Billboard #1 Soul Songs Of 1979 Rankdown (COMPLETE)

[divasummer]

Being a Huge Donna Summer fan I of course wanted “Bag Girls” to go higher but it kind of did better than I expected.
I’m happy with her position I guess.
The Top 10 are all amazing.
I LOVE my Top 7 or 8 almost equally so num.6 for Donna is pretty good.

[Soulsista]

5. Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn

Born in Los Angeles, Cheryl was first noticed after appearing on The Gong Show. Then she signed up for the musical The Wiz as a background singer before landing the role of The Wicked Witch Of The West. Cheryl eventually landed a deal with Columbia Records, and her first single, which she co-wrote with David Paich of Toto and David Foster, became her biggest hit. Also featuring Ray Parker Jr. on guitar, it was later sampled in the Father MC song "I'll Do 4 U".

Apologies to 🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 and Jay D83...


Stats
Chart Entry: September 9, 1978
Peak Date: January 6, 1979
Weeks At #1: 1
Weeks In Top 10: 10
Weeks On Chart: 26
Hot 100 Peak: #12

Points: 462
Average: 6.56
Standard Deviation: 4.832 (5th highest)

Soulsista - 1
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 1
Jay D83 - 1
SHOOTER - 2
Private Dancer - 2
divasummer - 2
samo🦕 - 2
back2blk - 3
BB🌕 - 3
stallie - 3
.indulgecountry - 3
gonecountry - 4
rowellfarm490 - 4
Ivy Leegue™ - 4
jtd Thee Stallion - 4
#LisaRinna - 5
annoymous1 - 5

singingrulebritannia - 6
mamooshka - 6
newpower - 6
ccarter1023 - 7
aerodynamite - 8
Juanca - 9
razorshark - 10

DJDaveMick69 - 11
312999 - 11
wyckyd - 12
peacebone - 12
CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker - 14
Mirago - 15

legend1982 - 16
Glove Slap - 18


Three more #1s will be leaving us with the next reveal. It's the first song that has no bottom 5s.

[#LisaRinna]

Come on PR!

[back2blk]

This version and Father MC's are so good!!

[Glove Slap]

Finally! Any of the rest can take it.

[#LisaRinna]

Oct 28, 2021 10:47:53 GMT -5 back2blk said:

This version and Father MC's are so good!!

[Jay D83]

Are y'all the fuck serious!!!!!!!

[Soulsista]

4. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Prince

"I Wanna Be Your Lover" was the first of 8 soul charttoppers for Minneapolis native and legend Prince Rogers Nelson, as well as his breakthrough hit on the Hot 100. It's about a crush he had at the time on Patrice Rushen.

Apologies to ccarter1023, jtd Thee Stallion, and stallie...


Stats
Chart Entry: September 22, 1979
Peak Date: December 1, 1979
Weeks At #1: 2
Weeks In Top 10: 13
Weeks On Chart: 23
Hot 100 Peak: #11

Points: 476
Avergae: 6.13
Standard Deviation: 3.48 (4th lowest)

ccarter1023 - 1
jtd Thee Stallion - 1
stallie - 1
aerodynamite - 2
annoymous1 - 2
Glove Slap - 2
gonecountry - 3
wyckyd - 3
Mirago - 3
#LisaRinna - 4
newpower - 4
BB🌕 - 5
peacebone - 5

Soulsista - 6
rowellfarm490 - 6
SHOOTER - 6
samo🦕 - 6
mamooshka - 7
Jay D83 - 7
divasummer - 7
.indulgecountry - 7
singingrulebritannia - 8
legend1982 - 8
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 8
Ivy Leegue™ - 8
back2blk - 9
razorshark - 9
312999 - 9
Private Dancer - 10

DJDaveMick69 - 12
CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker - 12
Juanca - 15


The next reveal will see two people lose their #1. No bottom 5s, but three of you will shed a bottom 10.

[back2blk]

Oct 28, 2021 10:57:54 GMT -5 #LisaRinna said:

Oct 28, 2021 10:47:53 GMT -5 back2blk said:

This version and Father MC's are so good!!

OMG YES!  Mother MC's was FIRE as hell, too!!!! 

