The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity.^[1] The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.^[2][3]

The chart is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, rock and roll, soul, and funk, it is today dominated by contemporary R&B and hip hop. Since its inception, the chart has changed its name many times in order to accurately reflect the industry at the time.^[4]

History[edit]

Between 1948 and 1955, there were separate charts published for Best Sellers and Juke Box plays, and in 1955 a third chart was added, the Jockeys chart based on radio airplay. These three charts were consolidated into a single R&B chart in October 1958.

From November 30, 1963, to January 23, 1965, there were no Billboard R&B singles charts. The chart was discontinued in late 1963 when Billboard determined it unnecessary due to so much crossover of titles between the R&B and pop charts in light of the rise of Motown.^[5] The chart was reinstated with the issue dated January 30, 1965, as "Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles" when differences in musical tastes of the two audiences, caused in part by the British Invasion in 1964, were deemed sufficient to revive it.^{[citation needed]}

Beginning August 23, 1969, the rhythm and blues was replaced in favor of "soul", and the chart was renamed to "Best Selling Soul Singles". The move was made by a Billboard editorial decision that the term "soul" more accurately accounted for the "broad range of song and instrumental material which derives from the musical genius of the black American".^[6] In late June 1982, the chart was renamed again, this time to "Black Singles" because the music that African-Americans were buying and listening to had a "greater stylistic variety than the soul sound" of the early 1970s. Black Singles was deemed an acceptable term to encompass pop, funk, and early rap music popular in urban communities.^[7]

R&B returned to the name of the chart in 1990, and hip hop was introduced to the title in the issue dated December 11, 1999, when Billboard changed the name to "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks" to recognize the influence and relationship of hip hop to the genre. Shortly after that time, the crossover of R&B titles on pop charts was so significant that all Top Ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on October 11, 2003 were by black artists.^[8] The lengthy title was shortened to "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" on April 30, 2005. The chart's methodology was changed starting with the October 20, 2012 issue to match that of the Billboard Hot 100, incorporating digital downloads and streaming data (R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs) and combining it with airplay of R&B and hip-hop songs across all radio formats (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) to determine song position, along with the chart also being shortened to 50 positions.

Significant song achievements[edit]

Most weeks at number one[edit]

18 weeks

• "The Honeydripper (Parts 1 & 2)" (1945) – Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers ^[4]
  


• "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" (1946) – Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five ^[4]
  


• "One Dance" (2016) – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla^[12]
  

17 weeks

• "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens" (1947) – Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five ^[4]
  

16 weeks

• "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" (1946) – Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra ^[4]
  


• "Blurred Lines" (2013) – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams^[13]
  

15 weeks

• "Trouble Blues" (1949) – The Charles Brown Trio ^[4]
  


• "Be Without You" (2006) – Mary J. Blige^[13]
  

14 weeks

• "Don't Cry Baby" (1943) – Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra ^[4]
  


• "Boogie Woogie Blue Plate" (1947) – Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five ^[4]
  


• "The Huckle-Buck" (1949) – Paul Williams and His Hucklebucklers ^[4]
  


• "Black Night" (1951) – Charles Brown ^[4]
  


• "Sixty Minute Man" (1951) – The Dominoes ^[4]
  


• "The Things That I Used to Do" (1954) – Guitar Slim ^[4]
  


• "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" (1998–1999) – Deborah Cox^[13]
  


• "We Belong Together" (2005) – Mariah Carey^[13][14]
  


• "Blame It" (2009) – Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain^[13]
  


• "Pretty Wings" (2009) – Maxwell^[13]
  


• "Diamonds" (2012–2013) – Rihanna^[13]
  


• "Thrift Shop" (2013) – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz^[13]
  


• "See You Again" (2015) – Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth^[15]
  

13 weeks

• "Pink Champagne" (1950) – Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers ^[4]
  


• "Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2)" (1956) – Bill Doggett ^[4]
  


• "Can't Be Friends" (2010–2011) – Trey Songz^[13]
  


• "The Monster" (2013–2014) – Eminem featuring Rihanna^{[citation needed]}
  


• "Fancy" (2014) – Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX^{[citation needed]}
  

12 weeks

• "(Opportunity Knocks But Once) Snatch and Grab It" (1947) – Julia Lee and Her Boy Friends ^[4]
  


• "Saturday Night Fish Fry" (1949) – Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five ^[4]
  


• "Searchin'" (1957) – The Coasters ^[4]
  


• "Bump n' Grind" (1994) – R. Kelly^[13]
  


• "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008–2009) – Beyoncé^[13]
  


• "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" (2010) – Alicia Keys^[13]
  


• "Happy" (2014) – Pharrell Williams^{[citation needed]}
  

Songs with most weeks on the chart[edit]

• 75 weeks – "Be Without You" – Mary J. Blige (2005)^[16]
  


• 74 weeks – "God In Me" – Mary Mary (2009)^[17]
  


• 73 weeks – "On the Ocean" – K'Jon (2009)^[18]
  


• 71 weeks –

"You Make Me Wanna..." – Usher^[19] (1997)

"There Goes My Baby" – Usher (2010)

• 70 weeks – "Step in the Name of Love" – R. Kelly (2003)^[20]
  


• 63 weeks – "In My Bed" – Dru Hill (1997)


• 60 weeks – "Too Close" – Next (1997)


• 59 weeks –

"Pretty Wings" – Maxwell^[21] (2009)

"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" – Alicia Keys^[22] (2010)

"Sure Thing" – Miguel (2011)

• 58 weeks –

"When I See U" – Fantasia (2007)

"Teachme" – Musiq Soulchild (2007)

• 57 weeks – "Love on Top" – Beyoncé^[23] (2011)


• 56 weeks –

"If I Ain't Got You" – Alicia Keys (2004)

"Lost Without U" – Robin Thicke (2007)

"Until the End of Time" – Justin Timberlake & Beyoncé^[24] (2008)

• 55 weeks –

"Heaven Sent" – Keyshia Cole^[25] (2008)

"Spotlight" – Jennifer Hudson (2008)

"Drank in My Cup" – Kirko Bangz^[26] (2011)

"Adorn" – Miguel (2012)

• 54 weeks –

"Stay" – Tyrese^[27] (2011)

"Thrift Shop" – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz (2012)

• 52 weeks –

"We Belong Together" – Mariah Carey^[28] (2005)

"Up!" – LoveRance feat. Iamsu & Skipper or 50 Cent^[26] (2011)

"Thinkin Bout You" – Frank Ocean^[29] (2013)

"Can't Hold Us" – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton (2013)

"All of Me" – John Legend (2014)

Longest climbs to number one[edit]

• 43rd week – "Step in the Name of Love" by R. Kelly
  


• 35th week – "All of Me" by John Legend
  


• 32nd week – "Needed Me" by Rihanna
  

Source:^[30]

Significant artist achievements[edit]

Most number-one singles[edit]

The artists with the most No. 1 hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since October 1958.

Artists with most weeks at number one on the chart[edit]

† Pre-October 1958 charts.

Most top 10 singles[edit]

Most top 40 singles[edit]

Most chart entries[edit]

Most entries on chart since October 1958.

Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles[edit]

The Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles^[42] is a chart composed of 25 positions that represent songs that are making progress to chart on the main R&B/hip-hop chart. Many times, singles halt their progress at this chart and never debut on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart can also be seen as a 25 position quasi-addendum to the chart, since the chart represents the 25 songs below position number 50 that have not previously appeared on the main chart.

See also[edit]

• List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States)


• Rhythm and blues


• Hip-hop music


• Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Current Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart