R&B number-one hits of 1978 (USA)
Encyclopedia
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1978:
See also: 1978 in music
, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
See also: 1978 in music
1978 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1978.-January–April:*January 14 – The Sex Pistols play their final show at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom....
, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
| Issue Date | Song | Artist |
| January 7 | "Ffun Ffun "Ffun" was a hit song by R&B/funk band Con Funk Shun. Released from their Secrets album, it spent 2 weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart in January, 1978. It also crossed over to the pop charts, peaking at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
Con Funk Shun Con Funk Shun Con Funk Shun is an American R&B and funk band popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Influences include James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone.-History:... |
| January 14 | "Ffun" | Con Funk Shun |
| January 21 | "Our Love Our Love (Natalie Cole song) "Our Love" is song originally recorded by R&B singer Natalie Cole. Released from her 1977 album, Thankful, it spent 2 weeks at number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart in January of 1978. It also was a hit on the pop charts, reaching number ten, . and has become one of her most familiar songs. It... " |
Natalie Cole Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"... |
| January 28 | "Our Love" | Natalie Cole |
| February 4 | "(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up? (Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up? " Which Way Is Up?" was a hit song by R&B female vocal group Stargard. The song was written and produced by Norman Whitfield and was the main theme from the soundtrack to the Richard Pryor movie, Which Way Is Up? It was also included on the group's self-titled debut album... |
Stargard Stargard (band) Stargard was an American three-piece female funk band, consisting of original members Rochelle Runnells, Debra Anderson, and Janice Williams. Stargard was best known for their 1977 Norman Whitfield-penned hit song " Which Way Is Up?" which served as a theme for the movie of the same name starring... |
| February 11 | "(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up?" | Stargard |
| February 18 | "Too Hot ta Trot Too Hot ta Trot "Too Hot ta Trot" is a hit song by R&B/funk band, the Commodores. Featured on the soundtrack to the movie, Thank God It's Friday, it spent a week at number one on the R&B singles chart and peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1978. .... " |
The Commodores |
| February 25 | "It's You That I Need It's You That I Need "It's You That I Need" was a hit song by Detroit R&B vocal group Enchantment. Released from their 1977 LP, Once Upon A Dream, it spent a week at number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart in February, 1978, and peaked at number thirty-three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their most successful... " |
Enchantment Enchantment (band) Enchantment is a 1970s R&B band formed in Detroit, Michigan by Emanuel "EJ" Johnson, Bobby Green, Mickey Clanton, Joe Thomas and Dave Banks. Best known for the hits Gloria and It's You That I Need.- Beginnings :... |
| March 4 | "Flash Light" | Parliament Parliament (band) Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:... |
| March 11 | "Flash Light" | Parliament |
| March 18 | "Flash Light" | Parliament |
| March 25 | "Bootzilla Bootzilla "Bootzilla" is a song recorded by Bootsy's Rubber Band, released on January 13, 1978. As the lead single from the album Bootsy? Player of the Year it held the #1 spot on the R&B chart for one week in 1978... " |
Bootsy's Rubber Band |
| April 1 | "The Closer I Get to You" | Roberta Flack Roberta Flack Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music... and Donny Hathaway Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations... |
| April 8 | "The Closer I Get to You" | Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway |
| April 15 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late Too Much, Too Little, Too Late "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" is a song performed by singers Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams. Words and Music are by Nat Kipner and John McIntyre Vallins. Released as a single in 1978, it reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, number nine on the Canadian Singles Chart and... " |
Johnny Mathis Johnny Mathis John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts... and Deniece Williams Deniece Williams June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s... |
| April 22 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" | Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams |
| April 29 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" | Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams |
| May 6 | "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" | Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams |
| May 13 | "Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1) Take Me to the Next Phase "Take Me to the Next Phase " was a hit song for R&B/funk band The Isley Brothers. The song has the sound of a live stadium recording, but it was created entirely in a recording studio. Ernie and Marvin Isley plus Chris Jasper laid the foot stomps and some of the crowd noises across 24 recording... " |
The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper... |
| May 20 | "Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1)" | The Isley Brothers |
| May 27 | "Use ta Be My Girl Use ta Be My Girl "Use ta Be My Girl" was a hit song by R&B vocal group The O'Jays. Released from their hit 1978 album, So Full of Love, it became a huge crossover hit. The song spent five weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart. It also peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart... " |
The O'Jays The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005... |
| June 3 | "Use ta Be My Girl" | The O'Jays |
| June 10 | "Use ta Be My Girl" | The O'Jays |
| June 17 | "Use ta Be My Girl" | The O'Jays |
