List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1977

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 1977, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles. During that year, 21 different singles topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations and surveys of retail sales outlets.[1]

Barry White spent five weeks at number one with "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me".

In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, the group Rose Royce was at number one with "Car Wash", the song's second week in the top spot.[2] It was displaced the following week by "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)" by the O'Jays. The year's longest-running number one was "Serpentine Fire" by Earth, Wind & Fire, which reached the peak position in the issue of Billboard dated November 19 and stayed there for the remainder of the year, a total of seven consecutive weeks in the top spot. This also meant that the band had the highest total number of weeks at number one during the year, just ahead of two acts with six weeks in the top spot. The only act to achieve more than one number one during 1977 was Stevie Wonder, who spent five weeks in the top spot with "I Wish" and one with "Sir Duke".

The Floaters, whose single "Float On" was recognized by Billboard as the year's top soul single, were among a number of acts that topped the soul singles chart in 1977 for the first time in their respective careers.[3] Thelma Houston, the Emotions and Slave also reached the top spot for the first time during the year as did William Bell, who had recorded his debut single in 1961 and first appeared on the chart in 1966 but taken more than a decade to gain his first number one.[3][4] None of the five acts who topped the chart for the first time during 1977 would go on to achieve any further chart-toppers and the Floaters would not chart at all after 1978, despite both "Float On" and the album from which it was taken being million-sellers.[3][5] Six of the year's soul number ones also topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart: both of Stevie Wonder's chart-toppers along with "Car Wash" by Rose Royce, Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Got to Give It Up (Part 1)" by Marvin Gaye and "Best of My Love" by the Emotions.[6] Other songs, however, did not achieve significant crossover success: "The Pride (Part 1)" by the Isley Brothers could only climb as high as number 63 on the Hot 100.[7]

Chart history
Stevie Wonder was the only act to achieve more than one number one in 1977.
"Tryin' to Love Two" was a chart-topper for William Bell.
Thelma Houston reached number one with her version of "Don't Leave Me This Way".
Earth, Wind & Fire spent the last seven weeks of 1977 atop the chart with "Serpentine Fire".
Key
Indicates best-charting soul single of 1977[8]
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 1 "Car Wash" Rose Royce [2]
January 8 "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)" The O'Jays [9]
January 15 "I Wish" Stevie Wonder [10]
January 22 [11]
January 29 [12]
February 5 [13]
February 12 [14]
February 19 "Don't Leave Me This Way" Thelma Houston [15]
February 26 "I've Got Love on My Mind" Natalie Cole [16]
March 5 [17]
March 12 [18]
March 19 [19]
March 26 [20]
April 2 "Tryin' to Love Two" William Bell [21]
April 9 "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" Rufus featuring Chaka Khan [22]
April 16 [23]
April 23 "The Pride (Part 1)" The Isley Brothers [24]
April 30 "Got to Give It Up (Part 1)" Marvin Gaye [25]
May 7 [26]
May 14 [27]
May 21 "Whodunit" Tavares [28]
May 28 "Sir Duke" Stevie Wonder [29]
June 4 "Got to Give It Up (Part 1)" Marvin Gaye [30]
June 11 [31]
June 18 "Break It to Me Gently" Aretha Franklin [32]
June 25 "Best of My Love" The Emotions [33]
July 2 [34]
July 9 [35]
July 16 "Easy" The Commodores [36]
July 23 "Best of My Love" The Emotions [37]
July 30 "Slide" Slave [38]
August 6 "Strawberry Letter 23" The Brothers Johnson [39]
August 13 "Float On" The Floaters [40]
August 20 [41]
August 27 [42]
September 3 [43]
September 10 [44]
September 17 [45]
September 24 "Keep It Comin' Love" KC and the Sunshine Band [46]
October 1 "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" Barry White [47]
October 8 [48]
October 15 [49]
October 22 [50]
October 29 [51]
November 5 "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again" L.T.D. [52]
November 12 [53]
November 19 "Serpentine Fire" Earth, Wind & Fire [54]
November 26 [55]
December 3 [56]
December 10 [57]
December 17 [58]
December 24 [59]
December 31 [60]

See also
  • List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1977

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 1, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 39, 138, 153, 196, 378. ISBN 9780898201154.
  4. Ankeny, Jason. "William Bell Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  5. Hogan, Ed. "Float On – Floaters". AllMusic. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  6. "Hot 100 - 1977 Archive". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  7. "The Pride (Part I)". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  8. "Billboard.com - Year End Charts - Year-end Singles - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  9. "R & B Chart for January 8, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  10. "R & B Chart for January 15, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  12. "R & B Chart for January 29, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  15. "R & B Chart for February 19, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  17. "R & B Chart for March 5, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  22. "R & B Chart for April 9, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  23. "R & B Chart for April 16, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  24. "R & B Chart for April 23, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  25. "R & B Chart for April 30, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  26. "R & B Chart for May 7, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  27. "R & B Chart for May 14, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  28. "R & B Chart for May 21, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  30. "R & B Chart for June 4, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  32. "R & B Chart for June 18, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  34. "R & B Chart for July 2, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  36. "R & B Chart for July 16, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  37. "R & B Chart for July 23, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  38. "R & B Chart for July 30, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  39. "R & B Chart for August 6, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  40. "R & B Chart for August 13, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  41. "R & B Chart for August 20, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  42. "R & B Chart for August 27, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  43. "R & B Chart for September 3, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  44. "R & B Chart for September 10, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  45. "R & B Chart for September 17, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  46. "R & B Chart for September 24, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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  49. "R & B Chart for October 15, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  50. "R & B Chart for October 22, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  51. "R & B Chart for October 29, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  52. "R & B Chart for November 5, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  53. "R & B Chart for November 12, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  54. "R & B Chart for November 19, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  55. "R & B Chart for November 26, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  56. "R & B Chart for December 3, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  57. "R & B Chart for December 10, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  58. "R & B Chart for December 17, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  59. "R & B Chart for December 24, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  60. "R & B Chart for December 31, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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