Billboard Hot 100 — August 19, 1972
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of August 19, 1972. "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan held #1 for a 4th straight week, the last week of its run (it would total 6 weeks at #1 across 2 separate runs). 9 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry" by Jerry Wallace at #83, which would go on to peak at #38. The biggest climber was "Play Me" by Neil Diamond, up 32 places from #87 to #55.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan — 4 weeks at the top so far, 10 weeks on the chart since debuting June 17, 1972.
- New in the top 10: "Hold Your Head Up" by Argent (up from #18 to #8); "Coconut" by Nilsson (up from #11 to #9); "Goodbye To Love" by Carpenters (up from #12 to #10).
- Biggest fall: "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos, down 18 places from #16 to #34.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos, 25 weeks and counting (peak #10).
- Gone from the chart: "Outa-Space" by Billy Preston after 17 weeks (peak #2); "Rocket Man" by Elton John after 15 weeks (peak #6).
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 | 1 | 1 | 10 | Alone Again (Naturally) Gilbert O'Sullivan |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) Looking Glass |
| 3 | 6 | 3 | 9 | Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) The Hollies |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 12 | (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right Luther Ingram |
| 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | I'm Still In Love With You Al Green |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | 11 | Where Is The Love Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway |
| 7 | 4 | 4 | 18 | Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast Wayne Newton |
| 8 | 18 | 8 | 10 | Hold Your Head Up Argent |
| 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | Coconut Nilsson |
| 10 | 12 | 10 | 6 | Goodbye To Love Carpenters |
| 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A. Donna Fargo |
| 12 | 17 | 12 | 8 | You Don't Mess Around With Jim Jim Croce |
| 13 | 8 | 2 | 13 | Too Late To Turn Back Now Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose |
| 14 | 10 | 7 | 12 | School's Out Alice Cooper |
| 15 | 9 | 8 | 17 | How Do You Do? Mouth & MacNeal |
| 16 | 20 | 16 | 11 | Motorcycle Mama Sailcat |
| 17 | 26 | 17 | 4 | The Guitar Man Bread |
| 18 | 27 | 18 | 8 | Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me Mac Davis |
| 19 | 21 | 19 | 11 | Sealed With A Kiss Bobby Vinton |
| 20 | 22 | 20 | 6 | Lookin' Through The Windows Jackson 5 |
| 21 | 25 | 21 | 5 | Rock And Roll Part 2 Gary Glitter |
| 22 | 23 | 22 | 6 | Happy The Rolling Stones |
| 23 | 28 | 23 | 5 | Join Together The Who |
| 24 | 24 | 24 | 13 | Gone Joey Heatherton |
| 25 | 15 | 1 | 18 | Lean On Me Bill Withers |
| 26 | 37 | 26 | 5 | Back Stabbers The O'Jays |
| 27 | 30 | 27 | 13 | Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) Detroit Emeralds |
| 28 | 29 | 28 | 8 | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do The Partridge Family Starring Shirley Jones Featuring David Cassidy |
| 29 | 31 | 29 | 12 | Beautiful Sunday Daniel Boone |
| 30 | 14 | 14 | 8 | Hold Her Tight The Osmonds |
| 31 | 32 | 31 | 9 | Small Beginnings Flash |
| 32 | 33 | 32 | 7 | When You Say Love Sonny & Cher |
| 33 | 40 | 33 | 3 | Saturday In The Park Chicago |
| 34 | 16 | 10 | 25 | Layla Derek & The Dominos |
| 35 | 19 | 13 | 14 | Day By Day Godspell |
| 36 | 41 | 36 | 8 | Pop That Thang The Isley Brothers |
| 37 | 42 | 37 | 7 | Power Of Love Joe Simon |
| 38 | 39 | 38 | 9 | Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead Barbra Streisand |
| 39 | 44 | 39 | 7 | Popcorn Hot Butter |
| 40 | 45 | 40 | 8 | Go All The Way Raspberries |
