1 I KNOW DIONNE FARRIS
2 RUN-AROUND BLUES TRAVELER
3 KISS FROM A ROSE SEAL
4 I BELIEVE BLESSID UNION OF SOULS
5 WATER RUNS DRY BOYZ II MEN
6 LET HER CRY HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH
7 WHEN I COME AROUND GREEN DAY
8 I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU THE REMBRANDTS
9 WATERFALLS TLC
10 TAKE A BOW MADONNA
11 I CAN LOVE YOU LIKE THAT ALL-4-ONE
12 HOLD MY HAND HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH
13 STRONG ENOUGH SHERYL CROW
14 ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH
15 HOLD ON JAMIE WALTERS
16 ANOTHER NIGHT REAL MCCOY
17 TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART NICKI FRENCH
18 LIGHTNING CRASHES LIVE
19 HAVE YOU EVER REALLY LOVED A WOMAN? BRYAN ADAMS
20 DECEMBER COLLECTIVE SOUL
21 RUN AWAY REAL MCCOY
22 IN THE HOUSE OF STONE AND LIGHT MARTIN PAGE
23 AS I LAY ME DOWN SOPHIE B. HAWKINS
24 YOU GOTTA BE DES'REE
25 ON BENDED KNEE BOYZ II MEN
26 WHAT WOULD YOU SAY DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
27 ROLL TO ME DEL AMITRI
28 CAN'T STOP LOVIN' YOU VAN HALEN
29 RUNAWAY JANET JACKSON
30 TILL I HEAR IT FORM YOU GIN BLOSSOMS
31 FANTASY MARIAH CAREY
32 ALWAYS BON JOVI
33 THE RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT CORONA
34 CREEP TLC
35 YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT FEELS TOM PETTY
36 IF I WANTED TO MELISSA ETHERIDGE
37 I LIVE MY LIFE FOR YOU FIREHOUSE
38 CARNIVAL NATALIE MERCHANT
39 SOMEONE TO LOVE JON B. F/ BABYFACE
40 EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK JADE
41 SUKIYAKI 4 P.M.
42 SHY GUY DIANA KING
43 COME AND GET YOUR LOVE REAL MCCOY
44 BACK FOR GOOD TAKE THAT
45 YOU ARE NOT ALONE MICHAEL JACKSON
46 BETTER MAN PEARL JAM
47 THIS IS HOW WE DO IT MONTELL JORDAN
48 LET ME BE THE ONE BLESSID UNION OF SOULS
49 I'M THE ONLY ONE MELISSA ETHERIDGE
50 YOU OUGHTA KNOW ALANIS MORISSETTE
51 GET READY FOR THIS 2 UNLIMITED
52 BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S DEEP BLUE SOMETHING
53 HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER INI KAMOZE
54 GOOD BETTER THAN EZRA
55 THIS AIN'T A LOVE SONG BON JOVI
56 RED LIGHT SPECIAL TLC
57 BELIEVE ELTON JOHN
58 IF YOU LOVE ME BROWNSTONE
59 I COULD FALL IN LOVE SELENA
60 MISERY SOUL ASYLUM
61 LOVE WILL KEEP US ALIVE EAGLES
62 TELL ME WHEN THE HUMAN LEAGUE
63 100% PURE LOVE CRYSTAL WATERS
64 I WANNA B WITH U FUN FACTORY
65 CAN'T CRY ANYMORE SHERYL CROW
66 BANG AND BLAME R.E.M.
67 NO MORE "I LOVE YOU'S" ANNIE LENNOX
68 CANDY RAIN SOUL FOR REAL
69 NAME GOO GOO DOLLS
70 THANK YOU BOYZ II MEN
71 ANTS MARCHING DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
72 FREAK LIKE ME ADINA HOWARD
73 COME BACK LONDONBEAT
74 MY LOVE IS FOR REAL PAULA ABDUL
75 ALL I WANNA DO SHERYL CROW
76 WONDERFUL ADAM ANT
77 DO YOU SLEEP? LISA LOEB & NINE STORIES
78 THE SWEETEST DAYS VANESSA WILLIAMS
79 YOU WANT THIS JANET JACKSON
80 DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL (JUST ONE OF DEM DAYS) MONICA
81 COLORS OF THE WIND VANESSA WILLIAMS
82 MISHALE ANDRU DONALDS
83 EVERY LITTLE THING I DO SOUL FOR REAL
84 BUDDY HOLLY WEEZER
85 STRANGE CURRENCIES R.E.M.
86 DREAM ABOUT YOU STEVIE B
87 EVERLASTING LOVE GLORIA ESTEFAN
88 MENTAL PICTURE JON SECADA
89 ALLISON ROAD GIN BLOSSOMS
90 DIGGIN' ON YOU TLC
91 I SAW YOU DANCING YAKI DA
92 ODE TO MY FAMILY THE CRANBERRIES
93 GANGSTA'S PARADISE COOLIO F/ L.V.
94 GOOD INTENTIONS TOAD THE WET SPROCKET
95 HAND IN MY POCKET ALANIS MORISSETTE
96 HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME U2
97 CLOSE TO YOU FUN FACTORY
98 BAD REPUTATION FREEDY JOHNSON
99 IT'S GOOD TO BE KING TOM PETTY
100 BEAUTIFUL LIFE ACE OF BASE
And thanks to the charts from the Bob Hamilton & Friends' Radio Report as well as Broadcasting Magazine's Playlist charts, I can clarify that these were the "official" pop radio #1's before R&R started.
1972:
01/03/1972: American Pie - Don McLean
01/10/1972: American Pie - Don McLean
01/17/1972: Let's Stay Together - Al Green
01/24/1972: Without You - Nilsson
01/31/1972: Without You - Nilsson
02/07/1972: Without You - Nilsson
02/14/1972: Down By The Lazy River - Osmond Brothers
02/21/1972: Lion Sleeps Tonight - Robert John
02/28/1972: Heart Of Gold - Neil Young
03/06/1972: Horse With No Name - America
03/13/1972: Horse With No Name - America
03/20/1972: Horse With No Name - America
03/27/1972: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
04/03/1972: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
04/10/1972: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
04/17/1972: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
04/24/1972: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
05/01/1972: Oh Girl - Chi-Lites
05/08/1972: Oh Girl - Chi-Lites
05/15/1972: Oh Girl - Chi-Lites
05/22/1972: I'll Take You There - Staples Singers
05/29/1972: Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond
06/05/1972: Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond
06/12/1972: Outta Space - Billy Preston
06/19/1972: Lean On Me - Bill Withers
06/26/1972: Lean On Me - Bill Withers
07/03/1972: Lean On Me - Bill Withers
07/10/1972: Alone Again Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan
07/17/1972: Alone Again Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan
07/24/1972: Alone Again Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan
07/31/1972: Alone Again Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan
08/07/1972: Alone Again Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan
08/14/1972: Alone Again Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan
08/21/1972: Black and White - Three Dog Night
08/28/1972: Black and White - Three Dog Night
09/04/1972: Black and White - Three Dog Night
09/11/1972: Black and White - Three Dog Night
09/18/1972: Everybody Plays - Main Ingredient
09/25/1972: Ben - Michael Jackson
10/02/1972: Burning Love - Elvis Presley
10/09/1972: Nights In White Satin - Moody Blues
10/16/1972: I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
10/23/1972: I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
10/30/1972: I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
11/06/1972: Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts
11/13/1972: Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts
11/20/1972: If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
11/27/1972: It Never Rains In Southern California - Albert Hammond
12/04/1972: Me & Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
12/11/1972: Me & Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
12/18/1972: You're So Vain - Carly Simon
12/25/1972: You're So Vain - Carly Simon
1973:
01/01/1973: You're So Vain - Carly Simon
01/08/1973: You're So Vain - Carly Simon
01/15/1973: You're So Vain - Carly Simon
01/22/1973: You're So Vain - Carly Simon
01/29/1973: You're So Vain - Carly Simon
02/05/1973: You're So Vain - Carly Simon
02/12/1973: Crocodile Rock - Elton John
02/19/1973: Crocodile Rock - Elton John
02/26/1973: Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
03/05/1973: Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
03/12/1973: Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
03/19/1973: Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
03/26/1973: Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
04/02/1973: Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
04/09/1973: Neither One Of Us - Gladys Knight & The Pips
04/16/1973: The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia - Vicki Lawrence
04/23/1973: The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia - Vicki Lawrence
04/30/1973: Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
05/07/1973: Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
05/14/1973: Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
05/21/1973: Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
05/28/1973: Daniel - Elton John
06/04/1973: My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings
06/11/1973: My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings
06/18/1973: My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings
06/25/1973: My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings
07/02/1973: My Love - Paul McCartney & Wings
07/09/1973: Kodachrome - Paul Simon
07/16/1973: Kodachrome - Paul Simon
07/23/1973: Shambala - Three Dog Night
07/30/1973: Bad Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
08/06/1973: Bad Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce
08/13/1973: Touch Me In The Morning - Diana Ross
08/20/1973: The Morning After - Maureen McGovern
08/27/1973: Touch Me In The Morning - Diana Ross
09/03/1973: Brother Louie - Stories
09/10/1973: Brother Louie - Stories
09/17/1973: Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
09/24/1973: Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
The official #1's before and after this:
1972: Alone Again (Naturally)/Gilbert O'Sullivan
1973: Killing Me Softly With His Song/Roberta Flack
2005: Since U Been Gone/Kelly Clarkson
2006: Promiscuous/Nelly Furtado f/Timbaland
2007: Big Girls Don't Cry/Fergie
2008: Low/Flo Rida f/T-Pain
2009: Gives You Hell/All American Rejects
2010: TiK ToK/Ke$ha
2011: Party Rock Anthem/LMFAO f/Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
2012: Lights/Ellie Goulding
2013: Blurred Lines/Robin Thicke f/Pharrell + T.I.