Almanac: 1949 Billboard rnb selling debut

   Almanac: Music Highlight of the Early Years

billboard.com

Best Selling Retail Race Records  &  Best-Selling Retail 

Rhythm & Blues Records - debut in Billboard chart

January 1, 1949

9 Wrapped Up In A Dream-Do Ray and Me

13 Blue Moon-Billy Eckstine

13 Wish I Was In Walla Walla-Nellie Lutcher And Her Rhythm

13 Pettin' And Pokin'-Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five, Vocal Chorus - Louis Jordan

January 8, 1949

10 Boogie Chillen'-John Lee Hooker & His Guitar

12 I'll Always Be In Love With You-The X-Rays, Vocal - Milton Larkin

14 White Christmas-The Ravens

14 Christmas Spirits-Julia Lee And Her Boy Friends

January 15, 1949

9 Hot Biscuits-Jay McShann and The Band That Jumps The Blues

14 Sweet Georgia Brown-Brother Bones And His Shadows

January 22, 1949

5 Bewildered-Billy Eckstine With The Quartones

8 I'll Always Be In Love With You-The Ray-O-Vacs, Vocal - Harry Lester

January 29, 1949

8 The Deacon's Hop-Deacon McNeeley's Blue Jays

9 'Fore Day In The Morning-Roy Brown and his Mighty-Mighty Men

February 5, 1949

13 Fools Rush In-Billy Eckstine

February 12, 1949

11 I Don't Care Who Knows-Buddy Johnson And His Orchestra, Vocal Chorus - Ella Johnson

February 19, 1949

8 The Huckle-Buck-Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers

11 Corn Bread-Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra

14 Rainy Weather Blues-Roy Brown and his Mighty-Mighty Men

February 26, 1949

12 Hip Shakin' Mama-Chubby "Hip Shakin'" Newsom and Her Hip Shakers

13 I Feel That Old Age Coming On-Wynonie Harris

15 Grandma Plays The Numbers-Wynonie Harris

March 12, 1949

4 Get Yourself Another Fool-Charles Brown Trio

11 Frisco Bay-Memphis Slim and the House Rockers

March 19, 1949

11 Beef Stew-Hal Singer Sextette

14 Empty Bedroom Blues-Saunders King and His Orchestra

15 I Didn't Like It The First Time (The Spinach Song)-Julia Lee and Her Boy Friends

March 26, 1949

7 Ain't Nobody's Business (Parts I & II)-Jimmy Witherspoon

13 Roamin' Blues-Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five, Vocal Chorus - Louis Jordan

April 2, 1949

4 Rockin' At Midnight-Roy Brown with His Mighty-Mighty Men

11 A Long Time-Charles Brown Trio with Anita

12 I'm A Good Man But A Poor Man-Cecil Gant

12 Don't Ask Me Why-Bull Moose Jackson and his Buffalo Bearcats

April 9, 1949

4 Hucklebuck Daddy-Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians

9 D'Natural Blues-Lucky Millinder and his Orchestra

10 Close Your Eyes-Herb Lance and Ray Abrams Sextet

11 Confession Blues-The Maxin Trio, Vocal - Ray Charles

14 Blues On Rhumba-Sonny Thompson and Orchestra

April 16, 1949

5 Drinkin' Wine, Spoo-Dee-O-Dee-"Stick" McGhee and His Buddies

11 T-Bone Shuffle-T-Bone Walker and his Guitar

13 The Huckle-Buck-Roy Milton And His Solid Senders

15 Careful Love-Jimmy Liggins And His Drops Of Joy

15 Buttermilk-Jay McShann, The Band That Jumps The Blues

April 23, 1949

12 Hold Me Baby-Amos Milburn

13 Trouble Blues-Charles Brown Trio

April 30, 1949

13 Hoogie Boogie-John Lee Hooker & His Guitar

15 Caravan-Billy Eckstine

May 7, 1949

8 Little Girl Don't Cry-Bull Moose Jackson And His Buffalo Bearcats

11 Tell Me So-The Orioles

May 14, 1949

12 Cole Slaw (Sorghum Switch)-Frank "Floorshow" Culley and His Band

13 Hobo Blues-John Lee Hooker & His Guitar

15 Back Street-Eddie Chamblee and Band

May 21, 1949

13 Pot Likker-Todd Rhodes And his Orchestra

May 28, 1949

7 Drinkin' Wine, Spoo-Dee-O-Dee-Wynonie Harris

15 Somehow-Billy Eckstine With The Quartones

June 4, 1949

15 Cole Slaw (Sorghum Switch)-Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five, Vocal Chorus - Louis Jordan

June 18, 1949

13 Ricky's Blues-The Ravens with Rhythm Acc., Featuring Jimmy Ricks

Best-Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues Records - debut in Billboard chart

