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List of Billboard Easy Listening number ones of 1972

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A grey-haired man in a brightly patterned shirt playing a guitar and singing into a microphone
Don McLean (pictured in 2013) reached number one with the classic song "American Pie".

In 1972, Billboard magazine published a chart ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the easy listening market. The chart, which in 1972 was entitled Easy Listening, has undergone various name changes and has been published under the title Adult Contemporary since 1996.[1] In 1972, 21 songs topped the chart based on playlists submitted by radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.[1][2]

In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, 1972, Three Dog Night moved up two places to the number one position on the Easy Listening chart with "An Old Fashioned Love Song", but the band held the top spot for only a single week before being replaced by David Cassidy with "Cherish". One week later, Don McLean's "American Pie" took the number one position. The song, noted for its allegorical lyrics which are generally regarded as relating to the history of rock and roll music,[3] also topped Billboard's pop singles chart, the Hot 100,[4] and has come to be regarded as an all-time classic.[5] In 2001, it was voted into the top 5 of a poll of the Songs of the Century compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.[6] Another of the year's chart-toppers, Nilsson's cover version of Badfinger's song "Without You", was included in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2021.[7]

The Irish singer Gilbert O'Sullivan had the highest total number of weeks at number one during 1972, spending six weeks in the top spot with "Alone Again (Naturally)" and three with "Clair". The former song also topped the Hot 100, as did many of the year's other Easy Listening number ones: "Without You" by Nilsson, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack, "The Candy Man" by Sammy Davis Jr., Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue", "Black and White" by Three Dog Night, "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" by Mac Davis and "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash,[8] meaning that almost half of the year's Easy Listening chart-toppers also reached the pinnacle of the Hot 100. Flack was one of four artists to achieve two Easy Listening number ones in 1972, and both of her chart-toppers won Grammy Awards at the following year's ceremony.[9] Diamond's "Song Sung Blue" was the longest-running number one on the Easy Listening chart, spending seven consecutive weeks in the top spot. The final chart-topper of the year was "Sweet Surrender" by Bread.

Chart history

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A long-haired man wearing a white shirt and dark jacket
Gilbert O'Sullivan (pictured in 1974) had two number ones and spent nine weeks in the top spot.
A long-haired man wearing a purple shirt, playing a guitar and singing into a microphone in front of other musicians
"Song Sung Blue" by Neil Diamond (pictured in 1976) was the year's longest-running number one.
A dark-skinned woman with long braided hair, smiling broadly
Roberta Flack (pictured in 1995) spent six weeks at number one with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and had a second number one later in the year collaborating with Donny Hathaway.
Chart history
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 1 "An Old Fashioned Love Song" Three Dog Night [10]
January 8 "Cherish" David Cassidy [11]
January 15 "American Pie" Don McLean [12]
January 22 [13]
January 29 [14]
February 5 "Hurting Each Other" The Carpenters [15]
February 12 [16]
February 19 "Without You" Nilsson [17]
February 26 [18]
March 4 [19]
March 11 [20]
March 18 [21]
March 25 "Rock and Roll Lullaby" B. J. Thomas [22]
April 1 "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" Roberta Flack [23]
April 8 [24]
April 15 [25]
April 22 [26]
April 29 [27]
May 6 [28]
May 13 "Morning Has Broken" Cat Stevens [29]
May 20 "The Candy Man" Sammy Davis Jr. [30]
May 27 [31]
June 3 "Song Sung Blue" Neil Diamond [32]
June 10 [33]
June 17 [34]
June 24 [35]
July 1 [36]
July 8 [37]
July 15 [38]
July 22 "Where Is the Love" Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway [39]
July 29 "Alone Again (Naturally)" Gilbert O'Sullivan [40]
August 5 [41]
August 12 [42]
August 19 [43]
August 26 [44]
September 2 [45]
September 9 "The Guitar Man" Bread [46]
September 16 "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" Mac Davis [47]
September 23 [48]
September 30 [49]
October 7 "Black and White" Three Dog Night [50]
October 14 "Garden Party" Rick Nelson [51]
October 21 [52]
October 28 "If I Could Reach You" The 5th Dimension [53]
November 4 "I Can See Clearly Now" Johnny Nash [54]
November 11 [55]
November 18 [56]
November 25 [57]
December 2 "I'd Love You to Want Me" Lobo [58]
December 9 "Clair" Gilbert O'Sullivan [59]
December 16 [60]
December 23 [61]
December 30 "Sweet Surrender" Bread [62]

References

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  1. ^ a b Whitburn 2007, p. vi.
  2. ^ "Top 40 Easy Listening". Billboard. January 1, 1972. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  3. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "'American Pie' – Don McLean". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  4. ^ Whitburn 2005, p. 462.
  5. ^ McCormick, Neil (May 18, 2015). "Don McLean: 'American Pie changed my life'". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  6. ^ "Best Songs Of The Century?". CBS News. March 8, 2001. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  7. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  8. ^ Whitburn 2005, p. 990.
  9. ^ Lazell, Rees & Crampton 1989, p. 183.
  10. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 1, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  11. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 8, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  12. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 15, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  13. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 22, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  14. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 29, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  15. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 5, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  16. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 12, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  17. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 19, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  18. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 26, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  19. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 4, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  20. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 11, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  21. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 18, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  22. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 25, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  23. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 1, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  24. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 8, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  25. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 15, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  26. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 22, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  27. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 29, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  28. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 6, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  29. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 13, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  30. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 20, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  31. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 27, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  32. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 3, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  33. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 10, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  34. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 17, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  35. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 24, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  36. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 1, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  37. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 8, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  38. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 15, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  39. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 22, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  40. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 29, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  41. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 5, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  42. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 12, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  43. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 19, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  44. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 26, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  45. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 2, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  46. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 9, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  47. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 16, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  48. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 23, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  49. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 30, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  50. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 7, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  51. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 14, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  52. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 21, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  53. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 28, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  54. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 4, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  55. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 11, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  56. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 18, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  57. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 25, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  58. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 2, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  59. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 9, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  60. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 16, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  61. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 23, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  62. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 30, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.

Works cited

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