List of Billboard number-one R&B songs of 1952

In 1952, Billboard magazine published two charts specifically covering the top-performing songs in the United States in rhythm and blues and related African-American-oriented music genres: National Best Sellers (published as Best Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues Records through the issue dated November 8) and Most Played in Juke Boxes (published as Most Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues Records through the issue dated November 8). The two charts are considered part of the lineage of the magazine's multimetric R&B chart launched in 1958,[1] which since 2005 has been published under the title Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.

"Goin' Home" was the first number one for Fats Domino.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 5, the Clovers were at number one on the juke box chart with "Fool, Fool, Fool" and Earl Bostic and his Orchestra were atop the best sellers listing with "Flamingo", both tracks retaining the position from the last chart of 1951. The following week both songs were displaced from number one, as the Griffin Brothers Orchestra moved into the top spot on the juke box chart with "Weepin' & Cryin'" and "Cry" by Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads reached number one on the best sellers listing. Both songs were the only R&B chart-topper achieved by their respective performers.[2] The year's longest unbroken run at number one on the juke box chart was seven weeks, achieved by Jimmy Forrest in March and April with "Night Train", but the longest-running chart-topper overall was "Juke" by Little Walter, which spent eight non-consecutive weeks in the top spot. On the best sellers listing, two songs each spent seven consecutive weeks in the top spot: "5–10–15 Hours" by Ruth Brown and "My Song" by Johnny Ace. The latter song spent nine weeks at number one in total, making it the longest-running number one of the year on that chart. Despite its sales success, Ace's song failed to top the juke box chart, peaking at number 2.[3]

In June, Fats Domino gained his first number one when he topped the best sellers list for a single week with "Goin' Home".[4] Domino was the most successful black rock & roll artist of the 1950s and achieved a string of pop and R&B successes until the mid-1960s.[5] In recognition of this, he was included in the inaugural class of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.[6] Domino also played on the song "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", which gave another future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Lloyd Price, his first number one in July.[7][8] The song is considered to have been a significant early influence on the emerging rock and roll genre and was covered by Elvis Presley in 1956.[9] The year's final number one on the juke box chart was "Five Long Years" by Eddie Boyd and the last chart-topper on the best sellers listing was "I Don't Know" by Willie Mabon and his Combo. In both cases it was the artist's first charting song.[10]

Chart history
The Dominoes spent ten weeks at number one on the juke box chart with "Have Mercy Baby".
B.B. King had two number ones in 1952.
Lloyd Price (pictured in later life) topped both charts with "Lawdy Miss Clawdy".
Issue date Juke Box Best Sellers Ref.
Title Artist(s) Title Artist(s)
January 5 "Fool, Fool, Fool"The Clovers "Flamingo"Earl Bostic and his Orchestra
January 12 "Weepin' & Cryin'"Griffin Brothers Orchestra "Cry"Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads
January 19 "Fool, Fool, Fool"The Clovers
January 26 "Flamingo"Earl Bostic and his Orchestra
February 2 "3 O'Clock Blues"B.B. King
February 9 "Cry"Johnnie Ray and the Four Lads "3 O'Clock Blues"B.B. King
February 16 "3 O'Clock Blues"B.B. King
February 23
March 1
March 8
March 15 "Night Train"Jimmy Forrest "Booted"Roscoe Gordon
March 22 "Night Train"Jimmy Forrest
March 29
April 5
April 12
April 19
April 26
May 3 "5–10–15 Hours"Ruth Brown "5–10–15 Hours"Ruth Brown
May 10
May 17
May 24
May 31
June 7
June 14 "Have Mercy Baby"The Dominoes
June 21 "Goin' Home"Fats Domino
June 28 "Have Mercy Baby"The Dominoes
July 5
July 12 "Lawdy Miss Clawdy"Lloyd Price
July 19
July 26
August 2[a] ..
"Lawdy Miss Clawdy"Lloyd Price ..
August 9
August 16
August 23 "Mary Jo"The Four Blazes
August 30
September 6[a] "Have Mercy Baby"The Dominoes "Have Mercy Baby"The Dominoes ..
"Ting-A-Ling"The Clovers ..
September 13 "Mary Jo"The Four Blazes "Lawdy Miss Clawdy"Lloyd Price
September 20 "Ting-A-Ling"The Clovers
September 27 "Juke"Little Walter "My Song"Johnny Ace
October 4
October 11
October 18
October 25
November 1
November 8[a] "Five Long Years"Eddie Boyd ..
"You Know I Love You"B.B. King ..
November 15 "My Song"Johnny Ace
November 22
November 29 "You Know I Love You"B.B. King
December 6 "Juke"Little Walter
December 13 "Juke"Little Walter "Five Long Years"Eddie Boyd
December 20
December 27 "Five Long Years"Eddie Boyd "I Don't Know"Willie Mabon and his Combo

a. ^ Two songs tied for number one on the best sellers chart.

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1995. Record Research Incorporated. p. xii. ISBN 9780898201154.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 239, 484. ISBN 9780898201604.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. p. 22. ISBN 9780898201604.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. p. 167. ISBN 9780898201604.
  5. Unterberger, Richie. "Fats Domino Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  6. "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, 1986 – 2015". Rolling Stone. November 11, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  7. Coleman, Rick (2006). Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll. Da Capo Press. pp. 72–74. ISBN 978-0-306-81491-4.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. p. 469. ISBN 9780898201604.
  9. Dahl, Bill. "Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Lloyd Price". AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 73, 369. ISBN 9780898201604.
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