Billboard published a weekly
chart in 1978 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in
soul music and related
African American-oriented genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of
black music and since 2005 has been published as
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[1] In 1978, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles,[2] and 22 different singles reached number one.
Three acts which formed part of
George Clinton's
Parliament-Funkadelic collective, known for its eclectic mix of
funk and
hard rock and its use of surreal futuristic imagery, topped the chart in 1978.[3] In the issue of Billboard dated March 4,
Parliament reached number one for the first time with "
Flash Light".[4] After three weeks in the top spot, the single was displaced by "
Bootzilla" by Bootsy's Rubber Band, led by bass guitarist
Bootsy Collins, one of the collective's principal members.[5][6] Finally, in September,
Funkadelic gained its first chart-topper with "
One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)".[7] Both Parliament and Funkadelic featured largely the same musicians, with the different names reflecting differing styles of music.[8] "One Nation Under a Groove (Part 1)" was the year's longest-running chart-topper, spending six weeks at number one. The track is regarded as a classic of the funk genre and was included on a list of 500 songs that shaped rock and roll compiled by the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[9]
Several other acts gained the first soul number ones of their respective careers in 1978, beginning in the issue of Billboard dated January 7 when
Con Funk Shun topped the chart with "
Ffun".[10] In February, both
Stargard and
Enchantment reached number one for the first time with "
Theme Song from 'Which Way Is Up'" and "
It's You That I Need", respectively.[11] Both
Johnny Mathis and
Deniece Williams topped the chart for the first time when they collaborated on "
Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" in April, and
Quincy Jones, a successful producer, composer and band leader since the 1950s, gained his first chart-topping soul single in his own right with "
Stuff Like That".[12] Later in the year,
Teddy Pendergrass achieved his first solo number one after having been previously successful as the lead singer of
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and
Rick James,
A Taste of Honey and
Foxy all reached the top of the chart for the first time.[13] The year's final chart-topper "
Le Freak" was another debut number one, as
Chic reached the top spot for the first time in the issue of Billboard dated December 2 and stayed there for the remainder of the year.[14] The song is regarded as a classic of the
disco genre and was selected in 2018 for preservation in the
National Recording Registry by the
Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant."[15]