List of number-one rhythm and blues hits

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 June 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.

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.

1940s

1942

• October 24: "Take It and Git" — Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy (1 week)
• October 31: "Mr. Five by Five" —- Freddie Slack and His Orchestra (2 weeks)*
• November 7: "Trav'lin' Light" — Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (3 weeks)*
• November 14: "Stormy Monday Blues" — Earl Hines and His Orchestra (1 week)
• November 28: "When the Lights Go On Again" — Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra (2 weeks)*
• December 19: "White Christmas" — Bing Crosby (3 weeks)

1943

• January 16: "See See Rider Blues" — Bea Booze (4 weeks)*
• January 23: "What's the Use of Getting Sober (When You Gonna Get Drunk Again)" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (1 week)
• January 30: "That Ain't Right" — Nat King Cole Trio (1 week)
• February 13: "Apollo Jump" — Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra (2 weeks)
• March 6: "Don't Stop Now" — Bonnie Davis (5 weeks)*
• March 27: "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" — The Ink Spots(2 weeks)*
• April 17: "I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry James and His Orchestra (1 week)
• April 24: "I Can't Stand Losing You" — The Ink Spots (7 weeks)*
• May 29: "Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Never No Lament)" — Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (3 weeks)*
• July 17: "You'll Never Know" — Dick Haymes (4 weeks)
• August 14: "Don't Cry Baby" — Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra (14 weeks)*
• September 25: "A Slip of the Lip (Can Sink a Ship)" — Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (1 week)
• October 2: "Sentimental Lady" — Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (1 week)
• November 20: "All for You" — The Nat King Cole Trio (2 weeks)*
• December 18: "Shoo-Shoo Baby" — Ella Mae Morse (2 weeks)*
• December 25: "Sweet Slumber" — Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra (1 week)

1944

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

1945

• February 10: "Somebody's Gotta Go" — Cootie Williams and His Orchestra (1 week)
• February 17: "I Wonder" — Pvt. Cecil Gant (2 weeks)
• February 24: "I Wonder" — Roosevelt Sykes (7 weeks)
• April 14: "Tippin' In" — Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra (6 weeks)*
• April 21: "Mop! Mop!" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (1 week)
• June 2: "Caldonia" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (7 weeks)
• July 14: "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well" — Lucky Millinder and His Orchestra (8 weeks)
• September 8: "The Honeydripper" (Parts 1 & 2) — Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers (18 weeks)

1946

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

1947

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

1948

• 21 January: "I Love You Yes I Do" — Bull Moose Jackson and His Buffalo Bearcats (3 weeks)*
• 20 March: "King Size Papa" — Julia Lee and Her Boy Friends (9 weeks)
• 22 May: "Tomorrow Night" — Lonnie Johnson (7 weeks)*
• 19 June: "Good Rockin' Tonight" — Wynonie Harris (1 week)
• 10 July: "Long Gone" (Parts I & II) — Sonny Thompson (3 weeks)*
• 10 July: "Run Joe" — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (2 weeks)*
• 24 July: "I Can't Go on Without You" — Bull Moose Jackson and His Buffalo Bearcats (8 weeks)
• 4 September: "Messin' Around" — Memphis Slim and His House Rockers (2 weeks)*
• 11 September: "My Heart Belongs to You" — Arbee Stidham (1 week)
• 18 September: "Pretty Mama Blues" — Ivory Joe Hunter (3 weeks)
• 2 October: "Corn Bread" — Hal Singer Sextette (4 weeks)*
• 2 October: "Late Freight" — Sonny Thompson Quintet (1 week)
• 9 October: "Am I Asking Too Much" — Dinah Washington (1 week)
• 6 November: "Blues After Hours" — Pee Wee Crayton (3 weeks)*
• 27 November: "It's Too Soon to Know" — The Orioles (1 week)
• 4 December: "Chicken-Shack Boogie" — Amos Milburn (5 weeks)*
• 4 December: "Bewildered" — Red Miller Trio (5 weeks)*
• 18 December: "'Long About Midnight" — Roy Brown (1 week)
• 25 December: "Bewildered" — Amos Milburn (3 weeks)*

1949

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

1950s

1950

• 18 February: "I Almost Lost My Mind" — Ivory Joe Hunter (5 weeks)*
• 4 March: "Double Crossing Blues" — Johnny Otis Quintette, the Robins, and Little Esther (9 weeks)
• 15 April: "Mistrusting Blues" — Little Esther with Mel Walker and the Johnny Otis Orchestra (4 weeks)
• 13 May: "I Need You So" — Ivory Joe Hunter (2 weeks)
• 27 May: "Pink Champagne" — Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers (13 weeks)*
• 8 July: "Cupid Boogie" — Johnny Otis Orchestra, Little Esther, and Mel Walker (1 week)
• 19 August: "Hard Luck Blues" — Roy Brown (3 weeks)
• 2 September: "Mona Lisa" — Nat "King" Cole (4 weeks)
• 9 September: "Blue Light Boogie" (Parts 1 & 2) — Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (7 weeks)
• 28 October: "Blue Shadows" — Lowell Fulson (4 weeks)
• 4 November: "Anytime — Any Place — Anywhere" — Joe Morris and His Orchestra (4 weeks)*
• 25 November: "Please Send Me Someone to Love" — Percy Mayfield (2 weeks)*
• 9 December: "Teardrops from My Eyes" — Ruth Brown (11 weeks)*