[Soulsista]

Oct 28, 2021 10:48:18 GMT -5 Glove Slap said:

Finally!

[#LisaRinna]

Yass Prince!

[back2blk]

Prince is giving me the full fantasy with that hair and hoop.

[Soulsista]

3. Good Times - Chic

The lead single from their album Risqué, "Good Times" was the second song by Chic to top both the soul and Hot 100 charts. It's also one of the most influential and sampled songs in music, inspiring songs like Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" and Blondie's "Rapture". And it served as this basis for what would be considered the first mainstream rap song, "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang. After threatening legal action, a settlement was reached and Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were credited as co-writers on "Rapper's Delight". "Good Times" was named Billboard's top soul song for 1979.

Nile would later reveal that "Good Times" itself was inspired by Kool & The Gang's "Hollywood Swinging".

Apologies to singingrulebritannia and newpower...


Stats
Chart Entry: June 23, 1979
Peak Date: July 28, 1979
Weeks At #1: 6
Weeks In Top 10: 13
Weeks On Chart: 18
Hot 100 Peak: #1 (1 week)

Points: 488
Average: 5.75
Standard Deviation: 3.331 (3rd lowest)

singingrulebritannia - 1
newpower - 1
DJDaveMick69 - 2
peacebone - 2
Soulsista - 3
rowellfarm490 - 3
mamooshka - 3
#LisaRinna - 3
Jay D83 - 3
razorshark - 4
wyckyd - 4
CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker - 4
Glove Slap - 4
Ivy Leegue™ - 5
aerodynamite - 5
Mirago - 5
samo🦕 - 5

🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 6
Juanca - 6
BB🌕 - 6
divasummer - 6
gonecountry - 7
SHOOTER - 7
312999 - 7
jtd Thee Stallion - 7
back2blk - 8
ccarter1023 - 9
Private Dancer - 9
annoymous1 - 9

These Are The Bad Times:
stallie - 12
legend1982 - 14
.indulgecountry - 14

[gonecountry]

Chic for #3,   Let's go EWF for the win!

[Soulsista]

vs.




They're separated by just 10 points! Which song will come out on top? The final two will be revealed shortly!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Soul Class Of '79}singingrulebritannia legend1982 gonecountry back2blk rowellfarm490 razorshark mamooshka ccarter1023 DJDaveMick69 #LisaRinna wyckyd SHOOTER 🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 312999 Ivy Leegue™ aerodynamite Juanca BB🌕 Private Dancer annoymous1 Jay D83 divasummer Mirago jtd Thee Stallion stallie samo🦕 peacebone .indulgecountry newpower CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker Glove Slap

[razorshark]

No offense to Michael, but I really hope EWF takes this

[Soulsista]

But first, a couple of extras. First, the signature ballad for this band. Co-written by David Foster, it peaked at #2 on the soul and Hot 100 charts.

After The Love Has Gone - Earth, Wind & Fire

---

Next, a song by a band from Detroit whose members included future soul superstar Anita Baker. It peaked at #38 on the soul chart.

Ready For Your Love - Chapter 8

[Private Dancer]

Got To Be Real already out...can't be real...Got To Be Fake!

[Private Dancer]

And let's be honest...Don't Stop Till You Get Enough is good...but does not deserve #1 or #2...

[Soulsista]

Here we go, the final two...



2. September - Earth, Wind & Fire

"September" is without a doubt one of Earth, Wind & Fire's most enduring hits. Reaching the Top 10 on the Hot 100, it's been certified 6x platinum in the US. There has been some speculation on the significance of the date September 21, and according to co-writer Allee Willis, Maurice's wife claimed that that was the due date of their son. Maurice, however, claimed that he chose it because he liked how it sounded when sung.

"September" was later covered by Kirk Franklin in 2007.


