List of Billboard number-one R&B songs of 1945

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Musician Cootie Williams
Cootie Williams topped the final Harlem Hit Parade chart with "Somebody's Gotta Go".

At the start of 1945, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the "most popular records in Harlem" under the title of the Harlem Hit Parade. Placings were based on a survey of record stores primarily in the Harlem district of New York City, an area which has historically been noted for its African American population and called the "black capital of America".[1] This chart was published for the final time in the issue dated February 10.[2] The following week the magazine launched a new chart in its place, Most Played Juke Box Race Records, based not on retail sales but on the number of times songs had been played in jukeboxes, although records' peak positions and numbers of weeks on chart were carried over;[2] "race records" was a term then in common usage for recordings by black artists.[3] The two charts are considered part of the lineage of the magazine's multimetric R&B chart,[2] which since 2005 has been published under the title Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.[4]

In the issue of Billboard dated January 6, the Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald topped the Harlem Hit Parade with "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", retaining the top spot from the previous week.[5] The song remained at number one through the issue dated February 3 for a final total of 11 weeks atop the chart. It was displaced by "Somebody's Gotta Go" by Cootie Williams and his Orchestra on the final chart published under the Harlem Hit Parade title. It was the first number one for Williams but would prove to be the final charting song of his career.[6] The following week, Pvt. Cecil Gant topped the first Most Played Juke Box Race Records listing with "I Wonder". Gant spent two weeks at number one before being displaced by Roosevelt Sykes with his recording of the same song. Both versions would be the only number one for their respective artists.[7]

The only act with more than one number one in 1945 was Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five, who spent a single week atop the chart with "Mop! Mop!" in April and six weeks in the top spot with "Caldonia" beginning in June. Having first reached number one in 1943, Jordan was by far the most successful artist of the 1940s on Billboard's R&B charts. His tally of 18 chart-toppers was a record which would stand until the 1980s, and he spent 113 weeks at number one,[a] a record which would still stand in the 21st century.[8] Jordan's success fell away in the 1950s, but his music is considered to have been hugely influential on the development of both R&B and rock and roll.[9] In the issue of Billboard dated September 8, Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers reached number one with "The Honeydripper" (Parts 1 & 2), which remained atop the chart for the rest of the year. The track would spend one further week in the top spot in 1946 for a final total of 18 weeks at number one, a record for an R&B chart-topper which would be equalled by Louis Jordan in 1946 and Drake in 2016 but not broken until "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X spent a 19th week atop the modern Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart in 2019.[10][11]

Chart history[edit]

Musicians The Ink Spots
The Ink Spots were at number one at the start of the year.
Musician Erskine Hawkins
Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra reached number one with "Tippin' In".
Musician Lucky Millinder
Lucky Millinder and his Orchestra spent eight weeks at number one with "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well".

Harlem Hit Parade[edit]

Harlem Hit Parade chart
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 6 "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald [5]
January 13 [12]
January 20 [13]
January 27 [14]
February 3 [15]
February 10 "Somebody's Gotta Go" Cootie Williams and his Orchestra [16]

Most Played Juke Box Race Records[edit]

Most Played Juke Box Race Records chart
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
February 17 "I Wonder" Pvt. Cecil Gant [17]
February 24 [18]
March 3 Roosevelt Sykes [19]
March 10 [20]
March 17 [21]
March 24 [22]
March 31 [23]
April 7 [24]
April 14 "Tippin' In" Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra [25]
April 21 "Mop! Mop!" Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five [26]
April 28 "Tippin' In" Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra [27]
May 5 [28]
May 12 [29]
May 19 [30]
May 26 [31]
June 2 "Caldonia" Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five [32]
June 9 [33]
June 16 [34]
June 23 [35]
June 30 [36]
July 7 [37]
July 14 "Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well" Lucky Millinder and his Orchestra [38]
July 21 [39]
July 28 [40]
August 4 [41]
August 11 [42]
August 18 [43]
August 25 [44]
September 1 [45]
September 8 "The Honeydripper" (Parts 1 & 2) Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers [46]
September 15 [47]
September 22 [48]
September 29 [49]
October 6 [50]
October 13 [51]
October 20 [52]
October 27 [53]
November 3 [54]
November 10 [55]
November 17 [56]
November 24 [57]
December 1 [58]
December 8 [59]
December 15
December 22 [60]
December 29 [61]

Notes[edit]

a. ^ Jordan's first 16 number ones occurred at a time when Billboard published only one R&B chart. His final two number ones occurred during a period when the magazine published two charts and each topped both listings, but the figure of 113 weeks at number one does not double-count weeks when he topped both.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Goldfarb, Michael (February 1, 2011). "Who 'owns' Harlem, the capital of black America?". BBC. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1995. Record Research Incorporated. p. xii. ISBN 9780898201154.
  3. ^ Cole, Tom (November 2, 2013). "Paramount Records: The Label Inadvertently Crucial To The Blues". NPR. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  4. ^ Molanphy, Chris (April 14, 2014). "I Know You Got Soul: The Trouble With Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Chart". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Harlem Hit Parade". Billboard. January 6, 1945. p. 19. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. p. 624. ISBN 9780898201604.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 223, 563. ISBN 9780898201604.
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. p. 783. ISBN 9780898201604.
  9. ^ Dahl, Bill. "Louis Jordan Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. p. 783. ISBN 9780898201604.
  11. ^ Fekadu, Mesfin (August 12, 2019). "Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' sets more records on Billboard charts". USA Today. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  12. ^ "Harlem Hit Parade". Billboard. January 13, 1945. p. 17. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  13. ^ "Harlem Hit Parade". Billboard. January 20, 1945. p. 17. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  14. ^ "Harlem Hit Parade". Billboard. January 27, 1945. p. 14. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  15. ^ "Harlem Hit Parade". Billboard. February 3, 1945. p. 16. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  16. ^ "Harlem Hit Parade". Billboard. February 10, 1945. p. 16. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  17. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. February 17, 1945. p. 18. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  18. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. February 24, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. March 3, 1945. p. 100. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  20. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. March 10, 1945. p. 16. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  21. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. March 17, 1945. p. 16. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  22. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. March 24, 1945. p. 19. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  23. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. March 31, 1945. p. 21. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  24. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. April 7, 1945. p. 24. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  25. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. April 14, 1945. p. 21. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  26. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. April 21, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  27. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. April 28, 1945. p. 23. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  28. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. May 5, 1945. p. 21. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  29. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. May 12, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  30. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. May 19, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  31. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. May 26, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  32. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. June 2, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  33. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. June 9, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  34. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. June 16, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  35. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. June 23, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  36. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. June 30, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  37. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. July 7, 1945. p. 27. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  38. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. July 14, 1945. p. 27. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  39. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. July 21, 1945. p. 23. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  40. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. July 28, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  41. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. August 4, 1945. p. 23. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  42. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. August 11, 1945. p. 19. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  43. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. August 18, 1945. p. 21. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  44. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. August 25, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  45. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. September 1, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  46. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. September 8, 1945. p. 27. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  47. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. September 15, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  48. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. September 22, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  49. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. September 29, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  50. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. October 6, 1945. p. 27. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  51. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. October 13, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  52. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. October 20, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  53. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. October 27, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  54. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. November 3, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  55. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. November 10, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  56. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. November 17, 1945. p. 27. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  57. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. November 24, 1945. p. 31. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  58. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. December 1, 1945. p. 25. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  59. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. December 15, 1945. p. 27. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  60. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. December 22, 1945. p. 29. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  61. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Race Records". Billboard. December 29, 1945. p. 27. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
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