1972 On The Charts - Last Look

 Over the past 12 months, I've posted lists of the songs that topped the US Top 40 Charts month by month.  If you missed it, you can see them here.

But what about the songs that didn't quite make the Top 40?  Or didn't come close?  There were 370 songs that cracked the Hot 100 in 1972, but did NOT make the Top 40.  Many were wonderful and notable songs.  And a lot I don't remember, or never even heard.

Here's a list of some of my favorites that didn't make the top 40, with their peak position:

• Tiny Dancer - Elton John - 41
• Lies - J.J. Cale - 42
• And You And I - Yes - 42
• After Midnight - J.J. Cale - 42
• Handbags And Gladrags - Rod Stewart - 42
• Rock And Roll - Led Zeppelin - 47
• Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison - 47
• Let It Rain - Eric Clapton - 48
• Rock Me On The Water - Jackson Browne - 48
• Be My Lover - Alice Cooper - 49
• Legend In Your Own Time - Carly Simon - 50
• Lucky Man - Emerson, Lake and Palmer - 51
• Duncan - Paul Simon - 52
• Iron Man - Black Sabbath - 52
• For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her - Simon and Garfunkel - 53
• Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper - 59
• It Doesn't Matter - Stephen Stills - 61
• Starman - David Bowie - 65
• Changes - David Bowie - 66
• Francene - ZZ Top - 69
• Truckin' - Grateful Dead - 69
• Nutrocker - Emerson Lake & Palmer - 70
• The Jean Genie - David Bowie - 71
• Iko Iko - Dr. John - 71
• Ain't Wastin' Time No More - Allman Brothers - 77
• I Just Want To Make Love To You - Foghat - 83
• Evil Ways - Carlos Santana  - 84
• Jamalaya (On The Bayou) - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - 84
• Vahevala - Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina - 84
• Ain't That Peculiar - Fanny - 85
• One Way Out - The Allman Brothers Band - 86
• Melissa - The Allman Brothers Band - 86
• Nobody But You - Kenny Loggins With Jim Messina - 86
• Goodbye Again - John Denver - 88
• Down On Me - Janis Joplin - 91
• Rock And Roll Crazies - Stephen Stills-Manassas - 92
• Couldn't I Just Tell You - Todd Rundgren - 93
• Rock & Roll Stew...Part 1 - Traffic - 93
• Celebration - Tommy James - 95
• America - Simon and Garfunkel - 97

December 1972 on the Music Charts

December closes out 1972, and here's  the continuing series of Top music hits of the month.  November 1972, almost done with one of the greatest years in popular music!  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 5 weeks in December1972, and there were 58 songs that spent time in the the Top 40.  Over those 5 weeks, there were 3 songs that topped the charts:  Papa Was A Rollin' Stone byThe Temptations and I Am Woman by Helen Reddy each spent a week at #1, then Billy Paul's Me And Mrs. Jones took over for the last 3 weeks of 1972.

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 5 weeks of the month. 

• Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul - 2.25
• I Am Woman - Helen Reddy - 3
• You Ought To Be With Me - Al Green - 3.75
• Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan - 5.5
• It Never Rains In Southern California - Albert Hammond - 5.5
• Papa Was A Rollin' Stone - The Temptations - 7.5
• If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes - 7.75
• Funny Face - Donna Fargo - 9.25
• Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu - Johnny Rivers - 11
• I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash - 11.5

Meanwhile, Twenty-Four (24) songs made their Top 40 debut. Here they are, ranked by debut chart position:

• Hi, Hi, Hi - Wings - 27
• Crocodile Rock - Elton John - 30
• Keeper Of The Castle - Four Tops - 32
• Superstition - Stevie Wonder - 32
• Pieces Of April - Three Dog Night - 32
• Why Can't We Live Together - Timmy Thomas - 32
• Long Dark Road - The Hollies - 33
• Trouble Man - Marvin Gaye - 33
• Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins and Messina - 34
• Sitting - Cat Stevens - 35
• Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Blue Haze - 35
• The World Is A Ghetto - War - 35
• You're So Vain - Carly Simon - 37
• I Wanna Be With You - Raspberries - 37
• Alive - Bee Gees - 37
• Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? - Hurricane Smith - 37
• Do It Again - Steely Dan - 37
• Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight - James Taylor - 38
• I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock And Roll) - Gary Glitter - 38
• What Am I Crying For? - Dennis Yost And The Classics IV - 39
• Theme From The Men - Isaac Hayes - 39
• Been To Canaan - Carole King - 40
• You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio - Joni Mitchell - 40
• Angel - Rod Stewart - 40

So that wraps up 1972, one of the best years ever for the Top 40.  Lots of great stuff, and a variety you just don't hear these days.  

