Billboard Hot 100 — January 15, 1972
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of January 15, 1972. "American Pie (Parts I & II)" by Don McLean climbed from #2 to take over the #1 spot from "Brand New Key" by Melanie, which had held it for 3 weeks, on its way to 4 weeks on top. 7 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'N Roll You" by Ten Years After at #74, which would go on to peak at #61. The biggest climber was "Joy" by Apollo featuring Tom Parker, up 41 places from #90 to #49.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "American Pie (Parts I & II)" by Don McLean — 1 week at the top so far, 8 weeks on the chart since debuting November 27, 1971.
- New in the top 10: "Clean Up Woman" by Betty Wright (up from #13 to #10).
- Biggest fall: "Love Potion Number Nine" by The Coasters, down 22 places from #76 to #98.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Superstar/Bless The Beasts And Children" by Carpenters, 20 weeks and counting (peak #2).
- Gone from the chart: "Theme From Shaft" by Isaac Hayes after 13 weeks (peak #1); "Baby I'm - A Want You" by Bread after 12 weeks (peak #3).
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 | 8 | American Pie (Parts I & II) Don McLean |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | Brand New Key Melanie |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | Let's Stay Together Al Green |
| 4 | 7 | 4 | 10 | Sunshine Jonathan Edwards |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 11 | Family Affair Sly & The Family Stone |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | Scorpio Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band |
| 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) The New Seekers |
| 8 | 5 | 4 | 12 | Got To Be There Michael Jackson |
| 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | Hey Girl/I Knew You When Donny Osmond |
| 10 | 13 | 10 | 8 | Clean Up Woman Betty Wright |
| 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | You Are Everything The Stylistics |
| 12 | 12 | 12 | 6 | Sugar Daddy Jackson 5 |
| 13 | 14 | 13 | 8 | I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) The Hillside Singers |
| 14 | 16 | 14 | 7 | Day After Day Badfinger |
| 15 | 15 | 15 | 9 | One Monkey Don't Stop No Show Part I The Honey Cone |
| 16 | 17 | 16 | 8 | Drowning In The Sea Of Love Joe Simon |
| 17 | 9 | 9 | 11 | Cherish David Cassidy |
| 18 | 24 | 18 | 4 | Never Been To Spain Three Dog Night |
| 19 | 18 | 4 | 10 | An Old Fashioned Love Song Three Dog Night |
| 20 | 22 | 20 | 8 | Hey Big Brother Rare Earth |
| 21 | 25 | 21 | 5 | It's One Of Those Nights (Yes Love) The Partridge Family Starring Shirley Jones Featuring David Cassidy |
| 22 | 23 | 22 | 6 | Anticipation Carly Simon |
| 23 | 26 | 23 | 7 | Once You Understand Think |
| 24 | 20 | 7 | 14 | All I Ever Need Is You Sonny & Cher |
| 25 | 27 | 25 | 9 | Kiss An Angel Good Mornin' Charley Pride |
| 26 | 19 | 3 | 13 | Have You Seen Her The Chi-lites |
| 27 | 29 | 27 | 9 | The Witch Queen Of New Orleans Redbone |
| 28 | 30 | 28 | 11 | White Lies, Blue Eyes Bullet |
| 29 | 21 | 12 | 14 | Respect Yourself The Staple Singers |
| 30 | 35 | 30 | 5 | Levon Elton John |
| 31 | 37 | 31 | 6 | That's The Way I Feel About Cha Bobby Womack & Peace |
| 32 | 38 | 32 | 5 | Make Me The Woman That You Go Home To Gladys Knight And The Pips |
| 33 | 42 | 33 | 4 | Black Dog Led Zeppelin |
| 34 | 28 | 26 | 11 | An American Trilogy Mickey Newbury |
| 35 | 46 | 35 | 3 | Stay With Me Faces |
| 36 | 54 | 36 | 5 | Without You Nilsson |
| 37 | 51 | 37 | 4 | Fire And Water Wilson Pickett |
| 38 | 33 | 33 | 7 | George Jackson Bob Dylan |
| 39 | 48 | 39 | 7 | Looking For A Love The J. Geils Band |
