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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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List Of Best Selling Soul Singles Number Ones Of 1971

Billboard published a weekly chart in 1971 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in soul music and related African American-oriented music genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of such genres and since 2005 has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In 1971, it was published under the title Best Selling Soul Singles, and 21 different singles topped the chart.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 2, King Floyd reached number one with "Groove Me", displacing the final number one of 1970, "Stoned Love" by the Supremes. It held the top spot for three weeks, was replaced for a single week by "If I Were Your Woman" by Gladys Knight & the Pips, and then returned to number one for one further week. "Groove Me" was Floyd's first number one but proved to be his only single to reach the top spot. It was replaced at number one by "(Do The) Push and Pull (Part 1)" by Rufus Thomas, another first-time chart-topper. Thomas had first recorded in 1941, but did not achieve his greatest success until the early 1970s, when he was well into his 50s; as with Floyd, his 1971 number one was his only chart-topping single. Honey Cone, Jean Knight, Denise LaSalle, the Persuaders, and the Chi-Lites also reached number one in 1971 for the first time in their respective careers.

Two singles tied for the year's longest-running number one, both spending five weeks atop the chart. In March and April, Marvin Gaye spent five weeks at number one with "What's Going On" and Jean Knight achieved the same feat in with "Mr. Big Stuff" beginning with the issue dated July 3. Gaye had the highest cumulative total number of weeks atop the chart of any act in 1971, spending a total of nine weeks in the top spot with "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". All three tracks were taken from the album What's Going On, a politically charged concept album which has been regarded by many critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. Three other acts achieved more than one number one in 1971: James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Honey Cone. The year's final soul number one was "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone, which reached number one in the issue of Billboard dated December 4 and stayed there for the remainder of the year. It also topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart, as did "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" by the Temptations and Honey Cone's "Want Ads".

Chart history

Singer Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye spent nine weeks at number one in 1971.
singer Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin reached number one with her versions of "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "Spanish Harlem".
singer James Brown
James Brown had two number ones during 1971.
singer Denise LaSalle
Denise LaSalle (pictured in 2009) gained her first number one with "Trapped by a Thing Called Love".
Singer Sly Stone
Sly and the Family Stone (Sly Stone pictured in 2007) had the year's last chart-topper with "Family Affair".
Key
Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end soul chart of 1971
Chart history
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 2 "Groove Me" King Floyd
January 9
January 16
January 23 "If I Were Your Woman" Gladys Knight & the Pips
January 30 "Groove Me" King Floyd
February 6 "(Do The) Push and Pull (Part 1)" Rufus Thomas
February 13
February 20 "Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone" Johnnie Taylor
February 27
March 6 "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" The Temptations
March 13
March 20
March 27 "What's Going On" Marvin Gaye
April 3
April 10
April 17
April 24
May 1 "Never Can Say Goodbye" The Jackson 5
May 8
May 15
May 22 "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Aretha Franklin
May 29 "Want Ads" Honey Cone
June 5
June 12
June 19 "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Aretha Franklin
June 26 "Don't Knock My Love (Part 1)" Wilson Pickett
July 3 "Mr. Big Stuff" † Jean Knight
July 10
July 17
July 24
July 31
August 7 "Hot Pants Part 1 (She Got To Use What She Got, To Get What She Want)" James Brown
August 14 "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" Marvin Gaye
August 21
August 28 "Spanish Harlem" Aretha Franklin
September 4
September 11
September 18 "Stick-Up" Honey Cone
September 25
October 2 "Make It Funky (Part 1)" James Brown
October 9
October 16 "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" The Persuaders
October 23
October 30 "Trapped by a Thing Called Love" Denise LaSalle
November 6 "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" Marvin Gaye
November 13
November 20 "Have You Seen Her" The Chi-Lites
November 27
December 4 "Family Affair" Sly and the Family Stone
December 11
December 18
December 25

References

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Works cited