November 1972 on the Music Charts

Well, it is still November, so I'm not TOO late!  Close, though.  Here's  the continuing series of Top music hits of the month.  November 1972, almost done with one of the greatest years in popular music!.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 4 weeks in November 1972, and there were 54 songs that spent time in the the Top 40.  Over those 4 weeks, there was only one song that topped the charts: Johnny Nash's I Can See Clearly Now.  A true classic.

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month. 

• I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash - 1
• I'd Love You To Want Me - Lobo - 3.75
• I'll Be Around - The Spinners - 4.5
• Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues - 4.5
• Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") - Curtis Mayfield - 6.75
• I Am Woman - Helen Reddy - 7
• Papa Was A Rollin' Stone - The Temptations - 10.25
• If I Could Reach You - The 5th Dimension - 11.75
• Garden Party - Rick Nelson  - 12
• Witchy Woman - Eagles - 12.5

Meanwhile, Twenty-One (21) songs made their Top 40 debut. Here they are, ranked by debut chart position:

• I'm Stone In Love With You - The Stylistics - 25
• Convention '72 - The Delegates - 26
• You Ought To Be With Me - Al Green - 31
• Funny Face - Donna Fargo - 31
• Crazy Horses - The Osmonds - 32
• Something's Wrong With Me - Austin Roberts - 33
• Walk On Water - Neil Diamond - 34
• Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels) - Jim Croce - 35
• Rock 'N Roll Soul - Grand Funk Railroad - 36
• Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan - 36
• Corner Of The Sky - Jackson 5 - 36
• Living In The Past - Jethro Tull - 36
• Ventura Highway - America - 37
• Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu - Johnny Rivers - 38
• Dialogue (Part I and II) - Chicago - 38
• Sunny Days - Lighthouse - 38
• It Never Rains In Southern California - Albert Hammond - 39
• Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul - 39
• All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople - 40
• Sweet Surrender - Bread - 40
• Superfly - Curtis Mayfield - 40

October1972 on the Music Charts

 I'm late, but at least it is still October, so here's  the continuing series of hits -of-the-month.  top music hits of October1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 4 weeks in October 1972, and there were 51 songs that spent time in the the Top 40/  Over those 4 weeks, there were 3 songs that topped the charts.  October started with Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me by Mac Davis, in the last of its 3 week run at #1.  Michael Jackson's Ben took over for 1 week, giving way to Chuck Berry's My Ding-A-Ling for the last two weeks.  I've always thought it odd, and a little sad, that Chuck Berry's only #1 song was a silly novelty song, released more than a decade after his last Top 40 song.  He had 6 Top 10's in the 50's, but no #1s.  Meanwhile, Ben was Michael Jackson's fist #1 as a solo artist.  A song about a boy's friend rat....  Yep, a sort of odd month at the top of the charts,

Here's the top 10 songs (11 with a tie) of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month. 

• Use me - Bill Withers - 3.5
• Burning Love - Elvis Presley - 4.0
• Ben - Michael Jackson - 4.25
• My Ding-A-Ling - Chuck Berry - 4.5
• Everybody Plays The Fool - The Main Ingredient - 5.0
• Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues - 7.0
• Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me - Mac Davis - 8.75
• Garden Party - Rick Nelson - 10.5
• Go All The Way - Raspberries - 13.25
• Popcorn - Hot Butter - 13.25
• Tight Rope - Leon Russell - 13.25

Some pretty wonderful songs in that list...

