List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
Encyclopedia
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.
An asterisk after a song title means that the song lost and then regained the number-one spot.
For continuation, 1960 to present, start search here
.
'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."
7 acts had 5 #1's a piece, and 14 acts had 4 #1's a piece.
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine's number-one rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hits from 1942–1959. The Billboard R&B chart is today known as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart.
Note: From May 22, 1948 to October 13, 1958, multiple charts (usually jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
, DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, 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.
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.
1942
- October 24: "Take It and Git" — Andy KirkAndy KirkAndrew Dewey Kirk was a jazz saxophonist and tubist best known as a bandleader of the "Twelve Clouds of Joy," popular during the swing era....
and His Clouds of Joy (1 week) - DECCA 4366 - October 31: "Mr. Five by FiveMr. Five by Five"Mr. Five by Five" is a 1942 popular song by Don Raye and Gene DePaul that describes an heavyset man who is "five feet tall and five feet wide". The person highlighted by the song was Jimmy Rushing, "Mr...
" —- Freddie SlackFreddie SlackFrederick Charles Slack was an American swing and boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader.He played with the Jimmy Dorsey Band in the 1930s and was a charter member of the Will Bradley Orchestra when it formed in 1939...
and His Orchestra (2 weeks)* - CAPITOL 115 - November 7: "Trav'lin' LightTrav'lin' Light (song)"Trav'lin' Light" is a 1942 song composed by Trummy Young and Jimmy Mundy with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. In 1942, with vocals by Billie Holiday, Paul Whiteman hit number one on the Harlem Hit Parade charts for three non consecutive weeks. The song also hit the pop charts at number 23 for one week...
" — Paul WhitemanPaul WhitemanPaul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
and His Orchestra featuring Lady DayBillie HolidayBillie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
(3 weeks)* - CAPITOL 116 - November 14: "Stormy Monday BluesStormy Monday Blues"Stormy Monday Blues" is a jazz song first recorded in 1942 by Earl Hines and His Orchestra with Billy Eckstine on vocals. The song was a hit, reaching number one in Billboard magazine's "Harlem Hit Parade", making it Hines' only appearance in the charts....
" — Earl HinesEarl HinesEarl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl "Fatha" Hines, was an American jazz pianist. Hines was one of the most influential figures in the development of modern jazz piano and, according to one source, is "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz".-Early...
and His Orchestra (1 week) - BLUEBIRD 11567 - November 28: "When the Lights Go On Again" — Lucky MillinderLucky MillinderLucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder was an American rhythm and blues and swing bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical taste made his bands successful...
and His Orchestra (2 weeks)* - DECCA 18496 - December 19: "White ChristmasWhite Christmas (song)"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.Accounts vary as...
" — Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
(3 weeks) - DECCA 18429
1943
- January 16: "See See Rider Blues" — Bea BoozeBea BoozeBea Booze , often credited as Wee Bea Booze, was an American R&B and jazz singer most popular in the 1940s.She was born Muriel Nicholls in Baltimore, and made her name as a singer in Harlem. She was signed by Decca Records to cover the songs and emulate the style of Lil Green, and, under the...
(4 weeks)* - DECCA 8633 - January 23: "What's the Use of Getting Sober (When You Gonna Get Drunk Again)What's the Use of Getting Sober"What's the Use of Getting Sober" is a 1942 novelty song by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five. The song was Louis Jordan's second release and the first of eighteen number ones on the R&B chart...
" — Louis JordanLouis JordanLouis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
and His Tympany FiveTympany FiveTympany Five was a successful rhythm and blues and jazz dance band founded by Louis Jordan in 1938. The group was composed of a horn section of three to five different pieces and also drums, double bass, guitar and piano. After playing in Chicago at the Capitol Lounge in 1941, Jordan and his band...
(1 week) - DECCA 23629 - January 30: "That Ain't Right" — Nat King Cole Trio (1 week) - DECCA 8630
- February 13: "Apollo JumpApollo Jump"Apollo Jump" is a 1943 instrumental by Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra. The single was Lucky Millinder's second number one on the Harlem Hit Parade and stayed at number one for two weeks...
" — Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra (2 weeks) - DECCA 18529 - March 6: "Don't Stop NowDon't Stop Now (song)"Don't Stop Now" is a 1943 single on the Savoy label by Bonnie Davis. "Don't Stop Now" would be Bonnie Davis sole hit, peaking at number one on the Harlem Hit Parade on March 6, 1943, for five non consecutive weeks...
" — Bonnie DavisBonnie DavisBonnie Davis , was an American R&B singer most popular in the 1940s.She was born Melba Smith in Bessemer, Alabama, and initially planned to become a school teacher. However, in the late 1930s she started working as a singer in New York, initially in saxophonist Teddy Hill's band...
(5 weeks)* - SAVOY 102 - March 27: "Don't Get Around Much AnymoreDon't Get Around Much Anymore"Don't Get Around Much Anymore" is a jazz standard with music by Duke Ellington and lyrics by Bob Russell. The tune was originally titled "Never No Lament" and was first recorded by Ellington in 1940 as a big band instrumental...
" — The Ink SpotsThe Ink SpotsThe Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
(2 weeks)* - DECCA 18503 - April 17: "I've Heard That Song BeforeI've Heard That Song Before"I've Heard That Song Before" is a 1942 popular song with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. It was introduced by Martha O'Driscoll in the 1942 film Youth on Parade....
" — Harry JamesHarry JamesHenry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
and His Orchestra (1 week) - COLUMBIA 36668 - April 24: "I Can't Stand Losing You" — The Ink Spots (7 weeks)* - DECCA 18542
- May 29: "Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Never No Lament)" — Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and His Famous Orchestra (3 weeks)* - VICTOR 26610 - July 17: "You'll Never KnowYou'll Never Know"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
" — Dick HaymesDick HaymesRichard Benjamin "Dick" Haymes was an Argentine actor and one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, who was an actor, television host, and songwriter....
(4 weeks) - DECCA 18556 - August 14: "Don't Cry Baby" — Erskine HawkinsErskine HawkinsErskine Ramsay Hawkins was an American trumpet player and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is most remembered for composing the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction" with saxophonist and arranger Bill Johnson...
and His Orchestra (14 weeks)* - BLUEBIRD 30-0813 - September 25: "A Slip of the Lip (Can Sink a Ship)" — Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (1 week) - VICTOR 20-1528
- October 2: "Sentimental Lady" — Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (1 week) - VICTOR 20-1528
- November 20: "All for You" — The Nat King Cole Trio (2 weeks)* - CAPITOL 139
- December 18: "Shoo-Shoo Baby" — Ella Mae MorseElla Mae MorseElla Mae Morse , was an American popular singer. Morse blended jazz, country, pop, and R&B.-Career:Morse was born in Mansfield, Texas, United States. She was hired by Jimmy Dorsey when she was 14 years old. Dorsey believed she was 19, and when he was informed by the school board that he was now...
(2 weeks)* - CAPITOL 143 - December 25: "Sweet Slumber" — Lucky MillinderLucky MillinderLucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder was an American rhythm and blues and swing bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical taste made his bands successful...
and His Orchestra (1 week) - DECCA 18569
1944
- January 1: "Ration BluesRation Blues"Ration Blues" is a 1943 single by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five. The single was Louis Jordan's second number one on the Harlem Hit Parade chart where it stayed for one week; it also hit number sixteen on the Billboard pop chart. "Ration Blues" was also a popular country song, reaching number...
" — Louis JordanLouis JordanLouis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
and His Tympany Five (1 week) - DECCA 8654 - January 15: "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" - Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and His Famous Orchestra (8 weeks)* - VICTOR 20-1547 - January 22: "G.I. Jive" — Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
with Paul Weston And His Orchestra (1 week) - CAPITOL 141 - March 11: "Solo Flight" — Benny GoodmanBenny GoodmanBenjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
and His Orchestra (1 week) - COLUMBIA 36684 - March 25: "Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)"Cow Cow Boogie " is a "country-boogie" style blues song satirizing the folklore of the singing cowboy in the American West. In the lyrics, the cowboy is from the city and tells his "doggies" to "get hip." The music was written by Don Raye, and lyrics were written by Benny Carter and Gene De...
" — The Ink SpotsThe Ink SpotsThe Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
and Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
(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 JohnsonBuddy JohnsonNot to be confused with Budd Johnson.Buddy Johnson was an American jazz and New York blues pianist and bandleader, active from the 1930s through the 1960s...
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 ThenTill Then (1944 song)"Till Then" is a popular song written by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, and Guy Wood and published in 1944.The song was a plea to his sweetheart to wait for him until he could get back home...
