Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1971
Encyclopedia
These are the singles that reached number one on the Top 100 singles chart in 1971 as published in Cashbox magazine.
| Issue Date | Song | Artist |
| January 2 | "My Sweet Lord My Sweet Lord "My Sweet Lord" is a song by former Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison from his UK number one hit triple album All Things Must Pass. The song was written in praise of the Hindu god Krishna... " / "Isn't It a Pity Isn't It a Pity "Isn't It a Pity" is a song by George Harrison from his 1970 solo album All Things Must Pass. It was written in 1966 but was rejected by John Lennon. It was released as the B-side of "My Sweet Lord" in the United States on November 23, 1970.... " |
George Harrison George Harrison George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other... |
| January 9 | "My Sweet Lord" / "Isn't It a Pity" | George Harrison |
| January 16 | "Knock Three Times Knock Three Times "Knock Three Times" is a popular song credited to Tony Orlando and Dawn. The actual singers were Tony Orlando, Toni Wine, and Linda November, prior to the creation of "Dawn" with Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson. The song was released as a single in November 1970, paired with Orlando's other... " |
Dawn Tony Orlando and Dawn Tony Orlando and Dawn was a pop music group that was popular in the 1970s. Their signature hits include "Candida", "Knock Three Times", "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", and "He Don't Love You ".-History:... |
| January 23 | "Knock Three Times" | Dawn |
| January 30 | "Lonely Days Lonely Days "Lonely Days" is a 1970 song by the Bee Gees, featured on their album 2 Years On. The song incorporated the innovative structure and knack for changing tempos exemplified by the second side of The Beatles' Abbey Road album, released the previous year and a clear influence on this single... " |
Bee Gees Bee Gees The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a... |
| February 6 | "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden" | Lynn Anderson Lynn Anderson Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most... |
| February 13 | "One Bad Apple One Bad Apple "One Bad Apple" was a #1 single released by The Osmonds in December 1970. It hit the top of Billboard's Hot 100 Chart in February 1971 and stayed there for five weeks; it also reached #6 on the R&B chart.... " |
The Osmonds The Osmonds The Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career—a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers... |
| February 20 | "One Bad Apple" | The Osmonds |
| February 27 | "One Bad Apple" | The Osmonds |
| March 6 | "Mama's Pearl Mama's Pearl "Mama's Pearl" was a hit recording for The Jackson 5 in 1971.It was one of six consecutive Top 5 singles for the legendary Motown, soul and funk group, reaching #2 when it was released and was written by the Corporation, a songwriting team that had helped the group score four consecutive #1 singles... " |
The Jackson Five |
| March 13 | "One Bad Apple" | The Osmonds |
| March 20 | "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) "Just My Imagination " is a song by American soul group The Temptations. Released on the Gordy label, and produced by Norman Whitfield, it features on the group's 1971 album, Sky's the Limit. When released as a single, "Just My Imagination" became the third Temptations song to reach number one on... " |
The Temptations The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,... |
| March 27 | "She's a Lady She's A Lady "She's a Lady" is a song written by Paul Anka and performed by Tom Jones, and released in 1971. It is his highest charting U.S. release, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is one of Tom Jones's most famous recordings. The song reached #4 on Billboard's Easy Listening survey and spawned a... " |
Tom Jones Tom Jones (singer) Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records... |
| April 3 | "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" is a song written by Mike Appel, Jim Cretecos, and Wes Farrell and was recorded by The Partridge Family for their 1971 album, Up to Date. The song went to #6 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 and was on the charts for 12 weeks.The song went to #1 in Canada. The... " |
The Partridge Family The Partridge Family The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup... |
| April 10 | "What's Going On What's Going On What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released May 21, 1971, on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records... " |
Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range.... |
| April 17 | "Joy to the World Joy to the World (Hoyt Axton song) "Joy to the World" is a song written by Hoyt Axton, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. The song is also popularly known by its opening words, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"... " |
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One... |
| April 24 | "Joy to the World" | Three Dog Night |
| May 1 | "Joy to the World" | Three Dog Night |
| May 8 | "Joy to the World" | Three Dog Night |
| May 15 | "Joy to the World" | Three Dog Night |
| May 22 | "Joy to the World" | Three Dog Night |
| May 29 | "Never Can Say Goodbye Never Can Say Goodbye "Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5. Released as a single in 1971, it was one of the group's most successful songs... " |
The Jackson Five |
| June 5 | "Want Ads Want Ads "Want Ads" was a R&B/Soul/Funk song recorded by Honey Cone for their third album Sweet Replies and also appears on their fourth album Soulful Tapestry... " |
The Honey Cone |
| June 12 | "Want Ads" | The Honey Cone |
| June 19 | "It Don't Come Easy It Don't Come Easy "It Don't Come Easy" is a song by Ringo Starr released as an Apple Records single in April 1971, reaching number four in both the U.S. and UK singles charts. It was Starr's first solo single in the UK, but his second in the US , following the breakup of the Beatles... " |
Ringo Starr Ringo Starr Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in... |
| June 26 | "It's Too Late" / "I Feel the Earth Move" | Carole King Carole King Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S... |
| July 3 | "It's Too Late" / "I Feel the Earth Move" | Carole King |
| July 10 | "It's Too Late" / "I Feel the Earth Move" | Carole King |
| July 17 | "It's Too Late" / "I Feel the Earth Move" | Carole King |
| July 24 | "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) Indian Reservation (song) "Indian Reservation " is a song written by John D. Loudermilk. It was first recorded in 1959 by Marvin Rainwater and released as "The Pale Faced Indian". Rainwater's MGM release stayed unnoticed. The first hit version was a 1968 cover by Don Fardon, a former member of The Sorrows, that reached #20... " |
The Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders is an American rock band that saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s with hits such as "Kicks" , "Hungry" , "Him Or Me - What's It Gonna Be?" and the 1971 No... |
| July 31 | "Don't Pull Your Love Don't Pull Your Love "Don't Pull Your Love" is the title of a song written by Brian Potter and Dennis Lambert. The song was originally recorded in 1971 by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, reaching four on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Easy Listening chart .-Sam & Dave:... " |
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds was a 1970s AM soft rock trio from Los Angeles. The original members were Dan Hamilton , Joe Frank Carollo , and Tommy Reynolds , all of whom had previously played in The T-Bones, a 1960s band noted for the instrumental hit "No Matter What Shape ".The group first hit... |
| August 7 | "You've Got a Friend You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year... " |
James Taylor James Taylor James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.... |
| August 14 | "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is an adult contemporary ballad released by the Bee Gees in 1971. The song had been written by Barry and Robin Gibb in August 1970, when the Gibb brothers had reconvened following a period of break-up and alienation... " |
Bee Gees |
| August 21 | "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" | Bee Gees |
| August 28 | "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" | Bee Gees |
| September 4 | "Take Me Home, Country Roads Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is a song written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, and Bill Danoff and initially recorded by John Denver. It was included on his 1971 breakout album Poems, Prayers and Promises; the single went to #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100... " |
John Denver John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success... |
| September 11 | "Spanish Harlem Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, is a section of Harlem in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East Harlem is one of the largest predominantly Latino communities in New York City. It includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, in which... " |
Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All... |
| September 18 | "Smiling Faces Sometimes Smiling Faces Sometimes "Smiling Faces Sometimes" is a soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label. The song was originally recorded by the Temptations in 1971. Producer Norman Whitfield had the song re-recorded by the Undisputed Truth the same year, resulting in a number-three Billboard... " |
Undisputed Truth |
| September 25 | "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" is a song by Paul and Linda McCartney from the album Ram. Released in the United States as a single on 2 August 1971, it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1971, making it the first of a string of post-Beatles, McCartney-penned singles to top the US... " |
Paul McCartney Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100... and Linda McCartney Linda McCartney Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman.... |
| October 2 | "Go Away Little Girl Go Away Little Girl "Go Away Little Girl" is a popular song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The lyrics consist of a young man asking an attractive young woman to stay away from him, so he won't be tempted to betray his steady girlfriend by kissing her... " |
Donny Osmond Donny Osmond Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long... |
| October 9 | "Maggie May Maggie May "Maggie May" is a song written by singer Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton and recorded by Stewart in 1971 for his album Every Picture Tells a Story.... " / "Reason to Believe Reason to Believe "Reason to Believe" is a song written and first recorded by American folk singer Tim Hardin in 1965, which has since been recorded by a number of other artists, the most known of which is by Rod Stewart in 1971 and 1993... " |
Rod Stewart Rod Stewart Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry.... |
| October 16 | "Maggie May" / "Reason to Believe" | Rod Stewart |
| October 23 | "Maggie May" / "Reason to Believe" | Rod Stewart |
| October 30 | "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" is the first single released by Cher for the album of the same name, her seventh solo album. It was her first chart-topper as a solo artist in the United States.-Song information:... " |
Cher Cher Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in... |
| November 6 | "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" | Cher |
| November 13 | "Theme from Shaft" Theme from Shaft "Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, Shaft... |
Isaac Hayes Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the... |
| November 20 | "Theme from Shaft" | Isaac Hayes |
| November 27 | "Family Affair Family Affair (Sly & the Family Stone song) "Family Affair" is a 1971 number-one hit single recorded by Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic Records label. Their first new material since the double a-sided single "Thank You "/ "Everybody is a Star" nearly two years prior, "Family Affair" became the fourth and final number-one pop hit for the... " |
Sly & the Family Stone Sly & the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music... |
| December 4 | "Family Affair Family Affair (Sly & the Family Stone song) "Family Affair" is a 1971 number-one hit single recorded by Sly & the Family Stone for the Epic Records label. Their first new material since the double a-sided single "Thank You "/ "Everybody is a Star" nearly two years prior, "Family Affair" became the fourth and final number-one pop hit for the... " |
Sly & the Family Stone Sly & the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music... |
| December 11 | "Family Affair" | Sly & the Family Stone |
| December 18 | "Family Affair" | Sly & the Family Stone |
| December 25 | "Brand New Key Brand New Key "Brand New Key" is a pop song written by folk singer Melanie, which became a novelty hit in 1971-72. Taken from Melanie's album Gather Me, it was also known as "The Rollerskate Song" due to its chorus. It was her biggest hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in December 1971 and... " |
Melanie Melanie Safka Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:... |