Meanwhile, Seventeen (17) songs made their Top 40 debut. Here they are, ranked by debut chart position:

• I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash - 33
• Summer Breeze - Seals and Crofts - 34
• I Believe In Music - Gallery - 35
• I'd Love You To Want Me - Lobo - 35
• Midnight Rider  - Joe Cocker - 36
• I Am Woman - Helen Reddy - 36
• If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes - 36
• Geronimo's Cadillac - Michael Murphey - 37
• Elected - Alice Cooper - 37
• Rock Me Baby - David Cassidy - 38
• Papa Was A Rollin' Stone - The Temptations - 38
• Loving You Just Crossed My Mind - Sam Neely - 39
• Spaceman - Nilsson - 39
• American City Suite - Cashman and West - 39
• I'll Be Around - The Spinners - 40
• Don't Do It - The Band - 40
• From The Beginning - Emerson, Lake and Palmer - 40

Boy, do I miss the music of 1972.....

September 1972 on the Music Charts

 Moving into the last third of 1973, the continuing series of hits -of-the-month, moving to September1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 5 weeks in September of 1972, and there were 60 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's a tick up from the past couple of months, for what it's worth. And over those 5 weeks, there were 3 songs that topped the charts: Gilbert O'Sullivan's  "Alone Again, Naturally" rebounded to #1, after ending August with a week at #2.   It spent 6 weeks total at the top1.  matching Roberta Flack and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" which was #1 for 6 consecutive weeks in April and May.  Three Dog Night took over the #1 spot for 1 week, with "Black And White", and "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" by Mac Davis topped the last 2 weeks.

Here's the top 10 songs (11 with a tie) of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 5 weeks of the month. 

• Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me - Mac Davis - 2.8
• Black And White - Three Dog Night - 5.6
• Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan - 5.6
• Back Stabbers - The O'Jays - 5.8
• Saturday In The Park - Chicago - 7
• Go All The Way - Raspberries - 12.6
• Rock And Roll Part 2 - Gary Glitter - 12.6
• Honkey Cat - Elton John - 14
• Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) - The Hollies - 14.2
• Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) - Looking Glass - 14.6

Very solid Top 10 this month, I have 9 of the 10 in my collection.

Meanwhile, Twenty-Four (24) songs made their Top 40 debut. Here they are, ranked by debut chart position:

• My Ding-A-Ling - Chuck Berry - 31
• Everybody Plays The Fool - The Main Ingredient - 32
• Ben - Michael Jackson - 32
• Play Me - Neil Diamond - 33
• Use me - Bill Withers - 33
• Garden Party - Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band - 33
• Tight Rope - Leon Russell - 34
• Thunder And Lightnin - Chi Coltrane - 34
• Speak To The Sky - Rick Springfield - 35
• Witchy Woman - Eagles - 35
• The City Of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie - 36
• Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") - Curtis Mayfield - 36
• Get On The Good Foot-Part 1 - James Brown - 37
• Starting All Over Again - Mel And Tim - 37
• Listen To The Music - The Doobie Brothers - 37
• If I Could Reach You - The 5th Dimension - 37
• Why/Lonely Boy - Donny Osmond - 38
• If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry - Jerry Wallace - 38
• Don't Ever Be Lonely - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose - 38
• Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues - 39
• You Wear It Well - Rod Stewart - 39
• Burning Love - Elvis Presley - 40
• Easy Livin' - Uriah Heep - 40
• Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues - Danny O'Keefe - 40

August 1972 on the Music Charts

   Continuing the series of hits -of-the-month, moving to August1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 4 weeks in August of 1972, and there were 49 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's a fewer than the past couple of months, for what it's worth. And over those 4 weeks, there were only 2 songs that topped the charts: Gilbert O'Sullivan's  "Alone Again, Naturally" carried over from the last week of July, and spent another 3 weeks at number 1.  Pretty impressive, but still lags Roberta Flack and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" which was #1 for 6 consecutive weeks in April and May.  "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)" by Looking Glass took over the top spot for the last week of August.

Here's the top 10 songs (11 with a tie) of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month. 

• Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan - 1.25
• Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) - Looking Glass - 1.75
• (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right - Luther Ingram - 4
• Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) - The Hollies - 5.25
• Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton - 7.25
• I'm Still In Love With You - Al Green - 7.75
• Where Is The Love - Roberta Flack - 9
• Coconut - Nilsson - 10
• Hold Your Head Up - Argent - 12.75
• Goodbye To Love - Carpenters - 12.75
• The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A - Donna Fargo - 12.75

kind of typical 1972, lots of brilliant songs, and a few that are forgotten for a reason...