1951

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

1952

• January 12 "Weepin' & Cryin'" — Griffin Brothers Orchestra (3 weeks)
• January 12 "Cry" — Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads (1 week)
• February 2 "3 o’Clock Blues" — B.B. King (5 weeks)
• March 15 "Night Train" — Jimmy Forrest (7 weeks)
• March 15 "Booted" — Roscoe Gordon (1 week)
• May 3 "5–10–15 Hours" — Ruth Brown (7 weeks)
• June 14 "Have Mercy Baby" — The Dominoes (10 weeks)*
• June 21 "Goin' Home" — Fats Domino (1 week)
• July 12 "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" — Lloyd Price (7 weeks)*
• August 23 "Mary Jo" — Four Blazes (3 weeks)
• September 6 "Ting-a-Ling" — The Clovers(1 week)
• September 27 "My Song" — Johnny Ace (9 weeks)
• September 27 "Juke" — Little Walter (8 weeks)*
• November 8 "Five Long Years" — Eddie Boyd (7 weeks)*
• November 8 "You Know I Love You" — B.B. King (2 weeks)*
• December 27 "I Don't Know" — Willie Mabon and His Combo (8 weeks)

1953

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

1954

• 30 January: "The Things That I Used to Do" — Guitar Slim (14 weeks)
• 6 February: "I'll Be True" — Faye Adams (1 week)
• 27 March: "You'll Never Walk Alone" — Roy Hamilton (8 weeks)
• 22 May: "Work With Me, Annie" — The Midnighters (7 weeks)
• 12 June: "Shake, Rattle and Roll" — Big Joe Turner (3 weeks)
• 10 July: "Honey Love" — The Drifters (8 weeks)
• 4 September: "Oh What a Dream" — Ruth Brown (8 weeks)
• 25 September: "Annie Had a Baby" — The Midnighters (2 weeks)
• 16 October: "It Hurts Me to My Heart" — Faye Adams (5 weeks)
• 20 November: "Mambo Baby" — Ruth Brown (1 week)
• 27 November: "Hearts of Stone" — The Charms (9 weeks)
• 25 December: "You Upset Me Baby" — B.B. King (2 weeks)

1955

• 15 January: "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" — The Penguins (3 weeks)
• 22 January: "Sincerely" — The Moonglows (2 weeks)*
• 12 February: "Pledging My Love" — Johnny Ace (10 weeks)*
• 9 April: "The Wallflower" — Etta James (4 weeks)*
• 23 April: "My Babe" — Little Walter (5 weeks)*
• 7 May: "I Got a Woman" — Ray Charles (1 week)
• 21 May: "Unchained Melody" — Roy Hamilton (3 weeks)
• 11 June: "Ain't That a Shame" — Fats Domino (1 week)
• 18 June: "Unchained Melody" — Al Hibbler (1 week)
• 25 June: "Bo Diddley" — Bo Diddley (2 weeks)*
• 6 August: "A Fool for You" — Ray Charles (1 week)
• 20 August: "Maybellene" — Chuck Berry (11 weeks)
• 22 October: "Only You (and You Alone)" — The Platters (7 weeks)
• 29 October: "All by Myself" — Fats Domino (3 weeks)
• 17 December: "Hands Off" — Jay McShann and His Orchestra (3 weeks)
• 31 December: "Poor Me" — Fats Domino (1 week)
• 31 December: "Adorable" — The Drifters (1 week)

1956

• 7 January: "The Great Pretender" — The Platters (11 Weeks)*
• 7 January: "At My Front Door" — The El Dorados (1 Week)*
• 17 March: Why Do Fools Fall in Love - Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers (5 Weeks)
• 24 March: Drown in My Own Tears - Ray Charles (2 Weeks)
• 14 April: Long Tall Sally - Little Richard (8 Weeks)
• 19 May: I'm in Love Again - Fats Domino (9 Weeks)*
• 21 July: Fever - Little Willie John (5 Weeks)
• 28 July: Treasure of Love - Clyde McPhatter (1 Week)
• 4 August: Rip It Up - Little Richard (2 Weeks)
• 18 August: My Prayer - The Platters (2 Weeks)
• 25 August: Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2) - Bill Doggett (13 Weeks)*
• 1 September: Let the Good Times Roll - Shirley & Lee (3 Weeks)*
• 15 September: Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel - Elvis Presley (6 Weeks)*
• 13 November: Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino (11 Weeks)*

