In 1966, Billboard published a chart ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in rhythm and blues (R&B) and related African American-oriented music genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of such genres and since 2005 has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [1] During the year, 20 different singles topped the chart, which was published under the title Top Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles through the issue dated April 2 and Top Selling R&B Singles thereafter. [2]
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. [3] 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. [4] 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. [5] [6] 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 longest 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. Brown gained his second chart-topper of the year in June with " It's a Man's Man's Man's World". 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 Wonder reached the peak position with both " Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and his recording of Bob Dylan's song " Blowin' in the Wind". [7] 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, [8] but was his only chart-topper. [9]
† | Indicates best-charting R&B single of 1966 [10] |
In 1966, Billboard published a chart ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in rhythm and blues (R&B) and related African American-oriented music genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of such genres and since 2005 has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [1] During the year, 20 different singles topped the chart, which was published under the title Top Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles through the issue dated April 2 and Top Selling R&B Singles thereafter. [2]
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. [3] 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. [4] 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. [5] [6] 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 longest 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. Brown gained his second chart-topper of the year in June with " It's a Man's Man's Man's World". 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 Wonder reached the peak position with both " Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and his recording of Bob Dylan's song " Blowin' in the Wind". [7] 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, [8] but was his only chart-topper. [9]
† | Indicates best-charting R&B single of 1966 [10] |