List of Best Selling Soul Singles number ones of 1972
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1972:
See also: 1972 in music, List of number-one R&B hits (United States)
| Issue Date | Song | Artist |
| January 1 | "Family Affair" | Sly & the Family Stone |
| January 8 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| January 15 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| January 22 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| January 29 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| February 5 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| February 12 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| February 19 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| February 26 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| March 4 | "Let's Stay Together" | Al Green |
| March 11 | "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing (Pt. 1)" | James Brown |
| March 18 | "I Gotcha" | Joe Tex |
| March 25 | "In the Rain" | The Dramatics |
| April 1 | "In the Rain" | The Dramatics |
| April 8 | "In the Rain" | The Dramatics |
| April 15 | "In the Rain" | The Dramatics |
| April 22 | "Day Dreaming" | Aretha Franklin |
| April 29 | "Day Dreaming" | Aretha Franklin |
| May 6 | "I'll Take You There" | The Staple Singers |
| May 13 | "I'll Take You There" | The Staple Singers |
| May 20 | "I'll Take You There" | The Staple Singers |
| May 27 | "I'll Take You There" | The Staple Singers |
| June 3 | "Oh Girl" | The Chi-Lites |
| June 10 | "Oh Girl" | The Chi-Lites |
| June 17 | "Woman's Gotta Have It" | Bobby Womack |
| June 24 | "Lean On Me" | Bill Withers |
| July 1 | "Outa-Space" | Billy Preston |
| July 8 | "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" | Luther Ingram |
| July 15 | "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" | Luther Ingram |
| July 22 | "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" | Luther Ingram |
| July 29 | "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" | Luther Ingram |
| August 5 | "Where Is the Love" | Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway |
| August 12 | "I'm Still in Love With You" | Al Green |
| August 19 | "I'm Still in Love With You" | Al Green |
| August 26 | "Power of Love" | Joe Simon |
| September 2 | "Power of Love" | Joe Simon |
| September 9 | "Back Stabbers" | The O'Jays |
| September 16 | "Get On the Good Foot" | James Brown |
| September 23 | "Get On the Good Foot" | James Brown |
| September 30 | "Get On the Good Foot" | James Brown |
| October 7 | "Get On the Good Foot" | James Brown |
| October 14 | "I'll Be Around" | The Spinners |
| October 21 | "I'll Be Around" | The Spinners |
| October 28 | "I'll Be Around" | The Spinners |
| November 4 | "I'll Be Around" | The Spinners |
| November 11 | "I'll Be Around" | The Spinners |
| November 18 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes |
| November 25 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes |
| December 2 | "You Ought to Be With Me" | Al Green |
| December 9 | "Me and Mrs. Jones" | Billy Paul |
| December 16 | "Me and Mrs. Jones" | Billy Paul |
| December 23 | "Me and Mrs. Jones" | Billy Paul |
| December 30 | "Me and Mrs. Jones" | Billy Paul |
Chart comparisons
- Five songs went to number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Let's Stay Together", "Oh Girl", "I'll Take You There", "Lean on Me" and "Me and Mrs. Jones".