R&B number-one hits of 1985 (USA)
Encyclopedia
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1985:
See also: 1985 in music
, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
See also: 1985 in music
1985 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV...
, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
| Issue Date | Song | Artist |
| January 5 | Operator Operator (Midnight Star song) "Operator" is a 1984 # 1 R&B/dance single by Midnight Star, produced by then-current bandmember Reggie Calloway. At the dawning of 1984, despite having achieved much success on the R&B chart and an extremely successful album, No Parking on the Dance Floor the previous year, Midnight Star had yet to... |
Midnight Star Midnight Star Midnight Star is an R&B and electro-funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by trumpeter Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist... |
| January 12 | Operator | Midnight Star |
| January 19 | Operator | Midnight Star |
| January 26 | Gotta Get You Home Tonight Gotta Get You Home Tonight "Gotta Get You Home Tonight" is a 1984 single by Eugene Wilde. The ballad hit number-one on the U.S. R&B chart for a week in early 1985 and also peaked at number eighty-three on the Billboard Hot 100.... |
Eugene Wilde Eugene Wilde Eugene Wilde is an American R&B singer and songwriter, who had two #1 hits on the US R&B charts in the 1980s.-Career:... |
| February 2 | Mr. Telephone Man Mr. Telephone Man "Mr. Telephone Man" is a 1984 song by R&B/pop group, New Edition, and the second single from their eponymous second album, New Edition.-Overview:"Mr... |
New Edition New Edition New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync... |
| February 9 | Mr. Telephone Man | New Edition |
| February 16 | Mr. Telephone Man | New Edition |
| February 23 | Missing You Missing You (Diana Ross song) "Missing You" is a 1984 song by Diana Ross. The third 45 release from her album Swept Away, the song was written and produced by Lionel Richie as a tribute to Marvin Gaye, who died earlier that year... |
Diana Ross Diana Ross Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway... |
| March 2 | Missing You | Diana Ross |
| March 9 | Missing You | Diana Ross |
| March 16 | Nightshift Nightshift "Nightshift" is a 1985 hit song by the Commodores and title track from the album of the same name. The song was a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, two famous R&B musicians who had died in 1984.... |
The Commodores |
| March 23 | Nightshift | The Commodores |
| March 30 | Nightshift | The Commodores |
| April 6 | Nightshift | The Commodores |
| April 13 | Back In Stride Back in Stride Back In Stride is a 1985 single by Philadelphia based R&B group Maze. As with all of Maze's releases, the song vocals were performed by Frankie Beverly. The mid tempo single was at the number one spot on the soul singles, for two weeks and reached eighty-eight on the Hot 100, in the spring of 1985.... |
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly Maze (band) Maze a soul / quiet storm band, also known alternately as Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and Frankie Beverly and Maze, was established in San Francisco, California in the early 1970s.-Career:... |
| April 20 | Back In Stride | Maze featuring Frankie Beverly |
| April 27 | Rhythm Of the Night Rhythm of the Night (song) "Rhythm of the Night" is a 1985 hit single by the American R&B band DeBarge. The song is said to have been what jump started the career of songwriter Diane Warren and was the biggest hit recorded by the Motown family singing group.-History:... |
DeBarge DeBarge DeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from... |
| May 4 | We Are the World We Are the World "We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World... |
USA for Africa USA for Africa USA for Africa was the name under which forty-seven predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year... |
| May 11 | We Are the World | USA for Africa |
| May 18 | Fresh Fresh (song) "Fresh" is a song by the R&B funk group Kool & the Gang. Released as a single in 1985 from the group's album of the previous year, Emergency, the song peaked at #11 on the UK chart, #9 on the U.S. Hot 100 charts, and was number one on both the U.S. R&B and dance charts... |
Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and... |
| May 25 | You Give Good Love You Give Good Love "You Give Good Love" is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, released as the lead single from her self-titled debut album, entitled Whitney Houston in the United States in February 1985 by Arista Records, and the second single from the album in the United Kingdom. The song was... |
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... |
| June 1 | Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) "Rock Me Tonight " is the debut single for Harlem-born R&B/soul singer Freddie Jackson. The popular ballad was written and produced by Paul Laurence.... |
Freddie Jackson Freddie Jackson Frederick Anthony "Freddie" Jackson is an American soul singer. He was an important figure in R&B during the 1980s and early 1990s... |
