Celebrating six decades of soul – from favorites by Stevie Wonder to The Weeknd and the Supremes to SZA – SiriusXM brought back the Billboard Top 500 R&B Countdown on Tuesday (Feb. 11).
In honor of Black History Month, the countdown spotlights the top 500 R&B classics by Black artists spanning the past six decades (1965-2025), as ranked by performance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, per Billboard‘s Greatest of All Time methodology (with consideration also given to titles’ histories on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs charts).
From No. 500 to No. 1, the Billboard Top 500 R&B Countdown highlights the enduring legacy of the genre, from iconic Motown, funk and disco anthems to love songs and more, highlighting the biggest hits by cornerstone artists including Aretha Franklin, Four Tops, Earth, Wind & Fire, Donna Summer, Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Usher, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Bruno Mars.
The Billboard Top 500 R&B Countdown marks the latest partnership between SiriusXM and Billboard. Recent airings include the Billboard Music Awards Channel, the Billboard Top 500 Summer Hits Countdown, the Billboard Women of Pop Countdown and the Billboard #2 Countdown Channel. Additionally, SiriusXM’s Big 40 Countdown, on 80s on 8, and the Back in the Day Replay, on ‘90s on 9, are based on historical weekly Hot 100 charts, with other current and classic charts counted down on channels including 70s on 7, Prime Country and TikTok Radio.