Meanwhile, Eighteen (18) songs made their Top 40 debut. And time there's some great stuff headed up the charts that will be making an impact in next month:

• Black And White - Three Dog Night - 23
• Rock And Roll Part 2 - Gary Glitter - 34
• Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me - Mac Davis - 35
• When You Say Love - Sonny and Cher - 36
• Pop That Thang - The Isley Brothers - 36
• You're Still A Young Man - Tower Of Power - 36
• Back Stabbers - The O'Jays - 37
• Power Of Love - Joe Simon - 37
• Run To Me - Bee Gees - 37
• Join Together - The Who - 38
• The Guitar Man - Bread - 39
• Sweet Inspiration - Barbra Streisand - 39
• Popcorn - Hot Butter - 39
• This World - The Staple Singers - 39
• Beautiful Sunday - Daniel Boone - 40
• Saturday In The Park - Chicago - 40
• Go All The Way - Raspberries - 40
• Honkey Cat - Elton John - 40

July 1972 on the Music Charts

   Continuing the series of hits -of-the-month, moving to July 1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 5 weeks in July of 1972, and there were 59 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's a fewer than June, despite the extra week.  And over those 5 weeks, there were 3 songs topped the charts: Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue", followed by Bll Withers' "Lean On Me", which held #1 for 3 weeks.  The month was closed out with Gilbert O'Sullivan's  "Alone Again, Naturally" at number one.

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month. 

• The Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr. - 1.75
• I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers - 2.5
• Oh Girl - The Chi-lites - 4.5
• Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond - 5.25
• Nice To Be With You - Gallery - 5.75
• Sylvia's Mother - Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show - 7.5
• Outa-Space - Billy Preston - 8.75
• (Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All - The 5th Dimension - 9.25
• The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack - 9.75
• Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens - 11

Another so-so week at the top, but lots of good stuff bubbling up.

Meanwhile, Twenty-Two (22) made their Top 40 debut. And time there's some great stuff headed up the charts that will be making an impact in next month:

• Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) - Looking Glass - 27
• I'm Still In Love With You - Al Green - 30
• You Don't Mess Around With Jim - Jim Croce - 31
• Happy - The Rolling Stones - 31
• Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) - The Hollies - 33
• Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan - 34
• Coconut - Nilsson - 34
• Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) - Detroit Emeralds - 34
• The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A. - Donna Fargo - 35
• Sealed With A Kiss - Bobby Vinton - 36
• Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - The Partridge Family - 36
• Gone - Joey Heatherton - 37
• Small Beginnings - Flash - 37
• Mary Had A Little Lamb - Wings - 38
• Goodbye To Love - Carpenters - 38
• Lookin' Through The Windows - Jackson 5 - 38
• People Make The World Go Round - The Stylistics - 39
• The Runway - The Grass Roots - 39
• Motorcycle Mama - Sailcat - 39
• Hold Her Tight - The Osmonds - 39
• We're Free - Beverly Bremers - 40
• Hold Your Head Up - Argent - 40

June 1972 on the Music Charts

  Continuing the series of hits -of-the-month, moving to June 1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 4 weeks in June of 1972, and there were 61 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's a good bit more than the prior months of the year the rest of the year.  And over those 4 weeks, only 2 songs topped the charts: The The Staple Singers started the month at the top with "I'll Take You There", and the rest of the month was dominated by Sammy Davis Jr's "The Candy Man".  

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month. 

• The Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr. - 1.75
• I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers - 2.5
• Oh Girl - The Chi-lites - 4.5
• Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond - 5.25
• Nice To Be With You - Gallery - 5.75
• Sylvia's Mother - Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show - 7.5
• Outa-Space - Billy Preston - 8.75
• (Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All - The 5th Dimension - 9.25
• The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack - 9.75
• Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens - 11

Another so-so week at the top, but lots of good syuff bubbling up.

Meanwhile, Twenty (20) made their Top 40 debut. And time there's some great stuff headed up the charts that will be making an impact in July:

• (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right - Luther Ingram  - 19
• Too Late To Turn Back Now - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose - 23
• Layla - Derek and The Dominos - 32
• Where Is The Love - Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway - 33
• How Do You Do - Mouth and MacNeal - 34
• Conquistador - Procol Harum - 34
• How Can I Be Sure - David Cassidy - 35
• Take It Easy - Eagles - 35
• Too Young - Donny Osmond - 35
• Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton - 36
• Living In A House Divided - Cher - 37
• Immigration man - Graham Nash and David Crosby - 37
• Day By Day - Godspell - 37
• I Wanna Be Where You Are - Michael Jackson - 38
• Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) - Stevie Wonder - 38
• Long Haired Lover from Liverpool - Little Jimmy Osmond - 39
• Automatically Sunshine - The Supremes - 40
• All The Kings Horses - Aretha Franklin - 40
• Hot 'N' Nasty - Humble Pie - 40
• School's Out - Alice Cooper - 40

May 1972 on the Music Charts

 Late posting this month, sorry...

