Number One Soul Singles of the 1970s
Source: Billboard magazine, listed in chronological order
1970
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/3 | The Supremes | Someday We'll Be Together * |
| 1/10 | The Jackson 5 | I Want You Back |
| 2/7 | Sly & the Family Stone | Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Agin)/ Everybody is a Star |
| 3/14 | Brook Benton | Rainy Night in Georgia |
| 3/21 | Aretha Franklin | Call Me |
| 4/4 | The Jackson 5 | ABC |
| 5/2 | Tyrone Davis | Turn Back the Hands of Time |
| 5/16 | The Moments | Love On a Two-Way Street |
| 6/20 | The Jackson 5 | The Love You Save |
| 8/1 | Stevie Wonder | Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours |
| 9/12 | Aretha Franklin | Don't Play That Song |
| 10/3 | Diana Ross | Ain't No Mountain High Enough |
| 10/10 | The Jackson 5 | I'll Be There |
| 11/21 | James Brown | Super Bad (Part 1) |
| 12/5 | Smokey Robinson & the Miracles | The Tears of a Clown |
| 12/26 | The Supremes | Stoned Love |
* "Someday We'll Be Together first reached #1 in December '69 and does not show up among Soul singles that peaked in the 1970s.
The Top 40 songs of 1970
The #1 Pop Singles of 1970
The #1 Country songs of 1970
The #1 LPs of 1970
1971
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | King Floyd | Groove Me |
| 1/23 | Gladys Knoght & the Pips | If I Were Your Woman |
| 2/6 | Rufus Thomas | (Do the) Push and Pull |
| 2/20 | Johnnie Taylor | Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone |
| 3/6 | The Temptations | Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) |
| 3/27 | Marvin Gaye | What's Going On |
| 5/1 | The Jackson 5 | Never Can Say Goodbye |
| 5/22 | Aretha Franklin | Bridge Over Troubled Water |
| 5/29 | The Honey Cone | Want Ads |
| 6/26 | Wilson Pickett | Don't Knock My Love (Part 1) |
| 7/3 | Jean Knight | Mr. Big Stuff |
| 8/7 | James Brown | Hot Pants (Part 1) |
| 8/14 | Marvin Gaye | Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) |
| 8/28 | Aretha Franklin | Spanish Harlem |
| 9/18 | The Honey Cone | Stick Up |
| 10/2 | James Brown | Make it Funky (Part 1) |
| 10/16 | The Persuaders | Thin Line Between Love and Hate |
| 10/30 | Denise LaSalle | Trapped By a Thing Called Love |
| 11/6 | Marvin Gaye | Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) |
| 11/20 | The Chi-Lites | Have You Seen Her |
| 12/4 | Sly & the Family Stone | Family Affair |
The Top 40 songs of 1971
The #1 Pop Singles of 1971
The #1 Country songs of 1971
1972
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 | Al Green | Let's Stay Together |
| 3/11 | James Brown | Talking Loud and Saying Nothing (Part 1) |
| 3/18 | Joe Tex | I Gotcha |
| 3/25 | The Dramatics | In the Rain |
| 4/22 | Aretha Franklin | Day Dreaming |
| 5/6 | The Staple Singers | I'll Take You There |
| 6/3 | The Chi-Lites | Oh Girl |
| 6/17 | Bobby Womack | Woman's Gotta Have it |
| 6/24 | Bill Withers | Lean On Me |
| 7/1 | Billy Preston | Outa-Space |
| 7/8 | Luther Ingram | (If Loving You is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right |
| 8/5 | Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway | Where is the Love |
| 8/12 | Al Green | I'm Still in Love With You |
| 8/26 | Joe Simon | Power of Love |
| 9/9 | The O'Jays | Back Stabbers |
| 9/16 | James Brown | Get On the Good Foot |
| 10/14 | The Spinners | I'll Be Around |
| 11/18 | Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes | If You Don't Know Me By Now |
| 12/2 | Al Green | You Ought to Be With Me |
| 12/9 | Billy Paul | Me and Mrs. Jones |
The Top 40 songs of 1972
The #1 Pop Singles of 1972
The #1 Country songs of 1972
1973
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/6 | Stevie Wonder | Superstition |
| 1/27 | Timmy Thomas | Why Can't We Live Together |
| 2/10 | The Spinners | Could it Be I'm Falling in Love |
| 2/17 | The O'Jays | Love Train |
| 3/17 | Gladys Knight & the Pips | Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye) |
| 4/14 | The Temptations | Masterpiece |
| 4/28 | Sylvia | Pillow Talk |
| 5/12 | The Ohio Players | Funky Worm |
| 5/19 | The Independents | Leaving Me |
| 5/26 | Barry White | I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More baby |
| 6/9 | The Spinners | One of a Kind (Love Affair) |
| 7/7 | Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s | Doing it to Death |
| 7/21 | Johnnie Taylor | I Believe in You (You Believe in Me) |
| 8/4 | Aretha Franklin | Angel |
| 8/18 | Marvin Gaye | Let's Get it On |
| 9/29 | Stevie Wonder | Higher Ground |
| 10/6 | Eddie Kendricks | Keep On Truckin' |
| 10/20 | Gladys Knight & the Pips | Midnight Train to Georgia |
| 11/17 | Billy Preston | Space Race |
| 11/24 | Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes | The Love I Lost |
| 12/8 | The Staple Singers | If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) |
| 12/29 | Stevie Wonder | Living For the City |
The Top 40 songs of 1973
The #1 Pop Singles of 1973
The #1 Country songs of 1973
1974
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/12 | Aretha Franklin | Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) |
| 1/19 | Gladys Knight & the Pips | I've Got to Use My Imagination |
| 1/26 | Al Green | Livin' For You |
| 2/2 | The Temptations | Let Your Hair Down |
| 2/9 | Eddie Kendricks | Boogie Down |
| 3/2 | The Spinners | Mighty Love |
| 3/16 | Bobby Womack | Lookin' For a Love |
| 4/6 | Gladys Knight & the Pips | Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me |
| 4/20 | TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) | MFSB with the Three Degrees |
| 4/27 | James Brown | The Payback, Pt. 1 |
| 5/11 | The Jackson 5 | Dancing Machine |
| 5/18 | Aretha Franklin | I'm in Love |
| 6/1 | William DeVaughn | Be Thankful For What You've Got |
| 6/8 | Kool & the Gang | Hollywood Swinging |
| 6/15 | Blue Magic | Sideshow |
| 6/22 | The Impressions | Finally Got Myself Together (I'm a Changed Man) |
| 7/6 | George McCrae | Rock Your Baby |
| 7/20 | James Brown | My Thang (Part 1) |
| 8/3 | Roberta Flack | Feel Like Makin' Love |
| 9/7 | Barry White | Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe |
| 9/28 | Stevie Wonder | You Haven't Done Nothin' |
| 10/12 | James Brown | Papa Don't Take No Mess (Part 1) |
| 10/19 | B.T. Express | Do it ('Til You're Satisfied) |
| 10/26 | Kool & the Gang | Higher Plane |
| 11/2 | Latimore | Let's Straighten it Out |
| 11/16 | Shirley Brown | Woman to Woman |
| 11/30 | Gladys Knight & the Pips | I Feel a Song (In My Heart) |
| 12/14 | Rufus | You Got the Love |
| 12/21 | Tavares | She's Gone |
| 12/28 | Stevie Wonder | Boogie On Reggae Woman |
The Top 40 songs of 1974
The #1 Pop Singles of 1974
The #1 Country songs of 1974
1975
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/11 | Carl Douglas | Kung Fu Fighting |
| 1/18 | Barry White | You're the First, the Last, My Everything |
| 1/25 | The Ohio Players | Fire |
| 2/8 | The Temptations | Happy People |
| 2/15 | Love Unlimited | I Belong to You |
| 2/22 | LaBelle | Lady Marmalade |
| 3/1 | Shirley & Company | Shame, Shame, Shame |
| 3/8 | B.T. Express | Express |
