Billboard published a weekly chart in 1975 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in soul music and related African American-oriented genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of black music and since 2005 has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [1] In 1975, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles, [2] and 43 different singles reached number one.
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The rapid turnover of number ones during the year meant that 1975 had the highest number of chart-topping singles in a calendar year since Billboard launched a combined sales and airplay chart for black music in 1958. [3] Only eight singles spent more than one week at number one, including one which spent two non-consecutive weeks in the peak position. The year's longest-running number one was "Fight the Power (Part 1)" by the Isley Brothers, which spent three consecutive weeks atop the chart in July and August. The Ohio Players spent the highest total number of weeks at number one of any act, with four weeks in the peak position. The group was the only act to achieve three number ones during the year; Al Green, KC & the Sunshine Band, the O'Jays, the Temptations and Barry White each took two singles to number one.
"Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas had already spent time at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 pop singles chart in late 1974 [4] [5] and reached the pinnacle of the soul listing in January 1975; it was among ten of 1975's soul chart-toppers to also reach the peak position on the Hot 100. Labelle, Earth, Wind & Fire, Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony, Silver Convention and the Staple Singers each took a single to number one on both charts during 1975. [6] The Ohio Players reached the summit of both charts during 1975 with "Fire", and their single "Love Rollercoaster", which was the final soul number one of 1975, would go on top the Hot 100 in early 1976. [6] [7] KC & the Sunshine Band also released two singles in 1975 which topped both charts: "Get Down Tonight" and "That's the Way (I Like It)". [6] The former song was the first soul number one for the group, [8] which would go on to be one of the leading acts in the disco genre before that style fell from favor at the end of the 1970s. [9] [10] [11] Several acts who would go on to experience long and successful chart careers reached number one on the listing for the first time in 1975, including the Pointer Sisters and Earth, Wind & Fire. [12] Conversely, acts including Shirley & Company, Major Harris and New Birth gained the only number ones of their respective careers during the year and would achieve only moderate further success in chart terms. [13]
