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"

The Adult Contemporary chart is published by Billboard and ranks the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1972, 21 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.[1]

In the first issue of Billboard of 1972, Three Dog Night moved into 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,[2] also topped Billboard's all-genre singles chart, the Hot 100,[3] and has come to be regarded as a classic.[4] 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.[5]

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 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,[6] meaning that almost half 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 1973, and both of her chart-toppers won Grammy Awards at the following year's ceremony.[7] 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[edit]

A long-haired man wearing a white shirt and dark jacket
Gilbert O'Sullivan 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
Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue" was the year's longest-running number one.
A dark-skinned woman with long braided hair, smiling broadly
Roberta Flack (pictured c.2010) 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.
Key
† Indicates best-performing easy listening song of 1972[8]


Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 1 "An Old Fashioned Love Song" Three Dog Night [9]
January 8 "Cherish" David Cassidy [10]
January 15 "American Pie" Don McLean [11]
January 22 [12]
January 29 [13]
February 5 "Hurting Each Other" The Carpenters [14]
February 12 [15]
February 19 "Without You" Nilsson [16]
February 26 [17]
March 4 [18]
March 11 [19]
March 18 [20]
March 25 "Rock and Roll Lullaby" B. J. Thomas [21]
April 1 "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" Roberta Flack [22]
April 8 [23]
April 15 [24]
April 22 [25]
April 29 [26]
May 6 [27]
May 13 "Morning Has Broken" Cat Stevens [28]
May 20 "The Candy Man" Sammy Davis, Jr. [29]
May 27 [30]
June 3 "Song Sung Blue" † Neil Diamond [31]
June 10 [32]
June 17 [33]
June 24 [34]
July 1 [35]
July 8 [36]
July 15 [37]
July 22 "Where Is the Love" Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway [38]
July 29 "Alone Again (Naturally)" Gilbert O'Sullivan [39]
August 5 [40]
August 12 [41]
August 19 [42]
August 26 [43]
September 2 [44]
September 9 "The Guitar Man" Bread [45]
September 16 "Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me" Mac Davis [46]
September 23 [47]
September 30 [48]
October 7 "Black and White" Three Dog Night [49]
October 14 "Garden Party" Rick Nelson [50]
October 21 [51]
October 28 "If I Could Reach You" The 5th Dimension [52]
November 4 "I Can See Clearly Now" Johnny Nash [53]
November 11 [54]
November 18 [55]
November 25 [56]
December 2 "I'd Love You to Want Me" Lobo [57]
December 9 "Clair" Gilbert O'Sullivan [58]
December 16 [59]
December 23 [60]
December 30 "Sweet Surrender" Bread [61]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006. Record Research Incorporated. p. vi. ISBN 9780898201697.
  2. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "American Pie - Don McLean". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Breihan, Tom (February 15, 2019). "The Number Ones: Don McLean's "American Pie"". Stereogum. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  4. ^ McCormick, Neil (May 18, 2015). "Don McLean: 'American Pie changed my life'". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  5. ^ "Best Songs Of The Century?". CBS News. March 8, 2001. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  6. ^ "Hot 100 - 1972 Archive". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  7. ^ "Roberta Flack - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  8. ^ "Billboard Adult Contemporary Year End, 1972". Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  9. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  10. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  11. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  12. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  13. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for January 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  14. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 5, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  15. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 12, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  16. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 19, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  17. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for February 26, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  18. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 4, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  19. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 11, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  20. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 18, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  21. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for March 25, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  22. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  23. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  24. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  25. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  26. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for April 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  27. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 6, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  28. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 13, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  29. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 20, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  30. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for May 27, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  31. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 3, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  32. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 10, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  33. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 17, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  34. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for June 24, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  35. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  36. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  37. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  38. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  39. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for July 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  40. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 5, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  41. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 12, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  42. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 19, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  43. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for August 26, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  44. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 2, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  45. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 9, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  46. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 16, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  47. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 23, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  48. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for September 30, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  49. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 7, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  50. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 14, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  51. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 21, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  52. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for October 28, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  53. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 4, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  54. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 11, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  55. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 18, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  56. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for November 25, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  57. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 2, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  58. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 9, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  59. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 16, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  60. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 23, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  61. ^ "Adult Contemporary chart for December 30, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2019.

See also[edit]

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