| 3/15 | Ben E. King | Supernatural Thing (Part 1) |
| 3/22 | Earth, Wind & Fire | Shining Star |
| 4/5 | Eddie Kendricks | Shoeshine Boy |
| 4/12 | Al Green | L-O-V-E (Love) |
| 4/26 | The Temptations | Shakey Ground |
| 5/3 | Barry White | What Am I Gonna Do With You |
| 5/10 | Joe Simon | Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor) |
| 5/24 | Smokey Robinson | Baby That's Backatcha |
| 5/31 | Kool & the Gang | Spirit of the Boogie |
| 6/7 | Major Harris | Love Won't Let Me Wait |
| 6/14 | Gwen McCrae | Rockin' Chair |
| 6/21 | The O'Jays | Give the People What They Want |
| 6/28 | The Moments | Look at Me (I'm in Love) |
| 7/5 | The Commodores | Slippery When Wet |
| 7/12 | Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony | The Hustle |
| 7/19 | The Isley Brothers | Fight the Power (Part 1) |
| 9/9 | Sharon Paige & Harold Melvin | Hope That We Can Be Together Soon |
| 8/16 | The New Birth | Dream Merchant |
| 8/23 | KC & the Sunshine Band | Get Down Tonight |
| 8/30 | Graham Central Station | Your Love |
| 9/6 | The Pointer Sisters | How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side) |
| 9/20 | Tavares | It Only Takes a Minute |
| 9/27 | People's Choice | Do it Any Way You Wanna |
| 10/4 | Natalie Cole | This Will Be |
| 10/18 | The Spinners | Games People Play |
| 10/25 | Faith, Hope & Charity | To Each His Own |
| 11/1 | The Ohio Players | Sweet Sticky Thing |
| 11/8 | War | Low Rider |
| 11/15 | Silver Convention | Fly, Robin, Fly |
| 11/22 | The Staple Singers | Let's Do it Again |
| 11/29 | KC & the Sunshine band | That's the Way (I Like it) |
| 12/6 | The O'Jays | I Love Music |
| 12/20 | Al Green | Full of Fire |
| 12/27 | The Ohio Players | Love Rollercoaster |
The Top 40 songs of 1975
The #1 Pop Singles of 1975
The #1 Country songs of 1975
1976
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/3 | David Ruffin | Walk Away From Love |
| 1/10 | Earth, Wind & Fire | Singasong |
| 1/17 | Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes | Wake Up Everybody |
| 2/7 | Tyrone Davis | Turning Point |
| 2/14 | Natalie Cole | Inseparable |
| 2/21 | Rufus featuring Chaka Khan | Sweet Thing |
| 3/13 | Johnnie Taylor | Disco Lady |
| 4/24 | The O'Jays | Livin' For the Weekend/ Stairway to Heaven |
| 5/8 | Brass Construction | Movin' |
| 5/15 | Diana Ross | Love Hangover |
| 5/22 | The Manhattans | Kiss and Say Goodbye |
| 5/29 | Marvin Gaye | I Want You |
| 6/5 | Candi Staton | Young Hearts Run Free |
| 6/12 | The Brothers Johnson | I'll Be Good to You |
| 6/19 | Natalie Cole | Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady) |
| 6/26 | Aretha Franklin | Something He Can Feel |
| 7/24 | Lou Rawls | You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine |
| 8/7 | Earth, Wind & Fire | Getaway |
| 8/21 | The Ohio Players | Who'd She Coo? |
| 8/28 | KC & the Sunshine Band | (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty |
| 9/4 | Wild Cherry | Play That Funky Music |
| 10/9 | The Commodores | Just to Be Close to You |
| 10/23 | The Spinners | The Rubberband Man |
| 10/30 | The O'Jays | Message in Our Music |
| 11/6 | L.T.D. | Love Ballad |
| 11/20 | Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. | You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show) |
| 11/27 | Brick | Dazz |
| 12/25 | Rose Royce | Car Wash |
The Top 40 songs of 1976
The #1 Pop Singles of 1976
The #1 Country songs of 1976
1977
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 | The O'Jays | Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love) |
