| The CASH BOX R&B Top 70 | ||||||
| Dark blue square = bullet (strong upward move) | Week ending DECEMBER 22, 1973 | |||||
| TW | TITLE | Artist (Label) | LW | 2WK | 3WK | WKS | |
| 1 | NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP Barry White (20th Century 2058) | 2 | 6 | 7 | 11 | |
| 2 | IF YOU’RE READY (Come Go With Me) Staple Singers (Stax 0179) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
| 3 | SHOW AND TELL Al Wilson (Rocky Road 30073) | 3 | 10 | 12 | 10 | |
| 4 | LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder (Tamla 54242) | 5 | 12 | 16 | 8 | |
| 5 | ROCKIN’ ROLL BABY Stylistics (Avco 4625) | 7 | 7 | 5 | 11 | |
| 6 | THIS TIME I’M GONE FOR GOOD Bobby Blue Bland (Dunhill 4369) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 11 | |
| 7 | STONED TO THE BONE (pt. 1) James Brown (Polydor 14210) | 9 | 13 | 14 | 8 | |
| 8 | LIVIN’ FOR YOU Al Green (Hi 2257) | 10 | 15 | 19 | 6 | |
| 9 | I’VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION Gladys Knight & Pips (Buddah 393) | 12 | 16 | 25 | 6 | |
| 10 | UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME (That’s What I’m Gonna Do) Aretha Franklin (Atlantic 2995) | 14 | 19 | 29 | 7 | |
| 11 | COME GET TO THIS Marvin Gaye (Tamla 54241) | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | |
| 12 | CAN THIS BE REAL Natural Four (Curtom 1990) | 19 | 34 | 42 | 8 | |
| 13 | SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK Persuaders (Atco 6943) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | |
| 14 | ME AND BABY BROTHER War (United Artists 350) | 15 | 17 | 20 | 8 | |
| 15 | I WANNA KNOW YOUR NAME Intruders (Gamble 2508) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | |
| 16 | BABY COME CLOSE Smokey Robinson (Tamla 54239) | 20 | 27 | 36 | 9 | |
| 17 | RIVER Joe Simon (Spring 141) | 13 | 14 | 17 | 9 | |
| 18 | THE LOVE I LOST (pt. 1) Harold Melvin & Blue Notes (Philadelphia Int’l 3533) | 16 | 3 | 3 | 15 | |
| 19 | STORMY MONDAY Latimore (Glades 1716) | 21 | 23 | 28 | 10 | |
| 20 | JUNGLE BOOGIE Kool & Gang (De-Lite 559) | 32 | 36 | 46 | 5 | |
| 21 | FOR YOUR LOVE Gwen McCrae (Cat 1989) | 22 | 24 | 26 | 12 | |
| 22 | COME LAY SOME LOVIN’ ON ME Margie Joseph (Atlantic 2988) | 23 | 25 | 27 | 11 | |
| 23 | COME LIVE WITH ME Ray Charles (Crossover 973) | 24 | 22 | 23 | 9 | |
| 24 | I FOUND SUNSHINE Chi-Lites (Brunswick 55503) | 26 | 29 | 32 | 9 | |
| 25 | CHEAPER TO KEEP HER Johnnie Taylor (Stax 0176) | 17 | 4 | 4 | 13 | |
| 26 | I’M THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Clarence Carter (Fame 330) | 31 | 38 | 47 | 9 | |
| 27 | KEEP YOUR HEAD TO THE SKY Earth, Wind & Fire (Columbia 45953) | 35 | 40 | 44 | 7 | |
| 28 | I MISS YOU Dells (Cadet 5700) | 37 | 42 | 51 | 7 | |
| 29 | LOVE’S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra (20th Century 2069) | 41 | 54 | — | 3 | |
| 30 | SPACE RACE Billy Preston (A&M 1463) | 18 | 2 | 1 | 15 | |
| 31 | BOTH ENDS AGAINST THE MIDDLE Jackie Moore (Atlantic 2989) | 34 | 35 | 39 | 8 | |
| 32 | WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO Isley Brothers (T-Neck 2252) | 40 | 49 | — | 3 | |
| 33 | IT’S ALL OVER Independents (Wand 11263) | 27 | 28 | 35 | 10 | |
| 34 | SEXY MAMA Moments (Stang 5052) | 44 | 55 | 61 | 4 | |
