Top 20 Numan Hits
In 1959, R&B; A female vocal group came together from Detroit and called themselves the Primettes. The lead singer group consisted of Diana Ross, Maria Wilson, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin.
They signed with the Little Wolf label in 1960. In the same year, the Primettes signed with Motown’s Tamla label. a year later, in 1961, Primittes was known as Numan. Barbara Martin left not long after making the trio a group.
For three years, Supreme worked as backing vocalists for other Motown artists. They can be heard backing Marvin Gaye on his 1963 hit, “Can I Take a Test?”
In late 1963, The Supremes cracked the Billboard Top 40 charts for the first time with “Slipper When It Starts to Shine Through Their Eyes.” Five of the following six singles went to number one. In all they had twelve number one hits.
Although they were high on the charts, there was a lot of friction between Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. The whole thing came to a head in 1967, when Motown’s boss, Berry Gordy, fired Ballard and replaced her with Cindy Birdsong. who was with Patti LaBalle’s Bluebelles.
Diana Ross left the group in 1969 and was replaced by Jean Terrell. Ross had the most successful solo career, but Numan only achieved the top ten rebounds. Their last single was in 1976.
In 1978, Mary Wilson reformed the group Mary Wilson and the Summas, but lost the rights to use the Numanes name in England.
Below are Numan’s twenty greatest hits, according to Billboard magazine.
1. A Boy Born – 1964
2. A Boy Born – 1968
3. Where Does Our Love Go – 1964 – Donnie Elbert took this song to #15 on the weekly charts in 1971.
4. Come, Look at Me – 1964
5. You Can’t Hurry Love – 1966 – In 1983, Phil Collins took a cover version of this song to #10.
6. Stop! In the Name of Love – 1965
7. Listen to the symphony – 1966
8. Keep Me Hangin’ On – 1966 – psychedelic poem of this song at #6, by Vanilla Fudge, in 1968 and twenty-one years after the original version, Kim Wilde also went to #1 in 1987.
9. Someday, I’ll Be Together – 1969 – Numan’s last #1 song with Diana Ross and the title is very fitting as his swan song.
10. Back in my Arms Again – 1965
11. Love is here and now you’re out – 1967
12. Fieri – 1967 – From movie of the same title.
13. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me – 1969 – Here the Supremes teamed up with The Tentations, who, ironically were called Primes, when they first came to Motown and this Madeline Bell tunes which went to #26 for her in 1968.
14. Reflections – 1967
15. My World Is Empty Without You – 1966
16. Stoned Love – 1970 – One of two Beatles songs to reach the top ten without Diana. Ross leads on.
17. Love Is Like an Itch in My Heart – 1966
18. In And Out Of Love – 1967 – One of the 17 top 40 songs written by the team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland for Numan.
19. Stairway to the Roof – 1970 – Numan released their first single after lead singer Diana Ross.
20. Im Leta in Shame – 1969
On a sad note, Florence Ballard tried to fire Motown, but lost the case. In 1976, after spending some time in health and trying to support her three children, Florence Ballard died of cardiac arrest at the age of 32.
Numan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
