P&P Goes Back to ... 1972

Revisiting a Billboard Hot 100 chart from February that year

I’ve had the Mixcloud app on my phone for about five or six years now. It’s a music-streaming service that lets users listen to and share audio content like podcasts, radio shows, and DJ mixes.

One of my favorite channels is Museum van de Hits, which offers up classic chart countdown shows from the Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.

I lean toward their Billboard Hot 100 countdowns – yes, all 100 songs – from a particular week in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. More than five hours of the great, the good, the bad and the mediocre. (You can listen for free.)

Just last week, I tuned in to the Hot 100 from Feb. 5, 1972. I thought I would share my random thoughts on some of the songs, off the top of my head … and without Googling anything. You can listen to the program here or you can take a look at the actual Billboard chart from that week.

I listened to these songs so you don’t have to. :-)

First off, let me preface this by saying this particular chart is significant personally because it was only a few weeks later that I stumbled upon across Casey Kasem and “American Top 40” for the first time. On WNCI-FM in my native Columbus, Ohio. I was hooked instantly and faithfully listened nearly every Sunday at 9 a.m. for the next six years. Some of the songs listed here were on that first AT40 I heard.

Now, on with the countdown. (And at the end, I will give an overall grade for the show.)

100. “Shake Off the Demon,” Brewer and Shipley – I had never heard this before, but I recognized their voices immediately. I assume it never reached the Top 40, because it certainly didn’t get played in Columbus. From now on, anything I haven’t heard before will be marked NHB.

99. “Cheer,” Potliquor + 96. “Mr. Penguin-Pt. I,” Lunar Funk – Both of these got quite a few spins on WCOL-AM in Columbus.

87. “Runnin’ Away,” Sly & The Family Stone – This may have been peak Sly, because aside from “If You Want Me to Stay,” he sadly faded away.

85. “Mother and Child Reunion,” Paul Simon – Debuted this week. I’ve always felt a reggae band could have done a great cover of this; maybe someone did. Let me know.

79. “I Wrote a Simple Song,” Billy Preston – I listened intently to the lyrics. Was he writing about Phil Spector and how he overproduced “The Long and Winding Road”?

78. “Cry,” Lynn Anderson – NHB. But what a voice.

75. “Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool For You Baby),” Aretha Franklin – It was originally a hit for Lulu the year before, but the Queen of Soul always did a masterful job of making a song her own.

74. “Love Me, Love Me Love,” Frank Mills – NHB. Wait, did the guy who had a big hit years later with the instrumental “Music Box Dancer” actually sing this?

73. “Iron Man,” Black Sabbath – This only got played on obscure FM stations but still managed to chart somehow. Nothing else sounded like this at the time, well, other than No. 23 – “Black Dog,” Led Zeppelin.

72. “Crazy Mama,” J.J. Cale – Such an underrated song from an underrated artist.

69. “Ajax Airlines,” Hudson and Landry – NHB. Lame. Must’ve been funny to someone at the time.

67. “Love Gonna Pack Up (And Walk Out),” The Persuaders – Their overlooked follow-up to “Thin Line Between Love and Hate” was just as good.

66. “Ring the Living Bell,” Melanie – She had two other songs on the same chart: 51. “Nickel Song” + 3. “Brand New Key.” Later on, all three were in the Top 40 simultaneously – a chart first for any female artist. This was a big deal back then, unlike now when every track on a Taylor Swift album is in the Top 40.

65. “Another Puff,” Jerry Reed – NHB. I couldn’t quite place the voice. I was in the middle of a power walk when this came on; I had to stop and Google it. Jerry Reed, of course. He was such a legend that Elvis would snag him for session work. This was a funny little tune.

62. “Heart of Gold,” Neil Young – The week’s highest new entry. It never gets old.

55. “Country Wine,” The Raiders – They had a massive hit in 1971 with “Indian Reservation,” and then they had one of the most ill-advised follow-up singles that I can ever recall: “Birds of a Feather.” It sounded like something The Partridge Family would do. “Country Wine” had a similar vibe.

48. “Tupelo Honey,” Van Morrison – He had a way with soothing classics.

46. “You Want It, You Got It,” Detroit Emeralds – Decent song, but their follow-up single, “Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms),” was light years better.

45. “Jungle Fever,” The Chakachas – The moaning + groaning was scandalous. :-)

44. “The Way of Love,” Cher – One of her best vocal performances. I’ll never forget her doing it live on “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.”

40. “Everything I Own,” Bread – If anyone decides to launch a Soft Rock Hall of Fame, these guys should be charter members. Same goes for 9. “Hurting Each Other,” Carpenters.

38. “Ain’t Understanding Mellow,” Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager – I have a soft spot for 1970s soul. This is right up there with the classics. Also see 2. “Let’s Stay Together,” Al Green + 11. “Clean Up Woman,” Betty Wright + 15. “You Are Everything” The Stylistics + 17. “Drowning in the Sea of Love,” Joe Simon + 30. “Family Affair,” Sly & The Family Stone.

31. “Bang a Gong (Get It On),” T. Rex – One of the criteria for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is an artist’s influence on others. T. Rex influenced Bowie – enough said. Also who should be in the Rock Hall by now: 5. Nilsson (“Without You”) + 34. Joe Cocker (“Feelin’ Alright) + 70. War (“Slippin’ Into Darkness”) + the aforementioned Melanie and J.J. Cale.

24. “Levon,” Elton John – Email me, Sir Elton. Your biggest fan.

21. “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” Charley Pride – He was a trailblazer.

14. “Anticipation,” Carly Simon – One of her best songs. Even though it was used in a ketchup commercial. :-)

5. “Without You,” Nilsson – It was the No. 1 song the week I heard AT40 for the first time.

4. “Day After Day,” Badfinger – It doesn’t hurt to have George Harrison produce and play slide guitar.

1. “American Pie,” Don McLean – At more than 8 minutes, it was the longest song to ever reach No. 1 in the U.S. My sister Angie bought the 45; you had to flip it over to hear the second part of the song. That was so ’70s.

Overall Grade: B+ … nice mixture of pop, rock and soul, even a little bit of country. “Ajax Airlines” was the big clunker.