" — The Mills Brothers (1 week) - DECCA 18599 - September 2: "Hamp's Boogie Woogie" — Lionel HamptonLionel HamptonLionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
and His Orchestra (6 weeks)* - DECCA 18613 - September 30: "I'm Lost" — Benny CarterBenny CarterBennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
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
1945
- February 10: "Somebody's Gotta GoSomebody's Gotta Go"Somebody's Gotta Go" is a 1945 song by Cootie Williams and His Orchestra. With vocals performed by Eddie Vinson, the single was Cottie Williams' most successful entry on the Harlem Hit Parade, hitting number one on the Harlem Hit Parade...
" — Cootie WilliamsCootie WilliamsCharles Melvin "Cootie" Williams was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter.-Biography:...
and His Orchestra (1 week) - HIT 7119 - February 17: "I WonderI Wonder (1944 song)"I Wonder" is a 1944 song written and originally performed by Pvt. Cecil Gant. The original version, released on the Bronze label, made it to number one on the Juke Box Race Records chart and was Pvt. Gant's most successful release....
" — Pvt. Cecil GantCecil GantCecil Gant was an American blues singer and pianist.-Biography:Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Gant worked local clubs through the mid 1930s up until the Second World War, when he enlisted in the United States Army. Though his piano was blues-based, vocally he was a crooner of considerable...
(2 weeks) - GILT-EDGE 500 CG1 - February 24: "I WonderI Wonder (1944 song)"I Wonder" is a 1944 song written and originally performed by Pvt. Cecil Gant. The original version, released on the Bronze label, made it to number one on the Juke Box Race Records chart and was Pvt. Gant's most successful release....
" — Roosevelt SykesRoosevelt SykesRoosevelt Sykes was an American blues musician, also known as "The Honeydripper". He was a successful and prolific cigar-chomping blues piano player, whose rollicking thundering boogie-woogie was highly influential.-Career:Born in Elmar, Arkansas, Sykes grew up near Helena but at age 15, went on...
(7 weeks) - BLUEBIRD 34-0721 - April 14: "Tippin' InTippin' In"Tippin' In" is an American song with music by Robert Lewis "Bobby" Smith and lyrics by Marty Symes. It was a 1945 instrumental hit by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra...
" — Erskine HawkinsErskine HawkinsErskine Ramsay Hawkins was an American trumpet player and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is most remembered for composing the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction" with saxophonist and arranger Bill Johnson...
and His Orchestra (6 weeks)* - RCA VICTOR 20-1639 - April 21: "Mop! Mop!Mop! Mop!"Mop! Mop!" is a 1945 single by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five. "Mop! Mop!" was his fourth number one on the R&B Jukebox chart. The B-side, a novelty song, entitled "You Can't Get That No More" was successful on both the R&B Jukebox chart and pop chart....
" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (1 week) - DECCA 8668 - June 2: "CaldoniaCaldonia"Caldonia" is a jump blues song, first recorded in 1945 by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five. A version by Erskine Hawkins, also in 1945, was described by Billboard magazine as "rock and roll", the first time that phrase was used in print to describe any style of music.-Louis Jordan recording:In...
" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (7 weeks) - DECCA 8670 - July 14: "Who Threw the Whiskey in the WellWho Threw the Whiskey in the Well"Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well" is a 1945 song performed by Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra. With Wynonie Harris on vocals, "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well" became Lucky Millinder's most successful release on both the pop and R&B charts...
" — Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra (8 weeks) - DECCA 18674 - September 8: "The HoneydripperThe Honeydripper"The Honeydripper " is an R&B song by Joe Liggins which topped the US Billboard R&B chart for 18 weeks, from September 1945 to January 1946....
" (Parts 1 & 2) — Joe LigginsJoe LigginsJoe Liggins was an American R&B, jazz and blues pianist, who was the frontman in the 1940s and 1950s with the band, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers....
and His Honeydrippers (18 weeks) - EXCLUSIVE 207
1946
- January 12: "Buzz Me" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (9 weeks) - DECCA 18734
- March 16: "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-BopHey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop"Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" is a 1946 song by Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra. The song's lead vocals were performed by Lionel Hampton himself and featured Herbie Fields on alto sax. The song went to number one on the R&B Juke Box charts for sixteen non-consecutive weeks and reached number nine on the...
" — Lionel HamptonLionel HamptonLionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
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 SpotsThe Ink SpotsThe Ink Spots were a popular vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop...
(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'BoogieChoo Choo Ch'Boogie"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" is a popular song first recorded in January 1946 by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five. It topped the R&B charts for 18 weeks from August 1946, a record only equalled by one other hit, "The Honeydripper"...
" — 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
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 ChurchillSavannah ChurchillSavannah Churchill was a successful American singer of pop, jazz, and blues music in the 1940s and 1950s.-Career:...
and the Sentimentalists (8 weeks)* - MANOR 1046 - 24 May: "Old Maid Boogie" — Eddie VinsonEddie VinsonEddie "Cleanhead" Vinson was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed Cleanhead after an incident in which his hair was accidentally destroyed by lye contained in a hair straightening product.-Biography:Vinson was born in Houston, Texas...
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 LeeJulia Lee (musician)Julia Lee was an American blues and dirty blues musician.-Biography:Born in Boonville, Missouri, United States, Lee was raised in Kansas City, and began her musical career around 1920, singing and playing piano in her brother George Lee's band, which for a time also included Charlie Parker...
and Her Boy Friends (12 weeks)* - CAPITOL/AMERICANA 40028
1948
- 21 January: "I Love You Yes I Do" — Bull Moose JacksonBull Moose JacksonBenjamin Clarence "Bull Moose" Jackson was an American blues and rhythm and blues singer and saxophonist, who was most successful in the late 1940s.-Career:...
and His Buffalo Bearcats (3 weeks)* - KING 4181 - 20 March: "King Size PapaKing Size Papa"King Size Papa" is a 1948 novelty song by Julia Lee and her Boy Friends. The song, penned by Johnny Gomez and Paul Vance was released on the Capitol Americana label, catalog number, 40082. The song peaked at number one on the R&B charts and number fifteen on the national pop chart."King Size...
" — Julia LeeJulia Lee (musician)Julia Lee was an American blues and dirty blues musician.-Biography:Born in Boonville, Missouri, United States, Lee was raised in Kansas City, and began her musical career around 1920, singing and playing piano in her brother George Lee's band, which for a time also included Charlie Parker...
and Her Boy Friends (9 weeks) - CAPITOL/AMERICANA 40082 - 22 May: "Tomorrow Night" — Lonnie JohnsonLonnie JohnsonAlonzo "Lonnie" Johnson was an American blues and jazz singer/guitarist and songwriter who pioneered the role of jazz guitar and is recognized as the first to play single-string guitar solos...
(7 weeks)* - KING 4201 - 19 June: "Good Rockin' Tonight" — Wynonie HarrisWynonie HarrisWynonie Harris , born in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American blues shouter and rhythm and blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. With fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952, Harris is generally considered one of rock and roll's forerunners, influencing Elvis Presley...
(1 week) - KING 4210 - 10 July: "Long Gone" (Parts I & II) — Sonny ThompsonSonny ThompsonSonny Thompson was an American R&B bandleader and pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s.Born Alfonso Thompson in Centreville, Mississippi, he began recording in 1946, and in 1948 achieved two #1 R&B chart hits on the Miracle label – "Long Gone " and "Late Freight", both featuring saxophonist...
(3 weeks)* - MIRACLE 126 - 10 July: "Run Joe" — Louis JordanLouis JordanLouis Thomas Jordan was a pioneering American jazz, blues and rhythm & blues musician, songwriter and bandleader who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the...
and His Tympany FiveTympany FiveTympany Five was a successful rhythm and blues and jazz dance band founded by Louis Jordan in 1938. The group was composed of a horn section of three to five different pieces and also drums, double bass, guitar and piano. After playing in Chicago at the Capitol Lounge in 1941, Jordan and his band...
(2 weeks)* - DECCA 24448 - 24 July: "I Can't Go on Without You" — Bull Moose JacksonBull Moose JacksonBenjamin Clarence "Bull Moose" Jackson was an American blues and rhythm and blues singer and saxophonist, who was most successful in the late 1940s.-Career:...
and His Buffalo Bearcats (8 weeks) - KING 4230 - 4 September: "Messin' Around" — Memphis SlimMemphis SlimMemphis Slim was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxophones, bass, drums, and piano. A song he first cut in 1947, "Every Day I Have the Blues", has become a blues standard, recorded by many other...
and His House Rockers (2 weeks)* - MIRACLE 125 - 11 September: "My Heart Belongs to You" — Arbee StidhamArbee StidhamArbee Stidham was an American blues singer and multi-instrumentalist, most successful in the late 1940s and 1950s....
(1 week) - RCA VICTOR 20-2572 - 18 September: "Pretty Mama Blues" — Ivory Joe HunterIvory Joe HunterIvory Joe Hunter was an American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid 1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recording, "Since I Met You Baby" . He was billed as The Baron of the Boogie, and also known as The...
