Billboard published a weekly chart in 1992 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 1992, it was published under the title Hot R&B Singles, [2] and 33 different singles reached number one.
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In the issue of Billboard dated January 4, Shanice was at number one with "I Love Your Smile", the song's third week in the top spot. [3] Two weeks later, it was replaced by "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do", the first solo chart-topper for Tevin Campbell, who was aged 15 at the time; he had previously spent time at number one as the featured vocalist on a track by the producer Quincy Jones. [4] It the second time that a 15-year-old singer had topped the chart in the space of two months, following Tracie Spencer the previous November. [5] Campbell returned to number one later in the year with "Alone with You" and was one of seven artists to have two number ones during the year, along with Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, En Vogue, Michael Jackson, Jodeci, and R. Kelly and Public Announcement. No act achieved more than two number one singles on the R&B chart in 1992. Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" both spent four weeks at number one during 1992, the most by any song during the calendar year, but Houston's single would extend its run by a further seven weeks the following year, making it the longest-running number one since Billboard merged its previously separate R&B sales and airplay charts in 1958. [6] Boyz II Men's total of five weeks at number one during 1992 was the most by any act.
A number of acts topped the chart for the first time in 1992. "Here I Go Again" was the first number one for Glenn Jones, more than nine years after he first entered the chart. [7] It was replaced by "Don't Be Afraid", the first chart-topper for Aaron Hall, formerly of the group Guy. [8] Later in the year, R. Kelly and Public Announcement, Arrested Development, TLC, Mary J. Blige, and Lo-Key? all reached number one for the first time. [9] Kelly would go on to become one of the best-selling artists of all time, with reported sales of up to 75 million records, [10] before his career came to an end following his conviction and imprisonment on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges. [11] TLC would become the best-selling American girl group of all time, with sales of over 65 million. [12] [13] Blige would also go on to great success, being dubbed the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and credited with creating "the blueprint for nineties hip-hop and R&B". [14] Three of 1992's R&B number ones also topped Billboard's pop chart, the Hot 100, and two of them set a new record for the longest run atop that listing. [15] "End of the Road" spent 13 weeks at number one on the Hot 100, a new record which was broken in 1993 by "I Will Always Love You", which spent one more week in the peak position. [15] "Save the Best For Last" by Vanessa Williams also reached number one on both charts. [16]
