List of Hot R&amp;B Sides number ones of 1961List of Hot R&amp;B Sides number ones of 1961 List of Hot R&B Sides number ones of 1961 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 1961, it was published under the title Hot R&B Sides, reflecting the fact that rhythm and blues was the dominant genre. During that year, 14 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 2, Jerry Butler was at number one with "He Will Break Your Heart", the song's seventh week in the top spot. Two weeks later, it was displaced by "Shop Around" by the Miracles featuring Bill "Smokey" Robinson, the first million-selling single for the fledgling Motown label, which would go on to become one of the most successful and influential labels of the 20th century and bring unprecedented levels of mainstream success to black music. Motown would go on to achieve another number one when the Marvelettes topped the chart in November with  Please Mr. Postman, which held the top spot for the final seven weeks of the year. This song was the first Motown release to also top the all-genre Hot 100 singles chart. The only act to achieve more than one R&B number one in 1961 was Ray Charles, who topped the chart for a single week with "One Mint Julep" and for five weeks with "Hit the Road Jack". The year's longest-running number one was "Tossin' and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis, which spent ten consecutive weeks atop the chart between July and September. Almost every act to  top the chart in 1961 did so for the first time. Other than Jerry Butler, whose run atop the chart continued from the previous year, only Bobby "Blue" Bland and Ray Charles had achieved an R&B number one prior to 1961; Bland had topped the R&B Jockeys chart in 1957, prior to the launch of "Billboard"s combined sales and airplay listing and Charles had achieved several chart-toppers both before and after the magazine amalgamated its multiple R&B charts. While acts such as Lewis and Ernie K-Doe would experience only brief chart success and never achieve a second number  one, the Pips, who would soon give separate billing to lead vocalist Gladys Knight, would remain consistently successful for nearly 30 years. List of Hot R&B Sides number ones of 1961 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 1961, it was published under the title Hot R&B Sides, reflecting the fact that rhythm and blues was the dominant genre. During