List of Billboard Easy Listening number ones of 1971

In 1971, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the easy listening market. The chart, which in 1971 was entitled Easy Listening, has undergone various name changes and has been published under the title Adult Contemporary since 1996.^[1] In 1971, 19 songs topped the chart based on playlists submitted by easy listening radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.^[1]

Bread had two number ones in 1971.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 2, "One Less Bell to Answer" by the 5th Dimension moved into the number one position, replacing "It's Impossible" by Perry Como.^[2] The song held the top spot for a single week before Bobby Goldsboro's "Watching Scotty Grow" took its place at number one. Goldsboro's song topped the chart for six consecutive weeks, the year's longest unbroken run at number one. The Carpenters spent the most total weeks at number one in 1971, occupying the top spot for a total of nine weeks with "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Superstar". The brother-sister duo^[3] was the only act to achieve three number ones during the year; the 5th Dimension and Bread were the only other acts to take more than one single to the top of the chart in 1971.

Two of 1971's Easy Listening number ones also topped Billboard's pop singles chart, the Hot 100; both songs were written, solely or in part, by Carole King. King spent five weeks atop the Easy Listening chart in June and July with "It's Too Late", for which she wrote the music but not the lyrics.^[4][5] It was immediately followed into the top spot by James Taylor's recording of "You've Got a Friend", written entirely by King,^[4] which spent a single week at number one. The two songs each spent the same number of weeks at number one on the Hot 100.^[6] Taylor's song was replaced atop the Easy Listening chart by Olivia Newton-John's cover version of Bob Dylan's "If Not for You", the first major U.S. success for the British-Australian singer who would be a regular during the 1970s in the upper reaches of Billboard's easy listening,^[7] country,^[8] and pop charts.^[9][10] The final Easy Listening number one of 1971 was "All I Ever Need Is You" by Sonny & Cher.

Chart history

Bobby Goldsboro spent six consecutive weeks at number one with "Watching Scotty Grow", the longest unbroken run of the year.

Carole King spent five weeks in the top spot with "It's Too Late".

James Taylor replaced King at number one with his cover version of her song "You've Got a Friend".

Chart history

Issue date	Title	Artist(s)	Ref.
January 2	"One Less Bell to Answer"	The 5th Dimension	[2]
January 9	"Watching Scotty Grow"	Bobby Goldsboro	[11]
January 16			[12]
January 23			[13]
January 30			[14]
February 6			[15]
February 13			[16]
February 20	"If You Could Read My Mind"	Gordon Lightfoot	[17]
February 27	"For All We Know"	The Carpenters	[18]
March 6			[19]
March 13			[20]
March 20	"(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story"	Andy Williams	[21]
March 27			[22]
April 3	"When There's No You"	Engelbert Humperdinck	[23]
April 10	"(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story"	Andy Williams	[24]
April 17			[25]
April 24	"If"	Bread	[26]
May 1			[27]
May 8			[28]
May 15	"Me and You and a Dog Named Boo"	Lobo	[29]
May 22			[30]
May 29	"Rainy Days and Mondays"	The Carpenters	[31]
June 5			[32]
June 12			[33]
June 19			[34]
June 26	"It's Too Late"	Carole King	[35]
July 3			[36]
July 10			[37]
July 17			[38]
July 24			[39]
July 31	"You've Got a Friend"	James Taylor	[40]
August 7	"If Not for You"	Olivia Newton-John	[41]
August 14			[42]
August 21			[43]
August 28	"Beginnings"	Chicago	[44]
September 4	"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"	Joan Baez	[45]
September 11			[46]
September 18			[47]
September 25			[48]
October 2			[49]
October 9	"Superstar"	The Carpenters	[50]
October 16			[51]
October 23	"Never My Love"	The 5th Dimension	[52]
October 30	"Peace Train"	Cat Stevens	[53]
November 6			[54]
November 13			[55]
November 20	"Baby I'm-a Want You"	Bread	[56]
November 27	"All I Ever Need Is You"	Sonny & Cher	[57]
December 4			[58]
December 11			[59]
December 18			[60]
December 25			[61]