(3 weeks) - 4 STAR 1254 - 2 October: "Corn Bread" — Hal SingerHal SingerHarold Joseph "Hal" Singer is an American R&B and jazz bandleader and saxophonist.-Biography:Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Singer studied violin as a child but, as a teenager, switched to clarinet and then tenor saxophone, which became his instrument of choice...
Sextette (4 weeks)* - SAVOY 671 - 2 October: "Late Freight" — Sonny Thompson QuintetSonny ThompsonSonny Thompson was an American R&B bandleader and pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s.Born Alfonso Thompson in Centreville, Mississippi, he began recording in 1946, and in 1948 achieved two #1 R&B chart hits on the Miracle label – "Long Gone " and "Late Freight", both featuring saxophonist...
(1 week) - MIRACLE 128 - 9 October: "Am I Asking Too Much" — Dinah WashingtonDinah WashingtonDinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...
(1 week) - MERCURY 8095 - 6 November: "Blues After Hours" — Pee Wee CraytonPee Wee CraytonConnie Curtis Crayton , known as Pee Wee Crayton, was an American R&B and blues guitarist and singer.-Career:...
(3 weeks)* - MODERN 624 - 27 November: "It's Too Soon to KnowIt's Too Soon To Know"It’s Too Soon To Know" is an American doo-wop ballad by Deborah Chessler, performed first by The Orioles. It was number one on the American Rhythm and blues charts in November of 1948...
" — The OriolesThe OriolesThe Orioles were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound....
(1 week) - JUBILEE 5000 - 4 December: "Chicken-Shack Boogie" — Amos MilburnAmos MilburnAmos Milburn was an African American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, popular during the 1940s and 1950s...
(5 weeks)* - ALADDIN 3014 - 4 December: "BewilderedBewildered"Bewildered" is a popular song written in 1936 by Teddy Powell and Leonard Whitcup. It was a 1938 hit for Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, and was also recorded by Mildred Bailey in the same year. The song was revived in the late forties when two different versions, by the Red Miller Trio and Amos...
" — Red MillerRed MillerRobert "Red" Miller is a former professional football coach with the Denver Broncos.- Early life and career :Miller was born and raised in Macomb, Illinois and attended Macomb Public Schools and Western Illinois University, where he was later a star player and coach for the Leathernecks football...
Trio (5 weeks)* - BULLET 295 - 18 December: "'Long About Midnight" — Roy BrownRoy Brown (blues musician)Roy James Brown was an American R&B singer, songwriter and musician, who had an influence on the early development of rock and roll music. His "Good Rocking Tonight" was covered by Wynonie Harris, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone, and the rock group Montrose. In addition,...
(1 week) - DELUXE 1154 - 25 December: "Bewildered" — Amos MilburnAmos MilburnAmos Milburn was an African American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, popular during the 1940s and 1950s...
(3 weeks)* - ALADDIN 3018
1949
- 19 February: "Boogie ChillenBoogie Chillen"Boogie Chillen" is an electric blues song written by John Lee Hooker. It is considered one of the genre's most important and influential recordings for the forthcoming rock 'n' roll.-Origins:...
" — John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
(1 week) - MODERN 627 - 19 February: "The Deacon's Hop" — Big Jay McNeelyBig Jay McNeelyBig Jay McNeely is an American rhythm and blues saxophonist.-Biography:...
's Blue Jays (1 week) - SAVOY 685 - 5 May: "The Huckle-Buck" — Paul WilliamsPaul Williams (saxophonist)Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams was an American blues and rhythm and blues saxophonist and songwriter. In his Honkers and Shouters, Arnold Shaw credits Williams as one of the first to employ the honking tenor sax solo that became the hallmark of rhythm and blues and rock and roll in the 1950s and...
and His Hucklebuckers (14 weeks)* - SAVOY 683 - 4 June: "Trouble Blues" — The Charles BrownCharles Brown (musician)Charles Brown , born in Texas City, Texas was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s...
Trio (15 weeks) - ALADDIN 3024 - 20 August: "Ain't Nobody's Business" (Parts 1 & 2) — Jimmy WitherspoonJimmy WitherspoonJimmy Witherspoon was an American jump blues singer.-Early life and career:James Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. He first attracted attention singing with Teddy Weatherford's band in Calcutta, India, which made regular radio broadcasts over the U. S. Armed Forces Radio Service during...
(1 week) - SUPREME 1506 - 10 September: "Roomin' House Boogie" — Amos MilburnAmos MilburnAmos Milburn was an African American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, popular during the 1940s and 1950s...
(2 weeks) - ALADDIN 3032 - 17 September: "All She Wants to Do Is Rock" — Wynonie HarrisWynonie HarrisWynonie Harris , born in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American blues shouter and rhythm and blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. With fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952, Harris is generally considered one of rock and roll's forerunners, influencing Elvis Presley...
(2 weeks)* - KING 4304 - 17 September: "Tell Me So" — The OriolesThe OriolesThe Orioles were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound....
(1 week) - JUBILEE 5005 - 24 September: "Baby Get Lost" — Dinah WashingtonDinah WashingtonDinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...
(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 FrySaturday Night Fish FrySaturday Night Fish Fry is a popular song, written by Louis Jordan and Ellis Lawrence Walsh , best known through the version recorded by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five....
" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (12 weeks)* - DECCA 24725 - 24 December: "For You My Love" — Larry DarnellLarry DarnellLarry Darnell was a successful American singer who was instrumental in the formation of the New Orleans style of R&B in the late 1940s and early 1950s....
(8 weeks)* - REGAL 3240
1950
- 18 February: "I Almost Lost My MindI Almost Lost My Mind"I Almost Lost My Mind" is a popular song. It was written by Ivory Joe Hunter and was published in 1950. Hunter's recording of the song was a number one hit on the US Billboard R&B chart in that year....
" — Ivory Joe HunterIvory Joe HunterIvory Joe Hunter was an American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid 1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recording, "Since I Met You Baby" . He was billed as The Baron of the Boogie, and also known as The...
(5 weeks)* - M-G-M 10578 - 4 March: "Double Crossing BluesDouble Crossing Blues"Double Crossing Blues is a 1950 collaborative song by Johnny Otis Quintette, The Robins, and Little Esther. The single went to number one on the R&B chart...
" — Johnny OtisJohnny OtisJohnny Otis is an American singer, musician, talent scout, disc jockey, composer, arranger, recording artist, record producer, vibraphonist, drummer, percussionist, bandleader, and impresario.He is commonly referred to as The Godfather Of Rhythm And Blues.-Personal life:Otis, the son of Alexander...
Quintette, The Robins, and Little Esther (9 weeks) - SAVOY 731 - 15 April: "Mistrusting BluesMistrusting Blues"Mistrusting Blues" is a 1950 single by the Johnny Otis Orchesta. The single featured Little Esther and Mel Walker on vocals and was the second collaboration for Johnny Otis and Little Esther. "Mistrusting Blues" became their second number one on the R&B chart, which it topped for four...
" — Little Esther with Mel WalkerMel WalkerMelvin Lightsey , known professionally as Mel Walker, was an American R&B singer best known for his recordings in the early 1950s as lead male singer with the Johnny Otis Orchestra....
and the Johnny Otis Orchestra (4 weeks) - SAVOY 735 - 13 May: "I Need You So" —Ivory Joe Hunter (2 weeks) - M-G-M 10663
- 27 May: "Pink Champagne" — Joe LigginsJoe LigginsJoe Liggins was an American R&B, jazz and blues pianist, who was the frontman in the 1940s and 1950s with the band, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers....
and His Honeydrippers (13 weeks)* - SPECIALTY 355 - 8 July: "Cupid Boogie" — Johnny Otis Orchestra, Little Esther, and Mel Walker (1 week) - SAVOY 750
- 19 August: "Hard Luck Blues" — Roy BrownRoy Brown (blues musician)Roy James Brown was an American R&B singer, songwriter and musician, who had an influence on the early development of rock and roll music. His "Good Rocking Tonight" was covered by Wynonie Harris, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone, and the rock group Montrose. In addition,...
(3 weeks) - DELUXE 3304 - 2 September: "Mona LisaMona Lisa (Nat King Cole song)"Mona Lisa" is a song written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the Paramount Pictures film Captain Carey, U.S.A. . It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 1950. The arrangement was by Nelson Riddle and the orchestral backing was played by Les Baxter and his Orchestra...
" — Nat "King" Cole (4 weeks) - CAPITOL 1010 - 9 September: "Blue Light Boogie" (Parts 1 & 2) — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (7 weeks) - DECCA 27114
- 28 October: "Blue Shadows" — Lowell FulsonLowell FulsonLowell Fulson was a big-voiced blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. Fulson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recorded for business reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom...
