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List of Billboard number-one R&B songs of 1955

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Singer Chuck Berry
Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry had a lengthy run at number one on all three charts with "Maybellene".

In 1955, Billboard magazine published three charts specifically covering the top-performing songs in the United States in rhythm and blues and related African-American-oriented music genres. The Best Sellers in Stores chart ranked records based on their "current national selling importance at the retail level", based on a survey of record retailers "with a high volume of sales in rhythm and blues records". The Most Played in Juke Boxes listing was based on "plays in juke boxes thruout [sic] the country" derived from a survey of "operators using a high proportion of rhythm and blues records". The Most Played by Jockeys chart, which was first published in the issue dated January 22, ranked songs based on the "number of plays on disk jockey radio shows" according to a weekly survey of "top disk jockey shows in all key markets". The three charts are considered part of the lineage of the magazine's multimetric R&B chart launched in 1958,[1] which since 2005 has been published under the title Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.[2]

In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, "You Upset Me Baby" by B.B. King was at number one on the juke box chart and "Hearts of Stone" by the Charms held the top spot on the best sellers listing; the latter song became the first chart-topper on the jockeys chart when it was first published three weeks later. "Hearts of Stone" was among four of 1955's R&B number one songs which were also chart-toppers on Billboard's pop music charts, but in each case a different artist took the song to the top of the pop listings.[3] At the time it was difficult for black acts to achieve sufficient crossover popularity to top the pop charts, and it was common for white acts to record cover versions of R&B songs for the mainstream market.[4][5] Shortly after the Charms topped all three charts, Johnny Ace achieved the same feat with "Pledging My Love"; it was the third and final chart-topper for the singer, who had died the previous December at the age of 25.[6][7]

The year's longest-running number one on both the juke box and jockeys charts was "Maybellene", the first chart-topper for Chuck Berry.[8] The song is regarded as pivotal in the development of the emerging rock and roll genre; it was included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll",[9] and Rolling Stone's 2021 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[10] The longest-running number one on the best sellers chart was "Ain't That a Shame" by Fats Domino, another pioneer of rock and roll.[11] The song was listed on the charts as "Ain't It a Shame" because the title was printed incorrectly on the single.[12] The year's final number one on the best sellers listing was "Hands Off" by Priscilla Bowman with Jay McShann and his Orchestra. Despite selling sufficiently in the rhythm and blues market to top this chart, the song did not enter Billboard's pop charts at all; not until 1976 would another R&B chart-topper fail to reach even the lowest position of the pop listing.[13]

Chart history

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Beginning with the April 9 issue, Billboard sometimes listed both sides of a single jointly at number one on the Best Sellers and Juke Box charts, based on a methodology which combined the survey data for both songs if "significant action [was] reported on both sides of a record".[14] This does not indicate that the single was officially released or promoted as a double A-side.

Singer Etta James
Etta James (pictured in 1990) reached number one on the jockeys chart with "The Wallflower".
The five members (four young men and one young woman) of the singing group The Platters
"Only You (And You Alone)" was a chart-topper for the Platters.
Singer Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley (pictured in 2002) reached number one with his self-titled song.
Singer Fats Domino
Fats Domino topped all three charts with "Ain't That a Shame".
Chart history
Issue date Juke Box Best Sellers Jockeys Ref.
Title Artist(s) Title Artist(s) Title Artist(s)
January 1 "You Upset Me Baby" B.B. King "Hearts of Stone" The Charms — [15]
January 8 "Mambo Baby" Ruth Brown [16]
January 15 "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" The Penguins [17]
January 22 "Sincerely" The Moonglows "Hearts of Stone" The Charms [18]
January 29 "Hearts of Stone" The Charms "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" The Penguins [19]
February 5 "Sincerely" The Moonglows [20]
February 12 "Sincerely" The Moonglows "Pledging My Love" Johnny Ace [21]
February 19 "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" The Penguins "Pledging My Love" Johnny Ace "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" The Penguins [22]
February 26 "Pledging My Love" Johnny Ace [23]
March 5 "Pledging My Love" Johnny Ace [24]
March 12 [25]
March 19 [26]
March 26 [27]
April 2 [28]
April 9 "The Wallflower" Etta James [14]
April 16 "Pledging My Love" Johnny Ace [29]
April 23 "My Babe" Little Walter [30]
April 30 "My Babe" Little Walter [31]
May 7 "I Got a Woman" Ray Charles "The Wallflower" Etta James [32]
May 14 "Pledging My Love" Johnny Ace "My Babe" Little Walter [33]
May 21 "My Babe" Little Walter "Unchained Melody" Roy Hamilton "The Wallflower" Etta James [34]
May 28 [35]
June 4 "My Babe" Little Walter [36]
June 11 "Ain't That a Shame"[a] Fats Domino "Ain't That a Shame"[a] Fats Domino [37]
June 18 "Unchained Melody" Al Hibbler [38]
June 25 "Bo Diddley" Bo Diddley [39]
July 2 "Ain't That a Shame"[a] Fats Domino [39]
July 9 [40]
July 16 [41]
July 23 [42]
July 30 [43]
August 6 "Bo Diddley" Bo Diddley "A Fool for You" Ray Charles [44]
August 13 "Ain't That a Shame"[a] Fats Domino "Ain't That a Shame"[a] Fats Domino [45]
August 20 "Maybellene" Chuck Berry [46]
August 27 "Maybellene" Chuck Berry [47]
September 3 "Maybellene" Chuck Berry [48]
September 10 [49]
September 17 [50]
September 24 [51]
October 1 [52]
October 8 [53]
October 15 [54]
October 22 "Only You (And You Alone)" The Platters [55]
October 29 "Only You (And You Alone)" The Platters "All by Myself" Fats Domino [56]
November 5 [57]
November 12 [58]
November 19 "Only You (And You Alone)" The Platters "Only You (And You Alone)" The Platters [59]
November 26 [60]
December 3 [61]
December 10 [62]
December 17 "Hands Off" Priscilla Bowman with Jay McShann and his Orchestra "Hands Off" Priscilla Bowman with Jay McShann and his Orchestra [63]
December 24 [64]
December 31 "Adorable" / "Steamboat"[b] The Drifters "Poor Me" Fats Domino [65]

Notes

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a. ^ Listed on the chart as "Ain't It a Shame"
b. ^ Both sides listed jointly at number one

References

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  1. ^ Whitburn 1996, p. xii.
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  7. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 20.
  8. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 41.
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  13. ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 392.
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Works cited

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