R&B number-one hits of 1963 (USA)
Encyclopedia
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1963:
See also: 1963 in music
, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
stats in their place. No specific reason has ever been given as to why Billboard ceased producing R&B charts, but the prevailing wisdom was that the chart methodology used was being questioned, since more and more Caucasian acts were reaching number one on the R&B chart. According to researcher Joel Whitburn
, "there was so much crossover of titles between the R&B and pop singles (Hot 100) charts that Billboard considered the charts to be too similar. This does not mean that R&B artists stopped turning out hits. After all, it was during this 14-month period that Motown established itself as an R&B institution."
See also: 1963 in music
1963 in music
-Events:*January 1 – The Beatles start a 5-day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, "Love Me Do".*January 4 – At Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Dalida receives a Juke Box Global Oscar for the year's most-played artist on juke boxes....
, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
Gap in the chart
From November 30, 1963 to January 23, 1965 there was no Billboard R&B singles charts. Some publications have used Cash Box magazine'sCash Box magazine
Cashbox magazine was a weekly publication devoted to the music and coin-operated machine industries in the USA which was published from July 1942 to November 16, 1996...
stats in their place. No specific reason has ever been given as to why Billboard ceased producing R&B charts, but the prevailing wisdom was that the chart methodology used was being questioned, since more and more Caucasian acts were reaching number one on the R&B chart. According to researcher Joel Whitburn
Joel Whitburn
Joel Carver Whitburn is an American author and music historian.Whitburn founded Record Research Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1970, and put together a team of researchers to examine in detail all of Billboards music and video charts...
, "there was so much crossover of titles between the R&B and pop singles (Hot 100) charts that Billboard considered the charts to be too similar. This does not mean that R&B artists stopped turning out hits. After all, it was during this 14-month period that Motown established itself as an R&B institution."
Issue Date | Song | Artist |
January 5 | You Are My Sunshine You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by... |
Ray Charles Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records... |
January 12 | You Are My Sunshine | Ray Charles |
January 19 | Two Lovers Two Lovers (Mary Wells song) "Two Lovers" is a single released in 1962 by Mary Wells on the Motown record label. The song was the third consecutive hit to be both written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles and recorded by Mary Wells, the two previous charters being "The One Who Really Loves You" and "You Beat Me... |
Mary Wells Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells was an American singer who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s... |
January 26 | Two Lovers | Mary Wells |
February 2 | Two Lovers | Mary Wells |
February 9 | Two Lovers | Mary Wells |
February 16 | You've Really Got a Hold on Me You've Really Got a Hold on Me "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. One of the group's most covered tunes, this million-selling song is a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee... |
The Miracles The Miracles The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature... |
February 23 | Hey Paula | Paul & Paula Paul & Paula Paul & Paula , were a pop singing duo, best known for their 1963 million selling #1 hit record, "Hey Paula."-Biography:... |
March 2 | Hey Paula | Paul & Paula |
March 9 | That's the Way Love Is | Bobby "Blue" Bland |
March 16 | That's the Way Love Is | Bobby "Blue" Bland |
March 23 | Our Day Will Come Our Day Will Come "Our Day Will Come" is a popular song composed by Bob Hilliard and Mort Garson which was a #1 hit in 1963 for Ruby & The Romantics.-Ruby & the Romantics:... |
Ruby & the Romantics Ruby & the Romantics Ruby & the Romantics was an American R&B group in the 1960s. They had several pop and R&B hit records, but are sometimes considered as a one-hit wonder for topping the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1963 with their first recording, "Our Day Will Come", written by Mort Garson and Bob Hilliard... |
March 30 | Our Day Will Come | Ruby & the Romantics |
April 6 | He's So Fine He's So Fine "He's So Fine" is a recording by The Chiffons which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in the spring of 1963. One of the most instantly recognizable Golden Oldies with its doo-lang doo-lang doo-lang background vocal, "He's So Fine" is also renowned as the plaintiff song in the now-infamous... |
The Chiffons The Chiffons The Chiffons was an all girl group originating from the Bronx area of New York in 1960.-Biography:The Chiffons were one of the top girl groups of the early 1960s... |
