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# Whiter Shade Of Pop: Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” Becomes First #1 By Black Artist In 14 Months
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/a-whiter-shade-of-pop-pharrell-willians-happy-is-first-1-by-black-artist-in-14-months/
- Published: 2014-03-05T11:58:00.000Z
- Updated: 2014-03-05T11:58:00.000Z
- Description: Last week Pharrell Williams' hit "Happy" became the first song by a black artist since December of 2012 to reach #1 Billboard's Hot 100. Then, it was Rihanna's "Diamonds" that went. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2014/03/a-whiter-shade-of-pop-pharrell-willians-happy-is-first-1-by-
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Music Business, Billboard Hot 100, Grammy, Grammy Award, Johnny Legend, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:38

[![image from media.npr.org](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201a73d882dd3970d-150wi "image from media.npr.org")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201a73d882dd3970d-popup?ref=hypebot.com)

Last week Pharrell Williams' hit "Happy" became the first song by a black artist since December of 2012 to reach #1 Billboard's Hot 100\. Then, it was Rihanna's "Diamonds" that went #1\. Since, even African-American powerhouses like Beyonce and Johnny Legend reached the top 5 without ever hitting #1.

**Is The Music Industry Racist?**

On the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, white artists were also on top 44 out of 52 weeks in 2013.

A similar white streak extends to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where in 2014 the only black inductee was the late Clarence Clemmons, listed as Springsteen's sideman.

[![west](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201a73d882efd970d-150wi "west")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201a73d882efd970d-popup?ref=hypebot.com)

"…There’s no willful racism or systematic exclusion happening, neither in the Rock Hall nor on the charts," [argues](http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/the%5Fmusic%5Fclub/features/2013/music%5Fclub%5F2013/the%5Frock%5Fhall%5Fof%5Ffame%5Fand%5Fthe%5Fbillboard%5Fhot%5F100%5Fwhere%5Fwere%5Fthe%5Fblack%5Facts.html?ref=hypebot.com) Slate's Chris Molanphy, "the populace is naturally drifting away from African-Americans after decades of regarding them as the avatars of cutting-edge popular music.

But some, like Kayne West, see racism throughout the industry. "I’m 36 years old and I have 21 Grammys – that’s the most Grammys of any 36-year-old," [said](https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2013/12/kayne-west-on-the-racist-grammys-fuck-those-nominations-video-.html) West after last year's awards ceremony. "Out of all of those 21 Grammys, I’ve never won a Grammy against a white artist."

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