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List of Harlem Hit Parade number ones of 1944

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Singer Nat King Cole and his band
Nat King Cole (right) led his trio to two chart-toppers.

In 1944, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the "most popular records in Harlem" under the title of the Harlem Hit Parade. Placings were based on a survey of record stores primarily in the Harlem district of New York City, an area that has historically been noted for its African American population and called the "black capital of America".[1] The chart is considered to be the start 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]

Most of 1944's number ones were in the jazz and swing genres, which were among the most popular styles of music in the early 1940s.[4] Four acts achieved more than one chart-topper during the year: Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five with "Ration Blues" and "G.I. Jive", Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra with "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" and "Main Stem", the Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald with "Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)" and "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and the King Cole Trio with "Straighten Up and Fly Right" and "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You". Jordan's version of "G.I. Jive" was the second recording of the song to top the chart in 1944, following a rendition by Johnny Mercer with Paul Weston and his Orchestra earlier in the year. It was the most successful of many songs released during World War II which bemoaned life in the army.[5] Jordan was by far the most successful artist of the 1940s on Billboard's R&B charts. His tally of 18 chart-toppers was a record which would stand until the 1980s, and he spent 113 weeks at number one,[a] a record which would still stand in the 21st century.[6] His jump blues style was also a major influence on the later development of rock and roll.[7] The King Cole Trio had the highest total number of weeks at number one in 1944, spending 14 weeks in the top spot; pianist and vocalist Nat King Cole would soon move on from the jazz field to become a hugely successful pop artist.[8]

Two of 1944's Harlem Hit Parade number ones had sufficient crossover appeal to also top Billboard's all-genres Most Played Juke Box Records chart: Jordan's version of "G.I. Jive" in July and "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" by Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots in December.[9][10] Two others topped the Most Played Juke Box Folk Records chart, which was first published in the issue of Billboard dated January 8 and covered "Hillbillies, Spirituals, Cowboy Songs, etc";[11] the latter chart is considered to be the start of the lineage of the magazine's country music chart.[12] "Ration Blues" by Jordan topped the Harlem chart in the issue of Billboard dated January 1 and the Folk chart eight weeks later. "Straighten Up and Fly Right" by the King Cole Trio topped both listings simultaneously in June.[13] "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" was the year's final Harlem chart-topper, spending the last five weeks of 1944 at number one.

Chart history

[edit]
Musician Louis Jordan
"Ration Blues" by Louis Jordan also reached number one on the new Most Played Juke Box Folk Records chart.
Singer Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald collaborated with the Ink Spots on two number ones.
Musician Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman and his Orchestra topped the chart with "Solo Flight".
Musician Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra took "Hamp's Boogie Woogie" to the top of the chart.
Chart history
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 1 "Ration Blues" Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five [14]
January 8 "ShooShoo Baby" Ella Mae Morse [15]
January 15 "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra [16]
January 22 "G.I. Jive" Johnny Mercer with Paul Weston and his Orchestra [17]
January 29 "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra [18]
February 5 [19]
February 12 [20]
February 19 [21]
February 26 [22]
March 4 [23]
March 11 "Solo Flight" Benny Goodman and his Orchestra [24]
March 18 "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra [25]
March 25 "Cow-Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)" The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald [26]
April 1 "Main Stem" Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra [27]
April 8 [28]
April 15 "When My Man Comes Home" Buddy Johnson and his Band [29]
April 22 "Main Stem" Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra [30]
April 29 "Straighten Up and Fly Right" King Cole Trio [31]
May 6 "Main Stem" Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra [32]
May 13 "Straighten Up and Fly Right" King Cole Trio [33]
May 20 [34]
May 27 [35]
June 3 [36]
June 10 [37]
June 17 [38]
June 24 [39]
July 1 [40]
July 8 [41]
July 15 "G.I. Jive" Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five [42]
July 22 [43]
July 29 [9]
August 5
August 12 [44]
August 19 "Till Then" The Mills Brothers [45]
August 26 "G.I. Jive" Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five [46]
September 2 "Hamp's Boogie Woogie" Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra [47]
September 9 [48]
September 16 [49]
September 23 [50]
September 30 "I'm Lost" Benny Carter and his Orchestra [51]
October 7 "Hamp's Boogie Woogie" Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra [52]
October 14 "I'm Lost" Benny Carter and his Orchestra [53]
October 21 "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" King Cole Trio [54]
October 28 [55]
November 4 [56]
November 11 [57]
November 18 "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald [58]
November 25 "Hamp's Boogie Woogie" Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra [59]
December 2 "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald [10]
December 9 [10]
December 16 [60]
December 23 [61]
December 30 [62]

Notes

[edit]

a. ^ Jordan's first 16 number ones occurred at a time when Billboard published only one R&B chart. His final two number ones occurred during a period when the magazine published two charts and each topped both listings, but the figure of 113 weeks at number one does not double-count weeks when he topped both.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Goldfarb, Michael (February 1, 2011). "Who 'owns' Harlem, the capital of black America?". BBC. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942–1995. Record Research Incorporated. p. xii. ISBN 9780898201154.
  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. ^ "Swing Music Genre Overview". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  5. ^ Jones, John Bush (2006). The Songs That Fought the War. University Press of New England. p. 114. ISBN 1584654430.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research Incorporated. p. 783. ISBN 978-0-89820-160-4.
  7. ^ Dahl, Bill. "Louis Jordan Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  8. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Nat King Cole Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. August 5, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. December 9, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  11. ^ "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records". Billboard. January 8, 1944. p. 18. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  12. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944–2005. Record Research. p. ix. ISBN 978-0-89820-165-9.
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill. p. 512. ISBN 978-0-82308-289-6.
  14. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. January 4, 1944. p. 14. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  15. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. January 8, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  16. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. January 15, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  17. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. January 22, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  18. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. January 29, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  19. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. February 5, 1944. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  20. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. February 12, 1944. p. 19. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  21. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. February 19, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  22. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. February 26, 1944. p. 85. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  23. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. March 4, 1944. p. 19. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  24. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. March 11, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  25. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. March 18, 1944. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  26. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. March 25, 1944. p. 15. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  27. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. April 1, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  28. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. April 8, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  29. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. April 15, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  30. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. April 22, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  31. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. April 29, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  32. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. May 6, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  33. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. May 13, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  34. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. May 20, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  35. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. May 27, 1944. p. 18. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  36. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. June 3, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  37. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. June 10, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  38. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. June 17, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  39. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. June 24, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  40. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. July 1, 1944. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  41. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. July 8, 1944. p. 19. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  42. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. July 15, 1944. p. 15. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  43. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. July 22, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  44. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. August 12, 1944. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  45. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. August 19, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  46. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. August 26, 1944. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  47. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. September 2, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  48. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. September 9, 1944. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  49. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. September 16, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  50. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. September 23, 1944. p. 23. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  51. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. September 30, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  52. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. October 7, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  53. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. October 14, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  54. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. October 21, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  55. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. October 21, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  56. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. November 4, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  57. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. November 11, 1944. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  58. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. November 18, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  59. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. November 25, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  60. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. December 16, 1944. p. 17. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  61. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. December 23, 1944. p. 17. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  62. ^ "Music Popularity Chart". Billboard. December 30, 1944. p. 11. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
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