| 41 | 47 | 41 | 6 | You're Still A Young Man Tower Of Power |
| 42 | 43 | 42 | 10 | I'm Coming Home Stories |
| 43 | 49 | 43 | 4 | Run To Me Bee Gees |
| 44 | 63 | 44 | 2 | Honky Cat Elton John |
| 45 | 51 | 45 | 3 | This World The Staple Singers |
| 46 | 34 | 16 | 13 | Conquistador Procol Harum |
| 47 | 61 | 47 | 2 | Black & White Three Dog Night |
| 48 | 48 | 48 | 9 | In The Ghetto Candi Staton |
| 49 | 59 | 49 | 4 | The City Of New Orleans Arlo Guthrie |
| 50 | 53 | 50 | 6 | The Coldest Days Of My Life (Part 1) The Chi-lites |
| 51 | 56 | 51 | 6 | Everybody Plays The Fool The Main Ingredient |
| 52 | 55 | 52 | 7 | Starting All Over Again Mel And Tim |
| 53 | 54 | 53 | 6 | Put It Where You Want It The Crusaders |
| 54 | 46 | 46 | 9 | We've Come Too Far To End It Now Smokey Robinson & The Miracles |
| 55 | 87 | 55 | 2 | Play Me Neil Diamond |
| 56 | 57 | 56 | 7 | A Simple Man Lobo |
| 57 | 62 | 57 | 3 | Speak To The Sky Rick Springfield |
| 58 | 65 | 58 | 4 | Easy Livin Uriah Heep |
| 59 | 58 | 58 | 8 | I Miss You (Part I) Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes |
| 60 | 52 | 52 | 7 | Duncan Paul Simon |
| 61 | 75 | 61 | 3 | Ben Michael Jackson |
| 62 | 66 | 62 | 6 | Alabama Wild Man Jerry Reed |
| 63 | 70 | 63 | 3 | Rock Me On The Water Jackson Browne |
| 64 | 76 | 64 | 3 | My Man, A Sweet Man Millie Jackson |
| 65 | 68 | 65 | 8 | Starman David Bowie |
| 66 | 67 | 66 | 7 | Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart The Trammps |
| 67 | 72 | 67 | 3 | Get On The Good Foot-Part 1 James Brown |
| 68 | 69 | 62 | 13 | That's The Way God Planned It Billy Preston |
| 69 | 89 | 69 | 3 | Nights In White Satin The Moody Blues |
| 70 | 86 | 70 | 2 | America Yes |
| 71 | 82 | 71 | 3 | My Ding-A-Ling Chuck Berry |
| 72 | 88 | 72 | 4 | Garden Party Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band |
| 73 | 73 | 73 | 11 | My Guy Petula Clark |
| 74 | 79 | 74 | 4 | In The Quiet Morning Joan Baez |
| 75 | 78 | 75 | 3 | Your Wonderful, Sweet Sweet Love The Supremes |
| 76 | 77 | 76 | 8 | If I Were A Carpenter Bob Seger |
| 77 | 80 | 77 | 3 | In Time Engelbert Humperdinck |
| 78 | 97 | 78 | 2 | I Believe In Music Gallery |
| 79 | 83 | 79 | 3 | What A Wonderful Thing We Have The Fabulous Rhinestones |
| 80 | 71 | 68 | 11 | Rip Off Laura Lee |
| 81 | 81 | 81 | 5 | Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar Commander Cody |
| 82 | 85 | 82 | 3 | Geronimo's Cadillac Michael Murphey |
| 83 | NEW | 83 | 1 | If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry Jerry Wallace |
| 84 | NEW | 84 | 1 | Wholy Holy Aretha Franklin With James Cleveland & The Southern California Community Choir |
| 85 | 74 | 74 | 6 | That's What Friends Are For B.J. Thomas |
| 86 | 90 | 86 | 2 | Melissa The Allman Brothers Band |
| 87 | NEW | 87 | 1 | Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile) Van Morrison |
| 88 | 91 | 88 | 5 | Goodbye Again John Denver |
| 89 | NEW | 89 | 1 | Love Song Tommy James |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 1 | Burning Love Elvis Presley |
| 91 | NEW | 91 | 1 | How Could I Let You Get Away The Spinners |
| 92 | 93 | 92 | 5 | Down By The River Albert Hammond |
| 93 | 94 | 93 | 5 | I Could Never Be Happy The Emotions |
| 94 | 96 | 94 | 2 | Summer Sun Jamestown Massacre |
| 95 | NEW | 95 | 1 | Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") Curtis Mayfield |
| 96 | 98 | 96 | 4 | Sittin' On A Time Bomb (Waitin' For The Hurt To Come) The Honey Cone |
| 97 | 100 | 97 | 2 | A Sunday Kind Of Love Lenny Welch |
| 98 | NEW | 98 | 1 | He's An Indian Cowboy In The Rodeo Buffy Sainte-Marie |
| 99 | 99 | 99 | 2 | Southbound Train Graham Nash & David Crosby |
| 100 | NEW | 100 | 1 | Guess Who/Them Changes B.B. King |
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