  Continuing the series of hits -of-the-month, moving to April 1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 4 weeks in May of 1972, and there were 54 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's pretty much on pace with the rest of the year.  And over those 5 weeks, only 2 songs topped the charts: Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" continued at #1 for the first 3 weeks of May (for 6 weeks total atop the charts).  Tge Chi-lites took over the last week with "Oh Girl".  

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month. 

1. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack - 1.5
2. I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers - 4
3. I Gotcha - Joe Tex - 4
4. Oh Girl - The Chi-lites - 4.25
5. Look What You Done To Me - Al Green - 6.25
6. Betcha By Golly, Wow - The Stylistics - 7.5
7. Day Dreaming - Aretha Franklin - 9.75
8. Rockin' Robin - Michael Jackson - 10.25
9. A Horse With No Name - America - 12
10. Tumbling Dice - Rollinng Stones - 12.25

 Not really that great a Top 10 (IMHO).  But not every week can be awesome.

Meanwhile, Nineteen (19) made their Top 40 debut. And this time there's some great stuff headed up the charts that will be making an impact in June:

• Tumbling Dice - Rollinng Stones - 23
• Troglodyte (Cave Man) - The Jimmy Castor Bunch - 29
• I Saw The Light - Todd Rundgren - 31
• Mister Can't You See - Buffy Sainte-Marie - 31
• It's Going To Take Some Time - Carpenters - 34
• Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond - 35
• Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love - Love Unlimited - 36
• Ask Me What You Want - Millir Jackson - 36
• Lean On me - Bill Withers - 36
• Sylvia's Mother - Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show - 37
• Love Theme From The Godfather - Andy Williams - 38
• I Need You - America - 38
• Isn't Life Strange - The Moody Blues - 39
• Old Man - Neil Young - 39
• I've Been lonely For So Long - Frederick Knight - 39
• Diary - Bread - 40
• Outa-Space - Billy Preston - 40
• Someday Never Comes - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 40
• Rocket Man - Elton John - 50

Top 40 Music Debuts in 1972 - May 6, 1972

 The Billboard Charts were released on Saturday 5/6/1972...  Which fed directly into the American Top 40 radio show.  I enjoy looking back at the charts from 50 years ago to revisit the soundtrack of my youth.  I've been doing a monthly rundown for about a year and a half, usually posted sometime mid/late in the corresponding month.  As I was updating my 1971 spreadsheet this morning, I decided to do a quick look at this week, the first week of 1972.  We'll see if this becomes a regular thing.  ughts / comments welcome.

Let's get to it:

At #1 this week was The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, bt Roberta Flack.  In its 4 week at the top, equaling the 4 week runs fir American Pie and Without You from earlier in the year. 

The following songs made their Top 40 debut on 5/9/1972:

• Tumbling Dice - Rolling Stones - #23
• I Saw The Light - Todd Rundgren - #23
• Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love - Love Unlimited - #36
• Sylvia's Mother - Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show - #37
• Diary - Bread - #40

That's a pretty strong group of songs, and they're all in my collection. 

April 1972 on the Music Charts

  Continuing the series of hits -of-the-month, moving to April 1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 5 weeks in April of 1972, and there were 59 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's pretty much on pace with January's 60 (5 weeks), February's 54 (4 weeks) and March's 56 (4 weeks).  And over those 5 weeks, only 2 songs topped the charts:  America's "A Horse With No Name" continued at #1 for the first 2 weeks (3 total), followed by Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" over the last 3 weeks of April.

