Billboard #1 Soul Songs Of 1977 Rankdown (COMPLETE)

[#LisaRinna]

Aug 17, 2022 11:30:26 GMT -5 Private Dancer said:

Natalie deserved to be top five

LOUDER hunni!

[🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲]

Would be nice if KC & the Sunshine Band made it into top 5.

[newpower]

My top 5 survived! Will I get it in the right order? Chances are 1 in 120.

[samo🦕]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 lmao

this is a phenomenal top 5 but I’m rooting for Thelma

[Gonza'90]

1, 2, 3, 5, 13
Go Stevie

[Private Dancer]

Welp...The Emotions did not make the top three
and I Wish is the winner of the rankdown

Those are my predictions, but again, it's a solid top five.

[Ivy Leegue™]

Yikes.

[Private Dancer]

Aug 17, 2022 15:08:48 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

Yikes.

Why the yikes?

[Ivy Leegue™]

Aug 17, 2022 15:11:08 GMT -5 Private Dancer said:

Aug 17, 2022 15:08:48 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

Yikes.

Why the yikes?

Some of these results. I just KNEW Easy wouldn't do well with this crowd, so I was afraid to rank it that high.

[Private Dancer]

Aug 17, 2022 15:13:02 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

Aug 17, 2022 15:11:08 GMT -5 Private Dancer said:

Why the yikes?

Some of these results. I just KNEW Easy wouldn't do well with this crowd, so I was afraid to rank it that high.

Funny you mentioned Easy...I just heard that song on the radio and hour ago. Yes, I also knew Easy wouldn't do well as I remember another rankdown ago the Commodores were out on the first or 2nd day. I AT LEAST thought BOML would make top 3, but I see they are out next and I Wish wins.

Where is BOML on ur list?

[Soulsista]

First extra for today is a song that was a hit nearly a decade before Whitney Houston got her hands on it. From the Muhammad Ali biographical film The Greatest, it peaked at #2 on the soul chart and #24 on the Hot 100.

The Greatest Love Of All - George Benson

---

Next, the final single from his Songs In The Key Of Life album. Though it only peaked at #36 on both the soul and Hot 100 charts, it's considered a fan favorite and an urban AC staple. It was later covered by George Michael and Mary J. Blige.

As - Stevie Wonder

[beyoncelover]

10. Serpentine Fire - Earth, Wind & Fire: Not really one of my favorites from EW&F as I ranked this at #13. But this was still a really fun and enjoyable song from them. I wouldn't have had it in the Top 10 but am fine with it not outlasting my biggest favorites.

9. Keep It Comin' Love - K.C. & The Sunshine Band: This was another one of those songs I didn't recognize solely by its title but listening to it, I totally remember it and do really love it. This is yet another really fun classic jam K.C. & The Sunshine Band. Sad to lose this as this was my first loss of my Top 5, but at least it was my #5 rather than my Top 4. Kinda surprised that this has the 3rd highest SD as I didn't expect this to be so polarizing.

8. I've Got Love On My Mind - Natalie Cole: This is a really gorgeous and lovely song from Natalie Cole. This is one I know/heard of before and have always enjoyed it. I ranked this at #9 so dang, I was so close to a perfect ranking here, haha. I guess I am not too surprised that this has the 4th highest SD as I did see some comments of why this hasn't showed up yet, lol.

7. Easy - The Commodores: Oooh dang, so close to another perfect ranking here as I ranked this at #6. This is a classic and gorgeous song and also very catchy. This was a song that I always really enjoyed. I expected this to have the 7th highest SD as I thought this song would have been more polarizing.

6. Strawberry Letter 23 - The Brothers Johnson: Ooh phew, this was my #18 so this was the song I was hoping for to miss out making the Top 5. This wasn't a song I really cared for when listening to it for my rankings. I am not familiar with this song and it just didn't stand out or do much for me on first listen. I like it a little more now but probably needs to grow some more on me.

We got a pretty strong and solid Top 5 here!

[beyoncelover]

I got the following remaining:
#1, 2, 3, 4, 8

Niceee 4 of my Top 5 made it to the Top 5! All of these are really great songs. I would be especially happy with any of my Top 4 winning.

[wyckyd]

1, 4, 5, 7, 8

Pretty good considering I lost 2 of my top 3 in the first half of reveals lol.

[Soulsista]

Welcome back to the conclusion of the Billboard #1 Soul Songs Of 1977 Rankdown!

Leaving us now is a song with a #1, four bottom 10s, and five perfect rankings.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Soul Class Of '77}singingrulebritannia wyckyd Ivy Leegue™ ccarter1023 rowellfarm490 gonecountry beyoncelover Private Dancer SHOOTER mamooshka Gonza'90 samo🦕 phieaglesfan712 BB🌕 #LisaRinna aerodynamite 🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 Mirago DJDaveMick69 annoymous1 .indulgecountry newpower Kelly's 10th Fan jenglisbe

[gonecountry]

I wish that I Wish would win it all.

