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List of Billboard number-one R&B songs of 1949

In 1949, Billboard magazine published two charts ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in African-American-oriented musical genres. The Most Played Juke Box Race Records chart had been published since 1945; placings were based on a weekly survey among jukebox operators. The Best Selling Retail Race Records listing had been launched in 1948, based on a survey of record stores nationwide in which the majority of customers purchased what were then referred to as "race records".[1] With effect from the issue of the magazine dated June 25, the term Race Records in the titles of the charts was replaced with Rhythm & Blues. The two charts are considered to be part of the lineage of the magazine's multimetric R&B chart,[2] which since 2005 has been published under the title Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs.[3]

Singer John Lee Hooker
"Boogie Chillen" was a chart-topper for John Lee Hooker (pictured in 1997).

In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, 1949, different versions of the song "Bewildered" topped the two charts: Amos Milburn's rendition was at number one on the juke box chart while the recording by the Red Miller Trio held the peak position on the best sellers listing. The following week, Milburn's version of the song took the top spot on the best seller chart, and another of his songs, "Chicken Shack Boogie", moved up to number one on the juke box listing. Despite the success of Miller's version of "Bewildered", it would prove to be the only charting song of his career.[4] Milburn returned to number one on the juke box chart in September with "Roomin' House Boogie" and was the only artist with three R&B chart-toppers during 1949.

Three records had lengthy runs at number one in 1949, each topping both the juke box and best sellers charts for ten weeks or more. Between March and June, "The Huckle-Buck" by Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers topped the best sellers chart for 12 non-consecutive weeks and the juke box listing for 14 non-consecutive weeks, although it would prove to be the saxophonist's only number one.[5] The song that replaced it at number one on both charts, "Trouble Blues" by the Charles Brown Trio, topped the juke box chart for a total of 10 weeks and held the peak position on the best sellers listing for 15 consecutive weeks, the year's longest unbroken run at number one on either chart and the longest run at number one on the best sellers chart since it launched the previous year.[6] Finally, beginning in October, Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five topped the juke box chart for 10 weeks and the best sellers listing for 11 weeks with "Saturday Night Fish Fry" (Parts I & II). The final number one of the year on both charts was "For You My Love" by Larry Darnell. The song gave Darnell, who had only been signed by a record label three months earlier, a number one with his first charting song, but his success was short-lived and his chart career lasted less than two years.[7][8]

Chart history

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Jimmy Witherspoon reached number one with "Ain't Nobody's Business" (Parts 1 & 2)
 
"Baby Get Lost" was a chart-topper for Dinah Washington.
 
Wynonie Harris had a chart-topper with "All She Wants to Do Is Rock".
Chart history
Issue date Juke Box Best Sellers Ref.
Title Artist(s) Title Artist(s)
January 1 "Bewildered" Amos Milburn "Bewildered" Red Miller Trio [9]
January 8 "Chicken Shack Boogie" Amos Milburn [10]
January 15 "Bewildered" Red Miller Trio Red Miller Trio [11]
January 22 "Chicken Shack Boogie" Amos Milburn [12]
January 29 "Bewildered" Red Miller Trio [12]
February 5 "Chicken Shack Boogie" Amos Milburn "Chicken Shack Boogie" Amos Milburn [13]
February 12 "Bewildered" Red Miller Trio [14]
February 19 "Boogie Chillen" John Lee Hooker "The Deacon's Hop" Big Jay McNeely's Blue Jays [15]
February 26 "Chicken Shack Boogie" Amos Milburn "Bewildered" Amos Milburn [16]
March 5 "The Deacon's Hop" Big Jay McNeely's Blue Jays "The Huckle-Buck" Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers [17]
March 12 "The Huckle-Buck" Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers "Chicken Shack Boogie" Amos Milburn [18]
March 19 "Bewildered" Amos Milburn "The Huckle-Buck" Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers [19]
March 26 "The Huckle-Buck" Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers [20]
April 2 [21]
April 9 [22]
April 16 [23]
April 23 [24]
April 30 [25]
May 7 [26]
May 14 [27]
May 21 [28]
May 28 [29]
June 4 "Trouble Blues" Charles Brown Trio [30]
June 11 [31]
June 18 "Trouble Blues" Charles Brown Trio [32]
June 25 [33]
July 2 [34]
July 9 [35]
July 16 "The Huckle-Buck" Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers [36]
July 23 "Trouble Blues" Charles Brown Trio [37]
July 30 [38]
August 6 [38]
August 13 [39]
August 20 "Ain't Nobody's Business" (Parts 1 & 2) Jimmy Witherspoon [40]
August 27 "Trouble Blues" Charles Brown Trio [41]
September 3 [42]
September 10 "Roomin' House Boogie" Amos Milburn [43]
September 17[a] "Tell Me So" The Orioles [44]
"All She Wants to Do Is Rock" Wynonie Harris [44]
September 24 "Baby Get Lost" Dinah Washington "Baby Get Lost" Dinah Washington [45]
October 1 "All She Wants to Do Is Rock" Wynonie Harris "All She Wants to Do Is Rock" Wynonie Harris [46]
October 8 "Beans and Corn Bread" Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five "Baby Get Lost" Dinah Washington [47]
October 15 "Saturday Night Fish Fry" (Parts I & II) "Saturday Night Fish Fry" (Parts I & II) Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five [48]
October 22 [49]
October 29 [50]
November 5 [51]
November 12 [52]
November 19 [53]
November 26 [54]
December 3 [55]
December 10 [56]
December 17 [57]
December 24 "For You My Love" Larry Darnell [58]
December 31 "For You My Love" Larry Darnell [59]

