List of Best Selling Soul Singles number ones of 1972

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs is a chart published by Billboard that ranks the top-performing songs in the United States in African-American-oriented musical genres; the chart has undergone various name changes since its launch in 1942 to reflect the evolution of such genres. In 1972, it was published under the title Best Selling Soul Singles. During that year, 21 different singles topped the chart, based on playlists submitted by radio stations and surveys of retail sales outlets.[1]

The Spinners topped the chart for the first time with "I'll Be Around".

In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, Sly and the Family Stone were at number one with "Family Affair", the song's fifth week in the top spot.[2] The following week, it was displaced by Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", which went on to spend nine weeks at number one, making it the longest-running chart-topper of the year and the song with the longest uninterrupted run atop the chart since 1965.[3] "Let's Stay Together" was the first number one for Green,[4][5] and he would achieve two more soul chart-toppers by the end of the year, spending two weeks atop the chart in August with "I'm Still in Love with You" and one in December with "You Ought to Be with Me". Green was one of only two acts with more than one chart-topping single during the year, and his total of 12 weeks at number one was more than twice that achieved by any other act.

As well as Al Green, several other acts topped the chart for the first time in 1972. Beginning in the issue of Billboard dated July 8, Luther Ingram spent four weeks in the top spot with his first number one, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right".[6] Although it was a multi-million seller, it would prove to be his only chart-topping single.[7] It was replaced at number one by "Where Is the Love" by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, which was the first R&B number one for both singers.[8] Flack's previous single, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart for six weeks and was the year's biggest-selling single, but on the soul chart it only climbed as high as number 4.[9][10] The Dramatics, the Staple Singers, Bobby Womack, Bill Withers, Billy Preston, the O'Jays, the Spinners, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and Billy Paul also gained the first number ones of their respective careers in 1972.[11] Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones" was the year's final number one, reaching the top spot in the issue of Billboard dated December 9 and staying there for the remainder of the year. It was one of six of 1972's soul number ones to also top the Hot 100, along with Sly and the Family Stone's "Family Affair", Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", "I'll Take You There" by the Staple Singers, "Oh Girl" by the Chi-Lites and "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers.[12][13]

Chart history
Al Green had the year's longest-running number one with "Let's Stay Together" in addition to two other number-ones: "I'm Still in Love with You" and "You Ought to Be with Me".
The Staple Singers (pictured with TV host Don Cornelius (second right)) topped the chart with "I'll Take You There".
"Lean on Me" was a number one for Bill Withers.
Billy Paul (pictured in later life) ended the year at number one with "Me and Mrs. Jones".
Key
Indicates best-charting soul single of 1972[14]
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 1 "Family Affair" Sly and the Family Stone [2]
January 8 "Let's Stay Together" Al Green [15]
January 15 [16]
January 22 [17]
January 29 [18]
February 5 [19]
February 12 [20]
February 19 [21]
February 26 [22]
March 4 [23]
March 11 "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing (Pt. 1)" James Brown [24]
March 18 "I Gotcha" Joe Tex [25]
March 25 "In the Rain" The Dramatics [26]
April 1 [27]
April 8 [28]
April 15 [29]
April 22 "Day Dreaming" Aretha Franklin [30]
April 29 [31]
May 6 "I'll Take You There" The Staple Singers [32]
May 13 [33]
May 20 [34]
May 27 [35]
June 3 "Oh Girl" The Chi-Lites [36]
June 10 [37]
June 17 "Woman's Gotta Have It" Bobby Womack [38]
June 24 "Lean On Me" Bill Withers [39]
July 1 "Outa-Space" Billy Preston [40]
July 8 "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" Luther Ingram [41]
July 15 [42]
July 22 [43]
July 29 [44]
August 5 "Where Is the Love" Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway [45]
August 12 "I'm Still in Love With You" Al Green [46]
August 19 [47]
August 26 "Power of Love" Joe Simon [48]
September 2 [49]
September 9 "Back Stabbers" The O'Jays [50]
September 16 "Get On the Good Foot" James Brown [51]
September 23 [52]
September 30 [53]
October 7 [54]
October 14 "I'll Be Around" The Spinners [55]
October 21 [56]
October 28 [57]
November 4 [58]
November 11 [59]
November 18 "If You Don't Know Me by Now" Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes [60]
November 25 [61]
December 2 "You Ought to Be With Me" Al Green [62]
December 9 "Me and Mrs. Jones" Billy Paul [63]
December 16 [64]
December 23 [65]
December 30 [66]

See also
  • List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1972

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1995. Record Research Incorporated. p. xii. ISBN 9780898201154.
  2. "R & B Chart for January 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 602–605. ISBN 9780898201154.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Al Green Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 174. ISBN 9780898201154.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 205. ISBN 9780898201154.
  7. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 151, 182. ISBN 9780898201154.
  9. Huey, Steve. "Roberta Flack Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  10. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. p. 151. ISBN 9780898201154.
  11. Whitburn, Joel (1988). Joel Whitburn's Top R & B Singles, 1942-1988. Record Research Incorporated. pp. 126, 286, 312, 322, 334, 386, 387, 452, 453. ISBN 9780898201154.
  12. "Hot 100 – 1971 Archive". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  13. "Hot 100 – 1972 Archive". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  14. "Billboard.com - Year End Charts - Year-end Singles - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  15. "R & B Chart for January 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  16. "R & B Chart for January 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  17. "R & B Chart for January 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  18. "R & B Chart for January 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  19. "R & B Chart for February 5, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  20. "R & B Chart for February 12, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  21. "R & B Chart for February 19, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  22. "R & B Chart for February 26, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  23. "R & B Chart for March 4, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  24. "R & B Chart for March 11, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  25. "R & B Chart for March 18, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  26. "R & B Chart for March 25, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  27. "R & B Chart for April 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  28. "R & B Chart for April 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  29. "R & B Chart for April 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  30. "R & B Chart for April 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  31. "R & B Chart for April 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  32. "R & B Chart for May 6, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  33. "R & B Chart for May 13, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  34. "R & B Chart for May 20, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  35. "R & B Chart for May 27, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  36. "R & B Chart for June 3, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  37. "R & B Chart for June 10, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  38. "R & B Chart for June 17, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  39. "R & B Chart for June 24, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  40. "R & B Chart for July 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  41. "R & B Chart for July 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  42. "R & B Chart for July 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  43. "R & B Chart for July 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  44. "R & B Chart for July 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  45. "R & B Chart for August 5, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  46. "R & B Chart for August 12, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  47. "R & B Chart for August 19, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  48. "R & B Chart for August 26, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  49. "R & B Chart for September 2, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  50. "R & B Chart for September 9, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  51. "R & B Chart for September 16, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  52. "R & B Chart for September 23, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  53. "R & B Chart for September 30, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  54. "R & B Chart for October 7, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  55. "R & B Chart for October 14, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  56. "R & B Chart for October 21, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  57. "R & B Chart for October 28, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  58. "R & B Chart for November 4, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  59. "R & B Chart for November 11, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  60. "R & B Chart for November 18, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  61. "R & B Chart for November 25, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  62. "R & B Chart for December 2, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  63. "R & B Chart for December 9, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  64. "R & B Chart for December 16, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  65. "R & B Chart for December 23, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  66. "R & B Chart for December 30, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
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