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1972 Music Hits: Classic Rock, Soul, Singer-Songwriters, Country Crossover, and AM Radio Variety

1972 music hits came from a wide-open year on the radio, where rock, soul, folk-pop, country crossover, novelty songs, and early glam all shared space. It was the kind of year where American Pie, Lean on Me, Rock and Roll, Let’s Stay Together, Coconut, and Iron Man could all live on the same chart without anyone calling a meeting.

This was the year of Rock and Roll Part 2, A Horse with No Name, Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl), Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone, Changes, Rocket Man, Roundabout, Bang a Gong (Get It On), and Go All the Way. The early ’70s were moving in several directions at once: heavier rock, smoother soul, confessional singer-songwriter material, and pop songs that could be sweet, strange, or both.

The songs below mix classic rock, R&B, soul, country-pop, folk-rock, progressive rock, hard rock, novelty records, and movie themes. 1972 was not trying to be tidy. It was a stack of 45s, a stack of LPs, and someone saying, “Sure, play the one about the coconut again.”

Top 10 Songs of 1972

  1. Rock and Roll Part 2 – Gary Glitter
  2. American Pie – Don McLean
  3. Lean on Me – Bill Withers
  4. Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
  5. I’ll Take You There – The Staple Singers
  6. Precious and Few – Climax
  7. Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
  8. Coconut – Nilsson
  9. School’s Out – Alice Cooper
  10. Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul

1972 Music Hits by Style

Classic Rock, Hard Rock, and Guitar-Driven Hits

Rock music had a massive year in 1972, with Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Derek and the Dominos, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Neil Young, The Allman Brothers Band, Foghat, Humble Pie, and Grand Funk Railroad all bringing guitars to the front. Rock and Roll, Layla, School’s Out, Iron Man, and Black Dog gave the year some of its heaviest and most durable rock moments.

Album rock and radio rock were both expanding. Songs like Roundabout, Hold Your Head Up, Join Together, Footstompin’ Music, and Go All the Way helped make 1972 a strong bridge between late-’60s rock ambition and the bigger arena-rock sound that would dominate the decade.

  • Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
  • Layla – Derek and the Dominos
  • School’s Out – Alice Cooper
  • Iron Man – Black Sabbath
  • From the Beginning – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
  • Melissa – The Allman Brothers Band
  • Black Dog – Led Zeppelin
  • Feelin’ Alright – Joe Cocker
  • Down on Me – Janis Joplin
  • Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) – The Hollies
  • Roundabout – Yes
  • Bang a Gong (Get It On) – T. Rex
  • Hold Your Head Up – Argent
  • America – Yes
  • Looking for a Love – The J. Geils Band
  • Easy Livin’ – Uriah Heep
  • I Just Want to Make Love to You – Foghat
  • Hot ’n’ Nasty – Humble Pie
  • Rock and Roll Stew – Traffic
  • I Don’t Need No Doctor – New Riders of the Purple Sage
  • All the Young Dudes – Mott the Hoople
  • Join Together – The Who
  • Footstompin’ Music – Grand Funk Railroad
  • Go All the Way – Raspberries
  • Let It Rain – Eric Clapton
  • Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones
  • Francene – ZZ Top

Soul, R&B, Funk, and Smooth Grooves

Soul and R&B were essential to 1972 music. Bill Withers’ Lean on Me, The Staple Singers’ I’ll Take You There, Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together, Billy Paul’s Me and Mrs. Jones, and Roberta Flack’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face gave the year some of its most emotional and lasting songs.

Funk and vocal-group soul were also strong. James Brown’s Get on the Good Foot, The Temptations’ Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone, Curtis Mayfield’s Freddie’s Dead (Theme from Super Fly), The Spinners’ I’ll Be Around, and The Stylistics’ I’m Stone in Love with You showed how rich and varied R&B had become.

  • Lean on Me – Bill Withers
  • I’ll Take You There – The Staple Singers
  • Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
  • Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
  • Get on the Good Foot – James Brown
  • I’ll Be Around – The Spinners
  • The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
  • Everybody Plays the Fool – The Main Ingredient
  • If You Don’t Know Me by Now – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
  • Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone – The Temptations
  • Freddie’s Dead (Theme from Super Fly) – Curtis Mayfield
  • Ben – Michael Jackson
  • I’m Stone in Love with You – The Stylistics
  • Honky Tonk Part 1 – James Brown
  • Without You – Nilsson

Pop, AM Radio, and Mainstream Favorites

Mainstream pop in 1972 was broad, melodic, and occasionally very strange. Don McLean’s American Pie became one of the decade’s signature story-songs, while Nilsson’s Coconut, Chuck Berry’s My Ding-a-Ling, Sammy Davis Jr.’s The Candy Man, and Michael Jackson’s Rockin’ Robin brought playful and novelty-friendly energy to the charts.

At the same time, pop radio had room for Climax, Looking Glass, The New Seekers, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Mac Davis, and Three Dog Night. A 1972 playlist could move from a sincere ballad to a goofy singalong in three minutes flat. That was not chaos; that was AM radio doing its job.

  • American Pie – Don McLean
  • Precious and Few – Climax
  • Coconut – Nilsson
  • The Candy Man – Sammy Davis Jr.
  • Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels) – Jim Croce
  • Rockin’ Robin – Michael Jackson
  • Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) – Looking Glass
  • My Ding-a-Ling – Chuck Berry
  • Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
  • Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me – Mac Davis
  • I Am Woman – Helen Reddy
  • I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
  • Black and White – Three Dog Night
  • Little Bitty Pretty One – The Jackson 5
  • I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) – The New Seekers
  • Girl – Davy Jones

Soft Rock, Singer-Songwriters, and Adult Contemporary

The singer-songwriter and soft-rock side of 1972 was especially strong. Jim Croce’s Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels) and You Don’t Mess Around with Jim, Carly Simon’s Anticipation, Cat Stevens’ Morning Has Broken, America’s A Horse with No Name, and Seals & Crofts’ Summer Breeze all helped define the year’s reflective sound.

Elton John, Bread, The Carpenters, Harry Chapin, Arlo Guthrie, Albert Hammond, Todd Rundgren, and Neil Young added even more warmth. These were songs for car radios, dorm rooms, and anyone with an acoustic guitar who knew at least three serious chords.

  • Goodbye to Love – The Carpenters
  • A Horse with No Name – America
  • Nights in White Satin – The Moody Blues
  • Anticipation – Carly Simon
  • Summer Breeze – Seals & Crofts
  • Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
  • Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
  • Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile) – Van Morrison
  • Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison
  • You Wear It Well – Rod Stewart
  • Tiny Dancer – Elton John
  • Heart of Gold – Neil Young
  • Taxi – Harry Chapin
  • City of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie
  • Rock Me on the Water – Jackson Browne
  • You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – Jim Croce
  • Rocket Man – Elton John
  • It Never Rains in Southern California – Albert Hammond
  • I Saw the Light – Todd Rundgren
  • The Guitar Man – Bread
  • Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard – Paul Simon
  • Diary – Bread
  • Old Man – Neil Young
  • For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – Simon & Garfunkel
  • Levon – Elton John

Country, Country-Rock, and Americana Crossovers

Country crossover and country-rock had a major place in 1972. Eagles’ Take It Easy and Witchy Woman, Arlo Guthrie’s City of New Orleans, Tanya Tucker’s Delta Dawn, Kris Kristofferson’s Jesus Was a Capricorn, and Neil Young’s Heart of Gold all helped connect country, folk, and rock audiences.

The early ’70s were full of artists blurring those lines. America, Van Morrison, Jackson Browne, Rod Stewart, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and Paul Simon all added rootsy or acoustic color. 1972 had plenty of electric guitar, but it also knew its way around a porch song.

  • A Horse with No Name – America
  • Take It Easy – Eagles
  • Heart of Gold – Neil Young
  • City of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie
  • Rock Me on the Water – Jackson Browne
  • Handbags and Gladrags – Rod Stewart
  • Witchy Woman – Eagles
  • Delta Dawn – Tanya Tucker
  • America – Simon & Garfunkel
  • I Don’t Need No Doctor – New Riders of the Purple Sage
  • Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard – Paul Simon
  • Old Man – Neil Young
  • For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – Simon & Garfunkel
  • Jesus Was a Capricorn – Kris Kristofferson

Movie Themes, Novelty Songs, and Pop Culture Moments

Movie music and novelty records had a memorable year in 1972. Shirley Bassey’s Diamonds Are Forever gave James Bond another elegant theme, while Curtis Mayfield’s Freddie’s Dead (Theme from Super Fly) brought soundtrack soul into the mainstream. Vangelis would soon make instrumental themes a bigger pop story, but 1972 already had plenty of cinematic fingerprints.

Novelty and oddball hits were everywhere too. Gary Glitter’s Rock and Roll Part 2, Nilsson’s Coconut, Chuck Berry’s My Ding-a-Ling, Hot Butter’s Popcorn, and Sammy Davis Jr.’s The Candy Man gave the year its strange, playful side. Pop radio had no shame, and honestly, that was part of its charm.

  • Rock and Roll Part 2 – Gary Glitter
  • Coconut – Nilsson
  • The Candy Man – Sammy Davis Jr.
  • Diamonds Are Forever – Shirley Bassey
  • My Ding-a-Ling – Chuck Berry
  • Popcorn – Hot Butter
  • Freddie’s Dead (Theme from Super Fly) – Curtis Mayfield
  • Ben – Michael Jackson
  • I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) – The New Seekers

Classic Rock Veterans and Legacy Artists

1972 had plenty of established artists still shaping the charts. Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, Van Morrison, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, The Who, Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, and Simon & Garfunkel all appeared in the year’s larger mix. Some were at commercial peaks, while others were moving into new phases.

The year also showed how quickly rock history was stacking up. Early-’60s artists, late-’60s icons, and newer ’70s acts were all sharing the same chart space. The record store bins were getting crowded, but in a good way.

  • Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
  • Layla – Derek and the Dominos
  • Burning Love – Elvis Presley
  • Nights in White Satin – The Moody Blues
  • Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile) – Van Morrison
  • Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison
  • You Wear It Well – Rod Stewart
  • Changes – David Bowie
  • Tiny Dancer – Elton John
  • Black Dog – Led Zeppelin
  • Down on Me – Janis Joplin
  • Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones
  • Let It Rain – Eric Clapton
  • America – Simon & Garfunkel

Progressive Rock, Glam Rock, and Left-of-Center Sounds

1972 had a strong progressive and left-of-center streak. Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Argent, David Bowie, T. Rex, Mott the Hoople, Black Sabbath, and Uriah Heep gave the year some of its more adventurous and theatrical rock. Roundabout, From the Beginning, Bang a Gong (Get It On), Starman, and All the Young Dudes helped stretch pop and rock beyond standard radio shapes.

This was also a key moment for glam rock, with Bowie, T. Rex, and Mott the Hoople helping make rock stranger, shinier, and more theatrical. The decade’s guitars were getting louder, but they were also starting to wear eyeliner.

  • Iron Man – Black Sabbath
  • Changes – David Bowie
  • From the Beginning – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
  • Roundabout – Yes
  • Bang a Gong (Get It On) – T. Rex
  • Hold Your Head Up – Argent
  • America – Yes
  • The Jean Genie – David Bowie
  • Starman – David Bowie
  • Easy Livin’ – Uriah Heep
  • All the Young Dudes – Mott the Hoople

PCM’s 1972 Top 100 Music Chart

  1. Rock and Roll Part 2 – Gary Glitter
  2. American Pie – Don McLean
  3. Lean on Me – Bill Withers
  4. Rock and Roll – Led Zeppelin
  5. I’ll Take You There – The Staple Singers
  6. Precious and Few – Climax
  7. Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
  8. Coconut – Nilsson
  9. School’s Out – Alice Cooper
  10. Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
  11. Layla – Derek and the Dominos
  12. Goodbye to Love – The Carpenters
  13. Burning Love – Elvis Presley
  14. The Candy Man – Sammy Davis Jr.
  15. Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels) – Jim Croce
  16. A Horse with No Name – America
  17. Nights in White Satin – The Moody Blues
  18. Anticipation – Carly Simon
  19. Saturday in the Park – Chicago
  20. Get on the Good Foot – James Brown
  21. Summer Breeze – Seals & Crofts
  22. Rockin’ Robin – Michael Jackson
  23. Listen to the Music – The Doobie Brothers
  24. Take It Easy – Eagles
  25. Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) – Looking Glass
  26. Diamonds Are Forever – Shirley Bassey
  27. My Ding-a-Ling – Chuck Berry
  28. I’ll Be Around – The Spinners
  29. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
  30. Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
  31. Everybody Plays the Fool – The Main Ingredient
  32. Iron Man – Black Sabbath
  33. Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
  34. Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me – Mac Davis
  35. Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile) – Van Morrison
  36. Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison
  37. If You Don’t Know Me by Now – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
  38. You Wear It Well – Rod Stewart
  39. I Am Woman – Helen Reddy
  40. I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
  41. Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone – The Temptations
  42. Changes – David Bowie
  43. From the Beginning – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
  44. Immigration Man – Graham Nash & David Crosby
  45. Tiny Dancer – Elton John
  46. Melissa – The Allman Brothers Band
  47. Honky Cat – Elton John
  48. Black Dog – Led Zeppelin
  49. Heart of Gold – Neil Young
  50. Taxi – Harry Chapin
  51. Feelin’ Alright – Joe Cocker
  52. Down on Me – Janis Joplin
  53. Popcorn – Hot Butter
  54. City of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie
  55. Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) – The Hollies
  56. Roundabout – Yes
  57. Bang a Gong (Get It On) – T. Rex
  58. Hold Your Head Up – Argent
  59. America – Yes
  60. Black and White – Three Dog Night
  61. Rock Me on the Water – Jackson Browne
  62. Looking for a Love – The J. Geils Band
  63. You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – Jim Croce
  64. The Jean Genie – David Bowie
  65. Starman – David Bowie
  66. Easy Livin’ – Uriah Heep
  67. Rocket Man – Elton John
  68. Little Bitty Pretty One – The Jackson 5
  69. I Just Want to Make Love to You – Foghat
  70. Hot ’n’ Nasty – Humble Pie
  71. It Never Rains in Southern California – Albert Hammond
  72. I Saw the Light – Todd Rundgren
  73. Handbags and Gladrags – Rod Stewart
  74. Witchy Woman – Eagles
  75. Freddie’s Dead (Theme from Super Fly) – Curtis Mayfield
  76. Rock and Roll Stew – Traffic
  77. Delta Dawn – Tanya Tucker
  78. America – Simon & Garfunkel
  79. I Don’t Need No Doctor – New Riders of the Purple Sage
  80. Ben – Michael Jackson
  81. All the Young Dudes – Mott the Hoople
  82. I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) – The New Seekers
  83. I’m Stone in Love with You – The Stylistics
  84. Join Together – The Who
  85. The Guitar Man – Bread
  86. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard – Paul Simon
  87. Honky Tonk Part 1 – James Brown
  88. Without You – Nilsson
  89. Footstompin’ Music – Grand Funk Railroad
  90. Go All the Way – Raspberries
  91. Let It Rain – Eric Clapton
  92. Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones
  93. Diary – Bread
  94. Girl – Davy Jones
  95. Crazy Mama – J.J. Cale
  96. Old Man – Neil Young
  97. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her – Simon & Garfunkel
  98. Levon – Elton John
  99. Francene – ZZ Top
  100. Jesus Was a Capricorn – Kris Kristofferson