(4 weeks) - SWING TIME 226 - 4 November: "Anytime — Any Place — Anywhere" — Joe MorrisJoe Morris (trumpeter)Joe Morris was an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter and bandleader.Born in Montgomery, Alabama, United States, Morris began his career as a jazz trumpeter, working and recording with Earl Bostic, Milt Buckner, Arnett Cobb, Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Griffin, Buddy Rich, Dinah Washington,...
and His Orchestra (4 weeks)* - ATLANTIC 914 - 25 November: "Please Send Me Someone to LovePlease Send Me Someone to Love"Please Send Me Someone to Love" is a blues ballad, written and recorded by Percy Mayfield in 1950, on Art Rupe's Specialty Records label. It was on the R&B chart for 27 weeks and reached the number one position and was his most successful song...
" — Percy MayfieldPercy MayfieldPercy Mayfield was an American songwriter famous for the songs "Hit the Road Jack" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love", as well as a successful rhythm and blues artist known for his smooth vocal style.-Career:...
(2 weeks)* - SPECIALTY 375 - 9 December: "Teardrops from My EyesTeardrops from My Eyes"Teardrops from My Eyes", written by Rudy Toombs, was the first upbeat major hit for Ruth Brown, establishing her as an important figure in rhythm and blues. Recorded for Atlantic Records in New York City in September 1950, and released in October, it was on BillBoard's List of number-one R&B hits...
" — Ruth BrownRuth BrownRuth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
(11 weeks)* - ATLANTIC 919
1951
- 6 January: "Bad, Bad Whiskey" — Amos MilburnAmos MilburnAmos Milburn was an African American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, popular during the 1940s and 1950s...
(3 weeks)* - ALADDIN 3068 - 3 March: "Black Night" — Charles BrownCharles Brown (musician)Charles Brown , born in Texas City, Texas was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s...
(14 weeks) - ALADDIN 3076 - 9 June: "Rocket 88Rocket 88"Rocket 88" is a rhythm and blues song that was first recorded at Sam Phillips' recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on 3 March or 5 March 1951...
" — 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 ManSixty Minute Man"Sixty Minute Man" is a rhythm and blues record released in 1951 by The Dominoes. It was written by Billy Ward and Rose Marks and was one of the first R&B hit records to cross over to become a pop hit on the pop charts...
" — The Dominoes (14 weeks)* - FEDERAL 12022 - 1 September: "Don’t You Know I Love You" — The CloversThe Clovers-History:The group formed in 1946 at Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C., with members Harold Lucas, Billy Shelton, and Thomas Woods. John "Buddy" Bailey was added soon after, and they began calling themselves the "Four Clovers", with Bailey on lead...
(2 weeks) - ATLANTIC 934 - 22 September: "The Glory of Love" — The Five KeysThe Five KeysThe Five Keys is an American rhythm and blues vocal group that was instrumental in shaping this genre in the 1950s.It was formed with the original name of Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, U.S., in the late 1940s, and initially consisted of two sets of brothers - Rudy West and Bernie...
(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 CloversThe Clovers-History:The group formed in 1946 at Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C., with members Harold Lucas, Billy Shelton, and Thomas Woods. John "Buddy" Bailey was added soon after, and they began calling themselves the "Four Clovers", with Bailey on lead...
(6 weeks)* - ATLANTIC 944 - 10 November: "I Got Loaded" — "Peppermint" HarrisPeppermint HarrisHarrison D. Nelson Jr. known as Peppermint Harris, was an American rhythm and blues and jump blues singer and guitarist....
(2 weeks)* - ALADDIN 3097 - 17 November: "I'm in the Mood" — John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
(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
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 TrainNight Train (song)"Night Train" is a twelve bar blues instrumental standard first recorded by Jimmy Forrest in 1951.-Origins and development:"Night Train" has a long and complicated history. The piece's opening riff was first recorded in 1940 by a small group led by Duke Ellington sideman Johnny Hodges under the...
" — Jimmy Forrest (7 weeks) - UNITED 110 - March 15 "Booted" — Roscoe Gordon (1 week) - CHESS 1487
- May 3 "5–10–15 Hours" — Ruth BrownRuth BrownRuth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
(7 weeks) - ATLANTIC 962 - June 14 "Have Mercy BabyHave Mercy Baby"Have Mercy Baby" is a popular rhythm and blues song, written by Billy Ward and Rose Marks, recorded by The Dominoes in Cincinnati, produced by Ralph Bass, and released by Federal Records in 1952...
" — The Dominoes (10 weeks)* - FEDERAL 12068 - June 21 "Goin' Home" — Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
(1 week) - IMPERIAL 5180 - July 12 "Lawdy Miss ClawdyLawdy Miss Clawdy"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" is a song by Lloyd Price. It was first recorded by Price at the New Orleans recording studio of Specialty Records in March 1952. It was released under the Specialty label in April and was number one on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart for seven weeks and stayed on the chart...
" — Lloyd PriceLloyd PriceLloyd Price is an American R&B vocalist. Known as "Mr. Personality", after the name of one of his biggest million-selling hits...
(7 weeks)* - SPECIALTY 428 - August 23 "Mary Jo" — Four Blazes (3 weeks) - UNITED 114
- September 6 "Ting-a-Ling" — The CloversThe Clovers-History:The group formed in 1946 at Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C., with members Harold Lucas, Billy Shelton, and Thomas Woods. John "Buddy" Bailey was added soon after, and they began calling themselves the "Four Clovers", with Bailey on lead...
(1 week) - ATLANTIC 969 - September 27 "My Song" — Johnny AceJohnny AceJohnny Ace , born John Marshall Alexander, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, was an American rhythm and blues singer. He scored a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s before dying of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound....
(9 weeks) - DUKE 102 - September 27 "Juke" — Little WalterLittle WalterLittle Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs , was an American blues harmonica player, whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix, for innovation and impact on succeeding generations...
(8 weeks)* - CHECKER 758 - November 8 "Five Long YearsFive Long Years"Five Long Years" is a song written and recorded by blues vocalist/pianist Eddie Boyd in 1952. Called one of the "few postwar blues standards [that has] retained universal appeal", Boyd's "Five Long Years" reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart...
" — Eddie BoydEddie BoydEdward Riley Boyd known as Eddie Boyd was an American blues piano player, born on Stovall's Plantation near Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States.-Life and career:...
(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
1953
- 21 February: "Baby Don't Do It" — The "5" Royales (3 weeks) - APOLLO 443
- 7 March: "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" — Ruth BrownRuth BrownRuth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
(5 weeks) - ATLANTIC 986 - 18 April: "Hound DogHound Dog (song)"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known...
" — 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 AceJohnny AceJohnny Ace , born John Marshall Alexander, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, was an American rhythm and blues singer. He scored a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s before dying of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound....
(5 weeks)* - DUKE 112 - 22 August: "Crying in the ChapelCrying in the Chapel"Crying in the Chapel" is a song written by Artie Glenn for his son Darrell to sing. Darrell recorded it while still in high school in 1953, along with Artie's band the Rhythm Riders. It became a local hit and publishers got a hold of it and it went nationwide. He released the original version as...
" — The OriolesThe OriolesThe Orioles were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound....
(5 weeks)* - JUBILEE 5122 - 19 September: "Shake a HandShake a Hand"Shake a Hand" is a 1953 single written by trumpeter and bandleader Joe Morris and originally performed by Faye Adams, whose version hit number one on the R&B chart for nine weeks.-Cover versions:*Red Foley...
" — Faye AdamsFaye AdamsFaye Adams is an American vocalist.-Early years:She was the daughter of David Tuell, a gospel singer and a key figure in the Church of God in Christ...
(10 weeks)* - HERALD 416 - 21 November: "Money Honey" — Clyde McPhatterClyde McPhatterClyde McPhatter was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question"...
and The DriftersThe DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
(11 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1006 - 5 December: "Honey HushHoney Hush"Honey Hush", written by Big Joe Turner , was recorded in May 1953 in New Orleans, Louisiana and released that August by Atlantic Records. It was a number-one song on the U.S...
" — Big Joe TurnerBig Joe TurnerBig Joe Turner was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Although he came to his greatest fame in the 1950s with his pioneering rock and roll recordings, particularly "Shake, Rattle and...
(8 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1001
1954
- 30 January: "The Things That I Used to DoThe Things That I Used to Do"The Things That I Used to Do" is a blues song written by Guitar Slim and his 1953 recording of it in New Orleans, was arranged and produced by a young Ray Charles. It was released on Specialty Records in 1954 to become a bestseller...
" — Guitar SlimGuitar SlimEddie Jones , better known as Guitar Slim, was a New Orleans blues guitarist, from the 1940s and 1950s, best known for the million-selling song, produced by Johnny Vincent at Specialty Records, "The Things That I Used to Do"...