| 1/15 | Stevie Wonder | I Wish |
| 2/19 | Thelma Houston | Don't Leave Me This Way |
| 2/26 | Natalie Cole | I've Got Love on My Mind |
| 4/2 | William Bell | Tryin' to Love Two |
| 4/9 | Rufus featuring Chaka Khan | At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up) |
| 4/23 | The Isley Brothers | The Pride (Part 1) |
| 4/30 | Marvin Gaye | Got to Give it Up (Part 1) |
| 5/21 | Tavares | Whodunit |
| 5/28 | Stevie Wonder | Sir Duke |
| 6/18 | Aretha Franklin | Break it to Me Gently |
| 6/25 | The Emotions | Best of My Love |
| 7/16 | The Commodores | Easy |
| 7/30 | Slave | Slide |
| 8/6 | The Brothers Johnson | Strawberry Letter 23 |
| 8/13 | The Floaters | Float On |
| 9/24 | KC & the Sunshine Band | Keep it Comin' Love |
| 10/1 | Barry White | It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me |
| 11/5 | L.T.D. | (Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again |
| 11/19 | Earth, Wind & Fire | Serpentine Fire |
The Top 40 songs of 1977
The #1 Pop Singles of 1977
The #1 Country songs of 1977
1978
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/7 | Con Funk Shun | Ffun |
| 1/21 | Natalie Cole | Our Love |
| 2/4 | Stargard | (Theme Song From) Which Way is Up? |
| 2/18 | The Commodores | Too Hot Ta Trot |
| 2/25 | Enchantment | It's You That I Need |
| 3/4 | Parliament | Flash Light |
| 3/25 | Bootsy's Rubber Band | Bootzilla |
| 4/1 | Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway | The Closer I Get to You |
| 4/15 | Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams | To Much, Too Little, Too Late |
| 5/13 | The Isley Brothers | Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1) |
| 5/27 | The O'Jays | Use Ta Be My Girl |
| 7/1 | Quincy Jones | Stuff Like That |
| 7/8 | Teddy Pendergrass | Close the Door |
| 7/22 | Rick James | You and I |
| 8/5 | A Taste of Honey | Boogie Oogie Oogie |
| 8/12 | The Commodores | Three Times a Lady |
| 8/26 | Foxy | Get Off |
| 9/9 | L.T.D. | Holding On (When Love is Gone) |
| 9/23 | Earth, Wind & Fire | Got to Get You into My Life |
| 9/30 | Funkadelic | One Nation Under a Groove |
| 11/11 | Chaka Khan | I'm Every Woman |
| 12/2 | Chic | Le Freak |
The Top 40 songs of 1978
The #1 Pop Singles of 1978
The #1 Country songs of 1978
1979
| Date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1/6 | Cheryl Lynn | Got to Be Real |
| 1/13 | Earth, Wind & Fire | September |
| 1/20 | Funkadelic | Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop) |
| 2/17 | Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers | Bustin' Loose |
| 3/17 | Instant Funk | I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get it Girl) |
| 3/31 | Sister Sledge | He's the Greatest Dancer |
| 4/14 | G.Q. | Disco Nights (Rock-Freak) |
| 4/28 | Peaches & Herb | Reunited |
| 5/26 | The Isley Brothers | I Wanna Be With You (Part 1) |
| 6/2 | McFadden & Whitehead | Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now |
| 9/9 | Sister Sledge | We Are Family |
| 9/16 | Anita Ward | Ring My Bell |
| 7/21 | Donna Summer | Bad Girls |
| 7/28 | Chic | Good Times |
| 9/8 | Michael Jackson | Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough |
| 10/13 | Funkadelic | (Not Just) Knee Deep (Part 1) |
| 11/3 | Kool & the Gang | Ladies Night |
| 11/24 | The Commodores | Still |
| 12/1 | Prince | I Wanna Be Your Lover |
| 12/15 | Rufus and Chaka | Do You Love What You Feel |
The Top 40 songs of 1979
The #1 Pop Singles of 1979
The #1 Country songs of 1979
The Top 40 songs of the 1970s
The #1 LPs of the 1970s
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