List of Top Selling R&B Singles number ones of 1966

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 1966, it was published under the title Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles through the issue dated April 2 and Top Selling R&B Singles thereafter. During that year, 20 different singles topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations and surveys of retail sales outlets.[1]

The Supremes had two number ones ("You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On") in 1966.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, James Brown was at number one with "I Got You (I Feel Good)", the song's fifth week in the top spot.[2] It was displaced the following week by "A Sweet Woman Like You" by Joe Tex, but returned to the top of the chart for one final week in the issue dated January 15. Many of the year's chart-toppers were released on the Motown label, including singles by Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the Supremes and the Four Tops.[3] Motown is regarded as one of the most successful and influential labels of the 20th century and as having brought unprecedented levels of mainstream success to black music.[4][5] The Temptations were the year's most successful act, achieving four chart-toppers with "Get Ready", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" and "(I Know) I'm Losing You", which spent a cumulative total of sixteen weeks in the top spot, the highest figure for any act. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" spent eight non-consecutive weeks at number one, the greatest length of time spent in the top spot by a song. The longest unbroken run at number one was seven weeks, achieved by Wilson Pickett's "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)".

In addition to the Temptations, four other acts achieved more than one number one during 1966. James Brown gained his second chart-topper of the year in June with "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". Wilson Pickett topped the chart for seven weeks in March and April with "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" and for a single week in September with "Land of a Thousand Dances", the Supremes spent time at number one in the last quarter of the year with both "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On", and Stevie Wonder reached the peak position with both "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and his recording of Bob Dylan's song "Blowin' in the Wind". Artists who topped the chart for the first time in 1966 included Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Percy Sledge, who spent four weeks at number one with "When a Man Loves a Woman"; it also topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart and would prove to be his signature song,[6] but was his only chart-topper.[7]

Chart history

Key

Indicates best-charting R&B single of 1966[8]

The Temptations had four number ones ("Get Ready", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep", and "(I Know) I'm Losing You") in 1966.

Sam & Dave topped the chart with "Hold On! I'm a Comin'".

Eddie Floyd reached number one with "Knock On Wood". He also co-wrote "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)", a chart-topper for Wilson Pickett.[9]

Stevie Wonder had two number ones ("Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and "Blowin' in the Wind") in 1966.

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 1	"I Got You (I Feel Good)"	James Brown	[2]
January 8	"A Sweet Woman Like You"	Joe Tex	[10]
January 15	"I Got You (I Feel Good)"	James Brown	[11]
January 22	"Uptight (Everything's Alright)"	Stevie Wonder	[12]
January 29			[13]
February 5			[14]
February 12			[15]
February 19			[16]
February 26	"Baby Scratch My Back"	Slim Harpo	[17]
March 5			[18]
March 12	"634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)"	Wilson Pickett	[19]
March 19			[20]
March 26			[21]
April 2			[22]
April 9			[23]
April 16			[24]
April 23			[25]
April 30	"Get Ready"	The Temptations	[26]
May 7	"When a Man Loves a Woman"	Percy Sledge	[27]
May 14			[28]
May 21			[29]
May 28			[30]
June 4	"It's a Man's Man's Man's World"	James Brown	[31]
June 11			[32]
June 18	"Hold On! I'm a Comin'"	Sam & Dave	[33]
June 25	"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"	The Temptations	[34]
July 2			[35]
July 9			[36]
July 16			[37]
July 23	"Let's Go Get Stoned"	Ray Charles	[38]
July 30	"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"	The Temptations	[39]
August 6			[40]
August 13			[41]
August 20			[42]
August 27	"Blowin' in the Wind"	Stevie Wonder	[43]
September 3	"You Can't Hurry Love"	The Supremes	[44]
September 10			[45]
September 17	"Land of a Thousand Dances"	Wilson Pickett	[46]
September 24	"Beauty Is Only Skin Deep"	The Temptations	[47]
October 1			[48]
October 8			[49]
October 15			[50]
October 22			[51]
October 29	"Reach Out I'll Be There"	The Four Tops	[52]
November 5			[53]
November 12	"Love Is a Hurtin' Thing"	Lou Rawls	[54]
November 19	"Knock On Wood"	Eddie Floyd	[55]
November 26	"You Keep Me Hangin' On"	The Supremes	[56]
December 3			[57]
December 10			[58]
December 17			[59]
December 24	"(I Know) I'm Losing You"	The Temptations	[60]
December 31			[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 1, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
3. Icons of R&B and Soul. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2008. p. 339. ISBN 9780313340468.
4. Haider, Arwa (January 9, 2019). "Motown: The music that changed America". BBC. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
5. "Motown Music Genre Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Percy Sledge Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
7. "Percy Sledge Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
8. "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.
9. Huey, Steve. "Eddie Floyd Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
10. "R & B Chart for January 8, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
11. "R & B Chart for January 15, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
12. "R & B Chart for January 22, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
13. "R & B Chart for January 29, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
14. "R & B Chart for February 5, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
15. "R & B Chart for February 12, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
16. "R & B Chart for February 19, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
17. "R & B Chart for February 26, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
18. "R & B Chart for March 5, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
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32. "R & B Chart for June 11, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
33. "R & B Chart for June 18, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
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39. "R & B Chart for July 30, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
40. "R & B Chart for August 6, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
41. "R & B Chart for August 13, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
42. "R & B Chart for August 20, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
43. "R & B Chart for August 27, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
44. "R & B Chart for September 3, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
45. "R & B Chart for September 10, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
46. "R & B Chart for September 17, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
47. "R & B Chart for September 24, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
48. "R & B Chart for October 1, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
49. "R & B Chart for October 8, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
50. "R & B Chart for October 15, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
51. "R & B Chart for October 22, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
52. "R & B Chart for October 29, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
53. "R & B Chart for November 5, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
54. "R & B Chart for November 12, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
55. "R & B Chart for November 19, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
56. "R & B Chart for November 26, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
57. "R & B Chart for December 3, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
58. "R & B Chart for December 10, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
59. "R & B Chart for December 17, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
60. "R & B Chart for December 24, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
61. "R & B Chart for December 31, 1966". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2020.