List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1974

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The Three Degrees provided the vocals on the chart-topping single "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" by MFSB. Grand Gala du Disque Populaire 1974 - The Three Degrees 927-0060.jpg
The Three Degrees provided the vocals on the chart-topping single "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" by MFSB.

Billboard published a weekly chart in 1974 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in soul music 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] In 1974, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles, [2] and 30 different singles topped the chart.

Contents

Stevie Wonder had both the first and last number ones of 1974. In the issue of Billboard dated January 5, Wonder spent his second week at number one with "Living for the City". [3] He returned to the top spot in September with "You Haven't Done Nothin'", and gained his third chart-topper of the year when "Boogie On Reggae Woman" reached the peak position in the issue dated December 28, making it the year's final number one. Wonder was one of three acts to take three different singles to number one during 1974, along with James Brown and Gladys Knight & the Pips. The latter two acts each spent a cumulative total of five weeks at number one, placing them in a three-way tie with Roberta Flack for 1974's highest number of weeks atop the chart. Flack's "Feel Like Makin' Love" topped the chart for five consecutive weeks, the year's longest unbroken run at number one, and was ranked by Billboard as the year's best-performing soul single. [4]

Two of 1974's Hot Soul Singles number ones showcased the emerging disco genre, which would go on to dominate American popular music in the latter half of the 1970s. [5] In April, MFSB, the house band at the recording studio operated by producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, [6] topped the chart with "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)", the theme tune from the TV show Soul Train ; [6] [7] the song also featured vocals by the girl group the Three Degrees, who had previously entered the top ten twice in their own right. [8] Three months later, George McCrae reached number one with another disco song, "Rock Your Baby"; [9] both singles also topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart. [10] "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" by Barry White and Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'" also topped both charts. [10] MFSB, the Three Degrees and McCrae all gained the first number ones of their respective careers in 1974, [8] as did a large number of other acts. William DeVaughn, Kool & the Gang, Blue Magic, B. T. Express, Latimore, Shirley Brown, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, and Tavares all made their first appearances at the top of the chart during the year. [8]

Chart history

Roberta Flack spent five weeks at number one with "Feel Like Makin' Love", which Billboard ranked as the best-performing soul single of the year. Roberta Flack 1971.jpg
Roberta Flack spent five weeks at number one with "Feel Like Makin' Love", which Billboard ranked as the best-performing soul single of the year.
Gladys Knight & the Pips (Knight pictured) had three number ones in 1974. Gladys Knight (1969).jpg
Gladys Knight & the Pips (Knight pictured) had three number ones in 1974.
"Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae (pictured in later life) topped both the soul chart and the all-genre Hot 100 listing. George McCrae at MIFF (cropped).jpg
"Rock Your Baby" by George McCrae (pictured in later life) topped both the soul chart and the all-genre Hot 100 listing.
Stevie Wonder had three number ones in 1974. Stevie Wonder 1973.JPG
Stevie Wonder had three number ones in 1974.
Key
†Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end soul chart [4]
Chart history
Issue dateTitleArtist(s)Ref.
January 5"Living for the City" Stevie Wonder [3]
January 12"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" Aretha Franklin [11]
January 19"I've Got to Use My Imagination" Gladys Knight & the Pips [12]
January 26"Livin' for You" Al Green [13]
February 2"Let Your Hair Down" The Temptations [14]
February 9"Boogie Down" Eddie Kendricks [15]
February 16 [16]
February 23 [17]
March 2"Mighty Love" The Spinners [18]
March 9 [19]
March 16"Lookin' for a Love" Bobby Womack [20]
March 23 [21]
March 30 [22]
April 6"Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me" Gladys Knight & the Pips [23]
April 13 [24]
April 20"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" MFSB with The Three Degrees [25]
April 27" The Payback, Pt. 1 " James Brown [26]
May 4 [27]
May 11"Dancing Machine" The Jackson 5 [28]
May 18"I'm in Love" Aretha Franklin [29]
May 25 [30]
June 1"Be Thankful for What You Got" William DeVaughn [31]
June 8"Hollywood Swinging" Kool & the Gang [32]
June 15"Sideshow" Blue Magic [33]
June 22"Finally Got Myself Together (I'm a Changed Man)" The Impressions [34]
June 29 [35]
July 6"Rock Your Baby" George McCrae [36]
July 13 [37]
July 20"My Thang (Part 1)" James Brown [38]
July 27 [39]
August 3"Feel Like Makin' Love" † Roberta Flack [40]
August 10 [41]
August 17 [42]
August 24 [43]
August 31 [44]
September 7"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" Barry White [45]
September 14 [46]
September 21 [47]
September 28"You Haven't Done Nothin'" Stevie Wonder [48]
October 5 [49]
October 12"Papa Don't Take No Mess (Part 1)" James Brown [50]
October 19"Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)" B.T. Express [51]
October 26"Higher Plane" Kool & the Gang [52]
November 2"Let's Straighten It Out" Latimore [53]
November 9 [54]
November 16"Woman to Woman" Shirley Brown [55]
November 23 [56]
November 30"I Feel a Song (In My Heart)" Gladys Knight & the Pips [57]
December 7 [58]
December 14"You Got the Love" Rufus featuring Chaka Khan [59]
December 21"She's Gone" Tavares [60]
December 28"Boogie On Reggae Woman" Stevie Wonder [61]

See also

Related Research Articles

MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O'Jays, the Stylistics, the Spinners, Wilson Pickett, and Billy Paul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)</span> 1974 single by MFSB featuring The Three Degrees

"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. It was written by Gamble and Huff as the theme for the American musical television program Soul Train, which specialized in African American musical performers. The single was released on the Philadelphia International Records label. It was the first television theme song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Affair (Sly and the Family Stone song)</span> 1971 single by Sly and the Family Stone

"Family Affair" is a 1971 number-one hit single recorded by Sly and the Family Stone for the Epic Records label. Their first new material since the double A-sided single "Thank You "/ "Everybody Is a Star" nearly two years prior, "Family Affair" became the third and final number-one pop single for the band. In 2021, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song 57th on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The cover version by John Legend, Joss Stone, and Van Hunt, won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at 49th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock the Boat (The Hues Corporation song)</span> 1974 single by Hues Corporation

"Rock the Boat" is a song by American trio The Hues Corporation, written by Wally Holmes. "Rock the Boat" was first featured on their 1973 debut studio album Freedom for the Stallion. It was released as the third single from the album in early 1974, to follow up Stallion's title song, which had peaked at number sixty-three on the Hot 100, and "Miracle Maker " which did not chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Around (The Spinners song)</span> 1972 single by The Spinners

"I'll Be Around" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners. It was co-written by Thom Bell and Phil Hurtt and produced by Bell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Luck (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes song)</span> 1975 single by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes

"Bad Luck" is a song recorded by American vocal group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes from their album To Be True. Released as a single in 1975 by Philadelphia International Records, the song was written by Victor Carstarphen, Gene McFadden, and John Whitehead and produced by Gamble and Huff, with MFSB providing instrumentals. The single was number one on the Billboard Disco Action chart for eleven weeks, also peaking at no. 4 on Hot Soul Singles and no. 15 on the Hot 100. With an unusually loud hi-hat by session drummer Earl Young, "Bad Luck" is considered a signature disco song.

References

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