| Issue Date | Song | Artist | | January 2 | "Groove Me" | King Floyd |
| January 9 | "Groove Me" | King Floyd |
| January 16 | "Groove Me" | King Floyd |
| January 23 | "If I Were Your Woman" | Gladys Knight & the Pips |
| January 30 | "Groove Me" | King Floyd |
| February 6 | "(Do The) Push and Pull" | Rufus Thomas |
| February 13 | "(Do The) Push and Pull" | Rufus Thomas |
| February 20 | "Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone" | Johnnie Taylor |
| February 27 | "Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone" | Johnnie Taylor |
| March 6 | "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" | The Temptations |
| March 13 | "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" | The Temptations |
| March 20 | "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" | The Temptations |
| March 27 | "What's Going On" | Marvin Gaye |
| April 3 | "What's Going On" | Marvin Gaye |
| April 10 | "What's Going On" | Marvin Gaye |
| April 17 | "What's Going On" | Marvin Gaye |
| April 24 | "What's Going On" | Marvin Gaye |
| May 1 | "Never Can Say Goodbye" | The Jackson 5 |
| May 8 | "Never Can Say Goodbye" | The Jackson 5 |
| May 15 | "Never Can Say Goodbye" | The Jackson 5 |
| May 22 | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Aretha Franklin |
| May 29 | "Want Ads" | The Honey Cone |
| June 5 | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Aretha Franklin |
| June 12 | "Want Ads" | The Honey Cone |
| June 19 | "Want Ads" | The Honey Cone |
| June 26 | "Don't Knock My Love (Part 1)" | Wilson Pickett |
| July 3 | "Mr. Big Stuff" | Jean Knight |
| July 10 | "Mr. Big Stuff" | Jean Knight |
| July 17 | "Mr. Big Stuff" | Jean Knight |
| July 24 | "Mr. Big Stuff" | Jean Knight |
| July 31 | "Mr. Big Stuff" | Jean Knight |
| August 7 | "Hot Pants (Part 1)" | James Brown |
| August 14 | "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" | Marvin Gaye |
| August 21 | "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" | Marvin Gaye |
| August 28 | "Spanish Harlem" | Aretha Franklin |
| September 4 | "Spanish Harlem" | Aretha Franklin |
| September 11 | "Spanish Harlem" | Aretha Franklin |
| September 18 | "Stick-Up" | The Honey Cone |
| September 25 | "Stick-Up" | The Honey Cone |
| October 2 | "Make It Funky (Part 1)" | James Brown |
| October 9 | "Make It Funky (Part 1)" | James Brown |
| October 16 | "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" | The Persuaders |
| October 23 | "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" | The Persuaders |
| October 30 | "Trapped By A Thing Called Love" | Denise LaSalle |
| November 6 | "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" | Marvin Gaye |
| November 13 | "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" | Marvin Gaye |
| November 20 | "Have You Seen Her" | The Chi-Lites |
| November 27 | "Have You Seen Her" | The Chi-Lites |
| December 4 | "Family Affair" | Sly & the Family Stone |
| December 11 | "Family Affair" | Sly & the Family Stone |
| December 18 | "Family Affair" | Sly & the Family Stone |
| December 25 | "Family Affair" | Sly & the Family Stone |
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{{US R&B Chart}}{{DEFAULTSORT:List of number-one RandB singles of 1971 (U.S.)}}