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month:  

1. A Horse With No Name - America - 2.6
2. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack - 3.2
3. I Gotcha - Joe Tex - 3.8
4. Rockin' Robin - Michael Jackson - 4.4
5. Heart Of Gold - Neil Young - 6.8
6. In The Rain - The Dramatics - 7.6
7. Puppy Love - Donnie Osmond - 8.4
8. Betcha By Golly, Wow - The Stylistics - 8.6
9. Day Dreaming - Aretha Franklin - 10.6
10. A Cowboys Work Is Never Done - Sonny and Cher - 11.2

Sort of a mixed bag in the Top 10 this month, not that many classics (in my humble opinion).

Meanwhile, Twenty-two (22) made their Top 40 debut. Againm a but of a mixed bag  Here they are (listed by entering position):

• Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens - 27
• Back Off Boogaloo - Ringo Starr - 31
• Suavecito - Malo - 32
• Jump Into The Fire - Harry Nilsson - 32
• Little Bitty Pretty One - Jackson 5 - 32
• Look What You Done To Me - Al Green - 33
• Vincent (Starry Starry Night) - Don McLean - 35
• Oh Girl - The Chi-lites - 35
• The Family Of Man - Three Dog Night - 36
• You Colud Have Been A Lady - April Wine - 36
• Me And Julio Down By The School Yard - Paul Simon - 36
• I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers - 37
• Nice To Be With You - Gallery - 37
• Help Me Make It Through The Night - Gladys Knight And The Pips - 38
• The Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr. - 38
• Taxi - Harry Chapin - 38
• Slippin' Into Darkness - War - 39
• Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen - 39
• Run Run Run - Jo Jo Gunne - 40
• (Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All - The 5th Dimension - 40
• King Heroin - James Brown - 40
• Mister Can't You See - Buffy Sainte-Marie - 40

• 
  

March 1972 on the Music Charts

 Continuing the series of hits -of-the-month, moving to March 1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 4 weeks in March of 1972, and there were 56 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's pretty much on pace with January's 60 (5 weeks), and February's 54 (4 weeks).  And over those 4 weeks, 3 songs topped the charts:  Harry Nilsson's "Without You"  held the top spot for the first 2 weeks, finishing out a 4 week run at #1.  Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" took over for 1 week, then gave way to America's "A Horse With No Name".  What a great trio of songs!

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 4 weeks of the month:  

1. Without You - Nilsson - 3
2. Heart Of Gold - Neil Young - 3
3. The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Robert John - 3.75
4. Everything I Own - Bread - 6
5. Precious And Few - Climax - 7
6. Down By The Lazy River - The Osmonds - 7.25
7. A Horse With No Name - America - 7.5
8. The Way Of Love - Cher - 8.75
9. Mother And Child Reunion - Paul Simon - 9.25
10. Hurting Each Other - Carpenters - 11.5

Twenty (20) made their Top 40 debut. A few real stand outs this month...  Here they are (listed by entering position):

• The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack - 17
• A Horse With No Name - America - 20
• Day Dreaming - Aretha Franklin - 32
• Rockin' Robin - Michael Jackson - 33
• A Cowboys Work Is Never Done - Sonny and Cher - 33
• Betcha By Golly, Wow - The Stylistics - 34
• Glory Bound - The Grass Roots - 35
• No One To Depend On - Santana - 37
• Give Ireland Back To The Irish - Paul McCartney - 37
• Puppy Love - Donnie Osmond - 38
• Crazy Mama - J.J. Cale - 38
• The Day I Found Myself - The Honey Cone - 38
• Roundabout - Yes - 39
• Taurus - Dennis Coffey and The Detroit Guitar Band - 39
• Every Day Of My Life - Bobby Vinton - 39
• Could It Be Forever - David Cassidy - 39
• In The Rain - The Dramatics - 40
• Take A Look Around - The Temptations - 40
• Do Your Thing - Isaac Hayes - 40
• Until It's Time For You To Go - Elvis Presley - 40

February 1972 on the Music Charts

Continuing the series of hits -of-the-month, moving to February 1972.  Fifty years ago (Yikes!)

There were 4 weeks in February of 1972, and there were 54 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's pretty much on pace with January's 60 (5 weeks in January).  And over those 4 weeks, 3 songs topped the charts:  Don McLean's "American Pie", Opened the month at #1, carrying over from the last 3 weeks of January.  It was replaced by Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", which only stayed 1 week at #1.  The last 2 weeks were topped by Harry Nilsson's "Without You", the first 2 weeks of a 4 week run at #1.

