List Of Hot Black Singles Number Ones Of 1987
In the issue of Billboard dated January 3, Bobby Brown's track "Girlfriend" was at number one, retaining its position from the previous week. The following week, it was replaced by "Control", the first of four number ones in 1987 for Janet Jackson, who also took "Let's Wait Awhile", and "The Pleasure Principle" to the peak position and provided featured vocals on "Diamonds" by trumpeter Herb Alpert. Her brother Michael achieved three number ones during the year, topping the listing with "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", which also featured Siedah Garrett, as well as "Bad" and "The Way You Make Me Feel". Freddie Jackson (no relation to Janet and Michael), Luther Vandross, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, and Stephanie Mills all had two chart-toppers in 1987. Michael and Janet Jackson each achieved a total of five weeks at number one, the most by any artist. Michael's song "Bad" was one of four singles to spend three consecutive weeks in the top spot, tying with singles by Jody Watley, Prince, and Stephanie Mills for the year's longest run atop the chart.
A number of acts achieved their first number-one singles on the chart in 1987, including Alpert, Garrett, the System, Gregory Hines, Atlantic Starr, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Alexander O'Neal, the Force M.D.'s, and LL Cool J. Although Alpert had experienced little success to date on the black singles listing, he had placed nearly 40 songs on Billboard's pop chart, the Hot 100, beginning in 1962, several years before teenaged 1987 chart-toppers Brown and LL Cool J were even born. Angela Winbush topped the Hot Black Singles chart for the first time as a solo artist, having previously reached number one as half of the duo René & Angela, and Watley gained her first solo chart-topper, having previously reached the peak position as a member of the group Shalamar. The O'Jays returned to number one after a nine-year absence with their single "Lovin' You". Five of 1987's Hot Black Singles number ones also topped the Hot 100: Michael Jackson's "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" and "Bad" as well as "Always" by Atlantic Starr, and both "Head to Toe" and "Lost in Emotion" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.
Chart history
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| † | Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end black singles chart |