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List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1979

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Singer Donna Summer
"Bad Girls" was the first number one for Donna Summer (pictured in later life).

Billboard published a weekly chart in 1979 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in soul music and related African American-oriented genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of black music and has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since 2005.[1] In 1979, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles,[2] and 20 different singles reached number one.

In September, Michael Jackson gained his first soul chart-topper as a solo artist with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[3] The singer had previously achieved several soul number ones with his brothers as the Jackson 5[4] and had charted sporadically in his own right since 1971, but did not reach the top spot as a soloist until 1979.[3] Jackson would go on to become one of the most successful musicians of all time, selling hundreds of millions of records, and be regarded as one of the greatest ever entertainers.[5][6] Donna Summer also topped the soul listing for the first time in July with "Bad Girls".[7] Known as the "Queen of Disco",[8] she had previously achieved five chart-toppers on the Disco Action chart.[9] In December, "I Wanna Be Your Lover" gave Prince his first number one,[10] the first major success of a career which would take him to superstar status and see him regarded as one of the most innovative and influential musicians of his generation.[11] Eight other acts reached number one for the first time in their respective careers in 1979: Cheryl Lynn, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, Instant Funk, Sister Sledge, GQ, Peaches & Herb, Anita Ward, and McFadden & Whitehead.[12] Ward's single "Ring My Bell" was an international success, topping the all-genre Hot 100 chart and also reaching number one in the United Kingdom, but she would not be able to replicate its success and is regarded as a one-hit wonder.[13][14]

Sister Sledge was the only act to have multiple soul number ones during the year, topping the chart with "He's the Greatest Dancer" in March and "We Are Family" in June, but these would prove to be the only chart-toppers for the sibling act.[15] The year's longest-running number one was "Good Times" by Chic, which spent six consecutive weeks in the top spot and was ranked by Billboard as the year's top soul song. The year's final chart-topper was "Do You Love What You Feel" by Rufus and Chaka (Chaka Khan), which reached the top spot in the issue dated December 15 and stayed there for the remainder of the year. Khan had achieved her first solo number one the previous year but continued to record sporadically with the band alongside her ongoing solo career.[16]

