| The CASH BOX Top 100 Black Contemporary | ||||||
| Green square = bullet (strong upward move) | Week ending DECEMBER 26, 1981 | |||||
| TW | TITLE | Artist (Label) | LW | 2WK | 3WK | WKS | |
| 1 | LET’S GROOVE Earth, Wind & Fire (ARC 02536) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |
| 2 | TURN YOUR LOVE AROUND George Benson (Warner Bros. 49846) | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | |
| 3 | TAKE MY HEART (You Can Have It If You Want It) Kool & Gang (De-Lite 815) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13 | |
| 4 | CONTROVERSY Prince (Warner Bros. 49808) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | |
| 5 | WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE Diana Ross (RCA 12349) | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | |
| 6 | I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (No Can Do) Daryl Hall & John Oates (RCA 12361) | 19 | 24 | 46 | 6 | |
| 7 | OH NO Commodores (Motown 1527) | 6 | 6 | 7 | 14 | |
| 8 | HIT AND RUN Bar-Kays (Mercury 76123) | 11 | 13 | 19 | 9 | |
| 9 | LET THE FEELING FLOW Peabo Bryson (Capitol 5065) | 10 | 11 | 16 | 10 | |
| 10 | WALKING INTO SUNSHINE Central Line (Mercury 76126) | 13 | 17 | 20 | 11 | |
| 11 | CALL ME Skyy (Salsoul 2152) | 17 | 21 | 28 | 9 | |
| 12 | KICKIN’ BACK L.T. D. (A&M 2382) | 16 | 20 | 25 | 8 | |
| 13 | BLUE JEANS Chocolate Milk (RCA 12335) | 15 | 16 | 17 | 12 | |
| 14 | SNAP SHOT Slave (Cotillion 46022) | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |
| 15 | YOU’RE MY LATEST, MY GREATEST INSPIRATION Teddy Pendergrass (Philadelphia Int’l 02619) | 20 | 27 | 36 | 7 | |
| 16 | SHARING THE LOVE Rufus With Chaka Khan (MCA 51203) | 14 | 15 | 15 | 9 | |
| 17 | NEVER TOO MUCH Luther Vandross (Epic 02409) | 8 | 7 | 4 | 21 | |
| 18 | I WILL FIGHT Gladys Knight & Pips (Columbia 02549) | 24 | 28 | 34 | 10 | |
| 19 | I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (pt. 1) Roger (Warner Bros. 49786) | 9 | 8 | 5 | 19 | |
| 20 | PULL FANCY DANCER / PULL (pt. 2) One Way (MCA 51165) | 12 | 12 | 13 | 17 | |
| 21 | COOL (pt. 1) The Time (Warner Bros. 49864) | 36 | 50 | 70 | 4 | |
| 22 | INSIDE YOU (pt. 1) Isley Brothers (T-Neck 02531) | 22 | 10 | 10 | 13 | |
| 23 | FUNKY SENSATION Gwen McCrae (Atlantic 3853) | 23 | 25 | 27 | 17 | |
| 24 | LOVE FEVER Gayle Adams (Prelude 8040) | 25 | 34 | 40 | 7 | |
| 25 | SWEETER AS THE DAYS GO BY Shalamar (Solar 12329) | 26 | 30 | 31 | 10 | |
| 26 | TOOT AN’TOOT AN’TOOT Curtis Mayfield (Boardwalk 132) | 47 | 67 | — | 3 | |
| 27 | (I Found) THAT MAN OF MINE Jones Girls (Philadelphia Int’l 02618) | 32 | 42 | 50 | 7 | |
| 28 | I’M JUST TOO SHY Jermaine Jackson (Motown 1525) | 28 | 29 | 29 | 9 | |
| 29 | I WANT YOU Booker T. (A&M 2374) | 31 | 35 | 37 | 9 | |
| 30 | STEAL THE NIGHT Stevie Woods (Cotillion 46016) | 30 | 31 | 32 | 13 | |