Stats
Chart Entry: November 18, 1978
Peak Date: January 13, 1979
Weeks At #1: 1
Weeks In Top 10: 12
Weeks On Chart: 17
Hot 100 Peak: #8

Points: 521
Average: 4.72
Standard Deviation: 3.804 (8th lowest)

legend1982 - 1
gonecountry - 1
mamooshka - 1
#LisaRinna - 1
BB🌕 - 1
samo🦕 - 1
.indulgecountry - 1
Soulsista - 2
rowellfarm490 - 2
razorshark - 2
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 2
312999 - 2
Jay D83 - 2
annoymous1 - 3
jtd Thee Stallion - 3
peacebone - 3
Juanca - 4
singingrulebritannia - 5
ccarter1023 - 5
SHOOTER - 5
CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker - 5
Glove Slap - 5

Ivy Leegue™ - 6
stallie - 6
Private Dancer - 7
wyckyd - 8
divasummer - 9
newpower - 9
back2blk - 10

aerodynamite - 11
Mirago - 13
DJDaveMick69 - 15

---

1. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was the lead single from MJ's solo debut album for Epic, Off The Wall. Topping both the soul and Hot 100 charts, it also hit #1 in 6 other countries. It also won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and the AMA for Favorite R&B/Soul Single.

Congrats to 312999 for a perfect Top 2 and to rowellfarm490 for a perfect Top 3!


Stats
Chart Entry: July 28, 1979
Peak Date: September 8, 1979
Weeks At #1: 5
Weeks In Top 10: 12
Weeks On Chart: 20
Hot 100 Peak: #1 (1 week)

Points: 531
Average: 4.41
Standard Deviation: 4.264 (10th highest)

rowellfarm490 - 1
wyckyd - 1
SHOOTER - 1
312999 - 1
Ivy Leegue™ - 1
aerodynamite - 1
annoymous1 - 1
Mirago - 1
peacebone - 1
Glove Slap - 1

singingrulebritannia - 2
gonecountry - 2
back2blk - 2
jtd Thee Stallion - 2
stallie - 2
newpower - 2
ccarter1023 - 3
divasummer - 3
Soulsista - 4
BB🌕 - 4
Jay D83 - 4
mamooshka - 5
Juanca - 5

#LisaRinna - 6
Private Dancer - 6
samo🦕 - 7
DJDaveMick69 - 9
legend1982 - 10
CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker - 10

🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 11
razorshark - 16
.indulgecountry - 16


And that concludes the Billboard #1 Soul Songs Of 1979 Rankdown! Thanks again to all who participated, I truly appreciate it.

The wait is almost over: 1990 is coming! No, really!

[SHOOTER]

A classic is a classic!! Michael could not be denied this time.

Thanks for hosting Soulsista bring on the 90s!

[back2blk]

I do think Michael deserves it. That really is one of his most groovy products. September is so played out for me, as much as I love it, it's starting to get on my nerves a tiny bit.

I cannot wait to jump from this straight to the 90's, loo, that's gonna be such a sonic shift.

[jenglisbe]

Oct 28, 2021 12:22:04 GMT -5 back2blk said:

September is so played out for me, as much as I love it, it's starting to get on my nerves a tiny bit.

This. It's a classic, but EW&F have others that are just as good or better.

[Private Dancer]

Out of all the #1's of that year Cheryl and Donna stand out...

[gonecountry]

Thanks Soulsista for another great rankdown.  Looking forward to 1990, there are some great songs waiting for us.  

That said 1978 has One Nation Under a Groove, I'm Every Woman and Flash Light....

So much good music out there.

Thanks again!

[mamooshka]

Soulsista - a great Top 3 and thanks for hosting this RD. 

Given how they've endured through all these years, it was interesting to see how many of your extras in fact didn't top the R&B charts.

[ccarter1023]

Thank you Soulsista - Your rankdowns are always fun and efficient! I would've loved for Donna or Prince to have taken it but you can never go wrong with MJ!

[DJDaveMick69]

Thanks Soulsista. Thought *for sure* September was gonna take it--Getaway 1976 and Serpentine Fire 1977 better do well.

Not sure if I'll participate in any of the 90s rankdowns.

[Mirago]

Kudos to MJ’s disco anthem! Speaking of disco, I’d be open to a more focused best of disco rankdown one day, hint hint.
I leave that here because I see many of my favourite hosts all here participating in this very rank down.
Thanks Soulsista!

[#LisaRinna]

Now onto 1990!!

Thank you Soulsista for having us revisit all the BOPS.