List Of Hot Black Singles Number Ones Of 1989
In the issue of Billboard dated January 7, Roberta Flack reached number one with "Oasis", her first appearance at the top of the chart since 1978. The following week, it was displaced by "Superwoman" by Karyn White, which spent three weeks in the top spot, the year's longest unbroken run at number one. The group Surface had the most number ones during the year, topping the chart with "Closer Than Friends", "Shower Me with Your Love" and "You Are My Everything"; despite achieving three number ones in the space of less than nine months, the trio would only have one further chart-topper (in 1991) and by 1993 their chart career would be over. Surface and White tied for the highest total number of weeks in the top spot; both acts spent five weeks atop the chart. White was one of five acts to have two number ones in 1989, along with Bobby Brown, Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler, Stephanie Mills, and Babyface. In addition to his number ones as a performer, Babyface co-wrote all four of the chart-toppers by White and Brown.
The two number ones achieved by British group Soul II Soul and featured vocalist Wheeler within three months in 1989 would prove to be their only appearances in the peak position on the Hot Black Singles listing. Twelve other acts reached number one on the chart for the first time during 1989. Vanessa Williams gained her first chart-topper in February, followed by Surface in March and Today in April. In June, the hip hop trio De La Soul reached number one for the first and only time. Later in the year, Peabo Bryson, Chuckii Booker, Babyface, Teddy Riley featuring Guy, Eric Gable, Regina Belle, and Miki Howard all gained their first chart-toppers. Riley was a member of the group Guy but was given separate credit on the number-one single "My Fantasy", which was taken from the soundtrack of the film Do the Right Thing; all of the group's other chart entries were credited simply to Guy. The rapper Heavy D also made his first appearance in the top spot when he guested on the track "Just Coolin'" by LeVert. "Batdance" by Prince, taken from the soundtrack album of the film Batman, and "Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson topped both the Hot Black Singles chart and Billboard's pop chart, the Hot 100, during 1989. In contrast, "Girl I Got My Eyes On You" by Today reached number one on the black chart but failed to enter the Hot 100 at all.
Chart history
| † | Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end black singles chart |
See also
- 1989 in music
- List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1989
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1989