts had 4 #1's a piece.

[edit] 1980s

  • Total number of weeks at #1 (as lead artist)
    • 1. Michael Jackson (29 weeks)
    • 2. Stevie Wonder (27 weeks)
    • 3. Freddie Jackson (19 weeks)
    • 4. Lionel Richie (18 weeks)
    • 5. Prince (17 weeks)
    • 6. Diana Ross (14 weeks)
    • 7. Kool & The Gang (13 weeks)
    • 8. Rick James (12 weeks)
    • 9. Aretha Franklin & Janet Jackson (11 weeks)
    • 10. Cameo, Marvin Gaye (10 weeks)
  • Most #1 Hits of the Decade (as lead artist)
    • 1. Michael Jackson- 9 #1's
    • 2. Janet Jackson & Freddie Jackson- 7 #1's
    • 3. Stevie Wonder, Kool & The Gang, & Bobby Brown- 6 #1's
    • 4. Prince, Luther Vandross, & Stephanie Mills- 5 #1's
    • 5. Lionel Richie & Gap Band- 4 #1's

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 2000s (2000-2009)

[edit] 2010s (2010-2019)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. xiii. 
Lists of number-one U.S. R&B hits
1942–1959
1960–1979
1980–1999
2000–present
Albums
Urban
Rock
Country
Jazz
Latin
Christian
Other
International
Singles and tracks
Pop
Dance
Urban
Rock
Latin
Christian
Other
International
Lists of number-ones
Lists of artists who
reached number one
See also
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_number-one_rhythm_and_blues_hits_(United_States)&oldid=478493012"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages