There were no 1964 Billboard Soul charts. Why is that? Per Joel Whitburn’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, the magazine didn’t publish a chart from November 30, 1963, through January 23, 1965, because the magazine thought there was so much crossover between the pop and RB charts to create.
For the book, Top 50 In R&B Locations published by Cash Box, a national music trade magazine was used,
Three titles crossed over, hitting #1 on both charts. Unsurprisingly, all were from Motown. My Guy by Mary Wells (seven weeks RB, two weeks pop), Baby Love by the Supremes (four weeks pop, three weeks RB), and the group’s previous hit, Where Did Our Love Go (two weeks each).
Funny – Joe Hinton, four weeks at #1 RB. I always knew this Willie Nelson song as Funny How Time Slips Away. #13 pop.
What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am) – The Tams, three weeks at #1 RB. #9 pop. From Atlanta.
The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) – Betty Everett, three weeks at #1. #6 pop.
Walk On By – Dionne Warwick, three weeks at #1 RB. #6 pop. I watched Finding Your Roots. They misspelled her name on an earlier record. It should have been Warrick. She was initially furious, but her grandfather suggested that Warwick could be her stage name, and it was so.
Let It Be Me – Betty Everett and Jerry Butler, three weeks at #1 RB. #5 pop.
Let the people say…
Amen – The Impressions, three weeks at #1 RB, #7 pop. Featuring Curtis Mayfield
Hi-Heel Sneakers – Tommy Tucker, three weeks at #1 RB, #11 pop
Under The Boardwalk – The Drifters, three weeks at #1 RB, #4 pop
Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um – Major Lance, two weeks at #1 RB, #5 pop
Good Times – Sam Cooke, two weeks at #1 RB, #11 pop
Keep On Pushing – The Impressions, two weeks at #1 RB, #10 pop
Mercy, Mercy – Don Covay & The Goodtimers, two weeks at #1 RB, #35 pop. Co-written by Covay.
Reach Out For Me – Dionne Warwick – two weeks at #1 RB, #20 pop
Good News – Sam Cooke, one week at #1 RB, #11 pop. Composed by Cooke.
The Way You Do The Things You Do – The Temptations, one week at #1 RB, #11 pop