List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1973

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs is a chart published by Billboard that ranks the top-performing songs in the United States in African-American-oriented musical genres; the chart has undergone various name changes since its launch in 1942 to reflect the evolution of such genres. In 1973, it was published under the title Best Selling Soul Singles through the issue of Billboard dated July 7 and Hot Soul Singles thereafter. During that year, 22 different singles topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations and surveys of retail sales outlets.[1]

Trombonist Fred Wesley received the featured credit on "Doing It to Death" by James Brown's regular backing band, the J.B.'s.

Stevie Wonder had both the first and last number ones of 1973. In the issue of Billboard dated January 6, Wonder's song "Superstition" reached number one, displacing the final chart-topper of 1972, "Me and Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul.[2] Wonder returned to number one for a single week in September with "Higher Ground" and gained his third chart-topper of the year when "Living for the City" reached the top spot in the issue dated December 29. This made Wonder the only act to achieve three number ones in 1973. Gladys Knight & the Pips and the Spinners each had two chart-topping singles during the year. With a cumulative total of eight weeks, Knight and her group had the highest total number of weeks atop the chart of any act. The year's longest unbroken run at number was achieved by Marvin Gaye, who spent six consecutive weeks in the peak position with "Let's Get It On".

Several acts gained the first number ones of their careers in 1973, beginning with Timmy Thomas,[3] who displaced Stevie Wonder from the top spot in late January with "Why Can't We Live Together". In May and June, three consecutive chart-toppers were debut number ones for their respective artists, the Ohio Players, the Independents and Barry White.[4] The J.B.'s, the backing band for singer James Brown, reached number one in their own right for the first time in July with "Doing It to Death".[5] Trombonist and musical director Fred Wesley received a featured credit on the single; James Brown himself appeared on the track but was not credited.[6] Three months later, Eddie Kendricks gained his first number one as a solo artist with "Keep on Truckin'";[7] Kendricks had left the Temptations in 1971 after achieving several number ones as a member of the group.[8] In addition to the various acts topping the chart for the first time, Sylvia made her first appearance at number one since Billboard launched a combined sales and airplay chart for black music; her last chart-topper had been on the Most Played R&B by Jockeys listing as half of the duo Mickey & Sylvia in 1957.[9]

Chart history
Stevie Wonder had three number ones in 1973.
Barry White topped the chart with "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby".
Marvin Gaye had the year's longest-running number one with "Let's Get It On".
"Leaving Me" was a number one for the Independents.
Key
Indicates best-charting soul single of 1973[10]
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 6 "Superstition" Stevie Wonder [2]
January 13 [11]
January 20 [12]
January 27 "Why Can't We Live Together" Timmy Thomas [13]
February 3 [14]
February 10 "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" The Spinners [15]
February 17 "Love Train" The O'Jays [16]
February 24 [17]
March 3 [18]
March 10 [19]
March 17 "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" Gladys Knight & the Pips [20]
March 24 [21]
March 31 [22]
April 7 [23]
April 14 "Masterpiece" The Temptations [24]
April 21 [25]
April 28 "Pillow Talk" Sylvia [26]
May 5 [27]
May 12 "Funky Worm" The Ohio Players [28]
May 19 "Leaving Me" The Independents [29]
May 26 "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby" Barry White [30]
June 2 [31]
June 9 "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" The Spinners [32]
June 16 [33]
June 23 [34]
June 30 [35]
July 7 "Doing It to Death" Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s [36]
July 14 [37]
July 21 "I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)" Johnnie Taylor [38]
July 28 [39]
August 4 "Angel" Aretha Franklin [40]
August 11 [41]
August 18 "Let's Get It On" Marvin Gaye [42]
August 25 [43]
September 1 [44]
September 8 [45]
September 15 [46]
September 22 [47]
September 29 "Higher Ground" Stevie Wonder [48]
October 6 "Keep on Truckin'" Eddie Kendricks [49]
October 13 [50]
October 20 "Midnight Train to Georgia" Gladys Knight & the Pips [51]
October 27 [52]
November 3 [53]
November 10 [54]
November 17 "Space Race" Billy Preston [55]
November 24 "The Love I Lost (Part 1)" Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [56]
December 1 [57]
December 8 "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)" The Staple Singers [58]
December 15 [59]
December 22 [60]
December 29 "Living for the City" Stevie Wonder [61]

See also
  • 1973 in music
  • List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1973

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1995. Record Research Incorporated. p. xii. ISBN 9780898201154.
  2. "R & B Chart for January 6, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 438. ISBN 9780898201154.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 204, 311, 441. ISBN 9780898201154.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 438. ISBN 9780898201154.
  6. Huey, Steve. "The J.B.'s Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  7. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 234. ISBN 9780898201154.
  8. Henderson, Alex. "Eddie Kendricks Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  9. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 288, 400. ISBN 9780898201154.
  10. "Billboard.com - Year End Charts - Year-end Singles - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  11. "R & B Chart for January 13, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  12. "R & B Chart for January 20, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  13. "R & B Chart for January 27, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  14. "R & B Chart for February 3, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  15. "R & B Chart for February 10, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  16. "R & B Chart for February 17, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  17. "R & B Chart for February 24, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  18. "R & B Chart for March 3, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  19. "R & B Chart for March 10, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  20. "R & B Chart for March 17, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  21. "R & B Chart for March 24, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  22. "R & B Chart for March 31, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  23. "R & B Chart for April 7, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  24. "R & B Chart for April 14, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  25. "R & B Chart for April 21, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  26. "R & B Chart for April 28, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  27. "R & B Chart for May 5, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  28. "R & B Chart for May 12, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  29. "R & B Chart for May 19, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  30. "R & B Chart for May 26, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  31. "R & B Chart for June 2, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  32. "R & B Chart for June 9, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  33. "R & B Chart for June 16, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  34. "R & B Chart for June 23, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  35. "R & B Chart for June 30, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  36. "R & B Chart for July 7, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  37. "R & B Chart for July 14, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  38. "R & B Chart for July 21, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  39. "R & B Chart for July 28, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  40. "R & B Chart for August 4, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  41. "R & B Chart for August 11, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  42. "R & B Chart for August 18, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  43. "R & B Chart for August 25, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  44. "R & B Chart for September 1, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  45. "R & B Chart for September 8, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  46. "R & B Chart for September 15, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  47. "R & B Chart for September 22, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  48. "R & B Chart for September 29, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  49. "R & B Chart for October 6, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  50. "R & B Chart for October 13, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  51. "R & B Chart for October 20, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  52. "R & B Chart for October 27, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  53. "R & B Chart for November 3, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  54. "R & B Chart for November 10, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  55. "R & B Chart for November 17, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  56. "R & B Chart for November 24, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  57. "R & B Chart for December 1, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  58. "R & B Chart for December 8, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  59. "R & B Chart for December 15, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  60. "R & B Chart for December 22, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  61. "R & B Chart for December 29, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
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