List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1972

These are the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1972.

That year, 18 acts earned their first number one song, such as Don McLean, Al Green, Nilsson, Neil Young, America, Roberta Flack, The Chi-Lites, The Staple Singers, Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Withers, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Looking Glass, Mac Davis, Chuck Berry, Johnny Nash, Helen Reddy, and Billy Paul. Michael Jackson, having previously hit number one with The Jackson 5, also earns his first number one song as a solo act.

Chart history

Don McLean scored a #1 hit with "American Pie" in 1972.

Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" reached the top spot for six weeks and became the #1 song at year's end.

Key

†	The yellow background indicates the #1 song on Billboard's 1972 Year-End Chart of Pop Singles.

No.	Issue date	Song	Artist(s)	Reference
265	January 1	"Brand New Key"	Melanie	[1]
	January 8			[2]
266	January 15	"American Pie"	Don McLean	[3]
	January 22			[4]
	January 29			[5]
	February 5			[6]
267	February 12	"Let's Stay Together"	Al Green	[7]
268	February 19	"Without You"	Nilsson	[8]
	February 26			[9]
	March 4			[10]
	March 11			[11]
269	March 18	"Heart of Gold"	Neil Young	[12]
270	March 25	"A Horse with No Name"	America	[13]
	April 1			[14]
	April 8			[15]
271	April 15	"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"†	Roberta Flack	[16]
	April 22			[17]
	April 29			[18]
	May 6			[19]
	May 13			[20]
	May 20			[21]
272	May 27	"Oh Girl"	The Chi-Lites	[22]
273	June 3	"I'll Take You There"	The Staple Singers	[23]
274	June 10	"The Candy Man"	Sammy Davis Jr.	[24]
	June 17			[25]
	June 24			[26]
275	July 1	"Song Sung Blue"	Neil Diamond	[27]
276	July 8	"Lean on Me"	Bill Withers	[28]
	July 15			[29]
	July 22			[30]
277	July 29	"Alone Again (Naturally)"	Gilbert O'Sullivan	[31]
	August 5			[32]
	August 12			[33]
	August 19			[34]
278	August 26	"Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"	Looking Glass	[35]
re	September 2	"Alone Again (Naturally)"	Gilbert O'Sullivan	[36]
	September 9			[37]
279	September 16	"Black and White"	Three Dog Night	[38]
280	September 23	"Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me"	Mac Davis	[39]
	September 30			[40]
	October 7			[41]
281	October 14	"Ben"	Michael Jackson	[42]
282	October 21	"My Ding-a-Ling"	Chuck Berry	[43]
	October 28			[44]
283	November 4	"I Can See Clearly Now"	Johnny Nash	[45]
	November 11			[46]
	November 18			[47]
	November 25			[48]
284	December 2	"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"	The Temptations	[49]
285	December 9	"I Am Woman"	Helen Reddy	[50]
286	December 16	"Me and Mrs. Jones"	Billy Paul	[51]
	December 23			[52]
	December 30			[53]

Number-one artists

List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one

Position	Artist	Weeks at No. 1
1	Roberta Flack	6
	Gilbert O'Sullivan
3	Don McLean	4
	Nilsson
	Johnny Nash
6	America	3
	Sammy Davis Jr.
	Bill Withers
	Mac Davis
	Billy Paul
11	Melanie	2
	Chuck Berry
13	Al Green	1
	Neil Young
	The Chi-Lites
	The Staple Singers
	Neil Diamond
	Looking Glass
	Three Dog Night
	Michael Jackson
	The Temptations
	Helen Reddy

See also

• 1972 in music

Sources

• Fred Bronson's Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, 5th Edition ( ISBN   0-8230-7677-6)
• Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2008, 12 Edition ( ISBN   0-89820-180-2)
• Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Seventies ( ISBN   0-89820-076-8)
• Additional information obtained can be verified within Billboard's online archive services and print editions of the magazine.

References

1. "January 1, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
2. "January 8, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
3. "January 15, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
4. "January 22, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
5. "January 29, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
6. "February 5, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
7. "February 12, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
8. "February 19, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
9. "February 26, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
10. "March 4, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
11. "March 11, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
12. "March 18, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
13. "March 25, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
14. "April 1, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
15. "April 8, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
16. "April 15, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
17. "April 22, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
18. "April 29, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
19. "May 6, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
20. "May 13, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
21. "May 20, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
22. "May 27, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
23. "June 3, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
24. "June 10, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
25. "June 17, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
26. "June 24, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
27. "July 1, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
28. "July 8, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
29. "July 15, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
30. "July 22, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
31. "July 29, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
32. "August 5, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
33. "August 12, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
34. "August 19, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
35. "August 26, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
36. "September 2, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
37. "September 9, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
38. "September 16, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
39. "September 23, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
40. "September 30, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
41. "October 7, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
42. "October 14, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
43. "October 21, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
44. "October 28, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
45. "November 4, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
46. "November 11, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
47. "November 18, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
48. "November 25, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
49. "December 2, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
50. "December 9, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
51. "December 16, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
52. "December 23, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .
53. "December 30, 1972". Billboard Hot 100 .