June 25, 1949

12 Baby, It's Cold Outside-Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan With Tympany Five

14 In The Middle Of The Night-Amos Milburn

July 16, 1949

14 Blue And Lonesome-Memphis Slim and the House Rockers

July 23, 1949

15 He Knows How To Hucklebuck-Paul Williams And His Hucklebuckers, Vocal - Joan Shaw

July 30, 1949

9 Temptation-Billy Eckstine

13 Baby Get Lost-Dinah Washington

15 I Love You So-Pee Wee Crayton and His Guitar

August 6, 1949

12 Beans And Corn Bread-Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five, Vocal Chorus - Louis Jordan And Ensemble

August 13, 1949

15 Come Back Baby-Lowell Fulson & His Trio

August 20, 1949

12 Long John Blues-Dinah Washington

13 Touch Me, Lord Jesus-The Angelic Gospel Singers

15 In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down-Charles Brown Trio

15 Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?-Buddy Johnson And His Orchestra

August 27, 1949

10 All She Wants To Do Is Rock-Wynonie Harris

12 A Kiss And A Rose-The Orioles

September 3, 1949

11 It's Midnight (No Place To Go)-Little Willie Littlefield

15 Doby's Boogie-Freddie Mitchell Orchestra, Featuring Joe Black on Piano

September 10, 1949

12 Still Gone (Parts III & IV)-Sonny "Long Gone" Thompson and Orchestra

September 17, 1949

4 Roomin' House Boogie-Amos Milburn

5 Broken Hearted-Eddie Williams And His Brown Buddies, Vocal - Floyd Dixon

15 So Long-Ruth Brown as heard with Eddie Condon's N. B. C. Television Orchestra

September 24, 1949

14 Empty Arms Blues-Amos Milburn

October 1, 1949

8 Numbers Boogie-Sugar Chile Robinson

11 Rock The Joint-Jimmy Preston And His Prestonians

October 8, 1949

5 Saturday Night Fish Fry (Parts I & II)-Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five, Vocal Chorus - Louis Jordan and Ensemble

6 Sneakin' Around-Rudy Render with Orchestral Accompaniment

October 15, 1949

11 In The Evening-Jimmy Witherspoon

October 22, 1949

11 Teardrops-Joe Thomas His Sax and His Orchestra

12 Ethel Mae-L. C. Williams With Conney's Combo

14 When Things Go Wrong With You-Tampa Red with Orchestra

October 29, 1949

2 Landlord Blues-Ivory Joe Hunter

11 Guess Who-Ivory Joe Hunter

November 5, 1949

9 Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me-Bull Moose Jackson And His Buffalo Bearcats

10 Blues For My Baby-Billy Wright

November 12, 1949

3 I'll Get Along Somehow (Parts I & II)-Larry Darnell

9 You Ain't Got It No More-Julia Lee and Her Boy Friends

12 For You My Love-Larry Darnell

15 Forgive And Forget-The Orioles

November 19, 1949

11 Angel Child-Memphis Slim and the House Rockers

November 26, 1949

13 Good Daddy Blues-Dinah Washington With Teddy Stewart and His Orchestra

13 Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby-Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers

December 3, 1949

6 Homesick Blues-Charles Brown and his Smarties

7 Boogie At Midnight-Roy Brown And His Mighty-Mighty Men

11 Crawlin' King Snake-John Lee Hooker and his Guitar

11 Don't Put Me Down-Jimmy Liggins And His Drops Of Joy

11 Lonesome Cabin Blues (Log Cabin Blues)-Mercy Dee

December 10, 1949

13 Real Pretty Mama Blues-Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers

15 Jealous Heart-Ivory Joe Hunter

December 17, 1949

14 Caldonia (What Makes Your Big Head So Hard)-Sugar Chile Robinson

December 24, 1949

9 What Are You Doing New Year's Eve-The Orioles

10 Silent Night (Christmas Hymn)-Sister Rosetta Tharpe With Rosetta Gospel Singers

11 After Hour Session-Frank "Floorshow" Culley And His Band

13 No Rollin' Blues-Jimmy Witherspoon

December 31, 1949

5 Big Fine Girl-Jimmy Witherspoon

5 (It's Gonna Be A) Lonely Christmas-The Orioles

9 Exactly Like You-Nat "King" Cole And The Trio