[Soulsista]

5. I Wish - Stevie Wonder

"I Wish" was the official first single from Stevie's Songs In The Key Of Life album. It topped the soul and Hot 100 charts, as well as the charts in Canada. It also nabbed Stevie a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Will Smith sampled it in his 1999 hit "Wild Wild West".

Apologies to gonecountry...


Stats
Chart Entry: December 11, 1976
Peak Date: January 15, 1977
Weeks At #1: 1
Weeks In Top 10: 10
Weeks On Chart: 18
Hot 100 Peak: #1 (1 week)

Points: 334
Average: 6.48
Standard Deviation: 3.356 (5th lowest)

gonecountry - 1
Gonza'90 - 2
rowellfarm490 - 3
beyoncelover - 3
mamooshka - 4
aerodynamite - 4
Ivy Leegue™ - 5
samo🦕 - 5
phieaglesfan712 - 5
BB🌕 - 5
newpower 5

ccarter1023 - 6
#LisaRinna - 6
DJDaveMick69 - 6
wyckyd - 7
Private Dancer - 7
singingrulebritannia - 8
annoymous1 - 9
.indulgecountry - 10

Soulsista - 11
SHOOTER - 11
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 12
Mirago - 14

Observing
Kelly's 10th Fan
jenglisbe


Another #1 will be lost with the next reveal. Four others will lose a bottom 10.

[gonecountry]

I guess wishes don't come true in Pulseland.... I love this song!

[Soulsista]

4. Got To Give It Up - Marvin Gaye

An original recording from the live album Live At The London Palladium, "Got To Give It Up" is one of Marvin's biggest hits, topping the soul, disco, and Hot 100 charts (his final #1 on the latter). The song came about as a result of Motown requesting that Marvin record disco music, which Marvin initially resisted before finally giving in. Aaliyah later covered it for her One In a Million album.

Decades later "Got To Give It Up" was part of a lawsuit that alleged that it was copied in Robin Thicke's 2013 smash "Blurred Lines". In the end, over $5 million in damages was rewarded to Marvin's children, and Marvin himself was given a songwriter credit for "Blurred Lines" as well as "Weird Al" Yankovic's parody "Word Crimes".

Apologies to mamooshka...


Stats
Chart Entry: April 9, 1977
Peak Date: April 30, 1977
Weeks At #1: 5
Weeks In Top 10: 11
Weeks On Chart: 21
Hot 100 Peak: #1 (1 week)

Points: 343
Average: 6.09
Standard Deviation: 4.188 (10th highest)

mamooshka - 1
Soulsista - 2
singingrulebritannia - 2
Mirago - 2
newpower - 2
SHOOTER - 3
#LisaRinna - 3
aerodynamite - 3
annoymous1 - 3
Ivy Leegue™ - 4
samo🦕 - 4
gonecountry - 5

rowellfarm490 - 6
BB🌕 - 6
ccarter1023 - 7
wyckyd - 8
beyoncelover - 8
.indulgecountry - 8
phieaglesfan712 - 10

🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 11
Private Dancer - 13
Gonza'90 - 13
DJDaveMick69 - 16

Observing
Kelly's 10th Fan
jenglisbe


Five #1s go down with the next reveal. Two more bottom 10s will also say goodbye.

[Soulsista]

3. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder

The follow-up to his #1 hit "I Wish", "Sir Duke" matched that success on the soul and Hot 100 charts and in Canada. Written as a tribute to Duke Ellington, he also name drops Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Apologies to singingrulebritannia, rowellfarm490, Gonza'90, BB🌕, and newpower...


Stats
Chart Entry: April 16, 1977
Peak Date: May 28, 1977
Weeks At #1: 1
Weeks In Top 10: 6
Weeks On Chart: 14
Hot 100 charts: #1 (3 weeks)

Points: 372
Average: 4.83
Standard Deviation: 3.486 (7th lowest)

singingrulebritannia - 1
rowellfarm490 - 1
Gonza'90 - 1
BB🌕 - 1
newpower - 1
samo🦕 - 2
#LisaRinna - 2
Ivy Leegue™ - 3
wyckyd - 4
ccarter1023 - 4
beyoncelover - 4
phieaglesfan712 - 4
Soulsista - 5
Mirago - 5

gonecountry - 6
Private Dancer - 6
SHOOTER - 6
mamooshka - 6
annoymous1 - 6
aerodynamite - 7
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 10

DJDaveMick69 - 13
.indulgecountry - 13

Observing
Kelly's 10th Fan
jenglisbe

[Soulsista]

vs.