Chart history

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Musician Prince
Prince had his first soul number one in 1979. He went on to be regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation.
Singer Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson, one of the most successful and celebrated artists of all time, had his first solo chart-topper in 1979.
Singer Anita Ward
Anita Ward (pictured in later life) topped the chart with "Ring My Bell" but she failed to achieve further success and is generally regarded as a one-hit wonder.
Key
† Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end soul chart[17]
Chart history
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 6 "Got to Be Real" Cheryl Lynn [18]
January 13 "September" Earth, Wind & Fire [19]
January 20 "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" Parliament [20]
January 27 [21]
February 3 [22]
February 10 [23]
February 17 "Bustin' Loose (Part 1)" Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers [24]
February 24 [25]
March 3 [26]
March 10 [27]
March 17 "I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)" Instant Funk [28]
March 24 [29]
March 31 "He's the Greatest Dancer" Sister Sledge [30]
April 7 "I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)" Instant Funk [31]
April 14 "Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)" GQ [32]
April 21 [33]
April 28 "Reunited" Peaches & Herb [34]
May 5 [35]
May 12 [36]
May 19 [37]
May 26 "I Wanna Be With You (Part 1)" The Isley Brothers [38]
June 2 "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" McFadden & Whitehead [39]
June 9 "We Are Family" Sister Sledge [40]
June 16 "Ring My Bell" Anita Ward [41]
June 23 [42]
June 30 [43]
July 7 [44]
July 14 [45]
July 21 "Bad Girls" Donna Summer [46]
July 28 "Good Times" † Chic [47]
August 4 [48]
August 11 [49]
August 18 [50]
August 25 [51]
September 1 [52]
September 8 "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" Michael Jackson [53]
September 15 [54]
September 22 [55]
September 29 [56]
October 6 [57]
October 13 "(Not Just) Knee Deep (Part 1)" Funkadelic [58]
October 20 [59]
October 27 [60]
November 3 "Ladies' Night" Kool & the Gang [61]
November 10 [62]
November 17 [63]
November 24 "Still" Commodores [64]
December 1 "I Wanna Be Your Lover" Prince [65]
December 8 [66]
December 15 "Do You Love What You Feel" Rufus and Chaka [67]
December 22 [68]
December 29 [69]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Molanphy, Chris (April 14, 2014). "I Know You Got Soul: The Trouble With Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Chart". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Whitburn 1996, p. xii.
  3. ^ a b Whitburn 1988, p. 212.
  4. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 215.
  5. ^ Day, Elizabeth (March 8, 2009). "Off the wall but still invincible". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Sommerlad, Joe (August 29, 2018). "Michael Jackson at 60: Ten of the King of Pop's best tracks, from Earth Song to Thriller". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 20, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  7. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 394.
  8. ^ "Donna Summer, queen of disco, dies at 63". BBC. May 17, 2012. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  9. ^ "Donna Summer Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 336.
  11. ^ "Obituary: Prince". BBC News. April 21, 2016. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  12. ^ Whitburn 1988, pp. 58, 171 206, 267, 283, 323, 377, 430.
  13. ^ Bartleet, Larry (September 24, 2015). "10 Actually Great One-Hit Wonders". NME. Archived from the original on April 29, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  14. ^ Hoffmann 2016, p. 386.
  15. ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 530.
  16. ^ Whitburn 2004, pp. 321, 505.
  17. ^ "Year End Charts – Year-end Singles – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  18. ^ "R & B Chart for January 6, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  19. ^ "R & B Chart for January 13, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  20. ^ "R & B Chart for January 20, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  21. ^ "R & B Chart for January 27, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  22. ^ "R & B Chart for February 3, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  23. ^ "R & B Chart for February 10, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  24. ^ "R & B Chart for February 17, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  25. ^ "R & B Chart for February 24, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  26. ^ "R & B Chart for March 3, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  27. ^ "R & B Chart for March 10, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  28. ^ "R & B Chart for March 17, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  29. ^ "R & B Chart for March 24, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  30. ^ "R & B Chart for March 31, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  31. ^ "R & B Chart for April 7, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  32. ^ "R & B Chart for April 14, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  33. ^ "R & B Chart for April 21, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  34. ^ "R & B Chart for April 28, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  35. ^ "R & B Chart for May 5, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  36. ^ "R & B Chart for May 12, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  37. ^ "R & B Chart for May 19, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  38. ^ "R & B Chart for May 26, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  39. ^ "R & B Chart for June 2, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  40. ^ "R & B Chart for June 9, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  41. ^ "R & B Chart for June 16, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  42. ^ "R & B Chart for June 23, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  43. ^ "R & B Chart for June 30, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  44. ^ "R & B Chart for July 7, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  45. ^ "R & B Chart for July 14, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  46. ^ "R & B Chart for July 21, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  47. ^ "R & B Chart for July 28, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  48. ^ "R & B Chart for August 4, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  49. ^ "R & B Chart for August 11, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  50. ^ "R & B Chart for August 18, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  51. ^ "R & B Chart for August 25, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  52. ^ "R & B Chart for September 1, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  53. ^ "R & B Chart for September 8, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  54. ^ "R & B Chart for September 15, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  55. ^ "R & B Chart for September 22, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  56. ^ "R & B Chart for September 29, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  57. ^ "R & B Chart for October 6, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  58. ^ "R & B Chart for October 13, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  59. ^ "R & B Chart for October 20, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  60. ^ "R & B Chart for October 27, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  61. ^ "R & B Chart for November 3, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 20, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  62. ^ "R & B Chart for November 10, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  63. ^ "R & B Chart for November 17, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  64. ^ "R & B Chart for November 24, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  65. ^ "R & B Chart for December 1, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  66. ^ "R & B Chart for December 8, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  67. ^ "R & B Chart for December 15, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  68. ^ "R & B Chart for December 22, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  69. ^ "R & B Chart for December 29, 1979". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.

Works cited

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