Top 100 Lists


TOP 100 KING-FEDERAL HITS
1950-1969

  1. Tossin' and Turnin' - Bobby Lewis - 1961
  2. Honky Tonk (Part 2) - Bill Doggett - 1956
  3. Sixty Minute Man - The Dominoes - 1951
  4. I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown - 1965
  5. Hearts of Stone - The Charms - 1954
  6. Work With Me Annie - The Midnighters - 1954
  7. I'll Sail My Ship Alone - Moon Mullican - 1950
  8. Have Mercy Baby - The Dominoes - 1952
  9. My True Story - The Jive Five - 1961
  10. Papa's Got a Brand New Bag - James Brown - 1965
  11. Seventeen - Boyd Bennett and his Rockets - 1955
  12. Finger Poppin' Time - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - 1960
  13. Lonesome 7-7203 - Hawkshaw Hawkins - 1963
  14. Flamingo - Earl Bostic - 1951
  15. Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go - Hank Ballard and the
    Midnighters
    - 1960
  16. Fever - Little Willie John - 1956
  17. Cold Sweat - James Brown - 1967
  18. Hard Luck Blues - Roy Brown - 1950
  19. I Got the Feelin' - James Brown - 1968
  20. Annie Had a Baby - The Midnighters - 1954
  21. It's a Man's Man's Man's World - James Brown - 1966
  22. Well Oh Well - Tiny Bradshaw - 1950
  23. I'm Waiting Just For You - Lucky Millinder with Annisteen Allen and John Carol - 1951
  24. Say it Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud - James Brown - 1968
  25. One Track Mind - Bobby Lewis - 1961
  26. Please Come Home For Christmas - Charles Brown - 1961
  27. Ivory Tower - Otis Williams and his Charms - 1956
  28. Sleep - Little Willie John - 1960
  29. I Loves You, Porgy - Nina Simone - 1959
  30. Try Me (I Need You) - James Brown - 1959
  31. Sexy Ways - The Midnighters - 1954
  32. Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Slim Willet - 1952
  33. Mother Popcorn - James Brown - 1969
  34. Soft - Tiny Bradshaw - 1953
  35. Give it Up or Turn it a Loose - James Brown - 1969
  36. Licking Stick - Licking Stick - James Brown - 1968
  37. Love Don't Love Nobody - Roy Brown - 1950
  38. Please, Please, Please - James Brown - 1956
  39. Talk to Me, Talk to Me - Little Willie John - 1958
  40. The Twist - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - 1960
  41. Prisoner of Love - James Brown - 1963
  42. Need Your Love So Bad - Little Willie John - 1956
  43. Hide Away - Freddy King - 1961
  44. All Around the World - Little Willie John - 1955
  45. Ain't it Funky Now - James Brown - 1969
  46. I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door,
    I'll Get It Myself) - James Brown
    - 1969
  47. Rags to Riches - Billy Ward and his Dominoes - 1953
  48. The Death of Hank Williams - Jack Cardwell - 1953
  49. Cuttin' In - Johnny "Guitar" Watson - 1962
  50. The Hoochi Coochi Coo - Hank Ballard and the
    Midnighters
    - 1961
  51. Oh Baby Don't You Weep - James Brown - 1964
  52. Slow Walk - Bill Doggett - 1957
  53. Night Train - James Brown - 1962
  54. Daddy-O - Bonnie Lou - 1955
  55. The Switch-A-Roo - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - 1961
  56. I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me) - James Brown - 1967
  57. Ling, Ting, Tong - The Charms - 1955
  58. I Quit My Pretty Mama - Ivory Joe Hunter - 1950
  59. Think - James Brown - 1960
  60. I'll Drown in My Tears - Sonny Thompson with Lula
    Reed
    - 1952
  61. These Foolish Things Remind Me of You - Billy Ward and his Dominoes - 1953
  62. Hot Rod Lincoln - Charlie Ryan and the Timberline
    Riders
    - 1960
  63. Nuttin' For Xmas - Joe Ward - 1955
  64. Let a Man Come in and Do the Popcorn - Part One -
    James Brown
    - 1969
  65. Poinciana - Steve Lawrence - 1952
  66. Soft - Bill Doggett - 1957
  67. Bring it Up - James Brown - 1967
  68. (I Do The) Shimmy Shimmy - Bobby Freeman - 1960
  69. Heartbreak (It's Hurtin' Me) - Little Willie John - 1960
  70. There Was a Time - James Brown - 1968
  71. It Hurts to Be in Love - Annie Laurie - 1957
  72. Bewildered - James Brown - 1961
  73. The Popcorn - James Brown - 1969
  74. My Boy - Flat Top - Boyd Bennett and his Rockets - 1955
  75. Lost Someone - James Brown - 1962
  76. San-Ho-Zay - Freddy King - 1961
  77. Ain't That a Groove - James Brown - 1966
  78. Think - The "5" Royales - 1957
  79. I Don't Mind - James Brown - 1961
  80. Walkin' the Blues - Jack Dupree and Mr. Bear - 1955
  81. What Can I Do - Donnie Elbert - 1957
  82. Baby, You're Right - James Brown - 1961
  83. Hold It - Bill Doggett - 1958
  84. I'm Tore Down - Freddy King - 1961
  85. Do Something For Me - The Dominoes - 1951
  86. Tennessee Wig Walk - Bonnie Lou - 1953
  87. Bloodshot Eyes - Wynonie Harris - 1951
  88. The Bells - Billy Ward and the Dominoes - 1953
  89. The Strange Little Girl - Cowboy Copas - 1951
  90. Get It - The Royals - 1953
  91. Don't Be a Drop-Out - James Brown - 1966
  92. That's Your Mistake - Otis Williams and his New Group - 1956
  93. That's What You're Doing to Me - The Dominoes - 1952
  94. Mona Lisa - Moon Mullican - 1950
  95. Lonesome Whistle Blues - Freddy King - 1961
  96. Two Hearts - The Charms - 1955
  97. Seven Lonely Days - Bonnie Lou - 1953
  98. Come Home - Bubber Johnson - 1956
  99. Lovin' Machine - Wynonie Harris - 1951
  100. Will You Be Mine - The Swallows - 1951

This list is comprised of songs released on King Records and its subsidiary labels Federal, DeLuxe, 4-Star, Bethlehem and Beltone. The company was primarily rhythm and blues-based, but had several big country hits and a few pop hits over the years. Rankings are based on the popularity of each song during the period of 1950 through 1969.

James Brown leads all artists on the list with 28 hits, followed by Hank Ballard with nine (five as Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, three as The Midnighters and one as The Royals). The Dominoes are next with seven (two of which have Billy Ward's name preceding the group's). Little Willie John has six songs on the list and Otis Williams' group has five (three as The Charms, one as Otis Williams and his Charms and one as Otis Williams and his New Group). Bill Doggett and Freddy King are represented four times apiece. While James Brown was its primary hitmaker starting in 1965, the company maintained consistent success throughout the two decades; 55 entries on the list are from the 1950s, while 45 are from the 1960s.




MORE TOP 100 LISTS!

Tossin' and Turnin' Honky Tonk I Got You (I Feel Good) Work With Me Annie Earl Bostic and his Alto Sax Fever I Loves You, Porgy