List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart

This is a list of all the musicians and music groups who reached number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart.Joel Whitburn's "Top R&B Singles" ().

The chart was officially titled as follows: Oct 1942 – Feb 1945 The Harlem Hit Parade Feb 1945 – Jun 1949 Race Records Jun 1949 – Oct 1958 Rhythm & Blues Records Oct 1958 – Nov 1963 Hot R&B Sides Nov 1963 – Jan 1965 No chart published Jan 1965 – Aug 1969 Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles Aug 1969 – Jul 1973 Best Selling Soul Singles Jul 1973 – Jun 1982 Hot Soul Singles Jun 1982 – Oct 1990 Hot Black Singles Oct 1990 – Jan 1999 Hot R&B Singles Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 Hot R&B Singles & Tracks Dec 1999 – Apr 2005 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks April 2005 – present Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

Lists are alphabetical by year. NOTE : Annual totals may not sum to 52 weeks because: sometimes the No. 1 place was shared totals are counted from the start of the stay at No. 1 - for example, a hit which reached No. 1 in November 1945 and stayed there 11 weeks is included in the 1945 list but not 1946. As well as the R&B best sellers (BS) chart, between 1948 and 1957 there was also an R&B juke box (JB) chart, and from 1955 to 1958 there was an R&B airplay (JY - jockeys) chart. These charts were consolidated into one in October 1958. Years at No. 1 on these different charts are listed where appropriate.

1942 Bing Crosby (3 weeks) Earl Hines (1 week) Andy Kirk (1 week) Lucky Millinder (2 weeks) Freddie Slack (2 weeks) Paul Whiteman and Billie Holiday (3 weeks)

1943 Bea Booze (4 weeks) Nat "King" Cole (3 weeks) Bonnie Davis (5 weeks) Duke Ellington (5 weeks) Erskine Hawkins (14 weeks) Dick Haymes (4 weeks) The Ink Spots (9 weeks) Harry James (1 week) Louis Jordan (1 week) Lucky Millinder (3 weeks) Ella Mae Morse (2 weeks)

1944 Benny Carter (2 weeks) Nat "King" Cole (14 weeks) Duke Ellington (12 weeks) Benny Goodman (1 week) Lionel Hampton (6 weeks) The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald (12 weeks) Buddy Johnson (1 week) Louis Jordan (7 weeks) Johnny Mercer (1 week) The Mills Brothers (1 week)

1945 Cecil Gant (2 weeks) Erskine Hawkins (6 weeks) Louis Jordan (8 weeks) Joe Liggins (18 weeks) Lucky Millinder (8 weeks) Roosevelt Sykes (7 weeks) Cootie Williams (1 week)

1946 Ella Fitzgerald (with Louis Jordan) (5 weeks) Lionel Hampton (16 weeks) The Ink Spots (3 weeks) Louis Jordan (35 weeks, inc. 5 weeks with Ella Fitzgerald)

1947 Savannah Churchill (8 weeks) Louis Jordan (40 weeks) Julia Lee (12 weeks) Eddie Vinson (2 weeks)

1948 Roy Brown (1 week JB) Pee Wee Crayton (1 week BS, 3 weeks JB) Wynonie Harris (1 week BS, 1 week JB) Ivory Joe Hunter (3 weeks BS, 3 weeks JB) Bull Moose Jackson (11 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) Lonnie Johnson (7 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) Louis Jordan (2 weeks JB) Julia Lee (9 weeks) Memphis Slim (2 weeks JB) Amos Milburn (7 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) Red Miller (4 weeks BS, 5 weeks JB) The Orioles (1 week JB) Hal Singer (4 weeks BS, 4 weeks JB) Arbee Stidham (1 week BS, 1 week JB) Sonny Thompson (4 weeks BS, 3 weeks JB) Dinah Washington (1 week JB)

1949 Charles Brown (15 weeks BS, 11 weeks JB) Larry Darnell (6 weeks BS, 8 weeks JB) Wynonie Harris (1 week BS, 2 weeks JB) John Lee Hooker (1 week JB) Louis Jordan (12 weeks BS, 12 weeks JB) Big Jay McNeely (1 week BS, 1 week JB) Amos Milburn (2 weeks JB) The Orioles (1 week BS) Dinah Washington (2 weeks BS, 1 week JB) Paul Williams (12 weeks BS, 14 weeks JB) Jimmy Witherspoon (1 week BS)

1950 Roy Brown (3 weeks BS) Ruth Brown (11 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) Nat "King" Cole (4 weeks JB) Lowell Fulson (1 week BS, 4 weeks JB) Ivory Joe Hunter (2 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) Louis Jordan (7 weeks BS, 4 weeks JB) Joe Liggins (11 weeks BS, 13 weeks JB) Percy Mayfield (2 weeks BS, 1 week JB) Joe Morris (4 weeks BS, 3 weeks JB) Johnny Otis and Little Esther (13 weeks BS, 10 weeks JB) (9 weeks BS / 5 weeks JB with The Robins, 4 weeks BS / 5 weeks JB with Mel Walker)

1951 Earl Bostic (4 weeks BS) Jackie Brenston (3 weeks BS, 5 weeks JB) Charles Brown (13 weeks BS, 14 weeks JB) The Clovers (8 weeks BS, 3 weeks JB) The Dominoes (14 weeks BS, 12 weeks JB) The Five Keys (4 weeks BS, 2 weeks JB) Lloyd Glenn (2 weeks JB) Peppermint Harris (1 week BS, 2 weeks JB) John Lee Hooker (4 weeks JB) Amos Milburn (1 week BS, 3 weeks JB) Jimmy Nelson (1 week JB) Tab Smith (2 weeks BS)

1952 Johnny Ace (9 weeks BS) Eddie Boyd (2 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) Ruth Brown (7 weeks BS, 6 weeks JB) Tommy Brown with The Griffin Brothers (3 weeks JB) The Clovers (1 week BS, 1 week JB) Fats Domino (1 week BS) The Dominoes (7 weeks BS, 10 weeks JB) Jimmy Forrest (6 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) The Four Blazes (3 weeks JB) Rosco Gordon (1 week BS) B. B. King (7 weeks BS, 5 weeks JB) Little Walter (1 week BS, 8 weeks JB) Willie Mabon (8 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) Lloyd Price (7 weeks BS, 1 week JB) Johnnie Ray (1 week BS, 1 week JB)

1953 Johnny Ace (5 weeks BS, 4 weeks JB) Faye Adams (9 weeks BS, 10 weeks JB) Ruth Brown (5 weeks BS, 5 weeks JB) The "5" Royales (8 weeks BS, 8 weeks JB) B.B. King (3 weeks JB) Willie Mabon (2 weeks BS) Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters (11 weeks BS, 1 week JB) The Orioles (4 weeks BS, 5 weeks JB) Big Mama Thornton (6 weeks BS, 7 weeks JB) Big Joe Turner (8 weeks JB)

1954 Faye Adams (6 weeks BS, 5 weeks JB) Ruth Brown (5 weeks BS, 9 weeks JB) The Charms (9 weeks BS, 2 weeks JB, 2 weeks JY) Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters (8 weeks BS, 8 weeks JB) Guitar Slim (6 weeks BS, 14 weeks JB) Roy Hamilton (8 weeks BS, 5 weeks JB) B.B. King (2 weeks JB) The Midnighters (9 weeks BS, 4 weeks JB) Big Joe Turner (3 weeks JB)

1955 Johnny Ace (9 weeks BS, 9 weeks JB, 10 weeks JY) Chuck Berry (9 weeks BS, 11 weeks JB, 9 weeks JY) Ray Charles (1 week JB, 1 week JY) Bo Diddley (2 weeks JB) Fats Domino (11 weeks BS, 8 weeks JB, 10 weeks JY) The Drifters (1 week JB) Roy Hamilton (3 weeks BS) Al Hibbler (1 week JB) Etta James (4 weeks JY) Little Walter ( 4 weeks BS, 5 weeks JB, 2 weeks JY) Jay McShann (3 weeks BS, 2 weeks JB, 2 weeks JY) The Moonglows (2 weeks JB, 1 week JY) The Penguins (3 weeks BS, 3 weeks JB, 1 week JY) The Platters (7 weeks BS, 6 weeks JB, 5 weeks JY)

1956 Ray Charles (2 weeks JB, 1 week JY) Bill Doggett (13 weeks BS, 1 week JB, 5 weeks JY) Fats Domino (15 weeks BS, 17 weeks JB, 20 weeks JY) The El Dorados (1 week JB) Little Willie John (3 weeks BS, 1 week JB, 5 weeks JY) Little Richard (8 weeks BS, 9 weeks JB, 5 weeks JY) Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers (5 weeks BS, 2 weeks JY) Clyde McPhatter (1 week JB) The Platters (10 weeks BS, 11 weeks JB, 13 weeks JY) Elvis Presley (1 week BS, 6 weeks JB) Shirley and Lee (3 weeks JB, 3 weeks JY)

1957 Paul Anka (2 weeks BS) LaVern Baker (1 week JY) Chuck Berry (1 week BS, 1 week JB, 5 weeks JY) Bobby Bland (2 weeks JY) The Bobbettes (4 weeks JY) The Coasters (13 weeks BS, 2 weeks JB, 7 weeks JY) Nat "King" Cole (2 weeks JY) Sam Cooke (6 weeks BS, 6 weeks JY) Fats Domino (14 weeks BS, 13 weeks JB, 12 weeks JY) The Everly Brothers (1 week JY) Ivory Joe Hunter (3 weeks JB, 1 week JY) Jerry Lee Lewis (2 weeks BS, 1 week JY) Little Richard (2 weeks JB) Clyde McPhatter (1 week JY) Mickey & Sylvia (2 weeks JY) Elvis Presley (10 weeks BS, 4 weeks JB, 5 weeks JY) Jimmie Rodgers (2 weeks BS, 1 week JY) Larry Williams (1 week JY) Chuck Willis (2 weeks JY)

1958 Chuck Berry (3 weeks BS, 3 weeks JY) The Champs (4 weeks BS, 4 weeks JY) Jimmy Clanton (1 week BS) The Coasters (7 weeks BS, 6 weeks JY) Cozy Cole (6 weeks) Sam Cooke (1 week JY) Danny & The Juniors (5 weeks BS) Bobby Darin (2 weeks JY) Bobby Day (3 weeks JY) Tommy Edwards (3 weeks BS) The Elegants (4 weeks BS, 4 weeks JY) The Everly Brothers (5 weeks BS, 3 weeks JY) Ernie Freeman (2 weeks JY) Bill Justis (1 week JY) The Kalin Twins (1 week JY) Clyde McPhatter (1 week) The Platters (3 weeks BS) Perez Prado (2 weeks BS, 1 week JY) Elvis Presley (3 weeks JY) David Seville (1 week JY) The Silhouettes (4 weeks BS, 6 weeks JY) Chuck Willis (1 week JY) Jackie Wilson (7 weeks)

1959 Brook Benton (16 weeks) James Brown (1 week) Ray Charles (1 week) The Coasters (4 weeks) Fats Domino (1 week) The Drifters (1 week) Wilbert Harrison (7 weeks) Phil Phillips (1 week) Lloyd Price (11 weeks) Della Reese (2 weeks) The Spacemen (3 weeks) Jackie Wilson (1 week)

1960 Hank Ballard and The Midnighters (3 weeks) Brook Benton (23 weeks, inc. 14 weeks with Dinah Washington) Bill Black (8 weeks) Buster Brown (1 week) Jerry Butler (7 weeks) The Drifters (1 week) The Everly Brothers (1 week) Bobby Marchan (1 week) Dinah Washington (15 weeks, inc. 14 weeks with Brook Benton) Jackie Wilson (7 weeks)

1961 Bobby Bland (1 week) Ray Charles (6 weeks) Chubby Checker (2 weeks) Lee Dorsey (1 week) The Jive Five (3 weeks) Ernie K-Doe (5 weeks) Ben E. King (4 weeks) Bobby Lewis (10 weeks) The Marcels (2 weeks) The Marvelettes (7 weeks) The Miracles (8 weeks) The Pips (1 week)

