Billboard Hot 100 — December 25, 1971
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of December 25, 1971. "Brand New Key" by Melanie climbed from #2 to take over the #1 spot from "Family Affair" by Sly & The Family Stone, which had held it for 3 weeks, on its way to 3 weeks on top. 10 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin at #67, which would go on to peak at #15. The biggest climber was "Make Me The Woman That You Go Home To" by Gladys Knight And The Pips, up 35 places from #83 to #48.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Brand New Key" by Melanie — 1 week at the top so far, 9 weeks on the chart since debuting October 30, 1971.
- New in the top 10: "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band (up from #11 to #8); "Hey Girl/I Knew You When" by Donny Osmond (up from #12 to #10).
- Biggest fall: "Desiderata" by Les Crane, down 13 places from #22 to #35.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "A Natural Man" by Lou Rawls, 18 weeks and counting (peak #17).
- Gone from the chart: "Imagine" by John Lennon Plastic Ono Band after 9 weeks (peak #3).
- Stories that mention this week: No Room at the Top: America's Christmas Number Ones, 1958-1990.
TW = this week, LW = last week (NEW = first week on the chart), Peak = highest position reached up to this week, Wks = weeks on the chart up to this week.
| TW | LW | Peak | Wks | Song / Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | Brand New Key Melanie |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | Family Affair Sly & The Family Stone |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | 5 | American Pie (Parts I & II) Don McLean |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | An Old Fashioned Love Song Three Dog Night |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | Got To Be There Michael Jackson |
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 | Have You Seen Her The Chi-lites |
| 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | All I Ever Need Is You Sonny & Cher |
| 8 | 11 | 8 | 9 | Scorpio Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band |
| 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | Cherish David Cassidy |
| 10 | 12 | 10 | 5 | Hey Girl/I Knew You When Donny Osmond |
| 11 | 7 | 3 | 10 | Baby I'm - A Want You Bread |
| 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | Respect Yourself The Staple Singers |
| 13 | 20 | 13 | 7 | Sunshine Jonathan Edwards |
| 14 | 15 | 14 | 8 | You Are Everything The Stylistics |
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 11 | Where Did Our Love Go Donnie Elbert |
| 16 | 6 | 1 | 11 | Theme From Shaft Isaac Hayes |
| 17 | 28 | 17 | 4 | I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) The New Seekers |
| 18 | 18 | 18 | 8 | Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are) The Temptations |
| 19 | 17 | 1 | 15 | Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves Cher |
| 20 | 30 | 20 | 4 | Let's Stay Together Al Green |
| 21 | 26 | 21 | 5 | I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) The Hillside Singers |
| 22 | 24 | 22 | 6 | One Monkey Don't Stop No Show Part I The Honey Cone |
| 23 | 29 | 23 | 5 | Clean Up Woman Betty Wright |
| 24 | 25 | 24 | 6 | (I Know) I'm Losing You Rod Stewart With Faces |
| 25 | 14 | 14 | 7 | Stones/Crunchy Granola Suite Neil Diamond |
| 26 | 39 | 26 | 4 | Day After Day Badfinger |
| 27 | 19 | 9 | 9 | Rock Steady Aretha Franklin |
| 28 | 32 | 28 | 5 | Drowning In The Sea Of Love Joe Simon |
| 29 | 21 | 21 | 11 | Theme From "Summer Of '42" Peter Nero |
| 30 | 31 | 30 | 8 | An American Trilogy Mickey Newbury |
| 31 | 45 | 31 | 3 | Sugar Daddy Jackson 5 |
| 32 | 38 | 32 | 5 | Hey Big Brother Rare Earth |
| 33 | 33 | 33 | 7 | Hallelujah Sweathog |
| 34 | 34 | 34 | 8 | Behind Blue Eyes The Who |
| 35 | 22 | 8 | 12 | Desiderata Les Crane |
| 36 | 27 | 17 | 18 | A Natural Man Lou Rawls |
| 37 | 40 | 37 | 6 | Kiss An Angel Good Mornin' Charley Pride |
