Billboard year-end top 50 R&B singles of 1965 is the year-end chart compiled by Billboard magazine ranking the top rhythm and blues singles of 1965. The list was based on charts from the January 30 through October 30.[1]
The year's No. 1 R&B hit was "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" by the Four Tops which held the No. 1 spot for nine consecutive weeks from June 5 to July 31.
Because the list ends with the October 30 chart, it omits hit songs that peaked after October 30, including (i) Fontella Bass' "Rescue Me" which held the No. 1 spot for four consecutive weeks from October 30 to November 20, and (ii) James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)" which held the No. 1 spot for four consecutive weeks from December 4 to December 25.
| Year-end rank | Weekly peak | Title | Artist(s) | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" | Motown | ||
| 2 | 1 | "In the Midnight Hour" | Atlantic | ||
| 3 | 1 | "Shotgun" | Junior Walker & The All Stars | Soul | |
| 4 | 6 | "I Do Love You" | Chess | ||
| 5 | 2 | "Yes, I'm Ready" | Arctic | ||
| 6 | 1 | "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" | King | ||
| 7 | 2 | "The Tracks of My Tears" | Tamla | ||
| 8 | 1 | "We're Gonna Make It" | Checker | ||
| 9 | 2 | "Tonight's the Night" | Atlantic | ||
| 10 | 1 | "I'll Be Doggone" | Tamla | ||
| 11 | 3 | "Nothing Can Stop Me" | Constellation | ||
| 12 | 5 | "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" | Checker | ||
| 13 | 1 | "My Girl" | Gordy | ||
| 14 | 2 | "Stop! In the Name of Love" | Motown | ||
| 15 | 3 | "Oo Wee Baby, I Love You" | VeeJay | ||
| 16 | 5 | "Nowhere to Run" | Gordy | ||
| 17 | 4 | "Since I Lost My Baby" | The Temptations | Gordy | |
| 18 | 13 | "It's a Man Down There" | Brothers | ||
| 19 | 4 | "Ooo Baby Baby" | The Miracles | Tamla | |
| 20 | 5 | "Baby I'm Yours" | Atlantic | ||
| 21 | 2 | "It's the Same Old Song" | Four Tops | Motown | |
| 22 | 1 | "Got to Get You Off My Mind" | Solomon Burke | Atlantic | |
| 23 | 1 | "Back in My Arms Again" | The Supremes | Motown | |
| 24 | 8 | "Agent Double-O-Soul" | Ric Tic | ||
| 25 | 3 | "It's Growing" | The Temptations | Gordy | |
| 26 | 2 | Ramsey Lewis Trio | Cadet | ||
| 27 | 2 | "Shake" | RCA Victor | ||
| 28 | 4 | "Sitting in the Park" | Billy Stewart | Chess | |
| 29 | 4 | "Twine-Time" | Alvin Cash & The Crawlers | Mar-V-Lus | |
| 30 | 6 | "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" | Back Beat | ||
| 31 | 1 | Dial | |||
| 32 | 7 | "Ride Your Pony" | Amy | ||
| 33 | 7 | "Shake and Fingerpop" | Junior Walker & The All Stars | Soul | |
| 34 | 3 | "People Get Ready" | ABC-Paramount | ||
| 35 | 6 | "I Can't Work No Longer" | Okeh | ||
| 36 | 10 | "Mr. Pitiful" | Volt | ||
| 37 | "Unchained Melody" | Philles | |||
| 38 | "Teasin' You" | Atlantic | |||
| 39 | Otis Redding | Volt | |||
| 40 | "Who's Cheating Who" | Little Milton | Checker | ||
| 41 | "Ask the Lonely" | Four Tops | Motown | ||
| 42 | "Hurt So Bad" | DCP | |||
| 43 | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | The Righteous Brothers | Philles | ||
| 44 | Tamla | ||||
| 45 | "Boo-ga-loo" | Tom & Jerrio | ABC-Paramount | ||
| 46 | "Something You Got" | Wand | |||
| 47 | 7 | "I Do" | ABC-Paramount | ||
| 48 | 9 | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | Sam Cooke | RCA Victor | |
| 49 | 10 | "The Entertainer" | Chess | ||
| 50 | "The Boy from New York City" | Blue Cat |