Singing group The Spinners
The Spinners topped the chart for the first time with "I'll Be Around".

Billboard published a weekly chart in 1972 ranking the top-performing singles in the United States in soul music and related African American-oriented music genres; the chart has undergone various name changes over the decades to reflect the evolution of such genres and since 2005 has been published as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[1] In 1972, it was published under the title Best Selling Soul Singles,[2] and 21 different singles topped the chart.

In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, Sly and the Family Stone were at number one with "Family Affair", the song's fifth week in the top spot.[3] The following week, it was replaced by Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", which went on to spend nine weeks at number one, making it the longest-running chart-topper of the year and the song with the longest uninterrupted run atop the chart since 1965.[4] "Let's Stay Together" was the first number one for Green,[5][6] and he achieved two more soul chart-toppers by the end of the year, spending two weeks atop the chart in August with "I'm Still in Love with You" and one in December with "You Ought to Be with Me". Green was one of only two acts with more than one chart-topping single during the year, and his total of 12 weeks at number one was more than twice that achieved by any other act.

As well as Al Green, several other acts topped the chart for the first time in 1972. Beginning with the issue of Billboard dated July 8, Luther Ingram spent four weeks in the top spot with his first number one, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right".[7] Although it was a multi-million seller, it proved to be his only chart-topping single.[8] It was replaced at number one by "Where Is the Love" by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, which was the first R&B number one for both singers.[9] Flack's previous single, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart for six weeks and was the year's biggest-selling single, but on the soul chart it only climbed as high as number 4.[10][11] The Dramatics, the Staple Singers, Bobby Womack, Bill Withers, Billy Preston, the O'Jays, the Spinners, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and Billy Paul also gained the first number ones of their respective careers in 1972.[12] Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones" was the year's final number one, reaching the top spot in the issue of Billboard dated December 9 and staying there for the remainder of the year. It also topped the Hot 100, as did five of 1972's other soul number ones: "Family Affair", "Let's Stay Together", "I'll Take You There" by the Staple Singers, "Oh Girl" by the Chi-Lites and "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers.[13][14]