| 31 | IF YOU THINK YOU’RE LONELY NOW Bobby Womack (Beverly Glen 2000) | 38 | 48 | 63 | 5 | |
| 32 | BREAKIN’ AWAY Al Jarreau (Warner Bros. 49842) | 37 | 47 | 54 | 6 | |
| 33 | LOVE IN THE FAST LANE Dynasty (Solar 47946) | 34 | 44 | 45 | 8 | |
| 34 | BE MINE (Tonight) Grover Washington Jr. (Elektra 47246) | 40 | 46 | 56 | 5 | |
| 35 | CAN’T HOLD BACK (Your Loving) Kano (Mirage 3878) | 45 | 52 | 61 | 6 | |
| 36 | SOMETHING ABOUT YOU Angela Bofill (Arista 0636) | 41 | 49 | 59 | 6 | |
| 37 | YOU’RE THE ONE FOR ME “D” Train (Prelude 8043) | 42 | 77 | 86 | 4 | |
| 38 | DO IT TO ME Vernon Burch (SRI 00019) | 48 | 58 | 68 | 4 | |
| 39 | BAD LADY Con Funk Shun (Mercury 76128) | 46 | 68 | — | 3 | |
| 40 | I BELIEVE IN LOVE Rockie Robbins (A&M 2380) | 43 | 56 | 66 | 6 | |
| 41 | NUMBERS Kraftwerk (Warner Bros. 49795) | 71 | — | — | 2 | |
| 42 | HOW CAN LOVE SO RIGHT (Be So Wrong) Ray, Goodman & Brown (Polydor 2191) | 49 | 59 | 67 | 5 | |
| 43 | JUST ONCE Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram (A&M 2357) | 18 | 14 | 12 | 19 | |
| 44 | APACHE Sugar Hill Gang (Sugar Hill 567) | 51 | 71 | 81 | 4 | |
| 45 | IT’S MY TURN Aretha Franklin (Arista 0646) | 39 | 41 | 49 | 7 | |
| 46 | SHAKE GQ (Arista 0603) | 35 | 36 | 41 | 8 | |
| 47 | FUNGI MAMA / BEBOPAFUNKADISCOLYPSO Tom Browne (Arista/GRP 2518) | 55 | 65 | 80 | 4 | |
| 48 | QUICK SLICK Syreeta (Tamla 54333) | 60 | 70 | 78 | 5 | |
| 49 | TOO MUCH TOO SOON T.S. Monk (Mirage 3875) | 57 | 66 | 76 | 5 | |
| 50 | WAIT FOR ME Slave (Cotillion 46028) | 67 | 87 | — | 3 | |
| 51 | WIDE OPEN Brick (Bang 02599) | 54 | 54 | 57 | 7 | |
| 52 | TUFF Midnight Star (Solar 47948) | 52 | 62 | 71 | 6 | |
| 53 | GHETTO LIFE Rick James (Gordy 7215) | 53 | 57 | 62 | 6 | |
| 54 | YOUR LOVE Skool Boyz (Destiny 2001) | 61 | 69 | 77 | 6 | |
| 55 | BLUER THAN BLUE Peaches & Herb (Polydor/MVP 2187) | 50 | 51 | 58 | 7 | |
| 56 | ROCKIN’ TO THE BEAT Fatback (Spring 3022) | 58 | 60 | 69 | 5 | |
| 57 | LET ME SET YOU FREE Four Tops (Casablanca 2344) | 65 | — | — | 2 | |
| 58 | BEWARE Barry White (Unlimited Gold 02580) | 59 | 61 | 64 | 8 | |
| 59 | PORTUGUESE LOVE Teena Marie (Gordy 7216) | 63 | 64 | 73 | 6 | |
| 60 | WE’LL MAKE IT Mike & Brenda Sutton (SAM 5023) | 68 | 76 | 85 | 4 | |
| 61 | LOVE MASSAGE Lowrell Simon (Zoo York 1324) | 69 | 78 | 87 | 4 | |
| 62 | SWEET TENDER LOVE Denroy Morgan (Becket 45-8) | 64 | 72 | 82 | 5 | |
| 63 | MAGIC NUMBER Herbie Hancock (Columbia 02615) | 66 | 81 | 89 | 4 | |
| 64 | EVERY HOME SHOULD HAVE ONE Patti Austin (Qwest 49854) | 72 | 80 | 90 | 4 | |
| 65 | JAM THE BOX Bill Summers & Summers Heat (MCA 51221) | 77 | 86 | — | 3 | |
| 66 | MAKE UP YOUR MIND Aurra (Salsoul 7017) | 74 | 83 | 93 | 4 | |
| 67 | DON’T YOU KNOW THAT? Luther Vandross (Epic 02658) | 85 | — | — | 2 | |
