Johnny Gill’s “One Night” checks into the penthouse of Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, rising 2-1 to crown the list dated Feb. 21. The single ascends as the most-played song on U.S. panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations for the tracking week of Feb. 6-12, according to Luminate.
“One Night” advances with a 14% gain in weekly plays. Alongside the improvement, it wins the week’s Greatest Gainer honor, awarded to the song with the largest increase in plays at the format. The tune was released as a stand-alone single last August on Gill’s own J Skillz imprint and promoted through P Music.
The song secures a fourth No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay for R&B legend Gill, whose career predates the chart’s launch in September 1993. He scored his first ruler with the four-week champ “This One’s for Me and You,” featuring bandmates New Edition, in May-June 2015 and followed with 2019’s “Soul of a Woman” (two weeks that June). He, Babyface and K-Ci Hailey then guested on Charlie Wilson’s “No Stoppin’ Us,” which led for three weeks in August 2022.
Before his string of Adult R&B Airplay triumphs, Gill began a solo career in the early 1980s and reached heightened prominence when the Washington, D.C., native joined established hitmakers New Edition in 1987 (as the only member of the group not from Boston). He first appeared on the group’s Heart Break album, which includes “Can You Stand the Rain,” a Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs No. 1 for two weeks in 1989; lead single “If It Isn’t Love” hit No. 2.
A renewed solo campaign soon sparked five consecutive top two hits for Gill on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 1990-91. Four reached No. 1 — “Where Do We Go From Here,” with frequent duet partner Stacy Lattisaw; “Rub You the Right Way”; “My, My, My”; and “Wrap My Body Tight” — while “Fairweather Friend” peaked in the runner-up rank. Later that decade, Gill found another successful partnership in teaming with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat as LSG, whose “My Body” ruled Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for seven weeks in 1997.
With his new hit, Gill continues to expand his account in Billboard’s R&B ledgers. Though “One Night” slips 14-15 on this week’s audience-based R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (which reflects play on adult and mainstream R&B/hip-hop formats), it improved 16% to 6.1 million in audience. By entering the top 15, it marked his best showing since “My Body” reigned for two weeks in 1997 and strongest solo result since “The Floor” (No. 12, 1993).
Radio results helped “One Night” debut at No. 25 on the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs list (dated Feb. 7), which combines airplay data with streaming and sales. The arrival gave Gill his first entry on the list, which began in 2012.
