Billboard Hot 100 — October 21, 1972
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of October 21, 1972. "My Ding-A-Ling" by Chuck Berry climbed from #7 to take over the #1 spot from "Ben" by Michael Jackson, on its way to 2 weeks on top. 16 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Ventura Highway" by America at #63, which would go on to peak at #8. The biggest climber was "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations, up 29 places from #83 to #54.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "My Ding-A-Ling" by Chuck Berry — 1 week at the top so far, 12 weeks on the chart since debuting August 5, 1972.
- New in the top 10: "Garden Party" by Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band (up from #12 to #8).
- Biggest fall: "Play Me" by Neil Diamond, down 30 places from #11 to #41.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" by Mac Davis, 17 weeks and counting (peak #1).
- Gone from the chart: "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan after 18 weeks (peak #1); "Honky Cat" by Elton John after 10 weeks (peak #8).
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 | 7 | 1 | 12 | My Ding-A-Ling Chuck Berry |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | Use Me Bill Withers |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | Burning Love Elvis Presley |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 15 | Everybody Plays The Fool The Main Ingredient |
| 5 | 8 | 5 | 12 | Nights In White Satin The Moody Blues |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 12 | Ben Michael Jackson |
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 17 | Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me Mac Davis |
| 8 | 12 | 8 | 13 | Garden Party Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band |
| 9 | 10 | 9 | 16 | Popcorn Hot Butter |
| 10 | 5 | 5 | 17 | Go All The Way Raspberries |
| 11 | 15 | 11 | 9 | Tight Rope Leon Russell |
| 12 | 17 | 12 | 10 | Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") Curtis Mayfield |
| 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | You Wear It Well Rod Stewart |
| 14 | 18 | 14 | 8 | Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues Danny O'Keefe |
| 15 | 16 | 15 | 9 | Why/Lonely Boy Donny Osmond |
| 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | Speak To The Sky Rick Springfield |
| 17 | 22 | 17 | 8 | Listen To The Music The Doobie Brothers |
| 18 | 19 | 18 | 12 | Get On The Good Foot-Part 1 James Brown |
| 19 | 20 | 19 | 13 | The City Of New Orleans Arlo Guthrie |
| 20 | 26 | 20 | 7 | I Can See Clearly Now Johnny Nash |
| 21 | 28 | 21 | 7 | If I Could Reach You The 5th Dimension |
| 22 | 27 | 22 | 7 | Witchy Woman Eagles |
| 23 | 25 | 23 | 16 | Starting All Over Again Mel And Tim |
| 24 | 24 | 24 | 8 | Don't Ever Be Lonely (A Poor Little Fool Like Me) Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose |
| 25 | 29 | 25 | 8 | Thunder And Lightning Chi Coltrane |
| 26 | 30 | 26 | 11 | I Believe In Music Gallery |
| 27 | 36 | 27 | 9 | I Am Woman Helen Reddy |
| 28 | 32 | 28 | 6 | I'll Be Around The Spinners |
| 29 | 31 | 29 | 6 | Midnight Rider Joe Cocker and The Chris Stainton Band |
| 30 | 35 | 30 | 5 | I'd Love You To Want Me Lobo |
| 31 | 33 | 31 | 8 | Loving You Just Crossed My Mind Sam Neely |
| 32 | 39 | 32 | 6 | Spaceman Nilsson |
| 33 | 21 | 1 | 11 | Black & White Three Dog Night |
| 34 | 50 | 34 | 7 | Summer Breeze Seals & Crofts |
| 35 | 9 | 3 | 14 | Back Stabbers The O'Jays |
| 36 | 40 | 36 | 6 | Don't Do It The Band |
| 37 | 48 | 37 | 3 | Elected Alice Cooper |
| 38 | 38 | 38 | 7 | Rock Me Baby David Cassidy |
| 39 | 44 | 39 | 5 | American City Suite Cashman & West |
| 40 | 41 | 40 | 9 | From The Beginning Emerson, Lake & Palmer |