| 68 | TWINKLE Earl Klugh (Liberty 1431) | 76 | 85 | 95 | 7 | |
| 69 | SOMETHING INSIDE MY HEAD Gene Dunlap featuring Phillippe Wynn (Capitol 5055) | 70 | 75 | 84 | 6 | |
| 70 | DO IT ROGER Roger (Warner Bros. 49883) | 80 | — | — | 2 | |
| 71 | WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL Four Tops (Casablanca 2338) | 21 | 18 | 14 | 20 | |
| 72 | THERE’S A WAY Ronnie Laws (Liberty 1442) | 75 | 84 | — | 3 | |
| 73 | LET’S STAND TOGETHER Melba Moore (EMI America 8104) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 74 | THE PLANET FUNK Johnny Guitar Watson (A&M 2383) | 82 | 90 | — | 3 | |
| 75 | “B” MOVIE Gil Scott-Heron (Arista 0647) | 91 | — | — | 2 | |
| 76 | I JUST WANNA HOLD YOU Black Ice (Montage 1204) | 79 | 88 | 92 | 4 | |
| 77 | BIG FAT BOTTOM Redd Hott (Venture 148) | 92 | — | — | 2 | |
| 78 | HOLD ME DOWN Lipps, Inc. (Casablanca 2342) | 81 | 89 | — | 3 | |
| 79 | ONE HUNDRED WAYS Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram (A&M 2387) | 90 | — | — | 2 | |
| 80 | I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND Lakeside (Solar 47954) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 81 | TIME FOR LOVE B. B. & Q. Band (Capitol 5071) | 89 | — | — | 2 | |
| 82 | GET IT UP The Time (Warner Bros. 49774) | 27 | 19 | 11 | 19 | |
| 83 | LOVE CONNECTION (Raise The Window Down) Spinners (Atlantic 3882) | 86 | 91 | — | 3 | |
| 84 | TONIGHT YOU AND ME Phyllis Hyman (Arista 0637) | 29 | 22 | 21 | 11 | |
| 85 | DON’T HIDE OUR LOVE Evelyn King (RCA 12322) | 33 | 33 | 33 | 10 | |
| 86 | STRUT YOUR STUFF Live (TSOB 2006) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 87 | A LITTLE MORE LOVE T-Connection (Capitol 5076) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 88 | STAGE FRIGHT Chic (Atlantic 3887) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 89 | WE WANT YOU (On The Floor) Lakeside (Solar 12334) | 56 | 55 | 55 | 8 | |
| 90 | LET YOUR BODY DO THE TALKIN’ Shock (Fantasy 922) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 91 | TOO THROUGH Bad Girls (BC 4011) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 92 | THE OLD SONGS Frederick Knight (Juana 3700) | 84 | 79 | 79 | 7 | |
| 93 | WATCH OUT Brandi Wells (WMOT 02654) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 94 | STRUNG OUT ON THE BOOGIE Gangsters (Heat 2007) | 93 | 93 | 94 | 5 | |
| 95 | THIS BEAT IS MINE Vicky D (SAM 5024) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 96 | COUNT ON ME Candi Staton (Sugar Hill 770) | 95 | 95 | — | 3 | |
| 97 | YOU S.O.S. Band (Tabu 02569) | 62 | 63 | 65 | 5 | |
| 98 | SATURDAY, SATURDAY NIGHT Zoom (Polydor 2186) | 83 | 53 | 53 | 10 | |
| 99 | STATION BRAKE Captain Sky (WMOT 02407) | 73 | 73 | 75 | 7 | |
| 100 | SOMETHING ABOUT YOU Ebonee Webb (Capitol 5044) | 44 | 32 | 23 | 14 | |
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