List of Hot R&B Sides number ones of 1961

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs is a chart published by Billboard that ranks the top-performing songs in the United States in African-American-oriented musical genres; the chart has undergone various name changes since its launch in 1942 to reflect the evolution of such genres. In 1961, it was published under the title Hot R&B Sides, reflecting the fact that rhythm and blues was the dominant genre. During that year, 14 different singles topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations and surveys of retail sales outlets.[1]

The Miracles spent eight weeks at number one with "Shop Around".

In the issue of Billboard dated January 2, Jerry Butler was at number one with "He Will Break Your Heart", the song's seventh week in the top spot.[2] Two weeks later, it was displaced by "Shop Around" by the Miracles featuring Bill "Smokey" Robinson, the first million-selling single for the fledgling Motown label,[3][4] which would go on to become one of the most successful and influential labels of the 20th century and bring unprecedented levels of mainstream success to black music.[5][6] Motown would go on to achieve another number one when the Marvelettes topped the chart in November with "Please Mr. Postman", which held the top spot for the final seven weeks of the year. This song was the first Motown release to also top the all-genre Hot 100 singles chart.[7]

The only act to achieve more than one R&B number one in 1961 was Ray Charles, who topped the chart for a single week with "One Mint Julep" and for five weeks with "Hit the Road Jack". The year's longest-running number one was "Tossin' and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis, which spent ten consecutive weeks atop the chart between July and September. Almost every act to top the chart in 1961 did so for the first time. Other than Jerry Butler, whose run atop the chart continued from the previous year, only Bobby "Blue" Bland and Ray Charles had achieved an R&B number one prior to 1961; Bland had topped the R&B Jockeys chart in 1957, prior to the launch of Billboard's combined sales and airplay listing and Charles had achieved several chart-toppers both before and after the magazine amalgamated its multiple R&B charts.[8] While acts such as Lewis and Ernie K-Doe would experience only brief chart success and never achieve a second number one, the Pips, who would soon give separate billing to lead vocalist Gladys Knight, would remain consistently successful for nearly 30 years.[9]

Chart history
Key
Indicates best-charting R&B single of 1961[10]
Ray Charles had two number ones in 1961.
Ben E. King (pictured in later life) topped the chart with "Stand By Me".
The Marvelettes ended the year at number one.
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 2 "He Will Break Your Heart" Jerry Butler [2]
January 9 [11]
January 16 "Shop Around" The Miracles featuring Bill "Smokey" Robinson [12]
January 23 [13]
January 30 [14]
February 6 [15]
February 13 [16]
February 20 [17]
February 27 [18]
March 6 [19]
March 13 "Pony Time" Chubby Checker [20]
March 20 [21]
March 27 "I Pity the Fool" Bobby "Blue" Bland [22]
April 3 "Blue Moon" The Marcels [23]
April 10 [24]
April 17 "One Mint Julep" Ray Charles [25]
April 24 "Mother-in-Law" Ernie K-Doe [26]
May 1 [27]
May 8 [28]
May 15 [29]
May 22 [30]
May 29 "Stand By Me" Ben E. King [31]
June 5 [32]
June 12 [33]
June 19 [34]
June 26 "Every Beat of My Heart" The Pips [35]
July 3 "Tossin' and Turnin'" Bobby Lewis [36]
July 10 [37]
July 17 [38]
July 24 [39]
July 31 [40]
August 7 [41]
August 14 [42]
August 21 [43]
August 28 [44]
September 4 [45]
September 11 "My True Story" The Jive Five [46]
September 18 [47]
September 25 [48]
October 2 "Hit the Road Jack" Ray Charles and his orchestra [49]
October 9 [50]
October 16 [51]
October 23 [52]
October 30 [53]
November 6 "Ya Ya" Lee Dorsey [54]
November 13 "Please Mr. Postman" The Marvelettes [55]
November 20 [56]
November 27 [57]
December 4 [58]
December 11 [59]
December 18 [60]
December 25 [61]

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1995. Record Research Incorporated. p. xii. ISBN 9780898201154.
  2. "R & B Chart for January 2, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  3. Layne, Joslyn. "The Miracles Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  4. Masters, Tim (March 8, 2016). "Smokey Robinson wrote Motown hit 'in 30 minutes'". BBC. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  5. Haider, Arwa (January 9, 2019). "Motown: The music that changed America". BBC. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  6. "Motown Music Genre Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  7. "A to Z of Motown Records". BBC. January 9, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1995. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 34, 74, 76, 121, 227, 240, 247, 251, 265, 285, 288, 308. ISBN 9780898201154.
  9. Kellman, Andy. "Gladys Knight & the Pips Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  10. "Billboard.com - 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.
  11. "R & B Chart for January 9, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  12. "R & B Chart for January 16, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  13. "R & B Chart for January 23, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  14. "R & B Chart for January 30, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  15. "R & B Chart for February 6, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  16. "R & B Chart for February 13, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  17. "R & B Chart for February 20, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  18. "R & B Chart for February 27, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  19. "R & B Chart for March 6, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  20. "R & B Chart for March 13, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  21. "R & B Chart for March 20, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  22. "R & B Chart for March 27, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  23. "R & B Chart for April 3, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  24. "R & B Chart for April 10, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  25. "R & B Chart for April 17, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  26. "R & B Chart for April 24, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  27. "R & B Chart for May 1, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  28. "R & B Chart for May 8, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  29. "R & B Chart for May 15, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  30. "R & B Chart for May 22, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  31. "R & B Chart for May 29, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  32. "R & B Chart for June 5, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  33. "R & B Chart for June 12, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  34. "R & B Chart for June 19, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  35. "R & B Chart for June 26, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  36. "R & B Chart for July 3, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  37. "R & B Chart for July 10, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  38. "R & B Chart for July 17, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  39. "R & B Chart for July 24, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  40. "R & B Chart for July 31, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  41. "R & B Chart for August 7, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  42. "R & B Chart for August 14, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  43. "R & B Chart for August 21, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  44. "R & B Chart for August 28, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  45. "R & B Chart for September 4, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  46. "R & B Chart for September 11, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  47. "R & B Chart for September 18, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  48. "R & B Chart for September 25, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  49. "R & B Chart for October 2, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  50. "R & B Chart for October 9, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  51. "R & B Chart for October 16, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  52. "R & B Chart for October 23, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  53. "R & B Chart for October 30, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  54. "R & B Chart for November 6, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  55. "R & B Chart for November 13, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  56. "R & B Chart for November 20, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  57. "R & B Chart for November 27, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  58. "R & B Chart for December 4, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  59. "R & B Chart for December 11, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  60. "R & B Chart for December 18, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  61. "R & B Chart for December 25, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
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