List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1979

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 1979, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles. During that year, 20 different singles topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations and surveys of retail sales outlets.[1]

Sister Sledge (pictured in later life) was the only act to have multiple number ones during the year, topping the chart with "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family".

In September, Michael Jackson gained his first soul chart-topper as a solo artist with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[2] The singer had previously achieved several soul number ones with his brothers as the Jackson 5,[3] and had charted sporadically in his own right since 1971, but did not reach the top spot as a soloist until 1979.[2] Jackson would go on to become one of the most successful musicians of all time, selling hundreds of millions of records, and one of the defining artists of the 20th century.[4] Donna Summer also topped the soul listing for the first time in July with "Bad Girls".[5] Known as the "Queen of Disco",[6] she had previously achieved five chart-toppers on the Disco Action chart.[7] In December, "I Wanna Be Your Lover" gave Prince his first number one,[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] Ward's single "Ring My Bell" was a major national and international success, topping the all-genre Hot 100 chart, but she would not be able to replicate its success and is regarded as a one-hit wonder.[11][12][13]

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.[14] 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, which reached the top spot in the issue dated December 15 and stayed there for the remainder of the year. Vocalist Chaka Khan had achieved her first solo number one the previous year, but continued to record with the band until 1983 alongside her ongoing solo career.[15][16]

Chart history
Prince had his first soul number one in 1979. He would go on to be regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation.
Michael Jackson, one of the most successful and celebrated artists of all time, had his first solo chart-topper in 1979.
"Bad Girls" was the first number one for Donna Summer.
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 best-charting soul single of 1979[17]
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" The 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
  • List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1979

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1995. Record Research Incorporated. p. xii. ISBN 9780898201154.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 212. ISBN 9780898201154.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 215. ISBN 9780898201154.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Michael Jackson Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 394. ISBN 9780898201154.
  6. "Donna Summer, queen of disco, dies at 63". BBC. May 17, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  7. "Donna Summer Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 336. ISBN 9780898201154.
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Prince Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 58, 171 206, 267, 283, 323, 377, 430. ISBN 9780898201154.
  11. Bartleet, Larry (September 24, 2015). "10 Actually Great One-Hit Wonders". NME. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  12. Prato, Greg. "Anita Ward Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  13. Shaw, Gabbi (September 25, 2019). "The most popular one-hit wonder every year since 1955". Insider. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  14. Kellman, Andy. "Sister Sledge Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  15. Huey, Steve. "Rufus Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  16. Kellman, Andy. "Chaka Khan Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
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