These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1996:
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1996:
 | Indicates best-charting R&B single of 1996 [1] |
| Issue Date | Song | Artist |
| January 6 | "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" | Whitney Houston |
| January 13 | ||
| January 20 | "Before You Walk out of My Life" / "Like This and Like That" | Monica |
| January 27 | ||
| February 3 | "Not Gon' Cry" | Mary J. Blige |
| February 10 | ||
| February 17 | ||
| February 24 | ||
| March 2 | ||
| March 9 | "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" | R. Kelly featuring Ronald Isley |
| March 16 | ||
| March 23 | ||
| March 30 | ||
| April 6 | ||
| April 13 | ||
| April 20 | ||
| April 27 | "You're the One" | SWV |
| May 4 | "Always Be My Baby" | Mariah Carey |
| May 11 | "Tha Crossroads" | Bone Thugs N Harmony |
| May 18 | ||
| May 25 | ||
| June 1 | ||
| June 8 | ||
| June 15 | ||
| June 22 | ||
| June 29 | "You're Makin' Me High" / "Let It Flow" | Toni Braxton |
| July 6 | "How Do U Want It" / "California Love" | 2Pac featuring K-Ci & JoJo / featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman |
| July 13 | ||
| July 20 | ||
| July 27 | "You're Makin' Me High" / "Let It Flow" | Toni Braxton |
| August 3 | "I Can't Sleep Baby (If I)" | R. Kelly |
| August 10 | ||
| August 17 | "Twisted" | Keith Sweat |
| August 24 | ||
| August 31 | "Hit Me Off" | New Edition |
| September 7 | ||
| September 14 | ||
| September 21 | "Twisted" | Keith Sweat |
| September 28 | "If Your Girl Only Knew" | Aaliyah |
| October 5 | ||
| October 12 | "Last Night" | Az Yet |
| October 19 | "No Diggity" | Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre |
| October 26 | ||
| November 2 | ||
| November 9 | ||
| November 16 | "Pony" | Ginuwine |
| November 23 | ||
| November 30 | "Nobody" | Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage |
| December 7 | ||
| December 14 | ||
| December 21 | "I Believe I Can Fly" | R. Kelly |
| December 28 | ||
"End of the Road" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Boomerang soundtrack. It was released in 1992 and was written by Babyface, Antonio L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons. "End of the Road" achieved domestic and international success. In the United States, "End of the Road" spent a then record breaking 13 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, a record broken later in the year by Whitney Houston's 14-week number one hit "I Will Always Love You"; Boyz II Men would later match Houston's record with "I'll Make Love to You", which spent 14 weeks at number one in 1994, and then reclaim the record with "One Sweet Day", which spent 16 weeks at number one from 1995 to 1996.
"Exhale " is a song by American recording artist and actress Whitney Houston, featured on the soundtrack for the film Waiting to Exhale. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 7, 1995, by Arista Records. The song was written and produced by Babyface. A mid-tempo R&B and soul ballad, composed in the key of D-flat major, the song's lyrics speak about growing up and learning to let go. The song garnered mostly positive reviews from critics, many of whom noted Houston's vocal maturity in the song.
Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album is a soundtrack for the film of the same name, released on November 14, 1995, by Arista Records. Written and produced by Babyface, the soundtrack features appearances by several prominent R&B artists, including Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, TLC, Brandy, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Faith Evans, Patti LaBelle, SWV and Mary J. Blige. The album remained at number one on the US Billboard 200 album chart for five weeks and Top R&B Albums chart for ten weeks, going 7× platinum, on September 4, 1996. It spawned two number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart; "Exhale " and "Let It Flow", and three top-ten hits, "Sittin' Up in My Room", "Not Gon' Cry" and "Count on Me". "Exhale ", "Let It Flow" and "Not Gon' Cry" also topped the R&B hits chart. All songs were written and produced by Babyface, except for "My Funny Valentine". The album also includes songs by lesser-known artists like Shanna and Sonja Marie.
"I Believe in You and Me" is a song written by Sandy Linzer and David Wolfert in 1982. The song was first recorded and released by the R&B group The Four Tops, who released it as a single from their album One More Mountain (1982). While it failed to reach the US Top 40, it became a moderate hit for the group on the US Billboard R&B chart, peaking at number 40 in early 1983.
"Let It Flow" is a song by American R&B singer Toni Braxton. Written and produced by Babyface, the song was originally recorded for, and included on, the soundtrack to the 1995 motion picture Waiting to Exhale.