| 41 | 11 | 11 | 11 | Play Me Neil Diamond |
| 42 | 23 | 3 | 12 | Saturday In The Park Chicago |
| 43 | 37 | 37 | 12 | Geronimo's Cadillac Michael Murphey |
| 44 | 56 | 44 | 4 | If You Don't Know Me By Now Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes |
| 45 | 46 | 45 | 9 | A Piece Of Paper Gladstone |
| 46 | 47 | 46 | 7 | Don't Hide Your Love Cher |
| 47 | 49 | 47 | 5 | All The Young Dudes Mott The Hoople |
| 48 | 53 | 48 | 6 | That's How Love Goes Jermaine Jackson |
| 49 | 52 | 49 | 5 | Can't You Hear The Song? Wayne Newton |
| 50 | 51 | 50 | 7 | Slaughter Billy Preston |
| 51 | 78 | 51 | 2 | Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels) Jim Croce |
| 52 | 59 | 52 | 5 | Rock 'N Roll Soul Grand Funk Railroad |
| 53 | 54 | 53 | 7 | (It's The Way) Nature Planned It Four Tops |
| 54 | 83 | 54 | 2 | Papa Was A Rollin' Stone The Temptations |
| 55 | 75 | 55 | 3 | Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu Johnny Rivers |
| 56 | 67 | 56 | 5 | Poor Boy Casey Kelly |
| 57 | 58 | 57 | 4 | A Lonely Man/The Man & The Woman (The Boy & The Girl) The Chi-lites |
| 58 | 55 | 51 | 9 | Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) Bobby Womack & Peace |
| 59 | 71 | 59 | 4 | Funny Face Donna Fargo |
| 60 | 60 | 60 | 5 | Let It Rain Eric Clapton |
| 61 | 63 | 61 | 6 | Woman Don't Go Astray King Floyd |
| 62 | 62 | 62 | 10 | Guess Who/Them Changes B.B. King |
| 63 | NEW | 63 | 1 | Ventura Highway America |
| 64 | 68 | 64 | 6 | I'll Make You Music Beverly Bremers |
| 65 | NEW | 65 | 1 | It Never Rains In Southern California Albert Hammond |
| 66 | 66 | 66 | 7 | Colorado Danny Holien |
| 67 | 69 | 67 | 9 | Toast To The Fool The Dramatics |
| 68 | 72 | 68 | 4 | So Long Dixie Blood, Sweat & Tears |
| 69 | 81 | 69 | 3 | Man Sized Job Denise LaSalle |
| 70 | 74 | 70 | 6 | We Can Make It Together Steve & Eydie Featuring The Osmonds |
| 71 | 92 | 71 | 2 | I'm Stone In Love With You The Stylistics |
| 72 | 98 | 72 | 2 | Something's Wrong With Me Austin Roberts |
| 73 | NEW | 73 | 1 | Theme From The Men Isaac Hayes |
| 74 | 80 | 74 | 3 | Sunny Days Lighthouse |
| 75 | 84 | 75 | 4 | If You Can Beat Me Rockin' (You Can Have My Chair) Laura Lee |
| 76 | 77 | 76 | 3 | If You Let Me Eddie Kendricks |
| 77 | 79 | 77 | 4 | Guilty Al Green |
| 78 | 89 | 78 | 2 | Baby Sitter Betty Wright |
| 79 | 90 | 79 | 4 | Why Can't We Be Lovers Holland-Dozier |
| 80 | NEW | 80 | 1 | Convention '72 The Delegates |
| 81 | 91 | 81 | 2 | No Bulldog |
| 82 | 82 | 82 | 6 | Best Thing Styx |
| 83 | 87 | 83 | 3 | Wedding Song (There Is Love) Petula Clark |
| 84 | 85 | 84 | 5 | Dance, Dance, Dance The New Seekers featuring Marty Kristian |
| 85 | 86 | 85 | 4 | The Mosquito The Doors |
| 86 | 88 | 86 | 4 | Dinah Flo Boz Scaggs |
| 87 | NEW | 87 | 1 | I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know Donny Hathaway |
| 88 | NEW | 88 | 1 | Together Alone Melanie |
| 89 | NEW | 89 | 1 | Sunday Morning Sunshine Harry Chapin |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 1 | Crazy Horses The Osmonds |
| 91 | NEW | 91 | 1 | You Ought To Be With Me Al Green |
| 92 | NEW | 92 | 1 | Hey, You Love Mouth & MacNeal |
| 93 | 96 | 93 | 2 | Deteriorata National Lampoon |
| 94 | NEW | 94 | 1 | Down To The Nightclub Tower Of Power |
| 95 | NEW | 95 | 1 | Misty Blue Joe Simon |
| 96 | NEW | 96 | 1 | The People Tree Sammy Davis, Jr. with The Mike Curb Congregation |
| 97 | 97 | 97 | 2 | Runnin' Back To Saskatoon The Guess Who |
| 98 | NEW | 98 | 1 | Song Seller The Raiders |
| 99 | NEW | 99 | 1 | What Am I Crying For? Dennis Yost And The Classics IV |
| 100 | NEW | 100 | 1 | I Guess I'll Miss The Man The Supremes |
See more charts from 1972 or browse the 1970s.
Prefer the app? Get Top Hits Finder on Google Play to explore all 1,600+ charts on your phone.