a. ^ Two songs tied for number one on the Juke Box chart in this issue.

References

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  1. ^ Cole, Tom (November 2, 2013). "Paramount Records: The Label Inadvertently Crucial To The Blues". NPR. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  2. ^ Whitburn 1996, p. xii.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 401.
  5. ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 627.
  6. ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 799.
  7. ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 145.
  8. ^ arwulf, arwulf. "Larry Darnell Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 25, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  9. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. January 1, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. January 8, 1949. p. 28. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. January 15, 1949. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ a b "Race Records". Billboard. January 29, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. February 5, 1949. p. 32. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. February 12, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. February 19, 1949. p. 32. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. February 26, 1949. p. 38. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Google Books.
  17. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. March 5, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. March 12, 1949. p. 40. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Google Books.
  19. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. March 19, 1949. p. 40. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. March 26, 1949. p. 35. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. April 2, 1949. p. 41. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  22. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. April 9, 1949. p. 35. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  23. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. April 16, 1949. p. 44. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  24. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. April 23, 1949. p. 35. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  25. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. April 30, 1949. p. 34. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  26. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. May 7, 1949. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  27. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. May 14, 1949. p. 32. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  28. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. May 21, 1949. p. 32. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  29. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. May 28, 1949. p. 28. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  30. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. June 4, 1949. p. 34. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  31. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. June 11, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  32. ^ "Race Records". Billboard. June 18, 1949. p. 34. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  33. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. June 25, 1949. p. 30. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  34. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 2, 1949. p. 36. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  35. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 9, 1949. p. 32. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  36. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 16, 1949. p. 36. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  37. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. July 23, 1949. p. 30. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  38. ^ a b "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. August 6, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  39. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. August 13, 1949. p. 28. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  40. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. August 20, 1949. p. 30. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  41. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. August 27, 1949. p. 30. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  42. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 3, 1949. p. 28. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  43. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 10, 1949. p. 34. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  44. ^ a b "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 17, 1949. p. 32. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  45. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. September 24, 1949. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  46. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. October 1, 1949. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022 – via Google Books.
  47. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. October 8, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  48. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. October 15, 1949. p. 27. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  49. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. October 22, 1949. p. 67. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  50. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. October 29, 1949. p. 34. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  51. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. November 5, 1949. p. 36. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  52. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. November 12, 1949. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  53. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. November 19, 1949. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  54. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. November 26, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  55. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 3, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  56. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 10, 1949. p. 30. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  57. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 17, 1949. p. 29. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  58. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 24, 1949. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.
  59. ^ "Rhythm & Blues Records". Billboard. December 31, 1949. p. 23. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022 – via Google Books.

Works cited

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