(14 weeks) - SPECIALTY 482 - 6 February: "I'll Be TrueI'll Be True"I"ll Be True" is a 1953 song by Faye Adams. Faye Adams' second R&B chart entry resulted a second number one on the chart. "I'll Be True" stayed at number one for one week and was backed by the Joe Morris Orchestra.-References:...
" — Faye Adams (1 week) - HERALD 419 - 27 March: "You'll Never Walk AloneYou'll Never Walk Alone (song)"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...
" — Roy HamiltonRoy HamiltonRoy Hamilton was an American singer, who achieved major success in the US R&B and pop charts in the 1950s...
(8 weeks) - EPIC 9015 - 22 May: "Work With Me, AnnieWork with Me, Annie"Work With Me, Annie" is a 12-bar blues with words and music by Hank Ballard. It was recorded by Hank Ballard & the Midnighters in Cincinnati on the Federal Records label on January 14, 1954, and released the following month...
" — The Midnighters (7 weeks) - FEDERAL 12169 - 12 June: "Shake, Rattle and RollShake, Rattle and Roll"Shake, Rattle and Roll" is a prototypical twelve bar blues-form rock and roll song, written in 1954 by Jesse Stone under his assumed songwriting name Charles E. Calhoun. It was originally recorded by Big Joe Turner, and most successfully by Bill Haley & His Comets...
" — Big Joe TurnerBig Joe TurnerBig Joe Turner was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to the songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." Although he came to his greatest fame in the 1950s with his pioneering rock and roll recordings, particularly "Shake, Rattle and...
(3 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1026 - 10 July: "Honey LoveHoney Love (The Drifters song)"Honey Love" is a 1954 song by The Drifters featuring Clyde McPhatter. "Honey Love" was the group's third single release, fourth release on the charts and second number one single on the R&B chart.-See also:...
" — The DriftersThe DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
feat. Clyde McPhatterClyde McPhatterClyde McPhatter was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question"...
(8 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1029 - 4 September: "Oh What a DreamOh What a Dream"Oh What a Dream" is a 1954 blues song written by Chuck Willis and originally performed by Ruth Brown backed by members of The Drifters...
" — Ruth BrownRuth BrownRuth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
(8 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1036 - 25 September: "Annie Had a Baby" — The Midnighters (2 weeks) - FEDERAL 12195
- 16 October: "It Hurts Me to My HeartIt Hurts Me to My Heart"It Hurts Me to My Heart" is a 1954 single by Faye Adams. The song, written by Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton, would be the final of Adams's three number ones on the R&B Best Sellers chart in the United States.-References:...
" — Faye Adams (5 weeks) - HERALD 435 - 20 November: "Mambo BabyMambo Baby"Mambo Baby" is a 1954 single by Ruth Brown and Her Rhythmmakers. The single would Ruth Brown's last number one on the R&B Best Sellers chart, where it spent one week....
" — Ruth Brown (1 week) - ATLANTIC 1044 - 27 November: "Hearts of StoneHearts of Stone"Hearts of Stone" is an American R&B song. It was written by Rudy Jackson, a member of the San Bernardino, California-based rhythm and blues vocal group the Jewels which first recorded it for the R&B label in 1954...
" — The Charms (9 weeks) - DELUXE 6062 - 25 December: "You Upset Me Baby" — B.B. King (2 weeks) - RPM 416
1955
- 15 January: "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" — The PenguinsThe PenguinsThe Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, "Earth Angel ", which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts...
(3 weeks) - DOOTONE 348 - 22 January: "Sincerely" — The Moonglows (2 weeks)* - CHESS 1581
- 12 February: "Pledging My LovePledging My Love"Pledging My Love" is a blues ballad. It was written by Ferdinand Washington and Don Robey and published in 1954.The song's theme is captured in the title and the opening lines:-Johnny Ace:The most popular recording of the song was done by Johnny Ace...
" — Johnny AceJohnny AceJohnny Ace , born John Marshall Alexander, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, was an American rhythm and blues singer. He scored a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s before dying of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound....
(10 weeks)* - DUKE 136 - 9 April: "The WallflowerThe Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)"The Wallflower" is a popular song. It was one of several answer songs to "Work With Me Annie" and has the same 12-bar blues melody....
" — Etta JamesEtta JamesEtta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
(4 weeks)* - MODERN 947 - 23 April: "My BabeMy Babe"My Babe" is a blues song and a blues standard written by Willie Dixon for Little Walter. Released in 1955 on Checker Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, the song was the only Dixon composition ever to become a no...
" — Little WalterLittle WalterLittle Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs , was an American blues harmonica player, whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix, for innovation and impact on succeeding generations...
(5 weeks)* - CHECKER 811 - 7 May: "I Got a WomanI Got a Woman"I Got a Woman" is a song co-written and recorded by American R&B/soul musician Ray Charles and released as a single in December 1954 on the Atlantic label as Atlantic 45-1050 b/w "Come Back Baby." Both sides later appeared on his 1957 album Ray Charles .-Origin:The song builds on...
" — Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
(1 week) - ATLANTIC 1050 - 21 May: "Unchained MelodyUnchained Melody"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
" — Roy Hamilton (3 weeks) - EPIC 9102 - 11 June: "Ain't That a ShameAin't That a Shame"Ain't That a Shame" is a song recorded by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Imperial Records and released in 1955. It was previously recorded in 1901 by Silas Leachman. The recording was a hit for Domino, eventually selling a million copies. It reached #1 on the...
" — Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
(1 week) - IMPERIAL 5348 - 18 June: "Unchained MelodyUnchained Melody"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
" — Al Hibbler (1 week) - DECCA 29441 - 25 June: "Bo DiddleyBo Diddley (song)"Bo Diddley" is a rhythm and blues song first recorded and sung by Bo Diddley at the Universal Recording Studio in Chicago and released on the Chess Records subsidiary, Checker Records in 1955. It became an immediate hit single that stayed on the R&B charts for a total of 18 weeks, 2 of those weeks...
" — Bo DiddleyBo DiddleyEllas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
(2 weeks)* - CHECKER 814 - 6 August: "A Fool for YouA Fool for You"A Fool for You" was a bluesy, proto-soul single recording written by Ray Charles and released by him in 1955 on the Atlantic label.-Personnel:*Lead vocal and piano by Ray Charles*Instrumentation by the Ray Charles band*Produced by Jerry Wexler-Covers:...
" — Ray Charles (1 week) - ATLANTIC 1063 - 20 August: "MaybelleneMaybellene"Maybellene" is a song recorded by Chuck Berry, adapted from the traditional fiddle tune "Ida Red" that tells the story of a hot rod race and a broken romance. It was released in July 1955 as a single on Chess Records of Chicago, Illinois. It was Berry's first single release and his first hit...
" — Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
(11 weeks) - CHESS 1604 - 22 October: "Only You (and You Alone)Only You (And You Alone)"Only You " is a pop song composed by Buck Ram. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters, with lead vocals by Tony Williams, in 1955....
" — The PlattersThe PlattersThe Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
(7 weeks) - MERCURY 70633 - 29 October: "All by Myself" — Fats Domino (3 weeks) - IMPERIAL 5357
- 17 December: "Hands Off" — Jay McShannJay McShannJay McShann was an American Grammy Award-nominated jump blues, mainstream jazz, and swing bandleader, pianist and singer....
and His Orchestra (3 weeks) - VEE JAY 155 - 31 December: "Poor Me" — Fats Domino (1 week) - IMPERIAL 5369
- 31 December: "Adorable" — The DriftersThe DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
(1 week) - ATLANTIC 1078
1956
- 7 January: "The Great PretenderThe Great Pretender"The Great Pretender" is a popular song recorded by The Platters, with Tony Williams on lead vocals, and released as a single on November 3, 1955. The words and music were created by Buck Ram, the Platters' manager and producer who was a successful songwriter before moving into producing and...
" — The PlattersThe PlattersThe Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
(11 weeks)* - MERCURY 70753 - 7 January: "At My Front Door" — The El DoradosThe El DoradosThe El Dorados were an American doo-wop group, who achieved their greatest success with the song "At My Front Door", a no. 1 hit on the R&B chart in 1955.-Career:...
(1 week)* - VEE JAY 147 - 17 March: Why Do Fools Fall in LoveWhy Do Fools Fall in Love (song)"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a song that was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers in 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 6 on Billboards Pop Singles chart, and number one on the UK Singles Chart...
- Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers (5 weeks) - GEE 10020 - 24 March: Drown in My Own TearsDrown in My Own Tears"Drown in My Own Tears" is a 1956 Blues single, written by Henry Glover and released by the singers Ray Charles & Dinah Washington on the Atlantic & EmArcy record labels respectively....
