The BEST episodes of Soul Train season 1
Every episode of Soul Train season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Soul Train season 1!
It's the SOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUL TRAIN! Pop music has always had shows like American Bandstand to sing its praises, but R&B music had to wait a while for its own major weekly showcase. Just the same, Soul Train proved to be well worth the wait when it hit the airwaves in the 1970s. This weekly extravaganza, which showed off the latest and greatest in soul music and dance moves, became a national sensation in the mid-1970s and became a pop culture juggernaut that broke new ground for African-American entertainment. Soul Train was the brainchild of radio announcer Don Cornelius. After studying broadcasting in college, Cornelius got a job at WVON, one of Chicago's most popular urban radio stations. During this time, he pondered breaking into television with a dance and music show from an African-American perspective. In 1969, he produced a pilot episode and dubbed it "Soul Train" after a local radio promotion he had done in Chicago. The pilot impressed the Sears Roebuck Company, whic
#1 - The Chi-Lites/ Edwin Starr/ James Gadsen
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 3/18/1972
--The Chi-Lites ""Oh Girl"" and ""The Coldest days of My Life"" --Edwin Starr ""War"" and ""Double Agent O Soul""
#2 - Gladys Knight & the Pips/ Eddie Kendricks/ The Honey Cone/ Bobby Hutton
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/1971
--Gladys Knight and the Pips performed ""Friendship Train"" and ""I Don't Wanna Do Wrong."" --Eddie Kendricks performed ""It's So Hard for Me to Say Goodbye"" and ""I Did It All For You."" --Honey Cone perfomed ""Stick-Up"" and ""Want Ads."" --Bobby Hutton performed ""You're My Only Reason.""
#3 - Ike & Tina Turner/ Jerry Butler/ Brenda Lee Eager
Season 1 - Episode 30 - Aired 4/22/1972
--Ike & Tina Turner - "I Want To Take You Higher," "Feels Good" and "Proud Mary" --Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager "Close to You" --Jerry Butler "I Only Have Eyes for You"
#4 - Isley Brothers/ Love Unlimited/ Millie Jackson
Season 1 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/15/1972
--The Isley Brothers - "Lay Away" and "Pop That Thang" --Love Unlimited - "Walkin' in the Rain (with the One I Love) and "Fragile (Handle With Care)" --Millie Jackson - "Ask Me What You Want" & "My Man, A Sweet Man"
#5 - Lou Rawls/ Otis Clay/ Peaches
Season 1 - Episode 28 - Aired 4/8/1972
--Lou Rawls "His Song Shall be Sung" --Otis Clay "Trying to Live My Life without you" --Peaches “In My Heart” and “You Couldn’t Have Been Thinking About Me”
#6 - Joe Tex/ Gloria Lynne/ Independents
Season 1 - Episode 27 - Aired 4/1/1972
--Joe Tex ""You Said a Bad Word"" --Gloria Lynne ""Watermelon Man"" and ""I Wish You Love"" --Independents ""Just as Long as You Need Me""
#7 - Wilson Pickett/ Curtis Mayfield/ War
Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 3/25/1972
Curtis Mayfield - "We Got To Have Peace" & "Get Down." War - "All Day Music" & "Slippin' Into Darkness." Wilson Pickett (performing live) - "Fire and Water," "I'm In Love" and "Don't Knock My Love."
#8 - Rufus Thomas/ The Bar-Kays/ Laura Lee
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/11/1972
--Rufus Thomas ""Do the Funky Penguin"" and ""Breakdown"" --The Bar-Kays ""Son of Shaft"" --Laura Lee ""Rip Off"" and ""Since I Fell for You""
#9 - Gladys Knight & the Pips/ The Ohio Players/ Garland Green
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/4/1972
--Gladys Knight & the Pips ""Make me the Woman That you Go Home to"" and ""I Don't Want to Do Wrong"" --The Ohio Players ""Got Pleasure"" and ""Pain"" --Garland Green ""Just My Way of Loving You"" and ""Plain and Simple Girl""
#10 - The Four Tops/ Jackie Wilson/ Kool & the Gang
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 2/26/1972
--The Four Tops "A Simple Game" and "MacArthur Park" --Jackie Wilson "Your Love Keeps Lifting me Higher and Higher" and "Love is Funny That Way" --Kool & the Gang "I Want to Take You Higher" and "Love The Life You Live"
#11 - Al Green/ The Whispers/ Denise LaSalle
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/19/1972
Denise LaSalle - "Now Run and Tell That" and "Trapped By this Thing Called Love." Al Green - "Tired Of Being Alone" and "Let's Stay Together." The Whispers - "Can't Help But Love You" and "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong."