| June 24 | "Use ta Be My Girl" | The O'Jays |
| July 1 | "Stuff Like That Stuff Like That "Stuff Life That" is a hit song with music and lyrics written by Quincy Jones, Ashford & Simpson, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, Ralph MacDonald and Richard Tee. The song was originally an instrumental rhythm track. Jones worked on the track with Ashford & Simpson, Chaka Khan and studio musicians Gadd,... " |
Quincy Jones Quincy Jones Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend... |
| July 8 | "Close the Door Close the Door "Close the Door" was a hit song for Teddy Pendergrass in 1978 and written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It spent two weeks at number one on the R&B chart and peaked at number twenty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. . It was released from his second solo album, Life Is a Song Worth Singing. In 2002... " |
Teddy Pendergrass Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade... |
| July 15 | "Close the Door" | Teddy Pendergrass |
| July 22 | "You and I You and I (Rick James song) "You and I" was the name of a hit song for R&B/Funk musician Rick James. It was released from his debut album, Come Get It!. It spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B charts and reached number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.. "You and I" also peaked at number three on the... " |
Rick James Rick James James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B... |
| July 29 | "You and I" | Rick James |
| August 5 | "Boogie Oogie Oogie Boogie Oogie Oogie "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is the name of a popular song by disco/R&B group A Taste of Honey. Released from their self-titled album in 1978, it became an extremely popular "crossover" song. The lyrics urge listeners to "boogie oogie oogie till you just can't boogie no more." It topped the Billboard Hot... " |
A Taste Of Honey A Taste of Honey (band) A Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act, formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. In 1978 they had one of the best known chart-toppers of the disco era, "Boogie Oogie Oogie"... |
| August 12 | "Three Times a Lady Three Times a Lady * The song was also covered in the country genre by country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock on his 1986 album Crash Craddock and in 2007 by Cobra Starship as an iTunes bonus track for their album ¡Viva La Cobra!... " |
The Commodores |
| August 19 | "Three Times a Lady" | The Commodores |
| August 26 | "Get Off Get Off "Get Off" was a hit song by Miami based Latin/disco band Foxy in 1978. Released from their LP of the same name, the song became a crossover hit. It spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart during the fall of that year and also peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot... " |
Foxy Foxy (band) Foxy is a Latin Dance/disco group formed in 1976 in Miami, Florida.The group consisted of vocalist-guitarist Ish "Angel" Ledesma , percussionist Richard "Richie" Puente, keyboardist Charlie Murciano, bass guitarist Arnold Paseiro and drummer Joe Galdo... |
| September 2 | "Get Off" | Foxy |
| September 9 | "Holding On (When Love Is Gone) Holding On (When Love Is Gone) "Holding On " is a hit song by R&B/funk band L.T.D. Released from their hit album, Togetherness, the song spent two weeks on top of the R&B single chart in September 1978 and peaked at forty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.... " |
L.T.D. L.T.D. L.T.D. is an American R&B/funk band best known for their 1977 hit single, " Back in Love Again," as well as their many ballads, such as "Love Ballad," "We Both Deserve Each Other's Love," and "Where Did We Go Wrong?."-Career:L.T.D... |
| September 16 | "Holding On (When Love Is Gone)" | L.T.D. |
| September 23 | "Got to Get You into My Life Got to Get You into My Life "Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by The Beatles, first released in 1966 on the album Revolver. Written by Paul McCartney , it made prominent use of a brass section... " |
Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of... |
| September 30 | "One Nation Under a Groove One Nation Under a Groove (song) "One Nation Under a Groove" is a 1978 song by Funkadelic, the title track from their album One Nation Under a Groove. The lyrics refer to dancing as a way to freedom. Compared to Funkadelic's earlier output, that was characterized by sound typical for rock music, this song has sound more typical... (Part 1)" |
Funkadelic Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:... |
| October 7 | "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" | Funkadelic |
| October 14 | "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" | Funkadelic |
| October 21 | "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" | Funkadelic |
| October 28 | "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" | Funkadelic |
| November 4 | "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" | Funkadelic |
| November 11 | "I'm Every Woman I'm Every Woman "I'm Every Woman" is a hit song recorded by Chaka Khan in 1978. It was Chaka Khan's first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus; the song was included on her platinum debut solo album Chaka. Produced by Arif Mardin and written by successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie... " |
Chaka Khan Chaka Khan Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career... |
| November 18 | "I'm Every Woman" | Chaka Khan |
| November 25 | "I'm Every Woman" | Chaka Khan |
| December 2 | "Le Freak Le Freak "Le Freak" is a successful 1978 disco song by the disco band Chic. It was the band's third single album and first Billboard Hot 100 and soul music number-one song. Along with the tracks, "I Want Your Love" and "Chic Cheer", "Le Freak" scored number one on the disco charts for seven weeks... " |
Chic Chic (band) Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"... |
| December 9 | "Le Freak" | Chic |
| December 16 | "Le Freak" | Chic |
| December 23 | "Le Freak" | Chic |
| December 30 | "Le Freak" | Chic |
Chart comparisons
- Four songs have reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," "Three Times a Lady," "Boogie Oogie Oogie" and "Le Freak."