This artist had good success on the R&B chart but as you can see from his Hits List*, he seldom did good with the masses:
1956: "Please, Please, Please" (#5 R&B)
1959: "Try Me" (#48, #1 R&B)
"I Want You So Bad" (#20 R&B)
1960: "I'll Go Crazy" (#15 R&B)
"Think" (#33, #7 R&B)
"You've Got The Power" (#86, #14 R&B)
"This Old Heart" (#79, #20 R&B)
"The Bells" (#68)
1961: "Bewildered" (#40, #8 R&B)
"I Don't Mind" (#47, #4 R&B)
"Baby, You're Right" (#49, #2 R&B)
"Just You And Me, Darling" (#17 R&B)
1962: "Lost Someone" (#48, #2 R&B)
"Night Train" (#35, #5 R&B)
"Shout And Shimmy" (#61, #16 R&B)
"Mashed Potatoes U.S.A." (#82, #21 R&B)
"Three Hearts In A Tangle" (#93, #18 R&B)
1963: "Every Beat Of My Heart" (#99)
"Like A Baby" (#24 R&B)
"Prisoner Of Love" (#18, #6 R&B)
"These Foolish Things" (#55, #25 R&B)
"Signed, Sealed And Delivered" (#77, #77 R&B)
1964: "Oh Baby Don't You Weep (Part 1)" (#23, #23 R&B)
"Please, Please, Please" (#95, #95 R&B)
"Caldonia" (#95, #95 R&B)
"The Things That I Used To Do" (#99, #99 R&B)
"Out Of Sight" (#24, #24 R&B)
"Have Mercy Baby" (#92, #92 R&B)
1965: "Papa's Got A Brand New Pag Part 1 (#8, #1 R&B)
"I Got You (I Feel Good)" (#3, #1 R&B)
"Try Me" (#63, #34 R&B)
1966: "I'll Go Crazy" (#73, #38 R&B)
"Lost Someone" (#94)
"Ain't That A Groove Part 1" (#42, #6 R&B)
"It's A Man's Man's Man's World" (#8, #1 R&B)
"Money Won't Change You Part 1 (#53, #11 R&B)
"Don't Be A Drop-Out" (#50, #4 R&B)
"Sweet Little Baby Boy (Part 1)
"The Christmas Song (Version 1)"
1967: "Bring It Up" (#29, #7 R&B)
"Kansas City" (#55, #21 R&B)
"Think" (with Vicki Anderson--#100)
"Let Yourself Go" (#46, #5 R&B)
"Cold Sweat - Part 1" (#7, #1 R&B)
"Get It Together (Part 1)" (#40, #11 R&B)
"Let's Make This Christmas Mean Something This Year"
1968: "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)" (#28, #4 R&B)
1968: "There Was A Time" (#36, #3 R&B)
"You've Got To Change Your Mind" (with Bobby Byrd--#47 R&B)
"I Got The Feelin'" (#6, #1 R&B)
"Licking Stick = Licking Stick (Part 1)" (#14, #2 R&B)
"America Is My Home = Pt. 1" (#52, #13 R&B)
"I Guess I'll Have To Cry, Cry, Cry" (#55, #15 R&B)
"Say It Loud = I'm Black And I'm Proud (Part 1)" (#10, #1 R&B)
"Goodbye My Love" (#31, #9 R&B)
"Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto"
1969: "Tit For Tat (Ain't No Talking Back)" (#86)
"Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" (#15, #1 R&B)
"Soul Price (Part 1)" (#33 R&B)
"I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I'll Get It Myself) (Part 1)" (#20, #3 R&B)
"The Popcorn" (#30, #11 R&B)
"Mother Popcorn (You Got To Have A Mother For Me) Part 1" (#11, #1 R&B)
"Lowdown Popcorn" (#41, #16 R&B)
"World (Part 1)" (#37, #8 R&B)
"Let A Man Come In And Do The Popcorn Part One" (#21, #2 R&B)
1970: "Aint It Funky Now (Part 1)" (#24, #3 R&B)
"Part Two (Let A Man Come In And Do The Popcorn)" (#40, #6 R&B)
"It's A New Day (Part 1" (#32, #3 R&B)
"Funky Drummer (Part 1)" (#51, #20 R&B)
"Brother Rapp (Part 1)" (#32, #2 R&B)
"Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine (Part 1)" (#15, #2 R&B)
"Super Bad (Part 1 & Part 2)" (#13, #1 R&B)
"Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay"
1971: "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved Pt. 1" (#34, #4 R&B)
"Soul Power Pt. 1" (#29, #3 R&B)
"Spinning Wheel Pt. 1" (#90)
"I Cried" (#50, #15 R&B)
"Escape-ism (Part 1)" (#35, #6 R&B)
"Hot Pants Pt. 1 (She Got To Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)" (#15, #1 R&B)
"Make It Funky (Part 1)" (#22, #1 R&B)
"My Part/Make It Funky-Part 3" (#68)
"I'm A Greedy Man - Part 1" (#35, #7 R&B)
1972: "Talking Loud And Saying Nothing - Part 1" (#27, #1 R&B)
"King Heroin" #40, #6 R&B)
"There It Is Part 1" (#43, #4 R&B)
"Honky Tonk - Part 1" (The James Brown Soul Train--#44, #7 R&B)
"Get On The Good Foot-Part 1" (#18, #1 R&B)
"I Got A Bag Of My Own" (#44, #3 R&B)
1973: "What My Baby Needs Now Is A Little More Lovin'" (with Lyn Collins--#56, #17 R&B)
"I Got Ants In My Pants - Part 1 and I want to dance" (#27, #4 R&B)
"Down And Out In New York City" (#50, #13 R&B)
"Think" (#77, #15 R&B)
"Think" (#80, #37 R&B)
"Sexy, Sexy, Sexy" (#50, #6 R&B)
1974: "Stoned To The Bone - Part 1" (#58, #4 R&B)
"The Payback - Part 1" (#26, #1 R&B)
"My Thang" (sic) #29, #1 R&B)
"Papa Don't Take No Mess Part 1" (#31, #1 R&B)
"Funky President (People It's Bad)" (#44, #4 R&B)
"Coldblooded" (#44)
1975: "Reality" (#80, #19 R&B)
"Sex Machine Part 1" (#61, #16 R&B)
"Hustle!!! (Dead On It)" (#11 R&B)
"Superbad, Superslick Part 1" (#28 R&B)
1976: "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)" (#31 R&B)
"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" (#70 R&B)
"Get Up Offa' (sic" That Thing" (#45, #4 R&B)
"I Refuse To Lose" (#47 R&B)
1977: "Bodyheat (Part 1)" (#88, #13 R&B
"Kiss In 77" (#35 R&B)
"Give Me Some Skin" (with the J.B.'s--#20 R&B)
1978: "If You Don't Give A Dogone About It" (with the New J.B.'s--#45 R&B)
"Eyesight" (#38 R&B)
"The Spank" (#26 R&B)
1979: "For Goodness Sakes, Look At Those Cakes (Part 1)" (#52 R&B)
"It's Too Funky In Here" (#15 R&B)
"Star Generation" (#63 R&B)
1980: "Regrets" (#63 R&B)
1981: "Rapp Payback (Where Iz (sic) Moses)" (#46 R&B)
"Stay With Me" (#80 R&B)
1983: "Bring It On...Bring It On" (#73 R&B)
"The Night Time Is The Right Time (To Be With The One That You Love)" (#73 R&B)
1984: "Unity" (with Afrika Bambaayaa--#87 R&B)
1986: "Living In America" (#4, #10 R&B)
"Gravity" #93, #26 R&B)
1987: "How Do You Stop" (#10 R&B)
1988: "I'm Real" (#2 R&B)
"Static" (#5 R&B)
1989: "Gimme Your Love" (with Aretha Franklin--#48 R&B)
1991: "(So Tired Of Standing Still We (sic) Got To) Move On" (#48 R&B)
1993: "Can't Get Any Harder" (#76 R&B)
James had tons of hits (99) but waited six years and 24 single releases before his first Top 10 hit. Of Brown's 99 releases, just six went Top 10 with no #1's. We mentioned the huge R&B success--probably the most successful R&B artist in history. Brown scored 118 R&B hits, with 58 Top 10's in that genre and 17 #1's.