List of Billboard number-one R&B songs of 1957
![Musicians Mickey & Sylvia](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Mickey_and_Sylvia_1956.jpg/310px-Mickey_and_Sylvia_1956.jpg)
In 1957, Billboard magazine published three charts specifically covering the top-performing songs in the United States in rhythm and blues and related African-American-oriented music genres. The R&B Best Sellers in Stores chart ranked records based on their "current national selling importance at the retail level", based on a survey of record retailers "with a high volume of sales in rhythm and blues records". The Most Played R&B by Jockeys chart ranked songs based on the "number of plays on disk jockey radio shows" according to a weekly survey of "top disk jockey shows in all key markets". The Most Played R&B in Juke Boxes chart was based on "plays in juke boxes thruout [sic] the country" derived from a survey of "operators using a high proportion of rhythm and blues records"; this chart was discontinued after the issue of Billboard dated June 17. The three charts are considered part of the lineage of the magazine's multimetric R&B chart launched in 1958,[1] which since 2005 has been published under the title Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.
In the early part of the year, singer and pianist Fats Domino dominated all three charts. He occupied the top spot on the Best Sellers listing for 17 consecutive weeks with "Blueberry Hill", "Blue Monday" and "I'm Walkin'"; all three songs also reached number one on the Jockeys and Juke Box charts. Domino was the most successful black rock & roll artist of the 1950s and achieved a string of pop and R&B successes until the mid-1960s.[2] He was one of several of 1957's chart-topping acts to be included in the inaugural class of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, along with Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Everly Brothers.[3]
The final number one on the juke box chart, in the issue of Billboard dated June 17, was "Searchin'" by the Coasters, which was listed jointly with its flip side, "Young Blood". The single had the year's longest unbroken run atop any of the listings, spending 13 consecutive weeks in the top spot on the Best Sellers chart. "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke was the last number one of 1957 on both the Best Sellers and Jockeys charts; the track reached the top of both listings in the issue dated November 25 and stayed there for the remainder of the year. Although many of 1957's chart-topping acts experienced long and successful careers, others achieved little further success, most notably the Bobbettes. The girl group spent four non-consecutive weeks atop the Jockeys chart with "Mr. Lee" but would never place another song on any of Billboard's R&B charts.[4]
Chart history[]
In 1957, Billboard sometimes listed both sides of a single jointly at number one on the Best Sellers and Juke Box charts, based on a methodology which combined the survey data for both songs if "significant action [was] reported on both sides of a record". This does not indicate that the single was officially released or promoted as a double A-side.
![Singer Fats Domino](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Fats_Domino_in_Amsterdam_1962_%28crop%29.jpg/170px-Fats_Domino_in_Amsterdam_1962_%28crop%29.jpg)
![Singer Chuck Berry](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Chuck_Berry_1957.jpg/170px-Chuck_Berry_1957.jpg)
![Singer Sam Cooke](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Sam_Cooke_2.jpg/170px-Sam_Cooke_2.jpg)
a. ^ B-side "What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasing You)" listed jointly at number one in the issues dated January 26 and February 2 only
b. ^ B-side "What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasing You)" listed jointly at number one in the issues dated January 26, February 2, and March 16 only
c. ^ Two songs tied for number one on the jockeys chart.
d. ^ Both sides listed jointly at number one.
e. ^ Due to a change in Billboard's cover-dating policy, the issue after that dated April 27 was dated April 29.
f. ^ "Young Blood" not listed jointly at number one in the issue dated June 24
g. ^ B-side "Treat Me Nice" listed jointly at number one in the issues dated November 11 and November 18 only
References[]
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1995. Record Research Incorporated. p. xii. ISBN 9780898201154.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Fats Domino Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, 1986 – 2015". Rolling Stone. November 11, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 48. ISBN 9780898201154.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. January 5, 1957. p. 44. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. January 12, 1957. p. 47. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. January 19, 1957. p. 48. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. January 19, 1957. p. 99. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. February 2, 1957. p. 56. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. February 9, 1957. p. 53. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. February 16, 1957. p. 61. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. February 23, 1957. p. 67. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. March 2, 1957. p. 61. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. March 9, 1957. p. 61. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. March 16, 1957. p. 51. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. March 23, 1957. p. 90. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. March 30, 1957. p. 80. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. April 6, 1957. p. 58. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. April 13, 1957. p. 86. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. April 20, 1957. p. 60. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. April 27, 1957. p. 60. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. April 29, 1957. p. 60. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. May 6, 1957. p. 67. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. May 13, 1957. p. 75. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. May 20, 1957. p. 149. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. May 27, 1957. p. 58. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. June 3, 1957. p. 66. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. June 10, 1957. p. 60. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. June 17, 1957. p. 74. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. June 24, 1957. p. 59. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 1, 1957. p. 64. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 8, 1957. p. 56. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 15, 1957. p. 95. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 22, 1957. p. 74. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 29, 1957. p. 60. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. August 5, 1957. p. 57. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. August 19, 1957. p. 102. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. August 26, 1957. p. 102. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 2, 1957. p. 59. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 9, 1957. p. 63. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 16, 1957. p. 58. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 23, 1957. p. 69. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 30, 1957. p. 60. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. October 7, 1957. p. 68. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. October 14, 1957. p. 55. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. October 28, 1957. p. 64. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. November 4, 1957. p. 58. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. November 11, 1957. p. 127. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. November 18, 1957. p. 60. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. November 25, 1957. p. 80. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 2, 1957. p. 57. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 9, 1957. p. 56. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 16, 1957. p. 61. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 23, 1957. p. 45. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 30, 1957. p. 41. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- Lists of number-one R&B songs in the United States
- 1957 record charts
- 1957 in American music