- Ray Charles (2 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1085 - 14 April: Long Tall SallyLong Tall Sally"Long Tall Sally" is a rock and roll 12-bar blues song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson and Richard Penniman , recorded by Little Richard and released March 1956 on the Specialty Records label....
- Little RichardLittle RichardRichard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
(8 weeks) - SPECIALTY 572 - 19 May: I'm in Love Again - Fats Domino (9 weeks)* - IMPERIAL 5386
- 21 July: FeverFever (1956 song)"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958....
- Little Willie JohnLittle Willie JohnWilliam Edward John was better known by his stage name Little Willie John. Many sources erroneously give his second name as Edgar...
(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 PrayerMy Prayer"My Prayer" is a 1939 popular song with music by the famous salon violinist Georges Boulanger and lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy. It was originally written by Boulanger with the title "Avant de Mourir" in 1926. The lyrics for this version were added by Kennedy in 1939. Glenn Miller recorded the song that...
- 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 RollLet the Good Times Roll (song)"Let the Good Times Roll" is a song that was recorded by Shirley and Lee in 1956. This song was written by the duo, Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee, and by September 8, 1956 had climbed to #20 in the US charts....
- 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 HillBlueberry Hill (song)"Blueberry Hill" is a popular song published in 1940 best remembered for its 1950s rock n' roll version by Fats Domino. The music was written by Vincent Rose, the lyrics by Al Lewis. It was recorded six times in 1940...
- Fats Domino (11 weeks)* - IMPERIAL 5407
1957
- 1/5 Since I Met You BabySince I Met You Baby (song)"Since I Met You Baby" is an American rhythm and blues song written and recorded by pianist Ivory Joe Hunter. The song, which Hunter recorded in 1956, became an American standard, and saw renewed popularity in 1969 when country music artist Sonny James released his hit version.-Song...
- Ivory Joe HunterIvory Joe HunterIvory Joe Hunter was an American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid 1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recording, "Since I Met You Baby" . He was billed as The Baron of the Boogie, and also known as The...
(3 weeks) - ATLANTIC 1111 - 1/26 Blue MondayBlue Monday (Fats Domino song)"Blue Monday" is a song originally written by Dave Bartholomew, and first recorded by Smiley Lewis in 1954.It was later popularized in a recording by Fats Domino in 1956, on Imperial Records , on which the songwriting credit was shared between Bartholomew and Domino. Most later versions have...
- Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
(8 weeks)* - IMPERIAL 5417 - 3/9 Jim DandyJim Dandy (song)"Jim Dandy" is a song written by Lincoln Chase, and was first recorded by American R&B singer LaVern Baker in 1956. It reached the top of the R&B chart and #17 on the pop charts in the U.S...
- LaVern BakerLaVern BakerLaVern Baker was an American rhythm and blues singer, who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" , "Jim Dandy" , and "I Cried a Tear" .-Early life:She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois...
(1 week) - ATLANTIC 1116 - 3/16 Love Is StrangeLove Is Strange"Love Is Strange" was a crossover hit by American rhythm and blues duet Mickey & Sylvia, which was released in late November 1956 by the Groove record label.The song was based on a guitar riff by Jody Williams. The co-writers of the song are of some dispute...
- Mickey and Sylvia (2 weeks) - GROOVE 0175 - 3/23 I'm Walkin' - Fats Domino (6 weeks) - IMPERIAL 5417
- 4/27 LucilleLucille (Little Richard song)"Lucille" is a 1957 rock and roll song which was one of Little Richard's international hits.Released on Specialty Records in February 1957, Little Richard's single made number 21 on the US pop chart, and number 10 on the UK chart...
- Little Richard (2 weeks) - SPECIALTY 598 - 4/29 School Day - Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
(5 weeks)* - CHESS 1653 - 4/29 All Shook UpAll Shook Up"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and composed by Otis Blackwell. Elvis Presley's single topped the U.S. Pop chart on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to...
- Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
(4 weeks) - RCA VICTOR 20-6870 - 6/3 Young BloodYoung Blood"Young Blood" is a song written by the songwriting team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, together with Doc Pomus, in 1957.The song was included in the musical revue Smokey Joe's Cafe.-Structure:...
- The CoastersThe CoastersThe Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
(1 week) - ATCO 6087 - 6/10 Searchin' - The CoastersThe CoastersThe Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
(12 weeks) - ATCO 6087 - 6/17 C.C. Rider - Chuck WillisChuck WillisHarold "Chuck" Willis was an American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll singer and songwriter. His biggest hits, "C. C. Rider" and "What Am I Living For" , both reached no. 1 in the Billboard R&B chart...
(2 weeks)* - ATLANTIC 1130 - 7/29 Short Fat Fannie - Larry WilliamsLarry WilliamsLarry Williams was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana...
(1 week) - SPECIALTY 638 - 8/19 Send For Me - Nat "King" Cole (2 weeks) - CAPITOL 3737
- 9/2 Further Up the Road - Bobby "Blue" Bland (2 weeks)* - DUKE 170
- 9/2 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley (1 week) - RCA VICTOR 47-7000
- 9/9 Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On - Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
(2 weeks) - SUN 267 - 9/16 Long Lonely Nights - Clyde McPhatterClyde McPhatterClyde McPhatter was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question"...
(1 week) - ATLANTIC 1149 - 9/23 DianaDiana (song)"Diana" is a song written and made famous by Paul Anka in 1957. It was inspired by a high school friend named Diana Ayoub. The original Paul Anka 1957 recording reached number one on the Billboard "Best Sellers In Stores" chart and has reportedly sold over 9 million copies...
- Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
(2 weeks) - ABC/PARAMOUNT 9831 - 9/30 Mr. Lee - The BobbettesThe BobbettesThe Bobbettes were an R&B girl group who had a 1957 top 10 hit song called "Mr. Lee." The group included Jannie and Emma Pought, Reather Dixon, Lara Webb, and Helen Gather.-History:...
(4 weeks)* - ATLANTIC 1144 - 10/7 HoneycombHoneycomb (song)"Honeycomb" is a popular song written by Bob Merrill in 1954. The best-selling version was recorded by Jimmie Rodgers and charted at number one on the Billboard Top 100 in 1957. "Honeycomb" also reached number one on the R&B Best Sellers chart and number seven on the Country & Western Best Sellers...
- Jimmie RodgersJimmie Rodgers (pop singer)James Frederick "Jimmie" Rodgers is an American singer. He is not related to the country singer of the same name.-Career:...
(2 weeks) - ROULETTE 4015 - 10/21 Jailhouse RockJailhouse Rock (song)"Jailhouse Rock" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. The song was released as a 45rpm single on September 24, 1957, to coincide with the release of Presley's motion picture, Jailhouse Rock...
- Elvis Presley (5 weeks) - RCA VICTOR 47-7035 - 10/28 Wake Up Little SusieWake Up Little Susie"Wake Up Little Susie" is a popular song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and published in 1957.The song is best known in a recording by The Everly Brothers, issued by Cadence Records as catalog number 1337...
- The Everly BrothersThe Everly BrothersThe Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
(1 week) - CADENCE 1337 - 11/25 You Send MeYou Send Me-Background:Cooke made a demo recording of "You Send Me" featuring only his own guitar accompaniment in the winter of 1955. The first recording of the track was made in New Orleans in December 1956 in the same sessions which produced "Lovable", the first release outside the gospel field for Cooke...
- Sam CookeSam CookeSamuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
(6 weeks) - KEEN 34013
1958
- 1/6 At the HopAt the Hop"At the Hop" is a hit rock 'n' roll song written by Arthur Singer, John Medora and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was released in the fall of 1957, and reached number one on the US charts on January 6, 1958, thus becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958...
- Danny & the JuniorsDanny & the JuniorsDanny & The Juniors were a doo-wop quartet from Philadelphia comprising Danny Rapp, Dave White, Frank Maffei and Joe Terranova. Formed in 1955, they are most widely recognized for their hit single "At the Hop", which was released in 1957...
(5 weeks) - ABC/PARAMOUNT 9871 - 1/6 RaunchyRaunchy (song)"Raunchy" is the name of an American rock and roll instrumental hit from 1957. It was recorded by Bill Justis and his band in Memphis, Tennessee, and co-written by Justis and Sid Manker....
- Ernie FreemanErnie FreemanErnie Freeman was an American pianist, organist and arranger.In 1935 he began playing in local Cleveland area nightclubs, and also formed a classical music trio for local social functions with his father and his sister Evelyn...
(2 weeks) - IMPERIAL 5474 - 1/20 Raunchy - Bill JustisBill JustisWilliam E. "Bill" Justis Jr. was an American pioneer rock and roll musician, composer, and musical arranger, best known for his 1957 Grammy Hall of Fame song, "Raunchy."-Biography:...
