Billboard Hot 100 — December 2, 1972
The Billboard Hot 100 for the week of December 2, 1972. "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations climbed from #5 to take over the #1 spot from "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash, which had held it for 4 weeks. 14 songs entered the chart this week; the highest new entry was "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" by James Taylor at #60, which would go on to peak at #14. The biggest climber was "Been To Canaan" by Carole King, up 38 places from #88 to #50.
Chart highlights
- At #1: "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations — 1 week at the top so far, 8 weeks on the chart since debuting October 14, 1972.
- New in the top 10: "It Never Rains In Southern California" by Albert Hammond (up from #14 to #8); "Ventura Highway" by America (up from #13 to #10).
- Biggest fall: "Why Can't We Be Lovers" by Holland-Dozier, down 18 places from #57 to #75.
- Longest run on this week's chart: "Garden Party" by Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band, 19 weeks and counting (peak #6).
- Gone from the chart: "My Ding-A-Ling" by Chuck Berry after 17 weeks (peak #1); "Burning Love" by Elvis Presley after 15 weeks (peak #2); "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" by Danny O'Keefe after 13 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 | 5 | 1 | 8 | Papa Was A Rollin' Stone The Temptations |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 15 | I Am Woman Helen Reddy |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | I Can See Clearly Now Johnny Nash |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | I'd Love You To Want Me Lobo |
| 5 | 7 | 5 | 10 | If You Don't Know Me By Now Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 13 | Summer Breeze Seals & Crofts |
| 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | You Ought To Be With Me Al Green |
| 8 | 14 | 8 | 7 | It Never Rains In Southern California Albert Hammond |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 12 | I'll Be Around The Spinners |
| 10 | 13 | 10 | 7 | Ventura Highway America |
| 11 | 15 | 11 | 8 | I'm Stone In Love With You The Stylistics |
| 12 | 17 | 12 | 6 | Clair Gilbert O'Sullivan |
| 13 | 23 | 13 | 5 | Me And Mrs. Jones Billy Paul |
| 14 | 10 | 10 | 13 | If I Could Reach You The 5th Dimension |
| 15 | 19 | 15 | 7 | Crazy Horses The Osmonds |
| 16 | 18 | 16 | 8 | Something's Wrong With Me Austin Roberts |
| 17 | 9 | 2 | 18 | Nights In White Satin The Moody Blues |
| 18 | 20 | 18 | 8 | Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels) Jim Croce |
| 19 | 26 | 19 | 9 | Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu Johnny Rivers |
| 20 | 21 | 20 | 10 | Funny Face Donna Fargo |
| 21 | 11 | 8 | 7 | Convention '72 The Delegates |
| 22 | 27 | 22 | 6 | Corner Of The Sky Jackson 5 |
| 23 | 12 | 4 | 16 | Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") Curtis Mayfield |
| 24 | 30 | 24 | 4 | Sweet Surrender Bread |
| 25 | 16 | 9 | 13 | Witchy Woman Eagles |
| 26 | 28 | 26 | 6 | Dialogue (Part I & II) Chicago |
| 27 | 34 | 27 | 4 | Walk On Water Neil Diamond |
| 28 | 24 | 6 | 19 | Garden Party Rick Nelson And The Stone Canyon Band |
| 29 | 29 | 29 | 11 | Rock 'N Roll Soul Grand Funk Railroad |
| 30 | 36 | 30 | 5 | Living In The Past Jethro Tull |
| 31 | 40 | 31 | 3 | Superfly Curtis Mayfield |
| 32 | 41 | 32 | 4 | Keeper Of The Castle Four Tops |
| 33 | 45 | 33 | 5 | Long Dark Road The Hollies |
| 34 | 55 | 34 | 4 | Your Mama Don't Dance Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina |
| 35 | 51 | 35 | 3 | Sitting Cat Stevens |
| 36 | 38 | 36 | 9 | Sunny Days Lighthouse |
| 37 | 54 | 37 | 3 | Alive Bee Gees |
| 38 | 47 | 38 | 5 | I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock And Roll) Gary Glitter |