| 40 | 43 | 40 | 8 | Me And Bobby McGee Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 41 | 47 | 41 | 9 | My Boy Richard Harris |
| 42 | 41 | 24 | 9 | (I Know) I'm Losing You Rod Stewart With Faces |
| 43 | 67 | 43 | 3 | Precious And Few Climax |
| 44 | 57 | 44 | 6 | Those Were The Days Carroll O'Connor And Jean Stapleton (As The Bunkers) |
| 45 | 44 | 34 | 11 | Behind Blue Eyes The Who |
| 46 | 56 | 46 | 5 | Don't Say You Don't Remember Beverly Bremers |
| 47 | 45 | 33 | 10 | Hallelujah Sweathog |
| 48 | 53 | 48 | 10 | Ain't Nobody Home B.B. King |
| 49 | 90 | 49 | 3 | Joy Apollo featuring Tom Parker |
| 50 | 52 | 50 | 8 | Sour Suite The Guess Who |
| 51 | 59 | 51 | 7 | Daisy Mae Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds |
| 52 | 49 | 39 | 9 | Can I Get A Witness Lee Michaels |
| 53 | 50 | 41 | 8 | Nothing To Hide Tommy James |
| 54 | 82 | 54 | 3 | Bang A Gong (Get It On) T. Rex |
| 55 | 85 | 55 | 8 | Feeling Alright Joe Cocker |
| 56 | 55 | 47 | 11 | Friends With You John Denver |
| 57 | 80 | 57 | 3 | Together Let's Find Love The 5th Dimension |
| 58 | 58 | 58 | 7 | Carolyn Merle Haggard And The Strangers |
| 59 | 66 | 59 | 8 | Show Me How The Emotions |
| 60 | 63 | 60 | 6 | Everybody Knows About My Good Thing Pt. 1 Little Johnny Taylor |
| 61 | 73 | 61 | 6 | The Harder I Try (The Bluer I Get) Free Movement |
| 62 | 62 | 62 | 7 | No Sad Song Helen Reddy |
| 63 | 61 | 61 | 7 | Devil You Stampeders |
| 64 | 64 | 64 | 6 | Take It Slow (Out In The Country) Lighthouse |
| 65 | 65 | 49 | 9 | Satisfaction Smokey Robinson & The Miracles |
| 66 | 72 | 66 | 4 | What Am I Living For Ray Charles |
| 67 | 68 | 2 | 20 | Superstar/Bless The Beasts And Children Carpenters |
| 68 | 70 | 68 | 6 | Way Back Home Jr. Walker & The All Stars |
| 69 | 60 | 60 | 9 | Pretty As You Feel Jefferson Airplane |
| 70 | 89 | 70 | 3 | Tupelo Honey Van Morrison |
| 71 | 79 | 71 | 4 | Under My Wheels Alice Cooper |
| 72 | 74 | 72 | 5 | You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Here On Earth The Undisputed Truth |
| 73 | 84 | 73 | 3 | The Lion Sleeps Tonight Robert John |
| 74 | NEW | 74 | 1 | Baby Won't You Let Me Rock 'N Roll You Ten Years After |
| 75 | 98 | 75 | 2 | Floy Joy The Supremes |
| 76 | NEW | 76 | 1 | Hurting Each Other Carpenters |
| 77 | 77 | 77 | 5 | Keep On Keeping On N.F. Porter |
| 78 | 69 | 64 | 8 | Truckin' Grateful Dead |
| 79 | 71 | 71 | 6 | After All This Time Merry Clayton |
| 80 | 83 | 80 | 2 | Another Puff Jerry Reed |
| 81 | 86 | 81 | 6 | Ain't Understanding Mellow Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager |
| 82 | 88 | 82 | 4 | Do The Funky Penguin Part I Rufus Thomas |
| 83 | NEW | 83 | 1 | Oh Me Oh My (I'm A Fool For You Baby) Aretha Franklin |
| 84 | 92 | 84 | 2 | You Want It, You Got It Detroit Emeralds |
| 85 | 91 | 85 | 4 | Son Of Shaft The Bar-Kays |
| 86 | 95 | 86 | 4 | Love Gonna Pack Up (And Walk Out) The Persuaders |
| 87 | 87 | 87 | 6 | Five Hundred Miles Heaven Bound with Tony Scotti |
| 88 | 93 | 88 | 4 | Pain (Part I) Ohio Players |
| 89 | 96 | 89 | 2 | If I Could See The Light The 8th Day |
| 90 | 99 | 90 | 2 | Footstompin' Music Grand Funk Railroad |
| 91 | NEW | 91 | 1 | Jungle Fever The Chakachas |
| 92 | 81 | 81 | 5 | So Many People Chase |
| 93 | 94 | 93 | 5 | Open The Door (Song For Judith) Judy Collins |
| 94 | 97 | 94 | 5 | Keep Playin' That Rock 'N' Roll Edgar Winter's White Trash |
| 95 | NEW | 95 | 1 | Music From Across The Way James Last |
| 96 | NEW | 96 | 1 | Rock & Roll Stew...Part 1 Traffic |
| 97 | 78 | 78 | 6 | Get Up And Get Down The Dramatics |
| 98 | 76 | 76 | 6 | Love Potion Number Nine The Coasters |
| 99 | NEW | 99 | 1 | Ajax Airlines Hudson and Landry |
| 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 | The Road We Didn't Take Freda Payne |
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