List of Billboard Easy Listening number ones of 1971
Introduction Bread had two number ones in 1971.|alt=A group of four men, two with mustaches, one with a mustache and beard and one who is clean-shavenAdult Contemporary is a chart published by ''Billboard'' ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1971, 19 songs topped the chart, then published under the title Easy Listening, based on playlists submitted by easy listening radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.In the issue of ''Billboard'' dated January 2, "One Less Bell to Answer" by The 5th Dimension moved into the number one position, replacing "It's Impossible" by Perry Como. The song held the top spot for a single week before being replaced by Bobby Goldsboro's "Watching Scotty Grow". Goldsboro's song topped the chart for six consecutive weeks, the year's longest unbroken run at number one. The Carpenters spent the most total weeks at number one in 1971, occupying the top spot for a total of nine weeks with "For All We Know", "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Superstar". The brother-sister duo was the only act to achieve three number ones during the year; The 5th Dimension and Bread were the only other acts to take more than one single to the top of the chart in 1971.Two of 1971's Easy Listening number ones also topped ''Billboard''s all-genre singles chart, the Hot 100, both written, solely or in part, by Carole King. King spent five weeks atop the Easy Listening chart in June and July with "It's Too Late", for which she wrote the music but not the lyrics. It was immediately followed into the top spot by James Taylor's recording of  "You've Got a Friend", written entirely by King, which spent a single week at number one. The two songs each spent the same number of weeks at number one on the Hot 100.Taylor's song was followed into the top spot by Olivia Newton-John's cover version of Bob Dylan's "If Not for You", the first major hit for the Australian singer who would achieve considerable U.S. chart success during the 1970s in both the pop and country fields. The final Easy Listening number one of 1971 was "All I Ever Need Is You" by Sonny & Cher.
Chart history Bobby Goldsboro spent six consecutive weeks at number one with "Watching Scotty Grow", the longest unbroken run of the year.|alt=A dark-haired manCarole King spent five weeks in the top spot with "It's Too Late".|alt=A woman with dark curly hairJames Taylor replaced King at number one with his cover version of her song "You've Got a Friend".|alt=A man with long dark hair+KeyIndicates best-performing easy listening song of 1971Issue dateTitleArtist(s)"One Less Bell to Answer""Watching Scotty Grow"   "If You Could Read My Mind" "For All We Know"   ""  "When There's No You" ""  "If"Bread   "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo"Lobo  "Rainy Days and Mondays"    "It's Too Late"     "You've Got a Friend" "If Not for You"   "Beginnings"Chicago ""     "Superstar"  "Never My Love" "Peace Train"   "Baby I'm-a Want You"Bread "All I Ever Need Is You"Sonny & Cher
References
See also *1971 in music*List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart