Billboard Hot 100 — October 14, 1972
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of October 14, 1972. "Ben" by Michael Jackson climbed from #2 to take over the #1 spot from "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" by Mac Davis, which had held it for 3 weeks. 8 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels)" by Jim Croce at #78, which would go on to peak at #17. The biggest climber was "Elected" by Alice Cooper, up 19 places from #67 to #48.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Ben" by Michael Jackson — 1 week at the top so far, 11 weeks on the chart since debuting August 5, 1972.
- New in the top 10: "Nights In White Satin" by The Moody Blues (up from #12 to #8).
- Biggest fall: "Power Of Love" by Joe Simon, down 29 places from #32 to #61.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Beautiful Sunday" by Daniel Boone, 20 weeks and counting (peak #15).
- Stories that mention this week: Four for Four: The Jackson 5 Own 1970.
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 | 11 | Ben Michael Jackson |
| 2 | 6 | 2 | 8 | Use Me Bill Withers |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 14 | Everybody Plays The Fool The Main Ingredient |
| 4 | 7 | 4 | 9 | Burning Love Elvis Presley |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 16 | Go All The Way Raspberries |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 16 | Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me Mac Davis |
| 7 | 9 | 7 | 11 | My Ding-A-Ling Chuck Berry |
| 8 | 12 | 8 | 11 | Nights In White Satin The Moody Blues |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 13 | Back Stabbers The O'Jays |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | Popcorn Hot Butter |
| 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | Play Me Neil Diamond |
| 12 | 15 | 12 | 12 | Garden Party Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band |
| 13 | 17 | 13 | 8 | You Wear It Well Rod Stewart |
| 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | Speak To The Sky Rick Springfield |
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 8 | Tight Rope Leon Russell |
| 16 | 18 | 16 | 8 | Why/Lonely Boy Donny Osmond |
| 17 | 21 | 17 | 9 | Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") Curtis Mayfield |
| 18 | 23 | 18 | 7 | Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues Danny O'Keefe |
| 19 | 19 | 19 | 11 | Get On The Good Foot-Part 1 James Brown |
| 20 | 20 | 20 | 12 | The City Of New Orleans Arlo Guthrie |
| 21 | 8 | 1 | 10 | Black & White Three Dog Night |
| 22 | 24 | 22 | 7 | Listen To The Music The Doobie Brothers |
| 23 | 13 | 3 | 11 | Saturday In The Park Chicago |
| 24 | 26 | 24 | 7 | Don't Ever Be Lonely (A Poor Little Fool Like Me) Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose |
| 25 | 25 | 25 | 15 | Starting All Over Again Mel And Tim |
| 26 | 33 | 26 | 6 | I Can See Clearly Now Johnny Nash |
| 27 | 30 | 27 | 6 | Witchy Woman Eagles |
| 28 | 31 | 28 | 6 | If I Could Reach You The 5th Dimension |
| 29 | 29 | 29 | 7 | Thunder And Lightning Chi Coltrane |
| 30 | 35 | 30 | 10 | I Believe In Music Gallery |
| 31 | 36 | 31 | 5 | Midnight Rider Joe Cocker and The Chris Stainton Band |
| 32 | 40 | 32 | 5 | I'll Be Around The Spinners |
| 33 | 39 | 33 | 7 | Loving You Just Crossed My Mind Sam Neely |
| 34 | 22 | 15 | 20 | Beautiful Sunday Daniel Boone |
| 35 | 44 | 35 | 4 | I'd Love You To Want Me Lobo |
| 36 | 46 | 36 | 8 | I Am Woman Helen Reddy |
| 37 | 37 | 37 | 11 | Geronimo's Cadillac Michael Murphey |
| 38 | 41 | 38 | 6 | Rock Me Baby David Cassidy |
| 39 | 43 | 39 | 5 | Spaceman Nilsson |
| 40 | 50 | 40 | 5 | Don't Do It The Band |
| 41 | 45 | 41 | 8 | From The Beginning Emerson, Lake & Palmer |
| 42 | 28 | 8 | 10 | Honky Cat Elton John |
| 43 | 27 | 1 | 18 | Alone Again (Naturally) Gilbert O'Sullivan |
| 44 | 58 | 44 | 4 | American City Suite Cashman & West |
| 45 | 38 | 38 | 9 | If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry Jerry Wallace |
| 46 | 47 | 46 | 8 | A Piece Of Paper Gladstone |
| 47 | 48 | 47 | 6 | Don't Hide Your Love Cher |
| 48 | 67 | 48 | 2 | Elected Alice Cooper |
| 49 | 60 | 49 | 4 | All The Young Dudes Mott The Hoople |
| 50 | 59 | 50 | 6 | Summer Breeze Seals & Crofts |
| 51 | 52 | 51 | 6 | Slaughter Billy Preston |
| 52 | 57 | 52 | 4 | Can't You Hear The Song? Wayne Newton |
| 53 | 56 | 53 | 5 | That's How Love Goes Jermaine Jackson |
| 54 | 54 | 54 | 6 | (It's The Way) Nature Planned It Four Tops |
| 55 | 51 | 51 | 8 | Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) Bobby Womack & Peace |
| 56 | 61 | 56 | 3 | If You Don't Know Me By Now Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes |
| 57 | 34 | 16 | 12 | Run To Me Bee Gees |
| 58 | 69 | 58 | 3 | A Lonely Man/The Man & The Woman (The Boy & The Girl) The Chi-lites |
| 59 | 65 | 59 | 4 | Rock 'N Roll Soul Grand Funk Railroad |
| 60 | 62 | 60 | 4 | Let It Rain Eric Clapton |
| 61 | 32 | 11 | 15 | Power Of Love Joe Simon |
| 62 | 63 | 62 | 9 | Guess Who/Them Changes B.B. King |
| 63 | 64 | 63 | 5 | Woman Don't Go Astray King Floyd |
| 64 | 49 | 39 | 12 | Easy Livin Uriah Heep |
| 65 | 53 | 53 | 7 | For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her Simon & Garfunkel |
| 66 | 75 | 66 | 6 | Colorado Danny Holien |
| 67 | 78 | 67 | 4 | Poor Boy Casey Kelly |
| 68 | 68 | 68 | 5 | I'll Make You Music Beverly Bremers |
| 69 | 70 | 69 | 8 | Toast To The Fool The Dramatics |
| 70 | 66 | 66 | 7 | Think (About It) Lyn Collins |
| 71 | 83 | 71 | 3 | Funny Face Donna Fargo |
| 72 | 81 | 72 | 3 | So Long Dixie Blood, Sweat & Tears |
| 73 | 71 | 71 | 6 | Carry Me, Carrie Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show |
| 74 | 74 | 74 | 5 | We Can Make It Together Steve & Eydie Featuring The Osmonds |
| 75 | 80 | 75 | 2 | Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu Johnny Rivers |
| 76 | 76 | 76 | 4 | One More Chance Ocean |
| 77 | 82 | 77 | 2 | If You Let Me Eddie Kendricks |
| 78 | NEW | 78 | 1 | Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels) Jim Croce |
| 79 | 79 | 79 | 3 | Guilty Al Green |
| 80 | 90 | 80 | 2 | Sunny Days Lighthouse |
| 81 | 98 | 81 | 2 | Man Sized Job Denise LaSalle |
| 82 | 84 | 82 | 5 | Best Thing Styx |
| 83 | NEW | 83 | 1 | Papa Was A Rollin' Stone The Temptations |
| 84 | 87 | 84 | 3 | If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair) Laura Lee |
| 85 | 85 | 85 | 4 | Dance, Dance, Dance The New Seekers featuring Marty Kristian |
| 86 | 86 | 86 | 3 | The Mosquito The Doors |
| 87 | 89 | 87 | 2 | Wedding Song (There Is Love) Petula Clark |
| 88 | 88 | 88 | 3 | Dinah Flo Boz Scaggs |
| 89 | NEW | 89 | 1 | Baby Sitter Betty Wright |
| 90 | 96 | 90 | 3 | Why Can't We Be Lovers Holland-Dozier |
| 91 | NEW | 91 | 1 | No Bulldog |
| 92 | NEW | 92 | 1 | I'm Stone In Love With You The Stylistics |
| 93 | 93 | 93 | 2 | Dedicated To The One I Love The Temprees |
| 94 | 95 | 94 | 3 | Sing A Song/Make Your Own Kind Of Music Barbra Streisand |
| 95 | 94 | 94 | 5 | With Pen In Hand Bobby Goldsboro |
| 96 | NEW | 96 | 1 | Deteriorata National Lampoon |
| 97 | NEW | 97 | 1 | Runnin' Back To Saskatoon The Guess Who |
| 98 | NEW | 98 | 1 | Something's Wrong With Me Austin Roberts |
| 99 | 99 | 99 | 2 | I Just Want To Make Love To You Foghat |
| 100 | 100 | 100 | 2 | Happier Than The Morning Sun B.J. Thomas |
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