And His Orchestra (1 week) - PHILLIPS INTERNATIONAL 3519 - 1/27 I'll Come Running Back to You - Sam CookeSam CookeSamuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
(1 week) - SPECIALTY 619 - 2/3 Get a JobGet a Job (song)"Get a Job" is one of the best known doo-wop songs of the 1950s. Recorded by The Silhouettes in October 1957, the song reached the number one spot on the Billboard pop and R&B singles charts in February 1958....
- The SilhouettesThe SilhouettesThe Silhouettes were an American doo wop/R&B group whose single "Get A Job" was a #1 hit on the Billboard R&B singles chart and pop singles chart in 1958. The doo-wop revival group Sha Na Na derived their name from the song's lyrics. "Get A Job"' is included in the soundtracks of the movies,...
(6 weeks) - EMBER 1029 - 3/10 Sweet Little SixteenSweet Little Sixteen"Sweet Little Sixteen" is a rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry, who released it as a single in January 1958. It reached number two on the American charts, Berry's highest position ever on the charts, with the exception of the suggestive number one hit "My...
- Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
(3 weeks) - CHESS 1683 - 3/31 TequilaTequila (song)"Tequila" is a 1958 Latin-flavored rock and roll song recorded by the group, the Champs. The title of the song constitutes the entirety of the lyrics, and is spoken a total of three times during the course of the song. "Tequila" became a #1 hit on both the pop and R&B charts at the time of its...
- The ChampsThe ChampsThe Champs were an American rock and roll band, most famous for their Latin-tinged instrumental "Tequila". Formed by studio executives at Gene Autry's Challenge Records to record a B-Side for the Dave Burgess single, the intended throwaway track became more famous than its A-Side, "Train to...
(4 weeks) - CHALLENGE 1016 - 4/28 Twilight TimeTwilight Time (song)"Twilight Time" is a popular song with lyrics by Buck Ram, and the music by The Three Suns .Original hits of "Twilight Time" included the Three Suns and Les Brown & His Band of Renown ....
- The PlattersThe PlattersThe Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
(3 weeks) - MERCURY 71289 - 5/5 Wear My Ring Around Your Neck - Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
(3 weeks) - RCA VICTOR 47-7240 - 5/19 All I Have to Do Is DreamAll I Have to Do Is Dream"All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a popular song made famous by the Everly Brothers, written by the husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and published in 1958. The song is ranked No...
- The Everly BrothersThe Everly BrothersThe Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
(5 weeks) - CADENCE 1348 - 5/26 Witch DoctorWitch Doctor"Witch Doctor" is a song written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., and released in 1958 by Liberty Records under the name David Seville, a character whom Bagdasarian portrayed.-Song information:...
- David Seville (1 week) - LIBERTY 55132 - 6/23 Yakety YakYakety Yak"Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list...
- The CoastersThe CoastersThe Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
(7 weeks) - ATCO 6116 - 6/23 What Am I Living For - Chuck WillisChuck WillisHarold "Chuck" Willis was an American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll singer and songwriter. His biggest hits, "C. C. Rider" and "What Am I Living For" , both reached no. 1 in the Billboard R&B chart...
(1 week) - ATLANTIC 1179 - 8/4 Splish SplashSplish Splash (song)"Splish Splash" is a 1958 song performed and co-written by Bobby Darin. It was written with DJ Murray the K , who bet that Darin couldn't write a song that began with the words, "Splish Splash, I was takin' a bath", as suggested by Murray's mother, Jean Kaufman. The song was credited to Darin and...
- Bobby DarinBobby DarinBobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
(2 weeks) - ATCO 6617 - 8/11 PatriciaPatricia (Perez Prado song)"Patricia" is a popular song with music by Perez Prado and lyrics by Bob Marcus, published in 1958. The song is best known in an instrumental version by Prado's orchestra that became the last record to ascend to #1 on the Billboard Jockeys and Top 100 charts, both of which gave way the next week...
- Perez PradoPerez PradoDámaso Pérez Prado was a Cuban bandleader, musician , and composer. He is often referred to as the 'King of the Mambo'.His orchestra was the most popular in mambo...
And His Orchestra (2 weeks) - RCA VICTOR 47-7245 - 8/25 Just a Dream - Jimmy ClantonJimmy ClantonJimmy Clanton is an American singer who became known as the "swamp pop R&B teenage idol". His band recorded a hit song "Just A Dream" which Clanton had written in 1958 for the Ace Records label. It reached number four on the Billboard chart and sold a million copies...
(1 week) - ACE 546 - 9/1 Little StarLittle Star (The Elegants song)"Little Star" is the name of a song recorded by The Elegants. Members Vito Picone and Arthur Venosa co-wrote the lyrics. The music was adapted from "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." When released as a single in 1958, it topped both the R&B Best Sellers list and the Billboard Hot 100; however, it was...
- The ElegantsThe ElegantsThe Elegants is an American doo-wop vocal group, that was started in 1958 by Vito Picone, Arthur Venosa, Frank Tardogno, Carmen Romano and James Mochella in South Beach, Staten Island, New York. Before their nursery rhyme inspired song, "Little Star", became a number one hit, the band usually...
(4 weeks) - APT 25005 - 9/1 When - The Kalin Twins (1 week) - DECCA 30642
- 9/29 It's All in the Game - Tommy EdwardsTommy EdwardsTommy Edwards was a singer and songwriter. His biggest-selling record was with the multi-million-selling song, "It's All in the Game."-Career:...
(3 weeks) - M-G-M 12688 - 10/6 Rock-In Robin - Bobby DayBobby DayBobby Day , was an early African American rock and roll and R&B musician.Born Robert James Byrd, , in Fort Worth, Texas, he moved to Los Angeles, California, at the age of 15...
(3 weeks) - CLASS 229 - 10/27 Topsy Part 2 - Cozy ColeCozy ColeCozy Cole was an American jazz drummer who scored a #1 Cashbox magazine hit with the record "Topsy Part 2". "Topsy" peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100, and at number one on the R&B chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The track peaked at #29 in the UK...
(6 weeks) - LOVE 50034 - 12/8 A Lover's QuestionA Lover's Question"A Lover's Question" is a 1958 pop/R&B hit for Clyde McPhatter. The single was written by Brook Benton and Jimmy T. Williams and was Clyde McPhatter's most successful pop and R&B release. "A Lover's Question" made it to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was #1 for one week on the R&B chart...
- Clyde McPhatter (1 week) - ATLANTIC 1199 - 12/15 Lonely TeardropsLonely Teardrops"Lonely Teardrops" is a song recorded and released as a single in 1958 by R&B singer Jackie Wilson on the Brunswick label. It is a 1999 Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee...
- Jackie WilsonJackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
(7 weeks) - BRUNSWICK 55105
1959
- 2/2 Try MeTry Me (song)"Try Me" is a song written and performed by James Brown. He recorded it with his singing group The Famous Flames in 1958. A plaintive ballad, it was the group's second R&B hit , and early in 1959 it became their first song to reach #1 on the R&B chart and was also the first time the group hit the...
- James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
(1 week) - FEDERAL 12337 - 2/9 Stagger LeeStagger Lee (song)"Stagger Lee", also known as "Stagolee", "Stackerlee", "Stack O'Lee", "Stack-a-Lee" and several other variants, is a popular folk song based on the murder of William "Billy" Lyons by Stagger Lee Shelton...
- Lloyd PriceLloyd PriceLloyd Price is an American R&B vocalist. Known as "Mr. Personality", after the name of one of his biggest million-selling hits...
(4 weeks) - ABC/PARAMOUNT 9927 - 3/9 It's Just a Matter of TimeIt's Just a Matter of Time (Brook Benton song)"It's Just a Matter of Time" is a popular song written by Brook Benton and Clyde Otis. The original recording by Benton topped the Billboard rhythm & blues chart in 1959 and peaked at No...
- Brook BentonBrook BentonBrook Benton was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he scored hits such as "It's Just A Matter Of Time" and "Endlessly", many of which he co-wrote.He made a comeback in 1970...
(9 weeks) - MERCURY 71394 - 5/11 Kansas City - Wilbert HarrisonWilbert HarrisonWilbert Harrison was an American rhythm and blues singer, pianist, guitarist and harmonica player.Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, Harrison had a Billboard #1 record in 1959 with the song "Kansas City". The song was written in 1952 and was one of the first credited collaborations...