| 38 | 46 | 38 | 4 | George Jackson Bob Dylan |
| 39 | 42 | 39 | 6 | Can I Get A Witness Lee Michaels |
| 40 | 44 | 40 | 8 | White Lies, Blue Eyes Bullet |
| 41 | 43 | 41 | 5 | Nothing To Hide Tommy James |
| 42 | 35 | 35 | 7 | I'm A Greedy Man - Part I James Brown |
| 43 | 51 | 43 | 3 | Anticipation Carly Simon |
| 44 | 57 | 44 | 2 | It's One Of Those Nights (Yes Love) The Partridge Family Starring Shirley Jones Featuring David Cassidy |
| 45 | 67 | 45 | 4 | Once You Understand Think |
| 46 | 56 | 46 | 5 | Me And Bobby McGee Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 47 | 47 | 47 | 8 | Friends With You John Denver |
| 48 | 83 | 48 | 2 | Make Me The Woman That You Go Home To Gladys Knight And The Pips |
| 49 | 49 | 49 | 7 | Let It Be Joan Baez |
| 50 | 48 | 40 | 14 | Your Move (I've Seen All Good People) Yes |
| 51 | 54 | 51 | 6 | The Witch Queen Of New Orleans Redbone |
| 52 | 52 | 52 | 6 | Satisfaction Smokey Robinson & The Miracles |
| 53 | 55 | 53 | 5 | Sour Suite The Guess Who |
| 54 | 59 | 54 | 6 | My Boy Richard Harris |
| 55 | 58 | 55 | 7 | Ain't Nobody Home B.B. King |
| 56 | 60 | 56 | 4 | Looking For A Love The J. Geils Band |
| 57 | 80 | 57 | 2 | Levon Elton John |
| 58 | 64 | 58 | 3 | Those Were The Days Carroll O'Connor And Jean Stapleton (As The Bunkers) |
| 59 | 62 | 59 | 4 | Carolyn Merle Haggard And The Strangers |
| 60 | 71 | 60 | 3 | That's The Way I Feel About Cha Bobby Womack & Peace |
| 61 | 63 | 61 | 6 | Pretty As You Feel Jefferson Airplane |
| 62 | 68 | 62 | 4 | Devil You Stampeders |
| 63 | 65 | 63 | 6 | Turn Your Radio On Ray Stevens |
| 64 | 70 | 64 | 5 | Truckin' Grateful Dead |
| 65 | 73 | 65 | 3 | Everybody Knows About My Good Thing Pt. 1 Little Johnny Taylor |
| 66 | 81 | 66 | 4 | Daisy Mae Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds |
| 67 | NEW | 67 | 1 | Black Dog Led Zeppelin |
| 68 | 75 | 68 | 4 | No Sad Song Helen Reddy |
| 69 | 72 | 69 | 3 | Take It Slow (Out In The Country) Lighthouse |
| 70 | 69 | 69 | 7 | Get Down Curtis Mayfield |
| 71 | 76 | 71 | 5 | Tightrope Ride The Doors |
| 72 | 82 | 72 | 3 | After All This Time Merry Clayton |
| 73 | 77 | 73 | 4 | Lay Lady Lay The Isley Brothers |
| 74 | 74 | 2 | 17 | Superstar/Bless The Beasts And Children Carpenters |
| 75 | 79 | 75 | 3 | Way Back Home Jr. Walker & The All Stars |
| 76 | 99 | 76 | 2 | Without You Nilsson |
| 77 | 98 | 77 | 2 | Don't Say You Don't Remember Beverly Bremers |
| 78 | 85 | 78 | 3 | Love Potion Number Nine The Coasters |
| 79 | NEW | 79 | 1 | Fire And Water Wilson Pickett |
| 80 | 89 | 80 | 3 | The Harder I Try (The Bluer I Get) Free Movement |
| 81 | NEW | 81 | 1 | Never Been To Spain Three Dog Night |
| 82 | 93 | 82 | 5 | Show Me How The Emotions |
| 83 | 88 | 83 | 2 | So Many People Chase |
| 84 | 90 | 84 | 3 | No Good To Cry The Poppy Family |
| 85 | 87 | 85 | 2 | You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Here On Earth The Undisputed Truth |
| 86 | 86 | 86 | 3 | Get Up And Get Down The Dramatics |
| 87 | NEW | 87 | 1 | What Am I Living For Ray Charles |
| 88 | NEW | 88 | 1 | Under My Wheels Alice Cooper |
| 89 | 94 | 89 | 2 | Keep On Keeping On N.F. Porter |
| 90 | 92 | 90 | 3 | Five Hundred Miles Heaven Bound with Tony Scotti |
| 91 | 91 | 91 | 2 | She's All I Got Johnny Paycheck |
| 92 | NEW | 92 | 1 | Son Of Shaft The Bar-Kays |
| 93 | 95 | 93 | 3 | Ain't Understanding Mellow Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager |
| 94 | 97 | 94 | 3 | Long Time To Be Alone The New Colony Six |
| 95 | 96 | 95 | 2 | Open The Door (Song For Judith) Judy Collins |
| 96 | NEW | 96 | 1 | Love Gonna Pack Up (And Walk Out) The Persuaders |
| 97 | NEW | 97 | 1 | Do The Funky Penguin Part I Rufus Thomas |
| 98 | 100 | 98 | 2 | Keep Playin' That Rock 'N' Roll Edgar Winter's White Trash |
| 99 | NEW | 99 | 1 | Pain (Part I) Ohio Players |
| 100 | NEW | 95 | 2 | Medley From "Superstar" (A Rock Opera) The Assembled Multitude |
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