page_title: List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1977
section_title: Chart history
hierarchical_section_title: List of Hot Soul Singles number ones of 1977 / Chart history
caption_attribution_description: Photo of singer William Bell.
context_page_description: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs is a chart published by Billboard that ranks the top-performing songs in the United States in African-American-oriented musical genres; the chart has undergone various name changes since its launch in 1942 to reflect the evolution of such genres. In 1977, it was published under the title Hot Soul Singles. During that year, 21 different singles topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations and surveys of retail sales outlets.
  In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, the group Rose Royce was at number one with "Car Wash", the song's second week in the top spot. It was displaced the following week by "Darlin' Darlin' Baby" by the O'Jays. The year's longest-running number one was "Serpentine Fire" by Earth, Wind & Fire, which reached the peak position in the issue of Billboard dated November 19 and stayed there for the remainder of the year, a total of seven consecutive weeks in the top spot. This also meant that the band had the highest total number of weeks at number one during the year, just ahead of two acts with six weeks in the top spot.
caption: "Tryin' to Love Two" was a chart-topper for William Bell.
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