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 5 weeks of the month:  

• Let's Stay Together - Al Green - 2.25
• Without You - Nilsson - 2.5
• American Pie - Don McLean - 4.75
• Precious And Few - Climax - 4.75
• Hurting Each Other - Carpenters - 5
• Never Been To Spain - Three Dog Night - 6.75
• Down By The Lazy River - The Osmonds - 7.5
• Joy - Apollo - 8
• Day After Day - Badfinger - 10.75
• Brand New Key - Melanie - 12.5

Nineteen (19) made their Top 40 debut. Only a couple taht really stand out this month...  Here they are (listed by entering position):

• The Way Of Love - Cher - 29
• I Gotcha - Joe Tex - 31
• Rock And Roll Lullaby - B.J. Thomas - 32
• We've Got To Get It On Again - Addrisi Brothers - 33
• Sweet Seasons - Carole King - 35
• Jungle Fever - The Chakachas - 35
• Runnin' Away - Sly and The Family Stone - 35
• Footstompin' Music - Grand Funk Railroad - 36
• The Nickel Song - Melanie - 36
• Softly Whispering I Love You - The English Congregation - 37
• Ain't Understanding Mellow - Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager - 38
• Mother And Child Reunion - Paul Simon - 38
• Talking Loud And Saying Nothing - Part I - James Brown - 38
• My World - Bee Gees - 39
• Heart Of Gold - Neil Young - 39
• Ring The Living Bell - Melanie - 39
• Everything I Own - Bread - 40
• You Want It, You Got It - Detroit Emeralds - 40
• I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - Donnie Elbert - 40

January 1972 on the Music Charts

 I managed to keep up the monthly lookback at pop music of 1971.  A couple of months were later than my mid-month goal, but they got done.  They didn't seem to be especially more or less popular than anything else I post, but I enjoy it, so we'll keep plugging.

50 years ago this month started 1972, one of the greatest years in pop/rock music.  At least IMHO.  So, what were we listening to to start the year?

There were 5 weeks in January of 1972, and there were 60 songs that spent time in the Top 40.  That's a little more turnover than we've seen through 1971, it will be interesting to see if it is a trend.  But over those 5 weeks, only 2 songs topped the charts:  Melanie's "Brand New Key"  It was replaced by Don McLean's "American Pie", which spent the next 3 weeks at #1.

Here's the top 10 songs of the month, ranked by average chart position over the 5 weeks of the month:

• American Pie - Don McLean - 1.3
• Brand New Key - Melanie - 1.5
• Let's Stay Together - Al Green - 4.7
• Sunshine - Jonathan Edwards - 4.7
• Scorpio - Dennis Coffey and The Detroit Guitar Band - 5.5
• Family Affair - Sly and The Family Stone - 7.3
• I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing - The New Seekers - 7.8
• You Are Everything - The Stylistics - 9.0
• Clean Up Woman - Betty Wright - 9.5
• Day After Day - Badfinger - 9.7

Twenty-Five (25) songs made their Top 40 debut, a couple of notable songs.  Here they are (listed by entering position):

• Never Been To Spain - Three Dog Night - 24
• The Witch Queen Of New Orleans - Redbone - 29
• Once You Understand - Think - 32
• Down By The Lazy River - The Osmonds - 32
• Black Dog - Led Zeppelin - 33
• Precious And Few - Climax - 34
• Stay With Me - Faces - 35
• Joy - Apollo featuring Tom Parker - 35
• Anticipation - Carly Simon - 36
• Without You - Nilsson - 36
• Feeling Alright - Joe Cocker - 36
• It's One Of Those Nights (Yes Love) - The Partridge Family - 37
• That's The Way I Feel About Cha - Bobby Womack and Peace - 37
• Fire And Water - Wilson Pickett - 37
• Don't Say You Don't Remember - Beverly Bremers - 37
• Bang A Gong (Get It On) - T. Rex - 37
• Make Me The Woman That You Go Home To - Gladys Knight And The Pips - 38
• Hurting Each Other - Carpenters - 38
• The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Robert John - 38
• Looking For A Love - The J. Geils Band - 39
• Together Let's Find Love - The 5th Dimension - 39
• Levon - Elton John - 40
• White Lies, Blue Eyes - Bullet - 40
• Me And Bobby McGee - Jerry Lee Lewis - 40
• Floy Joy - The Supremes - 40