R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly the Black Singles Chart, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.

The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, doo wop, soul, and funk, it is today dominated by contemporary R&B and hip hop. It lists the most popular R&B and hip hop titled as follows:^[1]

Between 1948 and 1955, there were separate charts published for Best Sellers and Juke Box plays, and in 1955 a third chart was added, the Jockeys chart based on radio airplay. These three charts were consolidated into a single R&B chart in October 1958.

From November 30, 1963 to January 23, 1965 there was no Billboard R&B singles charts.The chart was discontinued in late 1963 when Billboard determined it unnecessary in the light of the rise of Motown and the perceived convergence of tastes of African American and European-American radio and record buying audiences, but reinstated the chart in early 1965 when differences in musical tastes of the two audiences (caused in part by the British Invasion in 1964) were sufficient to revive it.

The chart's title was modified to Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks when, like the Hot 100, airplay-only tracks (album tracks) were allowed to enter the chart in 1998. Billboard modified the name further to its current title, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, in 2005. It's current number-one as of the issue dated Novmeber 28, 2009 is Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

[edit] Chart statistics and other facts

• Artists with the most number-one Hot R&B hits:

1. Aretha Franklin - 20

2. Stevie Wonder - 19

3. Louis Jordan - 18

4. James Brown - 17

5. Janet Jackson - 16

6. The Temptations - 14

7. Michael Jackson - 13 (tie)

7. Marvin Gaye - 13 (tie)

9. R. Kelly - 11

10. Mariah Carey - 10 (tie)

10. Whitney Houston - 10 (tie)

10. Gladys Knight & the Pips - 10 (tie)

10. Kool & the Gang - 10 (tie)

10. The O'Jays - 10 (tie)

11. Alicia Keys - 7 (tie)

Aretha Franklin has the most #1 hits on the R&B charts with 20. Joe Liggins' "The Honeydripper" (1945) and Louis Jordan's "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" (1946) both hold the record for the longest stay at the top of the charts: eighteen weeks. Among more recent releases, Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" (2006) has spent the longest time at number one: fifteen weeks.

[edit] See also

• List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
• Rhythm and blues
• Hip-hop music
• Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
• List of Billboard charts

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Current Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks — Top 50 positions