(7 weeks) - FURY 1023 - 6/29 Personality - Lloyd Price (4 weeks) - ABC/PARAMOUNT 10018
- 7/27 There Goes My Baby - The DriftersThe DriftersThe Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
(1 week) - ATLANTIC 2025 - 8/3 What'd I Say (Part 1) - Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
(1 week) - ATLANTIC 2031 - 8/10 Thank You Pretty Baby - Brook Benton (4 weeks) - MERCURY 71478
- 9/7 I'm Gonna Get Married - Lloyd Price (3 weeks)* - ABC/PARAMOUNT 10032
- 9/21 I Want to Walk You Home - Fats DominoFats DominoAntoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
(1 week) - IMPERIAL 5606 - 10/5 Poison IvyPoison Ivy (song)"Poison Ivy" is a popular song by American songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally recorded by The Coasters in 1959. It went to #1 on the R&B chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
- The CoastersThe CoastersThe Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
(4 weeks)* - ATCO 6146 - 10/12 Sea of LoveSea of Love (song)"Sea of Love" is a song written by John Phillip Baptiste and George Khoury. Phillips' 1959 recording of the song peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, Marty Wilde covered the song, and Phillips' version failed to chart there...
- Phil PhillipsPhil PhillipsPhil Phillips is an American singer and songwriter, best known for his 1959 hit, "Sea of Love".-Biography:...
(1 week) - MERCURY 71465 - 10/19 You Better Know It - Jackie WilsonJackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
(1 week) - BRUNSWICK 55149 - 11/16 So Many Ways - Brook Benton (3 weeks)* - MERCURY 71512
- 11/23 Don't You Know?Don't You Know?"Don't You Know?" is a 1959 popular song by written by Bobby Worth, and hit record for singer Della Reese.The song was adapted from an aria from Puccini's La Boheme. It became Reese's biggest hit, reaching number two on the U.S. Pop chart and number one on the U.S. R&B chart...
- Della ReeseDella ReeseDelloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese , is an American actress, singer, game show panelist of the 1970s, one-time talk-show hostess and ordained minister. She started her career in the 1950s as a gospel, pop and jazz singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You...
(2 weeks) - RCA VICTOR 47-7591 - 12/7 The Clouds - The Spacemen (3 weeks)* - ALTON 254
For continuation, 1960 to present, start search here
R&B number-one hits of 1960 (USA)
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1960:See also: 1960 in music, List of number-one R&B hits...
.
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 magazineCash Box magazine
Cashbox magazine was a weekly publication devoted to the music and coin-operated machine industries in the USA which was published from July 1942 to November 16, 1996...
'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
Joel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn is an American author and music historian.Whitburn founded Record Research Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1970, and put together a team of researchers to examine in detail all of Billboards music and video charts...
, "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."
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.
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)
- 11.Sergio Vilatimo (3 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
1990s
- Total number of weeks at #1 (as lead artist)
- 1. R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
(31 weeks) - 2. Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
(30 weeks) - 3. Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
(21 weeks) - 4. UsherUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
(19 weeks) - 5. MonicaMonicaMonica may refer to:*Monica , R&B singer and actress*Monica , the given name Monica*Saint Monica*Monica *Monica *Monica *Monica tail warning radar*Monicagate, a term for the Monica Lewinsky scandal...
(18 weeks) - 6. Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
& TLCTLC (band)TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
(17 weeks) - 7. BrandyBrandyBrandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, Deborah CoxDeborah CoxDeborah Cox is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. Her 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart , a record held for nearly eight years. She has achieved ten number-one hits on...
& Puff Daddy (16 weeks) - 8. JodeciJodeciJodeci is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Hampton, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & Jojo,...
(14 weeks) - 9. Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
(13 weeks) - 10. The Notorious B.I.G.The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
(12 weeks)
- 1. R. Kelly
- Most #1 Hits of the Decade (as lead artist)
- 1. R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
& Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
- 7 #1's - 2. Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
& En VogueEn VogueEn Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
- 6 #1's - 3. Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, Monica, JodeciJodeciJodeci is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Hampton, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & Jojo,...
& Keith SweatKeith SweatKeith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
- 5 #1's - 4. Tony! Toni! Tone!Tony! Toni! Toné!Tony! Toni! Toné! is an American Soul/R&B group from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq on lead vocals and bass, and their cousin Timothy...
& Faith EvansFaith EvansFaith Renée Evans is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer, actress and author. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career with the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B...
- 4 #1's - 5. TLCTLC (band)TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
, BrandyBrandyBrandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, Puff Daddy, SWVSWVSisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group, SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One"....
, Deborah CoxDeborah CoxDeborah Cox is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. Her 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart , a record held for nearly eight years. She has achieved ten number-one hits on...
, Dru HillDru HillDru Hill is an American singing group, most popular during the late 1990s, whose repertoire included R&B, soul, and gospel music. Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, and active since 1992, Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B #1 hits "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise", ...
, Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Quincy JonesQuincy JonesQuincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
, XscapeXscapeXscape may refer to:*Xscape , an American/R&B band popular in the 1990s.*"Xscape", an unreleased song by Michael Jackson.*Xscape , a chain of indoor ski slope/leisure complexes in the United Kingdom....
, Johnny GillJohnny GillJohnny Gill is an American R&B singer-songwriter. He is the sixth and final member of the R&B supergroup New Edition, and was also a member of another supergroup called LSG; with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat. His signature song "My, My, My" has been included on numerous romantic...
& Tevin CampbellTevin CampbellTevin Jermod Campbell is an American R&B singer-songwriter and actor. He scored a string of R&B chart hits as a teenager in the early to mid-1990s.-Music career:...
.- 3 #1's
- 1. R. Kelly
2000s (2000-2009)
- Most weeks at #1 (counting lead and featured appearances)
- 1. Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
- 41 weeks - 2. Usher- 34 weeks
- 3. Beyoncé- 31 weeks
- 4. Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
- 23 weeks - 5. 50 Cent50 CentCurtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
& T-PainT-PainFaheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
- 22 weeks - 6. Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
& NellyNellyCornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
- 20 weeks - 7. Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
& Keyshia ColeKeyshia ColeKeyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...
- 19 weeks - 8. AshantiAshanti (singer)Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and model. She rose to fame in the early 2000s. Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous debut album, which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release...
- 18 weeks - 9. Mary J. BligeMary J. BligeMary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
& Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
- 17 weeks - 10. Yung JocYung JocYaMar Jon Robinson , better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper.-Early life:Robinson's father, Vivian Young, ran a hair-care products company and helped him write a jingle for Revlon; Robinson founded his own label to release his music.-New Joc City :After Teaming with producer...
- 16 weeks
- 1. Alicia Keys
- Most Number One hits (counting lead and featured appearances)
- 1. UsherUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
- 8 - 2. Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
& Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
- 7 - 3. Beyoncé, LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
- 5 - 4. NellyNellyCornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, 50 Cent50 CentCurtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
& Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
- 4 - 5. Chris Brown, Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, Keyshia ColeKeyshia ColeKeyshia Myeshia Cole Gibson born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, The Way It Is went platinum. Her sophomore album Just Like You went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007...
, Pharrell, T.I.T.I.Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Lil' Wayne, Jagged EdgeJagged Edge (band)Jagged Edge is an American R&B group, with the lead singers, Brandon & Brian, born in Hartford, CT on October 13, 1975, Kyle Norman of Decatur, GA born on February 26,1976 and Richard Wingo of College Park, GA born on September 3, 1975. Wingo was a late addition to the group, added after Kandi...
, CiaraCiaraCiara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
, Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
& Bow Wow- 3
- 1. Usher
2010s (2010-2020)
- Most weeks at #1 (counting lead and featured appearances)
- 1. Lil WayneLil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
- 26 weeks - 2. Chris Brown- 17 weeks
- 3. DrakeDrake (entertainer)Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
- 15 weeks - 4. Trey SongzTrey SongzTremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
- 14 weeks - 5. Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
- 12 weeks - 6. Kelly RowlandKelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
& MonicaMonicaMonica may refer to:*Monica , R&B singer and actress*Monica , the given name Monica*Saint Monica*Monica *Monica *Monica *Monica tail warning radar*Monicagate, a term for the Monica Lewinsky scandal...
- 7 weeks - 7. Nicki MinajNicki MinajOnika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
- 5 weeks
- 1. Lil Wayne
- Most Number One hits (counting lead and featured appearances)
- 1. DrakeDrake (entertainer)Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
- 5 - 2. Lil WayneLil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
- 3 - 3. Trey SongzTrey SongzTremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
& Chris Brown- 2 - 4. Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, Kelly RowlandKelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, MonicaMonicaMonica may refer to:*Monica , R&B singer and actress*Monica , the given name Monica*Saint Monica*Monica *Monica *Monica *Monica tail warning radar*Monicagate, a term for the Monica Lewinsky scandal...
, Jamie FoxxJamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, Nicki MinajNicki MinajOnika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, DJ KhaledDJ KhaledKhaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
, Big SeanBig SeanSean Michael Anderson , better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D...
, Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
& MiguelMiguelMiguel, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the name Michael, may refer to the following:-Portuguese Royalty:*Miguel of Portugal , King of Portugal;*Miguel II, Duke of Braganza , Portuguese pretender, son of King Miguel I...
- 1. Drake