Global InformationList of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1978 information
Billboard published a weekly chart in 1978 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in soul music and related African American-oriented genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of black music and since 2005 has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[1] In 1978, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles,[2] and 22 different singles reached number one.
Three acts which formed part of George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic collective, known for its eclectic mix of funk and hard rock and its use of surreal futuristic imagery, topped the chart in 1978.[3] In the issue of Billboard dated March 4, Parliament reached number one for the first time with "Flash Light".[4] After three weeks in the top spot, the single was displaced by "Bootzilla" by Bootsy's Rubber Band, led by bass guitarist Bootsy Collins, one of the collective's principal members.[5][6] Finally, in September, Funkadelic gained its first chart-topper with "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)".[7] Both Parliament and Funkadelic featured largely the same musicians, with the different names reflecting differing styles of music.[8] "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" was the year's longest-running chart-topper, spending six weeks at number one. The track is regarded as a classic of the funk genre and was included on a list of 500 songs that shaped rock and roll compiled by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[9]
Several other acts gained the first soul number ones of their respective careers in 1978, beginning in the issue of Billboard dated January 7 when Con Funk Shun topped the chart with "Ffun".[10] In February, both Stargard and Enchantment reached number one for the first time with "Theme Song from 'Which Way Is Up'" and "It's You That I Need", respectively.[11] Both Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams topped the chart for the first time when they collaborated on "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" in April, and Quincy Jones, a successful producer, composer and band leader since the 1950s, gained his first chart-topping soul single in his own right with "Stuff Like That".[12] Later in the year, Teddy Pendergrass achieved his first solo number one after having been previously successful as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and Rick James, A Taste of Honey and Foxy all reached the top of the chart for the first time.[13] The year's final chart-topper "Le Freak" was another debut number one, as Chic reached the top spot for the first time in the issue of Billboard dated December 2 and stayed there for the remainder of the year.[14] The song is regarded as a classic of the disco genre and was selected in 2018 for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[15]
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (April 14, 2014). "I Know You Got Soul: The Trouble With Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Chart". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn 1996, p. xii.
- ^ O'Hagan, Sean (December 23, 1999). "The P-Father of P-Funk". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 11, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 330.
- ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 450.
- ^ Kalia, Ammar (June 15, 2020). "Bootsy Collins: 'We're all funky, just not all of us know it'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 162.
- ^ "The Over/Under: Funkadelic". Magnet. June 22, 2010. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll By Song (N–P)". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 98.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, pp. 138, 388.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, pp. 228, 278, 444.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 157, 217, 324, 401.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 85.
- ^ "National Recording Registry Reaches 500". Library of Congress. March 21, 2018. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.