1957

• 1/5 Since I Met You Baby - Ivory Joe Hunter (3 Weeks)
• 1/26 Blue Monday - Fats Domino (8 Weeks)*
• 3/9 Jim Dandy - LaVern Baker (1 Week)
• 3/16 Love Is Strange - Mickey and Sylvia (2 Weeks)
• 3/23 I'm Walkin' - Fats Domino (6 Weeks)
• 4/27 Lucille - Little Richard (2 Weeks)
• 4/29 School Day - Chuck Berry (5 Weeks)*
• 4/29 All Shook Up - Elvis Presley (4 Weeks)
• 6/3 Young Blood - The Coasters (1 Week)
• 6/10 Searchin' - The Coasters (12 Weeks)
• 6/17 C.C. Rider - Chuck Willis (2 Weeks)*
• 7/29 Short Fat Fannie - Larry Williams (1 Week)
• 8/19 Send For Me - Nat "King" Cole (2 Weeks)
• 9/2 Further Up the Road - Bobby "Blue" Bland (2 Weeks)*
• 9/2 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley (1 Week)
• 9/9 Whole Lot Of Shakin' Going On - Jerry Lee Lewis (2 Weeks)
• 9/16 Long Lonely Nights - Clyde McPhatter (1 Week)
• 9/23 Diana - Paul Anka (2 Weeks)
• 9/30 Mr. Lee - The Bobbettes (4 Weeks)*
• 10/7 Honeycomb - Jimmie Rodgers (2 Weeks)
• 10/21 Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley (5 Weeks)
• 10/28 Wake Up Little Susie - The Everly Brothers (1 Week)
• 11/25 You Send Me - Sam Cooke (6 Weeks)

1958

• 1/6 At the Hop - Danny & the Juniors (5 Weeks)
• 1/6 Raunchy - Ernie Freeman (2 Weeks)
• 1/20 Raunchy - Bill Justis And His Orchestra (1 Week)
• 1/27 I'll Come Running Back to You - Sam Cooke (1 Week)
• 2/3 Get a Job - The Silhouettes (6 Weeks)
• 3/10 Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry (3 Weeks)
• 3/31 Tequila - The Champs (4 Weeks)
• 4/28 Twilight Time - The Platters (3 Weeks)
• 5/5 Wear My Ring Around Your Neck - Elvis Presley (3 Weeks)
• 5/19 All I Have to Do Is Dream - The Everly Brothers (5 Weeks)
• 5/26 Witch Doctor - David Seville (1 Week)
• 6/23 Yakety Yak - The Coasters (7 Weeks)
• 6/23 What Am I Living For - Chuck Willis (1 Week)
• 8/4 Splish Splash - Bobby Darin (2 Weeks)
• 8/11 Patricia - Perez Prado And His Orchestra (2 Weeks)
• 8/25 Just a Dream - Jimmy Clanton (1 Week)
• 9/1 Little Star - The Elegants (4 Weeks)
• 9/1 When - The Kalin Twins (1 Week)
• 9/29 It's All in the Game - Tommy Edwards (3 Weeks)
• 10/6 Rockin' Robin - Bobby Day (3 Weeks)
• 10/27 Topsy Part 2 - Cozy Cole (6 Weeks)
• 12/8 A Lover's Question - Clyde McPhatter (1 Week)
• 12/15 Lonely Teardrops - Jackie Wilson (7 Weeks)

1959

• 2/2 Try Me - James Brown (1 Week)
• 2/9 Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price (4 Weeks)
• 3/9 It's Just a Matter of Time - Brook Benton (9 Weeks)
• 5/11 Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison (7 Weeks)
• 6/29 Personality - Lloyd Price (4 Weeks)
• 7/27 There Goes My Baby - The Drifters (1 Week)
• 8/3 What'd I Say (Part 1) - Ray Charles (1 Week)
• 8/10 Thank You Pretty Baby - Brook Benton (4 Weeks)
• 9/7 I'm Gonna Get Married - Lloyd Price (3 Weeks)*
• 9/21 I Want to Walk You Home - Fats Domino (1 Week)
• 10/5 Poison Ivy - The Coasters (4 Weeks)*
• 10/12 Sea of Love - Phil Phillips (1 Week)
• 10/19 You Better Know It - Jackie Wilson (1 Week)
• 11/16 So Many Ways - Brook Benton (3 Weeks)*
• 11/23 Don't You Know? - Della Reese (2 Weeks)
• 12/7 The Clouds - The Spacemen (3 Weeks)*

For continuation, 1960 to present, start search here.

Gap in the chart

From November 30, 1963 to January 23, 1965 there was no Billboard R&B singles charts. Some publications have used Cash Box magazine's stats in their place. No specific reason has ever been given as to why Billboard ceased releasing R&B charts, but the prevailing wisdom is that the chart methodology used was being questioned, since more and more Caucasian acts were reaching number-one on the R&B chart.