| 39 | 43 | 39 | 7 | Theme From The Men Isaac Hayes |
| 40 | 39 | 27 | 11 | American City Suite Cashman & West |
| 41 | 52 | 41 | 7 | What Am I Crying For? Dennis Yost And The Classics IV |
| 42 | 46 | 42 | 5 | Lies J.J. Cale |
| 43 | 71 | 43 | 3 | Superstition Stevie Wonder |
| 44 | 44 | 44 | 10 | So Long Dixie Blood, Sweat & Tears |
| 45 | 77 | 45 | 2 | I Wanna Be With You Raspberries |
| 46 | 50 | 46 | 8 | Baby Sitter Betty Wright |
| 47 | 66 | 47 | 3 | Pieces Of April Three Dog Night |
| 48 | 49 | 48 | 11 | Let It Rain Eric Clapton |
| 49 | 68 | 49 | 3 | I Got A Bag Of My Own James Brown |
| 50 | 88 | 50 | 2 | Been To Canaan Carole King |
| 51 | 62 | 51 | 5 | In Heaven There Is No Beer Clean Living |
| 52 | 42 | 37 | 11 | All The Young Dudes Mott The Hoople |
| 53 | 60 | 53 | 5 | One Night Affair Jerry Butler |
| 54 | 58 | 54 | 4 | And You And I (Part II) Yes |
| 55 | 59 | 55 | 6 | Work To Do The Isley Brothers |
| 56 | 75 | 56 | 3 | Angel Rod Stewart |
| 57 | 61 | 57 | 8 | No Bulldog |
| 58 | 64 | 58 | 4 | 992 Arguments The O'Jays |
| 59 | 70 | 59 | 4 | You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio Joni Mitchell |
| 60 | NEW | 60 | 1 | Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight James Taylor |
| 61 | 65 | 61 | 9 | Wedding Song (There Is Love) Petula Clark |
| 62 | 56 | 55 | 9 | Man Sized Job Denise LaSalle |
| 63 | 67 | 63 | 6 | Dancing In The Moonlight King Harvest |
| 64 | 69 | 64 | 6 | Special Someone The Heywoods |
| 65 | NEW | 65 | 1 | Trouble In My Home/I Found My Dad Joe Simon |
| 66 | 82 | 66 | 4 | Smoke Gets In Your Eyes Blue Haze |
| 67 | 73 | 67 | 7 | Down To The Nightclub Tower Of Power |
| 68 | 72 | 68 | 5 | Good Time Sally Rare Earth |
| 69 | 76 | 69 | 3 | Day And Night The Wackers |
| 70 | 63 | 53 | 12 | Woman Don't Go Astray King Floyd |
| 71 | NEW | 71 | 1 | Separate Ways Elvis Presley |
| 72 | 81 | 72 | 2 | Rocky Mountain High John Denver |
| 73 | 83 | 73 | 2 | Everybody Loves A Love Song Mac Davis |
| 74 | NEW | 74 | 1 | Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? Hurricane Smith |
| 75 | 57 | 57 | 10 | Why Can't We Be Lovers Holland-Dozier |
| 76 | NEW | 76 | 1 | We Need Order The Chi-lites |
| 77 | 89 | 77 | 2 | What Would The Children Think Rick Springfield |
| 78 | NEW | 78 | 1 | Jambalaya (On The Bayou) The Blue Ridge Rangers |
| 79 | 87 | 79 | 3 | Do It Again Steely Dan |
| 80 | 90 | 80 | 2 | The Jean Genie David Bowie |
| 81 | 92 | 81 | 3 | The World Is A Ghetto War |
| 82 | 94 | 82 | 2 | Why Can't We Live Together Timmy Thomas |
| 83 | 84 | 83 | 5 | Lovin' You, Lovin' Me Candi Staton |
| 84 | NEW | 84 | 1 | I'll Be Your Shelter (In Time Of Storm) Luther Ingram |
| 85 | 85 | 85 | 7 | I Guess I'll Miss The Man The Supremes |
| 86 | 86 | 86 | 4 | Annabelle Daniel Boone |
| 87 | 95 | 87 | 3 | Mama Weer All Crazee Now Slade |
| 88 | 96 | 88 | 2 | You're A Lady Peter Skellern |
| 89 | 98 | 89 | 2 | You're A Lady Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando |
| 90 | NEW | 90 | 1 | Reelin' & Rockin' Chuck Berry |
| 91 | 91 | 91 | 4 | I Just Want To Make Love To You Foghat |
| 92 | NEW | 92 | 1 | One Way Out The Allman Brothers Band |
| 93 | NEW | 93 | 1 | I Received A Letter Delbert & Glen |
| 94 | NEW | 94 | 1 | Me And My Baby Got A Good Thing Going Lyn Collins |
| 95 | NEW | 95 | 1 | Woman To Woman Joe Cocker and The Chris Stainton Band |
| 96 | 99 | 96 | 3 | You Can Do Magic Limmie & Family Cookin' |
| 97 | 97 | 97 | 2 | America Simon & Garfunkel |
| 98 | 100 | 98 | 2 | I'm Sorry Joey Heatherton |
| 99 | NEW | 99 | 1 | You're So Vain Carly Simon |
| 100 | NEW | 100 | 1 | The Cover Of "Rolling Stone" Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show |
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