April 13 | He's So Fine | The Chiffons |
April 20 | He's So Fine | The Chiffons |
April 27 | He's So Fine | The Chiffons |
May 4 | Baby Workout | Jackie Wilson Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history... |
May 11 | Baby Workout | Jackie Wilson |
May 18 | Baby Workout | Jackie Wilson |
May 25 | I Will Follow Him I Will Follow Him "I Will Follow Him" is a song recorded by Little Peggy March. The music was written by Franck Pourcel and Paul Mauriat . It was adapted by Arthur Altman... |
Little Peggy March |
June 1 | If You Wanna Be Happy If You Wanna Be Happy "If You Wanna Be Happy" is a song recorded by Jimmy Soul, written by Frank Guida. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 18, 1963, as well as the R&B singles chart. The song is based on the calypso "Ugly Woman" by Roaring Lion. It was issued on Guida's S.P.Q.R. label and distributed by... |
Jimmy Soul Jimmy Soul Jimmy Soul was an American vocalist. He is best remembered for his 1963 million selling recording, "If You Wanna Be Happy."... |
June 8 | Another Saturday Night Another Saturday Night "Another Saturday Night" is the title of a 1963 hit single by Sam Cooke from the album Ain't That Good News. It reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and was number one on the R&B chart for a single week... |
Sam Cooke Sam Cooke Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and... |
June 15 | It's My Party It's My Party (song) "It's My Party" is a song most famously sung by American singer Lesley Gore in 1963. This song hit #1 on the pop and rhythm and blues charts in the United States. "It's My Party", peaked at #9 in the United Kingdom, becoming Gore's only major hit there... |
Lesley Gore Lesley Gore Lesley Gore is an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of the 1960s.- Biography :Gore was born in New York City, New York. She was raised in... |
June 22 | It's My Party | Lesley Gore |
June 29 | It's My Party | Lesley Gore |
July 6 | Hello Stranger | Barbara Lewis Barbara Lewis Barbara Lewis , is an American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues.-Career:Lewis was born in Salem, near Ann Arbor, Michigan... |
July 13 | Hello Stranger | Barbara Lewis |
July 20 | Easier Said Than Done Easier Said Than Done "Easier Said Than Done" is a popular song sung by The Essex that was a number-one song in the United States during the year 1963. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on July 6, 1963 and remained there for two weeks... |
The Essex The Essex The Essex was an American R&B vocal group formed in 1962. They are best known for their 1963 chart-topper and million selling track, "Easier Said Than Done".-Career:... |
July 27 | Easier Said Than Done | The Essex |
August 3 | Fingertips (Part 2) | Little Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... |
August 10 | Fingertips (Part 2) | Little Stevie Wonder |
August 17 | Fingertips (Part 2) | Little Stevie Wonder |
August 24 | Fingertips (Part 2) | Little Stevie Wonder |
August 31 | Fingertips (Part 2) | Little Stevie Wonder |
September 7 | Fingertips (Part 2) | Little Stevie Wonder |
September 14 | (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave (Love is Like a) Heat Wave " Heat Wave" is a 1963 hit single penned by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team and made popular by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. It was originally released in July 1963, on the Motown subsidiary label Gordy, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot... |
Martha & the Vandellas |
September 21 | (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave | Martha & the Vandellas |
September 28 | (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave | Martha & the Vandellas |
October 5 | (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave | Martha & the Vandellas |
October 12 | Cry Baby | Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters |
October 19 | Part Time Love | Little Johnny Taylor Little Johnny Taylor Little Johnny Taylor was an American blues and soul singer, who made recordings throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and continued public performances through the 1980s and 1990s.... |
October 26 | Cry Baby | Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters |
November 2 | Cry Baby | Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters |
November 9 | It's All Right | The Impressions The Impressions (American band) The Impressions are an American music group from Chicago, originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes doo-wop, gospel, soul, and R&B.... |
November 23 | Sugar Shack Sugar Shack "Sugar Shack" is a song written in 1962 by Keith McCormack & Jimmy Torres. Jimmy then gave his song rights to aunt Fay Voss for a birth day present. The song was recorded in 1963 by Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico... |
Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs |
30 November | NO CHART | |
7 December | NO CHART | |
14 December | NO CHART | |
21 December | NO CHART | |
28 December | NO CHART | |