Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.
History
Beginning in 1942, Billboard published a chart of bestselling African-American music, first as the Harlem Hit Parade, then as Race Records. Then in 1949, Billboard began publishing a Rhythm and Blues chart, which entered "R&B" into mainstream lexicon. These three charts were consolidated into a single Hot R&B Singles chart in October 1958.
From November 30, 1963, to January 23, 1965, there were no Billboard R&B singles charts. The "Hot R&B Singles" chart was discontinued when Billboard determined it unnecessary due to so much crossover of titles between the R&B and pop charts in light of the rise of Motown. The chart was reinstated as Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles on January 30, 1965.
Beginning August 23, 1969, the rhythm and blues was replaced in favor of "soul", and the chart was renamed to Best Selling Soul Singles. The move was made by a Billboard editorial decision that the term "soul" more accurately accounted for the "broad range of song and instrumental material which derives from the musical genius of the black American". In late June 1982, the chart was renamed again, this time to Hot Black Singles because the music that African-Americans were buying and listening to had a "greater stylistic variety than the soul sound" of the early 1970s. Black Singles was deemed an acceptable term to encompass pop, funk, and early rap music popular in urban communities.
Beginning October 27, 1990, the Hot Black Singles chart was returned to the Hot R&B Singles name first used in 1958. Hip hop was introduced to the chart beginning with the December 11, 1999 issue, when Billboard changed the name to Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks to recognize the influence and relationship of hip hop to the genre. Within a few years, the crossover of R&B titles onto the pop chart was so significant that all Top Ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 11, 2003, were by black artists. The lengthy title was shortened to "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" on April 30, 2005.
The chart's methodology was changed starting with the October 20, 2012 issue, to match the Billboard Hot 100's---incorporating digital downloads and video streaming data (R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs) and combining it with airplay of R&B and hip-hop songs across all radio formats, to determine song position. Also at this time, the chart was shortened to 50 positions.
| Date range | Title |
|---|---|
| October 1942 – February 1945 | The Harlem Hit Parade |
| February 1945 – June 1949 | Race Records |
| June 1949 – October 1958 | Rhythm & Blues Records (two or three separate charts—see above) |
| October 1958 – October 1962 | Hot R&B Sides |
| November 1962 – November 1963 | Hot R&B Singles |
| November 1963 – January 1965 | No chart published (see above) |
| January 1965 – August 1969 | Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles |
| August 1969 – July 1973 | Best Selling Soul Singles |
| July 1973 – June 1982 | Hot Soul Singles |
| June 1982 – October 1990 | Hot Black Singles |
| October 1990 – January 1999 | Hot R&B Singles |
| January – December 1999 | Hot R&B Singles & Tracks |
| December 1999 – April 2005 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks |
| April 2005 – present | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs |
Chart statistics and other facts
- Artists with the most number-one Hot R&B/Hip-Hop hits:
- 1. Aretha Franklin - 20
- 1. Stevie Wonder - 19
- 3. Louis Jordan - 18
- 4. James Brown - 17
- 5. Janet Jackson - 16
- 6. The Temptations - 14
- 7. Marvin Gaye - 13 (tie)
- 7. Michael Jackson - 13 (tie)
- 9. R. Kelly - 11
- 10. Mariah Carey - 10 (tie)
- 10. The O'Jays - 10 (tie)
- 10. Gladys Knight & the Pips - 10 (tie)
- 10. Kool & the Gang - 10 (tie)
Aretha Franklin has had the most number one's on the R&B charts with 20. Joe Liggins' "The Honeydripper" (1945) and Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" (1946) both hold the record for the longest stay at the top of the charts: eighteen weeks. Among more recent releases, Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" (2006) has spent the longest time at number one: fifteen weeks. This feat surpasses the fourteen-week run of Deborah Cox's "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here" (1998) and Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" (2005).
See also
- List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
- Rhythm and blues
- Hip-hop music
- Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
- R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay panel
- List of Billboard charts
