Charlie Wilson solely reclaims the record as the male act with the most No. 1s on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay No. 1s as “No Stoppin’ Us,” featuring Babyface, K-Ci Hailey and Johnny Gill, tops the list dated Aug. 7. The all-star collaboration rises from No. 3 after an 11% gain in plays and became the most-played song at U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending July 31, according to Luminate.
Wilson breaks from a tie with Kem and Maxwell for the most No. 1s among male acts. On the overall list, he ranks third. Here’s a look at the current standings since the chart launched in 1993:
12, Alicia Keys
11, Toni Braxton
9, Charlie Wilson
8, Kem
8, Maxwell
7, Bruno Mars
7, H.E.R.
7, Mary J. Blige
7, R. Kelly
In addition to securing Wilson’s ninth Adult R&B Airplay leader, “Stoppin’” nets Babyface his fifth as a performer, a third for Johnny Gill and the first for K-Ci Hailey as a solo artist. The latter led the chart as one-half of the duo K-Ci & JoJo, when “All My Life” reigned for three weeks in 1998.
“I feel so blessed to have my first No. 1 record as a solo artist,” Hailey tells Billboard. “I’m so thankful to be a part of the family at P Music Group. We’re just getting started and there ain’t no stoppin’ us now!”
“Stoppin’,” released on Parandise/P Music, gives the former imprint its first Adult R&B Airplay No. 1, while the latter label collects its eighth leader. The label’s founder and CEO, Michael Paran, finds particular joy in combining artists on his roster for a collective victory. “The greatest satisfaction for me is that this is the first time I’ve released and promoted a record with four of my clients at the same time,” he tells Billboard. “So to have these legends together and capture a No. 1 is a historic moment for [us].”
The new No. 1 also halts the run of Silk Sonic’s “Love Train” at the Adult R&B Airplay summit after the latter’s 13 nonconsecutive weeks on top. The united power of the four legends to oust one of R&B’s hottest acts isn’t lost on Wilson. “[The chart] has changed so much over the years that I had to do a double take seeing our song on top with Bruno Mars, Beyonce, and Lizzo,” Wilson tells Billboard via email. “Despite the odds we showed there really is no stoppin’ us O.G.’s!”
The foursome also secure a historic first on the Adult R&B Airplay list, as “Stoppin’” is the first song with four credited artists to reach No. 1. The previous closest song with four or more credited acts was Kirk Franklin’s “Lean on Me,” featuring Mary J. Blige, Bono, R. Kelly, Crystal Lewis & The Family, which reached No. 2 in 1999.
The reigning champs aren’t the only veterans who benefit from the new No. 1. “Stoppin’” also revives a classic hit in a reimagined form, as it interpolates McFadden & Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1979.
“Home runs in this industry are very hard to come by these days, but we did it anyway and slid right into first,” adds Gill. “Thank you radio and to our fans for your continued love and support!”
Elsewhere, “Stoppin’” pushes into the top 20 of the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with a 23-17 move. There, it adds 14% in audience to reach 6.3 million in listeners in the week ending July 31. With the climb, each of the credited acts returns to the tier as a solo artist: Wilson logs his 11th visit to the chart’s top 20, Babyface achieves his 10th such hit, Johnny Gill obtains his fifth and Hailey claims his second.