Who will emerge victorious, Thelma or The Emotions? The final two will be revealed shortly!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Soul Class Of '77}singingrulebritannia wyckyd Ivy Leegue™ ccarter1023 rowellfarm490 gonecountry beyoncelover Private Dancer SHOOTER mamooshka Gonza'90 samo🦕 phieaglesfan712 BB🌕 #LisaRinna aerodynamite 🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 Mirago DJDaveMick69 annoymous1 .indulgecountry newpower Kelly's 10th Fan jenglisbe

[Private Dancer]

OMG!!!!! OMG!!!! OMG!!!!! OMG!!!! GET IT EMOTIONS!!!! GET IT!!!! YOU GOT THE BEST OF MY LOVE WOAH WOAH!!!!

this is actually my ringtone btw

[Soulsista]

But first, a couple of extras. The first is another from Stevie's smash album Songs In The Key Of Life. This standout track, which celebrates the birth of his daughter Aisha, peaked at #23 on the AC chart, despite never being officially released as a single. It's considered a fan favorite and has been covered numerous times.

Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder

---

Next, one of the defining songs of the disco era. Originally a B-side to the song "Can't We Just Sit Down (And Talk It Over)", it was a worldwide smash, topping the charts in six countries and reaching the Top 10 in many more. Stateside, it peaked at #9 on the soul chart #6 on the Hot 100, and is considered one of the most influential songs of the last 50 years.

I Feel Love - Donna Summer

[gonecountry]

#9?!? Donna got robbed. This song is one of her best.

[#LisaRinna]

UGH I keep missing on perfect rankings!!

[Soulsista]

Here we go, the final two...



2. Don't Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston

Originally recorded by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, it was Thelma's version that turned it into a hit. It topped the soul, Hot 100, and disco charts, and also hit #1 in Belgium and South Africa. It won Thelma the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and later became an unofficial theme for the AIDS epidemic. The song was also covered by The Communards.

Fun fact: this song was intended to be Diana Ross' follow-up to "Love Hangover".


Stats
Chart Entry: December 25, 1976
Peak Date: February 19, 1977
Weeks At #1: 1
Weeks In Top 10: 8
Weeks On Chart: 19
Hot 100 Peak: #1 (1 week)

Points: 378
Average: 4.57
Standard Deviation: 2.997 (3rd lowest)

samo🦕 - 1
DJDaveMick69 - 1
.indulgecountry - 1
ccarter1023 - 2
beyoncelover - 2
Soulsista - 3
Private Dancer - 3
mamooshka - 3
BB🌕 - 3
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 3
Mirago - 3
newpower - 3
singingrulebritannia - 5
wyckyd - 5
rowellfarm490 - 5
SHOOTER - 5
Gonza'90 - 5

Ivy Leegue™ - 6
gonecountry - 7
#LisaRinna - 8
aerodynamite - 8

phieaglesfan712 - 11
annoymous1 - 12

Observing
Kelly's 10th Fan
jenglisbe

---

And now, the #1...nearly everyone had this in their Top 5! Therefore, it has the lowest SD.



1. Best Of My Love - The Emotions

The lead single from their album Rejoice, "Best Of My Love" was the biggest hit for The Emotions, topping the soul and Hot 100 charts. Co-written and co-produced by Maurice White, it won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single and a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By a Duo Or Group.

Congrats to ccarter1023 and beyoncelover for a perfect Top 2!


Stats
Chart Entry: May 28, 1977
Peak Date: June 25, 1977
Weeks At #1: 4
Weeks In Top 10: 13
Weeks On Chart: 22
Hot 100 Peak: #1 (5 weeks)

Points: 413
Average: 3.04
Standard Deviation: 2.915 (Lowest)

Soulsista - 1
wyckyd - 1
Ivy Leegue™ - 1
ccarter1023 - 1
beyoncelover - 1
Private Dancer - 1
SHOOTER - 1
#LisaRinna - 1
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 1
annoymous1 - 1

mamooshka - 2
BB🌕 - 2
gonecountry - 3
Gonza'90 - 3
samo🦕 - 3
singingrulebritannia - 4
rowellfarm490 - 4
Mirago - 4
.indulgecountry - 4
newpower - 4
DJDaveMick69 - 5

phieaglesfan712 - 9
aerodynamite - 13

Observing
Kelly's 10th Fan
jenglisbe


And that concludes the Billboard #1 Soul Songs Of 1977 Rankdown! Thanks to everyone who participated.

Don't put away those dancing shoes just yet, 1976 is just around the corner!

[Private Dancer]

OMG YES!!!!! FINALLY, MY TOP SONG WON!!!! I'm glad and surprised that The Emotions were able to top the list! I thought Stevie was going to win! But overall amazing top 5.


As for 1976...there are soooo many good songs on that list...especially Love Hangover

Thanks Soulsista as always, for an amazing rankdown

[gonecountry]

Great winner!  Thanks Soulsista for another great rankdown.

29 #1's for 1976.  Lot of great jams.  Bring on the Bicentennial!  

[wyckyd]

Yay, finally a perfect ranking & it’s my #1! lol

Thank u Soulsista for a great rankdown, I’m looking forward to ‘76 (or ‘93, whichever one u plan on doing next)!

[jenglisbe]

Yeah 1976 has some real classics, but my god 29 songs is a lot to me haha. When I don't get a list in for these things, it's usually because it's too many songs and I have a hard time ranking them lol.