List of Hot Black Singles number ones of 1984

Last updated

Prince had the year's longest-running number one with "When Doves Cry". Prince at Coachella.jpg
Prince had the year's longest-running number one with "When Doves Cry".

Billboard published a weekly chart in 1984 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in African American-oriented genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of black music and has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs since 2005. [1] In 1984, it was published under the title Black Singles through the issue dated October 13 and Hot Black Singles thereafter, [2] and 19 different singles reached number one.

Contents

In the issue of Billboard dated January 7, "Time Will Reveal" by DeBarge was at number one, the final week of a five-week run in the top spot. [3] The year's longest-running number one was "When Doves Cry" by Prince, which spent eight weeks in the top spot between June and August. Prince returned to number one in October with "Let's Go Crazy", on which his backing band the Revolution was also credited; he was the only act with more than one number one during the year. "When Doves Cry" has been included on lists of the greatest songs of all time, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. [4] Both songs also topped Billboard's pop chart, the Hot 100, [5] as did five more of 1984's Black Singles number ones: "Hello" by Lionel Richie, "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams, "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr., "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" by Billy Ocean, and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder. [6]

A number of acts topped the black singles chart in 1984 for the first time. Rockwell gained his first chart-topper in March with his debut single "Somebody's Watching Me", which featured uncredited guest vocals by one of the most successful recording artists of all time, Michael Jackson. [7] It was followed into the top spot by "She's Strange" by Cameo, the first number one for the band, which had charted regularly since 1977. [8] In June, O'Bryan achieved the first chart-topper of his career with "Lovelite". [9] "Caribbean Queen" became Ocean's first number one in September, [9] and in December "Solid" gave Ashford & Simpson their first chart-topper, more than a decade after their first chart entry. [10] The duo was replaced atop the chart by Midnight Star with its first number one, "Operator", [11] which went on to be the final chart-topper of 1984.

Chart history

"Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" was a crossover success for Billy Ocean. BillyOcean.jpg
"Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" was a crossover success for Billy Ocean.
Ray Parker Jr. topped the chart with "Ghostbusters", the theme song from the film of the same name. RayParkerJrHWOFMar2013.jpg
Ray Parker Jr. topped the chart with "Ghostbusters", the theme song from the film of the same name.
Patti LaBelle reached number one with "If Only You Knew". Patti Labelle.jpg
Patti LaBelle reached number one with "If Only You Knew".
Key
†Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end black singles chart [12]
Chart history
Issue dateTitleArtist(s)Ref.
January 7"Time Will Reveal" DeBarge [3]
January 14"Joanna" Kool & the Gang [13]
January 21 [14]
January 28"If Only You Knew" Patti LaBelle [15]
February 4 [16]
February 11 [17]
February 18 [18]
February 25"Encore" Cheryl Lynn [19]
March 3"Somebody's Watching Me" Rockwell [20]
March 10 [21]
March 17 [22]
March 24 [23]
March 31 [24]
April 7"She's Strange" Cameo [25]
April 14 [26]
April 21 [27]
April 28 [28]
May 5"Hello" Lionel Richie [29]
May 12 [30]
May 19 [31]
May 26"Don't Waste Your Time" Yarbrough and Peoples [32]
June 2"Let's Hear It for the Boy" Deniece Williams [33]
June 9 [34]
June 16 [35]
June 23"Lovelite" O'Bryan [36]
June 30"When Doves Cry" † Prince [37]
July 7 [38]
July 14 [39]
July 21 [40]
July 28 [41]
August 4 [42]
August 11 [43]
August 18 [44]
August 25"Ghostbusters" Ray Parker Jr. [45]
September 1 [46]
September 8"Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" Billy Ocean [47]
September 15 [48]
September 22 [49]
September 29 [50]
October 6"Let's Go Crazy" Prince and the Revolution [51]
October 13"I Just Called to Say I Love You" Stevie Wonder [52]
October 20 [53]
October 27 [54]
November 3"I Feel For You" Chaka Khan [55]
November 10 [56]
November 17 [57]
November 24"Cool It Now" New Edition [58]
December 1"Solid" Ashford & Simpson [59]
December 8 [60]
December 15 [61]
December 22"Operator" Midnight Star [62]
December 29 [63]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Molanphy, Chris (April 14, 2014). "I Know You Got Soul: The Trouble With Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Chart". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  2. ↑ Whitburn 1996, p. xii.
  3. 1 2 "R & B Chart for January 7, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  4. ↑ "The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
  5. ↑ Whitburn 1983, p. 5.
  6. ↑ Whitburn 2004, pp. 436, 449, 471, 492, 625, 636.
  7. ↑ Whitburn 2004, p. 498.
  8. ↑ Whitburn 2004, p. 98.
  9. 1 2 Whitburn 2004, p. 436.
  10. ↑ Whitburn 2004, pp. 35–36.
  11. ↑ Whitburn 2004, p. 398.
  12. ↑ "Billboard.com – Year End Charts – Year-end Singles – Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs". December 11, 2007. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  13. ↑ "R & B Chart for January 14, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  14. ↑ "R & B Chart for January 21, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  15. ↑ "R & B Chart for January 28, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  16. ↑ "R & B Chart for February 4, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  17. ↑ "R & B Chart for February 11, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  18. ↑ "R & B Chart for February 18, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  19. ↑ "R & B Chart for February 25, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  20. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 3, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  21. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 10, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  22. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 17, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  23. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 24, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  24. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 31, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  25. ↑ "R & B Chart for April 7, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  26. ↑ "R & B Chart for April 14, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  27. ↑ "R & B Chart for April 21, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  28. ↑ "R & B Chart for April 28, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  29. ↑ "R & B Chart for May 5, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  30. ↑ "R & B Chart for May 12, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  31. ↑ "R & B Chart for May 19, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  32. ↑ "R & B Chart for May 26, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  33. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 2, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  34. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 9, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  35. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 16, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  36. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 23, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  37. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 30, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  38. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 7, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  39. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 14, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  40. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 21, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  41. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 28, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  42. ↑ "R & B Chart for August 4, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  43. ↑ "R & B Chart for August 11, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  44. ↑ "R & B Chart for August 18, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  45. ↑ "R & B Chart for August 25, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  46. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 1, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  47. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 8, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  48. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 15, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  49. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 22, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  50. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 29, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  51. ↑ "R & B Chart for October 6, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  52. ↑ "R & B Chart for October 13, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  53. ↑ "R & B Chart for October 20, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  54. ↑ "R & B Chart for October 27, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  55. ↑ "R & B Chart for November 3, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  56. ↑ "R & B Chart for November 10, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  57. ↑ "R & B Chart for November 17, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  58. ↑ "R & B Chart for November 24, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  59. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 1, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  60. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 8, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  61. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 15, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  62. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 22, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  63. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 29, 1984". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.

Works cited

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