Favorite #1 song from 1972

for Johnny Nash... Lesser known fact.

Fellow band member Bunny Wailer wrote "The Electric Slide" that ignited the country line dance trend.

however there is conflicting information I discovered about Nash:

He formed a partnership with Danny Simms, and a label, JAD (Johnny and Danny), releasing recordings by Bob Marley, Byron Lee, Lloyd Price and Kim Weston as well as his own material until the label folded in the early 70s. He returned to recording in Jamaica at Harry J. 's studio where he met Marley, who wrote 'Stir It Up', which revived Nash's career by peaking at number 13 on the UK chart in June 1972.

He continued to enjoy popularity with 'I Can See Clearly Now', a UK Top 5 hit that was successfully covered by Jimmy Cliff in 1994 for the film Cool Runnings. Other hits followed, including 'Ooh What A Feeling' and 'There Are More Questions Than Answers', but the further he drifted from reggae, the less successful the single. He covered other Bob Marley compositions, including 'Nice Time' and 'Guava Jelly', but they were not picked up for single release, although the latter was on the b-side to 'There Are More Questions Than Answers'.

So it appears Marley didn't write I can see clearly, but rather the Wailers were the back up band for the recording.

Just wonderin'...

Cliff covered it in 1994 for the movie Cool Runnin's.

Lots of good ones to choose from American Pie, I can see clearly now,

aaaarrrgggghhhh...they're all good!

"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" was my tough choice from an outstanding R&B field.

Whew!

We sang it in its entirety every day on the 1-6th grade school bus. In the morning and the afternoon. All year long.

I don't know how the bus driver survived.

or run over a kid if I was that bus driver. Can't stomach that song. Hated it in 72, still hate it now.

one of the most flatout funny, subversive commercial albums ever made...

"you're breaking my heart, you're tearing it apart.... so fuck you..."

whalerider55

what a range. the beatles favotire american songwriter.

performed. Nils Lofgren, all of the Beatles (except McCartney, I think), Peter Frampton, etc. Nillson's own version of this song blows away any subsequent version. Especially Mariah Carey's.
"you're breaking my heart, you're tearing it apart.... so fuck you..."
another favorite! "you stepped on my ass, you're breakin' my glasses
T-O-O-oooo."

there's a killer soundtrack with "Without You." Nilsson was Count Downe.

Best album from 72 was "Exile on Main Street", by the Rolling Stones.

but the answer is obvious: "American Pie"

but I gotta go with American Pie

than A Horse With No Name :spank:

but not many.

And, since no one else is willing to admit it, I hate, loathe and despise 'Miss American Pie'.

sings on that song or that whole album.

And I, too, think "American Pie" is crap. :yourock:

but it's definitly not one of my favorites. I think it's far over rated.

ROCK & ROLL RECORDS OF ALL TIME. I couldn't have been gladder!

Other entries included "Moonshadow," "My Ding-A-Ling," "Jack and Diane," "Summer of '69," "Once You Understand," "I've Never Been To Me," and "Escalator of Life."

The authors also did a section on the all-time worst albums, but I'll save that for another thread.

I like John Mellencamp but that song really sucks. So does "My Ding a Ling" but it's a cute song in a way.

"Moonshadow"? Not one of Cat Stevens' best, but not one of the worst records of all time either.

How about "In the Year 2525"? Zager and Evans. I even bought the album :( but I can't stand the song now.

just too funny

to good American music. That song sucks so bad. It was played on the radio over and over and over ad nauseum. Anyone old enough to remember that surely can't claim to be a fan of the song.

The other song from that era that had way too much radio play was Joy to the World - that dumb 3 Dog Night song.

When I remember that Layla came out that same year and hear that some folks think American Pie or Joy 2 the World are great songs, I just don't understand . . . I mean, come on - Eric Clapton or Don McLean?? Not a tough choice, music fans.

I believe it may have been recorded in 1971, but I didn't hear it until 1972...they didn't play it on any Pop Stations around here.

A friend made me a cassette with all kinds of different music...I would play "Double Barrel" and Desmond Dekker's "Israelites" (1969), I must have fast-forward and reversed to those two songs... hundreds of times.


Tikki

Its pop chart peak was something like #22. Still a damned good record, though!

Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
Lean On Me - Bill Withers
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
Let's Stay Together - Al Green (8 votes, 18%) Vote
Papa Was A Rolling Stone - The Temptations
Without You - Nilsson

1. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack
2. Alone Again (Naturally), Gilbert O'Sullivan
3. American Pie, Don McLean
4. Without You, Nilsson
5. Candy Man, Sammy Davis Jr.
6. I Gotcha, Joe Tex
7. Lean On Me, Bill Withers
8. Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me, Mac Davis
9. Brand New Key, Melanie
10. Daddy Dont You Walk So Fast, Wayne Newton
11. Let's Stay Together, Al Green
12. Brandy (You're A Fine Girl), Looking Glass
13. Oh Girl, Chi-Lites
14. Nice To Be With You, Gallery
15. My Ding-A-Ling, Chuck Berry
16. If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want To Be Right, Luther Ingram
17. Heart Of Gold, Neil Young
18. Betcha By Golly, Wow, Stylistics
19. I'll Take You There, Staple Singers
20. Ben, Michael Jackson
21. The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Robert John
22. Outa-space, Billy Preston
23. Slippin' Into Darkness, War
24. Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress), Hollies
25. How Do You Do, Mouth and MacNeal
27. Song Sung Blue, Neil Diamond
28. A Horse With No Name, America
28. Popcorn, Hot Butter
29. Everybody Plays The Fool, Main Ingredient
30. Precious And Few, Climax
31. Last Night I Didn't Get To Sleep At All, 5th Dimension
32. Nights In White Satin, Moody Blues
33. Go All The Way, Raspberries
34. Too Late To Turn Back Now, Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
35. Back Stabbers, O'Jays
36. Down By The Lazy River, Osmonds
37. Sunshine, Jonathan Edwards
38. Starting All Over Again, Mel and Tim
39. Day Atter Day, Badfinger
40. Rocket Man, Elton John
41. Rockin' Robin, Michael Jackson
42. Beautiful Sunday, Daniel Boone
43. Scorpio, Dennis Coffey and The Detroit Guitar Band
44. Morning Has Broken, Cat Stevens
45. The City Of New Orleans, Arlo Guthrie
46. Garden Party, Rick Nelson
47. I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash
48. Burning Love, Elvis Presley
49. Clean Up Woman, Betty Wright
50. Hold Your Head Up, Argent
51. Jungle Fever, Chakachas
52. Everything I Own, Bread
53. In The Rain, Dramatics
54. Look What You Done For Me, Al Green
55. The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A., Donna Fargo
56. Bang A Gong (Get It On), T. Rex
57. Mother And Child Reunion, Paul Simon
58. Where Is The Love, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
59. I'm Still In Love With You, Al Green
60. Layla, Derek and The Dominos
61. Day Dreaming, Aretha Franklin
62. The Way Of Love, Cher
63. Black And White, Three Dog Night
64. Sylvia's Mother, Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show
65. Hurting Each Other, Carpenters
66. Coconut, Nilsson
68. Puppy Love, Donny Osmond
69. You Don't Mess Around With Jim, Jim Croce
70. Hot Rod Lincoln, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
71. A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done, Sonny and Cher
72. Joy, Apollo 100
73. Anticipation, Carly Simon
74. Never Been To Spain, Three Dog Night
75. Kiss An Angel Good Morning, Charlie Pride
76. School's Out, Alice Cooper
77. Saturday In The Park, Chicago
78. Drowning In The Sea Of Love, Joe Simon
79. Use Me, Bill Withers
80. Family Affair, Sly and The Family Stone
81. Troglodyte, Jimmy Castor Bunch
82. The Witch Queen Of New Orleans, Redbone
83. Freddie's Dead, Curtis Mayfield
84. Power Of Love, Joe Simon
85. Ain't Understanding Mellow, Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager
86. Taxi, Harry Chapin
87. Don't Say You Don't Rememeer, Beverly Bremers
87. Sealed With A Kiss, Bobby Vinton
88. I Saw The Light, Todd Rundgren
89. Motorcycle Mama, Sailcat
90. Day By Day, Godspell Soundtrack
91. Roundabout, Yes
92. Doctor My Eyes, Jackson Browne
93. I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, New Seekers
94. Vincent / Castles In The Air, Don Mclean
95. Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms), Detroit Emeralds
96. Speak To The Sky, Rick Springfield
97. I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, Hillside Singers
98. Walking In The Rain With The One I Love, Love Unlimited
99. Good Foot, Pt. 1, James Brown
100. Pop That Thang, Isley Bros.

For one week in June, 1972.


I missed it when I was going through my Billboard book, otherwise I would have added it to the poll. Such a great song!

Man I had forgotten how bad that song is.

recorded and played live 72 ?

coveting music that "celebrated communism", and made me throw it out. It's been my favorite song ever since.

Da Man!

twice in concert. He is still awesome!!!!!!

I just posted a poll on 70s music, and I hadn't seen this one.

Even weirder, I am uncharacteristically listening to 70s music tonight. "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues as I type. It sounds great. And I started to post that here as my addition to your list, but then remembered in had to be from 1972. What were the odds it was released in 1972?

Well, I googled, and it wasn't - it was released in 1968. But it didn't hit the charts until 1972.

So does it still count?

:smoke:

It peaked at #2.

the gods who fuck with me have a twisted sense of humor.

Well, its the best # 2 song of 1972 (that was released in 1968).

I like "Me and Mrs Jones" better :7

and I also voted for "Me and Mrs Jones". :o

Of the choices you gave us, though, I went with the Temptations.

same with Neil Young's "Heart of Gold".

Please? I love most of the others, but who is Nilson? I'm picturing Nelson !! It ain't good!
:shrugs:

I think his first name was Harry. He was a great artist. Short lived fame. Friend of Elton John and The Beatles. What ever happened to him? Anyone remember the name of that album - I think it was about a horse?

there sure were a lot of great number 1 songs that year. In recent years, I'd probably be lucky to find one number 1 song that I liked--if I even knew what any of the songs are.

Edited to add: there sure was some great music when I was in high school. :-)

Always loved that song for some reason. IIRC that was 1972 (or was it 1973?)

ON EDIT: I just saw the #1 bit. In that case, I gotta go for "Me and Mrs. Jones". Nearly perfect R&B ballad. Although Rev. Green's "Let's Stick Together" is also an excellent track.

went to number 1 in January 1974.

Billy Paul at his best though in "Me and Mrs. Jones".

CTTE is my #1 favorite song, a remarkable piece in a league all by itself.

:)

My favorite #1 hit from 1972 would probably be "Black Or White" by Three Dog Night. From those listed on the poll, I'd choose "Me And Mrs. Jones."

:)

I thought Neil Young's Heart of Gold made it no. 1 in 72 and also Chicago's Saturday in the Park. I could of sworn those were number 1 songs. It is way before my time, I wasn't born until 76.

I accidently left it out. If I could do the poll over I'd take out America and put in Neil Young.



Saturday in the Park did not make it to number 1 ... it made it to number 3.

I can't vote for one, so I'll vote for three:
Me and Mrs Jones
Papa Was a Rolling Stone
I Can See Clearly Now.