| June 8 | Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) | Freddie Jackson |
| June 15 | Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) | Freddie Jackson |
| June 22 | Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) | Freddie Jackson |
| June 29 | Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) | Freddie Jackson |
| July 6 | Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) | Freddie Jackson |
| July 13 | Hangin' on a String (Contemplating) | Loose Ends Loose Ends (band) Loose Ends was a successful British R&B band that had several urban contemporary hits. The trio was formed in London in 1980, initially comprising vocalist and guitarist Carl McIntosh, vocalist Jane Eugene, and keyboard player, writer and founder Steve Nichol... |
| July 20 | Save Your Love (For #1) Save Your Love (Rene & Angela song) Save Your Love is a 1985 single by singing/songwriting duo Rene & Angela. The single was number one on the R&B charts for two weeks and was the duo's biggest hit on that chart. The single did not make the Hot 100..-References:... |
René & Angela René & Angela René & Angela were an 1980s R&B duo consisting of artist/producers René Moore and Angela Winbush. The group dissolved by the mid 1980s. Both went on to successful solo careers as performers, songwriters, and producers.-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:... |
| July 27 | Save Your Love (For #1) | René & Angela |
| August 3 | Freeway of Love Freeway of Love "Freeway of Love" is a Grammy Award-winning song released as the first single from Aretha Franklin's 1985 album Who's Zoomin' Who?. It was very successful in the United States, peaking at the #3 position of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and topping the Hot R&B Singles chart for five weeks . It went... |
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... |
| August 10 | Freeway of Love | Aretha Franklin |
| August 17 | Freeway of Love | Aretha Franklin |
| August 24 | Freeway of Love | Aretha Franklin |
| August 31 | Freeway of Love | Aretha Franklin |
| September 7 | Saving All My Love for You Saving All My Love for You "Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin with arrangement by Gene Page. It was originally a minor hit for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978 on their album Marilyn & Billy... |
Whitney Houston |
| September 14 | Cherish Cherish (Kool & the Gang song) "Cherish" is the title of a 1985 single by American R&B band Kool & the Gang. The song was the third single released from the band's multi-platinum album, Emergency, which came out earlier in the year. The song is a romantic ballad that proved to be extremely popular when it was released and has... |
Kool & the Gang |
| September 21 | Oh Sheila Oh Sheila "Oh Sheila" is a 1985 single by Ready for the World. The song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the Hot Black Singles and the Hot Dance Club Play charts. It was the first of two chart toppers for the band on the Billboard R&B chart, preceding their 1986 number-one R&B hit, "Love You Down"... |
Ready For the World Ready for the World Ready for the World is an American R&B band from Flint, Michigan who scored several moderate pop, soul, and dance hits in the mid to late 1980s... |
| September 28 | Oh Sheila | Ready For the World |
| October 5 | You Are My Lady | Freddie Jackson |
| October 12 | You Are My Lady | Freddie Jackson |
| October 19 | Part-Time Lover Part-Time Lover "Part-Time Lover" is a 1985 single by Stevie Wonder, from his album In Square Circle. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, R&B, dance and adult contemporary charts. The song's simultaneous chart success made him the first artist to score a number-one hit on four different Billboard... |
Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... |
| October 26 | Part-Time Lover | Stevie Wonder |
| November 2 | Part-Time Lover | Stevie Wonder |
| November 9 | Part-Time Lover | Stevie Wonder |
| November 16 | Part-Time Lover | Stevie Wonder |
| November 23 | Part-Time Lover | Stevie Wonder |
| November 30 | Caravan of Love Caravan of Love "Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of The Isley Brothers' 3 + 3 lineup of the 1970s.-Isley-Jasper-Isley version:... |
Isley-Jasper-Isley Isley-Jasper-Isley Isley/Jasper/Isley was a splinter group of the Isley Brothers formed in 1984 by brother-in-law Chris Jasper , Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley , due to creative differences that arose among the group.... |
| December 7 | Caravan of Love | Isley-Jasper-Isley |
| December 14 | Caravan of Love | Isley-Jasper-Isley |
| December 21 | Don't Say No Tonight Don't Say No Tonight Don't Say No Tonight is a 1985 single by Eugene Wilde. The single was his second number one on the R&B charts, where it spent three weeks at the top spot. The single was his most successful on both the R&B and pop charts.-Chart positions:... |
Eugene Wilde |
| December 28 | Don't Say No Tonight | Eugene Wilde |