BILLBOARD (USA) MAGAZINE’S TOP R&B SINGLES FOR 1948 (Best Selling Retail Race Records/Juke Box Play

No. Song-Artist-Peak Month
  1 SNATCH IT AND GRAB IT-JULIA LEE & HER BOY FRIENDS-JANUARY 1728
  2 TOMORROW NIGHT-LONNIE JOHNSON-May 1652
  3 LONG GONE-SONNY THOMPSON-July 1566
  4 KING SIZE PAPA-JULIA LEE & HER BOY FRIENDS-April 1540
  5 I LOVE YOU, YES I DO-BULL MOOSE JACKSON-February 1394
  6 GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT-WYNONIE HARRIS-June 1344
  7 PRETTY MAMA BLUES-IVORY JOE HUNTER-September 1280
  8 MESSIN' AROUND-Memphis Slim-June 1212
  9 ALL MY LOVE BELONGS TO YOU-Bull Moose Jackson-May 1166
 10 MY HEART BELONGS TO YOU-Arbee Stidham-October 1116
 11 Corn Bread-Hal Singer Sextet-November 1106
 12 I Can't Go On Without You-Bull Moose Jackson-July 982
 13 Long About Midnight-Roy Brown-December 874
 14 Fine Brown Frame-Nellie Lutcher-April 879
 15 Run Joe-Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five-July 720
 16 Blues For The Red Boy-Todd Rhodes-December 700
 17 Barnyard Boogie-Louis Jordan-March 694
 18 Blues After Hours-Pee Wee Crayton-November 678
 19 Write Me A Letter-Ravens-January 654
 20 Am I Asking Too Much?-Dinah Washington-November 628
 21 A Little Bird Told Me-Paula Watson-December 578
 22 Send For Me If You Need Me-Ravens-August 518
 23 I Want A Bowlegged Woman-Bull Moose Jackson-May 512
 24 It's Too Soon To Know-Dinah Washington-November 502
 25 Nature Boy-King Cole Trio-May 494
 26 35-30-Paul Williams-June 490
 27 Late Freight-Sonny Thompson-October 484
 28 Hop, Skip And Jump-Roy Milton-November 468
 29 It's Too Soon To Know-Orioles-November 458
 30 I Can't Give You Anything But Love-Rose Murphy-February 392
 31 Lollypop Mama-Wynonie Harris-July 362
 32 Don't Burn The Candle At Both Ends-Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five-October 316
 33 Everything I Do Is Wrong-Roy Milton-October 292
 34 Call It Stormy Monday, But Tuesday Is Just As Bad-T-bone Walker-January 278
 35 Pleasing You-Lonnie Johnson-November 250
 36 Recess In Heaven-Dan Grissom-August 218
 37 Reet Petite And Gone-Louis Jordan-April 204
 38 Don't Fall In Love With Me-Ivory Joe Hunter-June 194
 39 The Song Is Ended-Nellie Lutcher-February 192
 40 Elevator Boogie-Mabel Scott-November 176
 41 Ebony Rhapsody-Rosetta Howard-April 176
 42 Those Things Money Can't Buy-King Cole Trio-February 170
 43 Merry Christmas, Baby-Johnny Moore's Three Blazers-December 168
 44 Temptation-Earl Bostic Orchestra-June 146
 45 West Side Baby-T-bone Walker-October 144
 46 That's Your Last Boogie-Joe Swift-December 138
 47 It's Too Soon To Know-Ella Fitzgerald-November 128
 48 Milky White Way-Trumpeteers-June 114
 49 Waxie Maxie-Paul Williams-September 112
 50 I Want To Cry-Dinah Washington-August 106
 51 You Don't Love Me Anymore-Camille Howard Trio-July 106
 52 Tell Me Daddy-Julia Lee & Her Boy Friends-August 104
 53 My Fault-Brownie Mcghee-November 104
 54 What'll I Do-King Cole Trio-February 88
 55 Out Of The Blue-Hadda Brooks Trio-September 86
 56 Do You Or Don't You Love Me-Nellie Lutcher-January 86
 57 West Side Baby-Dinah Washington-June 84
 58 My Happiness-Ella Fitzgerald-September 68
 59 Go Long-Dixieaires-December 68
 60 London Donnie-Don Byas Quartet-October 66
 61 Ain't Misbehavin'-Dinah Washington-March 50
 62 Come And Get It,Honey-Nellie Lutcher-May 46
 63 Keep A Dollar In Your Pocket-Roy Milton-March 46
 64 It Took A Long, Long Time-Amos Milburn-December 44
 65 How Long Must I Wait For You?-Louis Jordan-March 44
 66 Cool Water-Nellie Lutcher-August 42
 67 Time Out For Tears-Savannah Churchill-May 42
 68 Shine-Mills Brothers-April 42
 69 You Sure Look Good To Me-Big Three Trio-April 42
 70 Sneaky Pete-Bull Moose Jackson-March 42
 71 Cecilia-Rose Murphy-March 42
 72 Shuffle Boogie-Joe Lutcher-March 42
 73 The Best Things In Life Are Free-Ink Spots-March 42
 74 When I Grow Too Old To Dream-Rose Murphy-February 42
 75 Manana-Mills Brothers-February 42
 76 Ol' Man River-Ravens-February 42
 77 Long Skirt Baby Blues-T-bone Walker-February 42
 78 Everything I Have Is Yours-Billy Eckstine-October 40
 79 It's Too Soon To Know-Ravens-November 40
 80 (I Feel Like) Going Home-Muddy Waters-December 40
 81 Alexander's Ragtime Band-Nellie Lutcher-October 36
 82 Good Rockin' Tonight-Roy Brown-June 36
 83 Walkin' And Talkin'-Dinah Washington-July 36
 84 We're Gonna Rock, We're Gonna Roll-Wild Bill Moore-July 34
 85 Tear Drop Blues-Jimmy Liggins, Drops Of Joy-August 34
 86 Don't Be So Mean To Me Baby-Duke Ellington Orchestra-November 32
 87 Better Cut That Out-Sonny Boy Williams-December 32
 88 Manteca-Dizzy Gillespie-September 32
 89 You Were Only Fooling-Ink Spots-November 32
 90 I Like It-Ivory Joe Hunter-December 32
* In the May 22,1948 issue of Billboard Magazine the first Best
Selling Retail Race Records chart was published.So,prior to
May 22 the "Most Played In Juke Box Chart" was used in
compiling this chart.From May 22 onwards the Best Selling
Retail Race Records Chart is used.