Billboard published a weekly chart in 1980 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 1980, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles, [2] and 14 different singles reached number one.
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In the issue of Billboard dated January 5, Michael Jackson's "Rock with You" moved up to number one, [3] a position it held for six consecutive weeks; it was the second consecutive single from his breakthrough album, Off the Wall , to reach the peak position. [4] [5] [6] In May, Jackson's brother Jermaine gained his first solo chart-topper with "Let’s Get Serious", which also spent six weeks at number one. [7] Stevie Wonder spent an additional week in the top spot with "Master Blaster (Jammin')", his tribute to reggae singer Bob Marley; [8] its seven weeks atop the chart was the year's longest unbroken run at number one. No act achieved more than one number one during 1980. "Rock With You", "Upside Down" by Diana Ross and "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang topped the soul chart in 1980 and also reached number one on the Hot 100 pop singles chart, [9] although "Celebration" did not reach the peak of the pop listing until the following year. [10]
Five other acts reached the top spot for the first time in 1980, beginning in February with Shalamar. The act assembled by Dick Griffey, booking agent for TV's Soul Train , [11] topped the chart for a single week with "The Second Time Around". [12] The S.O.S. Band reached number one for the first and only time with "Take Your Time (Do It Right) Part 1", [13] which spent five weeks in the top spot. George Benson gained his first chart-topper with "Give Me the Night", five years after he first charted, immediately after which jazz trumpeter Tom Browne reached number one with "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)", his first single to enter the listing. [14] It was the first of eight singles by Browne to enter the soul chart, none of which entered the Hot 100 at all. [15] Ray, Goodman & Brown reached number one on the soul chart with their first entry under that name, having previously topped the chart in 1970 and 1975 as the Moments. [16] Larry Graham achieved his first solo number one, having spent time in the top spot as a member of Sly & the Family Stone and as the frontman of Graham Central Station. [17] [18] The year's final number one was "Celebration", which first reached the top of the chart in the issue of Billboard dated December 20.