| 35 | YOU’RE SWEET, YOU’RE FINE, YOU’RE EVERYTHING Tomorrow’s Promise (Capitol 3695) | 43 | 47 | 52 | 8 | |
| 36 | FOR THE GOOD TIMES (pt. 1) Seventh Wonder (Abet 9454) | 38 | 41 | 45 | 9 | |
| 37 | SOFT SOUL BOOGIE WOOGIE Wilson Pickett (RCA Victor 0174) | 39 | 44 | 53 | 6 | |
| 38 | PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER O’Jays (Philadelphia Int’l 3535) | 53 | — | — | 2 | |
| 39 | SOMEBODY’S BEEN ENJOYING MY HOME Don Covay (Mercury 73430) | 36 | 37 | 37 | 10 | |
| 40 | I’VE GOT TO BREAK AWAY Baby Washington (Master Five 9107) | 47 | 53 | 63 | 4 | |
| 41 | KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING WHEN YOU LEAVE Roshell Anderson (Sunburst 523) | 45 | 48 | 54 | 8 | |
| 42 | CAN’T SAY NOTHIN’ Curtis Mayfield (Curtom 1993) | 48 | 57 | 68 | 4 | |
| 43 | POWER OF LOVE Jerry Butler (Mercury 73443) | 46 | 50 | 64 | 5 | |
| 44 | TRYING TO HOLD ON TO MY WOMAN Lamont Dozier (ABC 11407) | 54 | 68 | — | 3 | |
| 45 | WHAT CAN I TELL HER Timmy Thomas (Glades 1717) | 42 | 45 | 55 | 7 | |
| 46 | LET YOUR HAIR DOWN Temptations (Gordy 7133) | 57 | — | — | 2 | |
| 47 | I LIKE TO LIVE THE LOVE B. B. King (ABC 11406) | 51 | 59 | — | 3 | |
| 48 | I’D RATHER BE (Blind, Cripple And Crazy) O.V. Wright (Back Beat 628) | 56 | 66 | — | 3 | |
| 49 | GIVE ME JUST ANOTHER DAY Miracles (Tamla 54240) | 52 | 56 | 59 | 5 | |
| 50 | THERE’S GOT TO BE RAIN IN YOUR LIFE (To Appreciate The Sunshine) Dorothy Norwood (GRC 1011) | 63 | 69 | — | 3 | |
| 51 | JOY (pt. 1) Isaac Hayes (Enterprise 9085) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 52 | SUPER ROD Crown Heights Affair (RCA Victor 0023) | 55 | 58 | 60 | 6 | |
| 53 | WISH THAT YOU WERE MINE Manhattans (Columbia 45971) | 59 | — | — | 2 | |
| 54 | STOP TO START Blue Magic (Atco 6949) | 67 | — | — | 2 | |
| 55 | SOUL POWER 74 (pt. 1) Maceo & Macks (People 631) | 65 | — | — | 2 | |
| 56 | (I’d Know You) ANYWHERE Ashford & Simpson (Warner Bros. 7745) | 60 | 63 | 65 | 4 | |
| 57 | WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO Lou Courtney (Epic 11062) | 61 | 64 | 67 | 11 | |
| 58 | QUICK, FAST, IN A HURRY New York City (Chelsea 0150) | 62 | 65 | 70 | 4 | |
| 59 | CRY LIKE A BABY Dorothy Moore (GSF 6908) | 64 | 67 | 69 | 4 | |
| 60 | THE FIRST DAY Softones (Avco 4626) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 61 | I’M GONNA HIJACK YA, KIDNAP YA, TAKE WHAT I WANT Holland-Dozier (Invictus 1258) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 62 | LOVE EPIDEMIC Trammps (Golden Fleece 3251) | 66 | 70 | — | 3 | |
| 63 | I HAD A TALK WITH MY MAN Inez Foxx (Volt 4101) | 68 | — | — | 2 | |
| 64 | NO TIME TO BURN Black Heat (Atlantic 2987) | 69 | — | — | 2 | |
| 65 | I’LL BE THE OTHER WOMAN Soul Children (Stax 0182) | 70 | — | — | 2 | |
| 66 | A MOTHER FOR MY CHILDREN Whispers (Janus 231) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 67 | WHAT IS HIP? Tower Of Power (Warner Bros. 7748) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 68 | DON’T WRITE A CHECK WITH YOUR MOUTH Sonny Green (Hill 339) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 69 | WITCH DOCTOR BUMP Chubukos (Mainstream 5546) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 70 | SO TIED UP Sam Dees (Atlantic 2991) | — | — | — | 1 | |
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