Billboard Hot 100 — July 29, 1972
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of July 29, 1972. "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan climbed from #3 to take over the #1 spot from "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers, which had held it for 3 weeks, on its way to 4 weeks on top (it would total 6 weeks at #1 across 2 separate runs). 8 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "The Guitar Man" by Bread at #62, which would go on to peak at #11. The biggest climber was "Rock And Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter, up 34 places from #84 to #50.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan — 1 week at the top so far, 7 weeks on the chart since debuting June 17, 1972.
- New in the top 10: "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)" by The Hollies (up from #18 to #10).
- Biggest fall: "After Midnight" by J.J. Cale, down 19 places from #52 to #71.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos, 22 weeks and counting (peak #11).
- Gone from the chart: "Nice To Be With You" by Gallery after 22 weeks (peak #4); "I Need You" by America after 10 weeks (peak #9).
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 | 3 | 1 | 7 | Alone Again (Naturally) Gilbert O'Sullivan |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) Looking Glass |
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | Too Late To Turn Back Now Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 | (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right Luther Ingram |
| 5 | 6 | 5 | 15 | Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast Wayne Newton |
| 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | Where Is The Love Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway |
| 7 | 10 | 7 | 9 | School's Out Alice Cooper |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 14 | How Do You Do? Mouth & MacNeal |
| 9 | 1 | 1 | 15 | Lean On Me Bill Withers |
| 10 | 18 | 10 | 6 | Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) The Hollies |
| 11 | 11 | 11 | 22 | Layla Derek & The Dominos |
| 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | Take It Easy Eagles |
| 13 | 19 | 13 | 11 | Day By Day Godspell |
| 14 | 9 | 6 | 13 | Rocket Man Elton John |
| 15 | 24 | 15 | 8 | Coconut Nilsson |
| 16 | 17 | 16 | 10 | Conquistador Procol Harum |
| 17 | 20 | 17 | 5 | Hold Her Tight The Osmonds |
| 18 | 21 | 18 | 4 | I'm Still In Love With You Al Green |
| 19 | 22 | 19 | 10 | The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A. Donna Fargo |
| 20 | 13 | 13 | 8 | Too Young Donny Osmond |
| 21 | 15 | 1 | 13 | Song Sung Blue Neil Diamond |
| 22 | 14 | 2 | 15 | Outa-Space Billy Preston |
| 23 | 29 | 23 | 7 | Hold Your Head Up Argent |
| 24 | 16 | 16 | 10 | I Wanna Be Where You Are Michael Jackson |
| 25 | 25 | 25 | 9 | People Make The World Go Round The Stylistics |
| 26 | 30 | 26 | 8 | Sealed With A Kiss Bobby Vinton |
| 27 | 31 | 27 | 5 | You Don't Mess Around With Jim Jim Croce |
| 28 | 35 | 28 | 8 | Motorcycle Mama Sailcat |
| 29 | 34 | 29 | 10 | Gone Joey Heatherton |
| 30 | 38 | 30 | 3 | Goodbye To Love Carpenters |
| 31 | 43 | 31 | 3 | Happy The Rolling Stones |
| 32 | 23 | 1 | 21 | The Candy Man Sammy Davis, Jr. with The Mike Curb Congregation |
| 33 | 26 | 6 | 12 | Troglodyte (Cave Man) The Jimmy Castor Bunch |
| 34 | 42 | 34 | 10 | Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) Detroit Emeralds |
| 35 | 28 | 28 | 7 | Mary Had A Little Lamb/Little Woman Love Wings |
| 36 | 41 | 36 | 5 | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do The Partridge Family Starring Shirley Jones Featuring David Cassidy |
| 37 | 47 | 37 | 6 | Small Beginnings Flash |
| 38 | 61 | 38 | 3 | Lookin' Through The Windows Jackson 5 |