1962 Booker T. & the MGs (4 weeks) Gene Chandler (5 weeks) Ray Charles (15 weeks) Sam Cooke (3 weeks) King Curtis (2 weeks) The Four Seasons (1 week) Barbara George (4 weeks) Little Eva (3 weeks) Barbara Lynn (3 weeks) Esther Phillips (3 weeks) Dee Dee Sharp (4 weeks) Mary Wells (1 week)

1963 Bobby Bland (2 weeks) The Chiffons (4 weeks) Sam Cooke (1 week) The Essex (2 weeks) Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (1 week) Lesley Gore (3 weeks) The Impressions (2 weeks) Barbara Lewis (2 weeks) Little Peggy March (1 week) Martha and the Vandellas (4 weeks) Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters (3 weeks) The Miracles (1 week) Paul and Paula (2 weeks) Ruby and the Romantics (2 weeks) Jimmy Soul (1 week) Little Johnny Taylor (1 week) Mary Wells (4 weeks) Jackie Wilson (3 weeks) Little Stevie Wonder (6 weeks)

1964 NOTE: No R&B charts were published between November 1963 and January 1965. The following R&B artists (as assessed by Joel Whitburn) had No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart during that period : The Dixie Cups (3 weeks) The Shangri-Las (1 week) The Supremes (6 weeks) Mary Wells (2 weeks)

1965 Fontella Bass (4 weeks) James Brown (14 weeks) Solomon Burke (3 weeks) The Four Tops (9 weeks) Marvin Gaye (2 weeks) Little Milton (3 weeks) Wilson Pickett (1 week) The Supremes (1 week) The Temptations (6 weeks) Joe Tex (3 weeks) Jr. Walker & the All Stars (4 weeks)

1966 James Brown (2 weeks) Ray Charles (1 week) Eddie Floyd (1 week) The Four Tops (2 weeks) Slim Harpo (2 weeks) Wilson Pickett (8 weeks) Lou Rawls (1 week) Sam & Dave (1 week) Percy Sledge (4 weeks) The Supremes (6 weeks) The Temptations (16 weeks) Joe Tex (1 week) Stevie Wonder (6 weeks)

1967 James Brown (3 weeks) Aretha Franklin (17 weeks) Gladys Knight & The Pips (6 weeks) Martha and the Vandellas (1 week) Aaron Neville (5 weeks) Wilson Pickett (1 week) Sam & Dave (7 weeks) Freddie Scott (4 weeks) The Supremes (2 weeks) Bettye Swann (2 weeks) Jackie Wilson (1 week) Stevie Wonder (4 weeks)

1968 Archie Bell & The Drells (2 weeks) James Brown (8 weeks) Jerry Butler (1 week) The Dells (3 weeks) Aretha Franklin (10 weeks) Marvin Gaye (13 weeks, inc. 6 weeks with Tammi Terrell) The Intruders (1 week) Hugh Masekela (4 weeks) Otis Redding (3 weeks) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1 week) Johnnie Taylor (3 weeks) The Temptations (4 weeks) Stevie Wonder (1 week)

1969 James Brown (4 weeks) Jerry Butler (2 weeks) Tyrone Davis (3 weeks) The Dells (1 week) Aretha Franklin (5 weeks) Marvin Gaye (6 weeks) The Impressions (1 week) The Isley Brothers (4 weeks) The Originals (5 weeks) Diana Ross and The Supremes (4 weeks) Joe Simon (3 weeks) Sly & The Family Stone (2 weeks) The Temptations (7 weeks) Jr. Walker & the All Stars (2 weeks)

1970 Brook Benton (1 week) James Brown (2 weeks) Tyrone Davis (2 weeks) Aretha Franklin (5 weeks) The Jackson Five (20 weeks) The Moments (5 weeks) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (3 weeks) Diana Ross (1 week) Sly & The Family Stone (5 weeks) The Supremes (1 week) Stevie Wonder (6 weeks)

1971 James Brown (3 weeks) The Chi-Lites (2 weeks) King Floyd (4 weeks) Aretha Franklin (5 weeks) Marvin Gaye (9 weeks) The Honey Cone (5 weeks)