#12 - Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee/ Joe Tex/ Hodges, Smith, James & Crawford
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/12/1972
--Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager ""Ain't Understanding Mellow"" --Jerry Butler ""Walk Easy my Son"" and ""How Did We Lose it Baby"" --Joe Tex ""I Gotcha"" and ""A Mother's Prayer"" --Hodges, Smith, James & Crawford ""Signal Your Intention""
#13 - The Dells/ Kim Weston/ Luther Ingram
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/5/1972
--The Dells ""It's All Up to You"" and ""The Love We Had"" --Kim Weston ""Little By Little And Bit By Bit"" and ""If I Had it My Way"" --Luther Ingram ""Be Good to Me Baby"" and ""I'll Love You Until the End""
#14 - The Impressions/ Mary Clayton/ The Three Degrees
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/29/1972
--The Impressions ""Ain't Got Time"" and ""Love Me"" --Merry Clayton ""After All This Time"" --The Three Degrees ""There's So Much Love"", ""Maybe"" and ""Trade Winds""
#15 - Curtis Mayfield/ The Honey Cone/ The Persuaders
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/22/1972
--Curtis Mayfield ""Move on Up"" and ""Get Down"" --The Honey Cone ""Want Ads"" and ""One Monkey Don't Stop No Show"" --The Persuaders ""Thin Line Between Love and Hate"" and ""Love Gonna Pack Up""
#16 - Little Richard/ Undisputed Truth/ Nolan F. Porter
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/15/1972
--Little Richard ""Freedom Blues"" and ""Greenwood Mississippi"" --Undisputed Truth ""Smiling Faces Sometimes"" and ""You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth""
#17 - Dennis Coffey/ Detroit Emeralds/ Jesse James
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/8/1972
--Dennis Coffey ""Scorpio"" --Detroit Emeralds ""Wear This Ring with Love"" and ""You Want it, You Got it"" --Jesse James ""I Need You Baby"" and ""At Last""
#18 - B.B. King/ O.C. Smith/ Patrice Halloway
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/1/1972
--B.B. King ""Think it Over"" --O.C. Smith ""Little Green Apples"" and ""Help Me Make it Through the Night"" --Patrice Halloway ""Evidence"" and ""That's the Chance You Gotta Take""
#19 - Gene Chandler/ Simtex & Wylie/ The Free Movement
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/25/1971
--Gene Chandler "Yes I'm Ready (If you Don't Let Go)" and "Stone Cold Love" --Simtex & Wylie "Got To get Over the Hump" --The Free Movement "I Found Someone" and "The Harder I Try"
#20 - Chi-Lites/ Joe Tex/ The Originals
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/18/1971
The Chi-Lites - "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People" and "Have You Seen Her?" The Originals - "The Bells." Joe Tex - "I Gotcha."
#21 - Jean Knight/ The Delfonics/ Maurice Jackson/ Ralphi Pagan
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/11/1971
--Jean Knight ""Mr. Big Stuff"" --The Delfonics ""Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time"" and ""Hey Love"" --Maurice Jackson ""Step By Step"" --Ralphi Pagan ""Make It With Me""
#22 - Junior Walker & The All Stars/ Bobby Womack/ Thelma Houston
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/4/1971
--Jr. Walker & The All-Stars - ""Do That Shing-A-Ling"" (live) and ""These Eyes"" --Bobby Womack - ""Communication"" and ""That's the Way I Feel About 'Cha"" --Thelma Houston - ""I Want to Go Back There Again"" and ""Save The Country""
#23 - Chambers Brothers/ The Five Stairsteps
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/27/1971
Chambers Brothers - "Time Has Come Today", "Let's Do It Together" and "Funky" Five Stairsteps - "O-o-h Child" and "Didn't it Look So Easy"
#24 - Friends of Distinction/ Clarence Carter
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/20/1971
--Friends of Distinction ""Grazing in the Grass"" and ""I Need You"" --Clarence Carter ""Patches""
#25 - Martha & the Vandellas/ The Intruders/ G.C. Cameron
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/13/1971
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - "Dancing In The Street", "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things" and "Bless You." The Intruders - "I Bet He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" & "Cowboys To Girls." G.C. Cameron - "Act Like A Shotgun."