Billboard published a weekly chart in 1982 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in African American-oriented genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of black music and, since 2005, has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In 1982, the chart was published under the title Hot Soul Singles through the issue of Billboard dated June 19, and Black Singles thereafter, with an article in the June 26 issue of the magazine stating that the name change was based on the fact that "blacks [sic] have been making and buying pop music of greater stylistic variety than the soul sound since the early 1970s". During the year, 14 different singles topped the chart.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 2, the number-one position was occupied by "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind & Fire, the song's sixth week in the top spot. The track remained at number one for two further weeks before being replaced by "Turn Your Love Around" by George Benson. During the year, six acts reached number one on the listing for the first time, beginning with two consecutive chart-toppers in January and February, "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" by Daryl Hall & John Oates and "Call Me" by Skyy. Richard "Dimples" Fields, Dazz Band, Jennifer Holliday, and Zapp also reached the top position for the first time. Of the six acts who debuted atop the listing in 1982, only Skyy would achieve a second number one on the listing. "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" also topped Billboard's pop chart, the Hot 100, the only one of the year's soul/black chart-toppers to do so. In contrast, Fields' "If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another" only reached number 47 on the Hot 100, and "Dance Floor, Part 1" by Zapp did not enter the pop listing at all.

Aretha Franklin, known as the "Queen of Soul", surpassed the record previously held by James Brown for the most number ones since black music sales and airplay were combined into one chart in 1958 when her single "Jump to It" reached the peak position in September, giving Franklin her 18th number one on the listing. The longest reign at the top during 1982 was nine weeks, achieved by "That Girl" by Stevie Wonder; it was Wonder's 14th number one on the chart and the longest-running of his career. "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye spent eight weeks at number one during the year but extended its run to ten in early 1983, making it the longest-running number one on the chart since 1962. It was Gaye's first number one on the chart since 1977 and would prove to be his last before he was killed in 1984.

Chart history

Key

†	Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end soul/black chart

Chart history

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 2	"Let's Groove"	Earth, Wind & Fire
January 9
January 16
January 23	"Turn Your Love Around"	George Benson
January 30	"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"	Daryl Hall & John Oates
February 6	"Call Me"	Skyy
February 13
February 20	"That Girl" †	Stevie Wonder
February 27
March 6
March 13
March 20
March 27
April 3
April 10
April 17
April 24	"If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another"	Richard "Dimples" Fields
May 1
May 8
May 15	"It's Gonna Take a Miracle"	Deniece Williams
May 22
May 29	"Let It Whip"	Dazz Band
June 5
June 12
June 19
June 26	"Early in the Morning"	The Gap Band
July 3	"Let It Whip"	Dazz Band
July 10	"Early in the Morning"	The Gap Band
July 17
July 24	"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"	Jennifer Holliday
July 31
August 7
August 14
August 21	"Dance Floor, Part 1"	Zapp
August 28
September 4	"Jump to It"	Aretha Franklin
September 11
September 18
September 25
October 2	"Love Come Down"	Evelyn "Champagne" King
October 9
October 16
October 23
October 30
November 6	"Sexual Healing"	Marvin Gaye
November 13
November 20
November 27
December 4
December 11
December 18
December 25