| 39 | 39 | 39 | 7 | The Runway The Grass Roots |
| 40 | 40 | 40 | 14 | We're Free Beverly Bremers |
| 41 | 44 | 41 | 6 | Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead Barbra Streisand |
| 42 | 58 | 42 | 5 | Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me Mac Davis |
| 43 | 33 | 33 | 11 | Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) Stevie Wonder |
| 44 | 45 | 44 | 6 | Honky Tonk - Part 1 The James Brown Soul Train |
| 45 | 50 | 45 | 9 | Beautiful Sunday Daniel Boone |
| 46 | 49 | 46 | 7 | I'm Coming Home Stories |
| 47 | 53 | 47 | 4 | When You Say Love Sonny & Cher |
| 48 | 51 | 48 | 6 | We've Come Too Far To End It Now Smokey Robinson & The Miracles |
| 49 | 70 | 49 | 2 | Join Together The Who |
| 50 | 84 | 50 | 2 | Rock And Roll Part 2 Gary Glitter |
| 51 | 46 | 45 | 7 | Brown Eyed Girl El Chicano |
| 52 | 66 | 52 | 4 | Popcorn Hot Butter |
| 53 | 57 | 53 | 5 | Pop That Thang The Isley Brothers |
| 54 | 55 | 54 | 6 | In The Ghetto Candi Staton |
| 55 | 77 | 55 | 2 | Back Stabbers The O'Jays |
| 56 | 60 | 56 | 4 | Duncan Paul Simon |
| 57 | 56 | 56 | 10 | In A Broken Dream Python Lee Jackson |
| 58 | 59 | 58 | 10 | Beautiful Gordon Lightfoot |
| 59 | 63 | 59 | 5 | I Miss You (Part I) Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes |
| 60 | 64 | 60 | 4 | Power Of Love Joe Simon |
| 61 | 62 | 61 | 5 | War Song Neil Young & Graham Nash |
| 62 | NEW | 62 | 1 | The Guitar Man Bread |
| 63 | 74 | 63 | 3 | You're Still A Young Man Tower Of Power |
| 64 | 67 | 64 | 4 | A Simple Man Lobo |
| 65 | 83 | 65 | 3 | Put It Where You Want It The Crusaders |
| 66 | 68 | 66 | 5 | Go All The Way Raspberries |
| 67 | 69 | 67 | 4 | Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma Ray Charles |
| 68 | 72 | 68 | 3 | The Coldest Days Of My Life (Part 1) The Chi-lites |
| 69 | 71 | 69 | 8 | Rip Off Laura Lee |
| 70 | 65 | 65 | 7 | Men Of Learning Vigrass & Osborne |
| 71 | 52 | 42 | 11 | After Midnight J.J. Cale |
| 72 | 81 | 72 | 3 | Everybody Plays The Fool The Main Ingredient |
| 73 | 75 | 73 | 4 | Starting All Over Again Mel And Tim |
| 74 | 90 | 74 | 5 | Starman David Bowie |
| 75 | 79 | 75 | 4 | Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart The Trammps |
| 76 | 76 | 76 | 9 | Vanilla Ólay Jackie DeShannon |
| 77 | 80 | 77 | 8 | My Guy Petula Clark |
| 78 | 78 | 77 | 8 | Eddie's Love Eddie Kendricks |
| 79 | 86 | 79 | 5 | Delta Dawn Tanya Tucker |
| 80 | 82 | 80 | 5 | If I Were A Carpenter Bob Seger |
| 81 | 88 | 81 | 3 | That's What Friends Are For B.J. Thomas |
| 82 | NEW | 82 | 1 | Easy Livin Uriah Heep |
| 83 | NEW | 83 | 1 | Run To Me Bee Gees |
| 84 | 87 | 84 | 3 | Alabama Wild Man Jerry Reed |
| 85 | 91 | 85 | 2 | Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar Commander Cody |
| 86 | NEW | 86 | 1 | The City Of New Orleans Arlo Guthrie |
| 87 | 93 | 87 | 3 | Circles The New Seekers |
| 88 | 89 | 88 | 4 | Country Woman The Magic Lantern |
| 89 | 85 | 78 | 8 | Butterfly Danyel Gerard |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 1 | In The Quiet Morning Joan Baez |
| 91 | 95 | 91 | 3 | Down On Me Janis Joplin |
| 92 | 92 | 92 | 3 | Rock And Roll Crazies Stephen Stills-Manassas |
| 93 | 94 | 93 | 2 | Goodbye Again John Denver |
| 94 | 97 | 94 | 2 | I Could Never Be Happy The Emotions |
| 95 | 96 | 62 | 10 | That's The Way God Planned It Billy Preston |
| 96 | NEW | 96 | 1 | Couldn't I Just Tell You Todd Rundgren |
| 97 | 100 | 97 | 2 | Down By The River Albert Hammond |
| 98 | 98 | 98 | 2 | Turn On Your Love Light Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 99 | NEW | 99 | 1 | Garden Party Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band |
| 100 | NEW | 100 | 1 | Sittin' On A Time Bomb (Waitin' For The Hurt To Come) The Honey Cone |
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