Chart history

Singer Al Green
Al Green had the year's longest-running number one with "Let's Stay Together" in addition to two other number ones: "I'm Still in Love with You" and "You Ought to Be with Me".
Musical group The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers, pictured with TV host Don Cornelius (second right), topped the chart with "I'll Take You There".
Singer Bill Withers
Bill Withers topped the chart with "Lean on Me".
Singer Billy Paul
Billy Paul (pictured in later life) ended the year at number one with "Me and Mrs. Jones".
Key
† Indicates number 1 on Billboard's year-end soul chart[15]
Chart history
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 1 "Family Affair" Sly and the Family Stone [3]
January 8 "Let's Stay Together" † Al Green [16]
January 15 [17]
January 22 [18]
January 29 [19]
February 5 [20]
February 12 [21]
February 19 [22]
February 26 [23]
March 4 [24]
March 11 "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing (Pt. 1)" James Brown [25]
March 18 "I Gotcha" Joe Tex [26]
March 25 "In the Rain" The Dramatics [27]
April 1 [28]
April 8 [29]
April 15 [30]
April 22 "Day Dreaming" Aretha Franklin [31]
April 29 [32]
May 6 "I'll Take You There" The Staple Singers [33]
May 13 [34]
May 20 [35]
May 27 [36]
June 3 "Oh Girl" The Chi-Lites [37]
June 10 [38]
June 17 "Woman's Gotta Have It" Bobby Womack [39]
June 24 "Lean On Me" Bill Withers [40]
July 1 "Outa-Space" Billy Preston [41]
July 8 "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" Luther Ingram [42]
July 15 [43]
July 22 [44]
July 29 [45]
August 5 "Where Is the Love" Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway [46]
August 12 "I'm Still in Love With You" Al Green [47]
August 19 [48]
August 26 "Power of Love" Joe Simon [49]
September 2 [50]
September 9 "Back Stabbers" The O'Jays [51]
September 16 "Get On the Good Foot" James Brown [52]
September 23 [53]
September 30 [54]
October 7 [55]
October 14 "I'll Be Around" The Spinners [56]
October 21 [57]
October 28 [58]
November 4 [59]
November 11 [60]
November 18 "If You Don't Know Me by Now" Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [61]
November 25 [62]
December 2 "You Ought to Be With Me" Al Green [63]
December 9 "Me and Mrs. Jones" Billy Paul [64]
December 16 [65]
December 23 [66]
December 30 [67]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Molanphy, Chris (April 14, 2014). "I Know You Got Soul: The Trouble With Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Chart". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  2. ↑ Whitburn 1996, p. xii.
  3. 1 2 "R & B Chart for January 1, 1972". Billboard. January 1, 1972. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  4. ↑ Whitburn 1988, pp. 602–605.
  5. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Al Green Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  6. ↑ Whitburn 1988, p. 174.
  7. ↑ Whitburn 1988, p. 205.
  8. ↑ Murrells 1978, p. 314.
  9. ↑ Whitburn 1988, pp. 151, 182.
  10. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Roberta Flack Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  11. ↑ Whitburn 1988, p. 151.
  12. ↑ Whitburn 1988, pp. 126, 286, 312, 322, 334, 386, 387, 452, 453.
  13. ↑ "Hot 100 – 1971 Archive". Billboard. September 12, 2008. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Hot 100 – 1972 Archive". Billboard. September 12, 2008. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Billboard.com - Year End Charts - Year-end Singles - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  16. ↑ "R & B Chart for January 8, 1972". Billboard. January 8, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  17. ↑ "R & B Chart for January 15, 1972". Billboard. January 15, 1972. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  18. ↑ "R & B Chart for January 22, 1972". Billboard. January 22, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  19. ↑ "R & B Chart for January 29, 1972". Billboard. January 29, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  20. ↑ "R & B Chart for February 5, 1972". Billboard. February 5, 1972. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  21. ↑ "R & B Chart for February 12, 1972". Billboard. February 12, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  22. ↑ "R & B Chart for February 19, 1972". Billboard. February 19, 1972. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  23. ↑ "R & B Chart for February 26, 1972". Billboard. February 26, 1972. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  24. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 4, 1972". Billboard. March 4, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  25. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 11, 1972". Billboard. March 11, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  26. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 18, 1972". Billboard. March 18, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  27. ↑ "R & B Chart for March 25, 1972". Billboard. March 25, 1972. Archived from the original on May 22, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  28. ↑ "R & B Chart for April 1, 1972". Billboard. April 1, 1972. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  29. ↑ Devops (April 8, 1972). "R & B Chart for April 8, 1972". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  30. ↑ "R & B Chart for April 15, 1972". Billboard. April 15, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  31. ↑ "R & B Chart for April 22, 1972". Billboard. April 22, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  32. ↑ "R & B Chart for April 29, 1972". Billboard. April 29, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  33. ↑ "R & B Chart for May 6, 1972". Billboard. May 6, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  34. ↑ "R & B Chart for May 13, 1972". Billboard. May 13, 1972. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  35. ↑ "R & B Chart for May 20, 1972". Billboard. May 20, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  36. ↑ "R & B Chart for May 27, 1972". Billboard. May 27, 1972. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  37. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 3, 1972". Billboard. June 3, 1972. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  38. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 10, 1972". Billboard. June 10, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  39. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 17, 1972". Billboard. June 17, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  40. ↑ "R & B Chart for June 24, 1972". Billboard. June 24, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  41. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 1, 1972". Billboard. July 1, 1972. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  42. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 8, 1972". Billboard. July 8, 1972. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  43. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 15, 1972". Billboard. July 15, 1972. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  44. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 22, 1972". Billboard. July 22, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  45. ↑ "R & B Chart for July 29, 1972". Billboard. July 29, 1972. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  46. ↑ "R & B Chart for August 5, 1972". Billboard. August 5, 1972. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  47. ↑ "R & B Chart for August 12, 1972". Billboard. August 12, 1972. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  48. ↑ "R & B Chart for August 19, 1972". Billboard. August 19, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  49. ↑ "R & B Chart for August 26, 1972". Billboard. August 26, 1972. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  50. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 2, 1972". Billboard. September 2, 1972. Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  51. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 9, 1972". Billboard. September 9, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  52. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 16, 1972". Billboard. September 16, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  53. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 23, 1972". Billboard. September 23, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  54. ↑ "R & B Chart for September 30, 1972". Billboard. September 30, 1972. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  55. ↑ "R & B Chart for October 7, 1972". Billboard. October 7, 1972. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  56. ↑ "R & B Chart for October 14, 1972". Billboard. October 14, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  57. ↑ "R & B Chart for October 21, 1972". Billboard. October 21, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  58. ↑ "R & B Chart for October 28, 1972". Billboard. October 28, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  59. ↑ "R & B Chart for November 4, 1972". Billboard. November 4, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  60. ↑ "R & B Chart for November 11, 1972". Billboard. November 11, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  61. ↑ "R & B Chart for November 18, 1972". Billboard. November 18, 1972. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  62. ↑ "R & B Chart for November 25, 1972". Billboard. November 25, 1972. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  63. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 2, 1972". Billboard. December 2, 1972. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  64. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 9, 1972". Billboard. December 9, 1972. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  65. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 16, 1972". Billboard. December 16, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  66. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 23, 1972". Billboard. December 23, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  67. ↑ "R & B Chart for December 30, 1972". Billboard. December 30, 1972. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.

Works cited

  • Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  • Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942–1988. Record Research Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-89820-069-0.
  • Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942–1995. Record Research Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-89820-115-4.
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