Every December, Billboard publishes a chart listing the top songs of the year. The number of songs listed on the chart varied in the early years before becoming a top 100 chart in 1956. Select a year to see the list of most popular hit songs.
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Play a countdown medley of the top 10 songs of the yearYou also might like the number one songs of 1972.
| Position | Artist | Song Title |
|---|---|---|
| « 1971 1972 1973 » | ||
| 1 | Roberta Flack | The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face |
| 2 | Gilbert O'Sullivan | Alone Again (Naturally) |
| 3 | Don McLean | American Pie |
| 4 | Nilsson | Without You |
| 5 | Sammy Davis Jr. | Candy Man |
| 6 | Joe Tex | I Gotcha |
| 7 | Bill Withers | Lean On Me |
| 8 | Mac Davis | Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me |
| 9 | Melanie | Brand New Key |
| 10 | Wayne Newton | Daddy Dont You Walk So Fast |
| 11 | Al Green | Let's Stay Together |
| 12 | Looking Glass | Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) |
| 13 | Chi-Lites | Oh Girl |
| 14 | Gallery | Nice To Be With You |
| 15 | Chuck Berry | My Ding-A-Ling |
| 16 | Luther Ingram | If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want To Be Right |
| 17 | Neil Young | Heart Of Gold |
| 18 | Stylistics | Betcha By Golly, Wow |
| 19 | Staple Singers | I'll Take You There |
| 20 | Michael Jackson | Ben |
| 21 | Robert John | The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
| 22 | Billy Preston | Outa-space |
| 23 | War | Slippin' Into Darkness |
| 24 | Hollies | Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) |
| 25 | Mouth and MacNeal | How Do You Do |
| 26 | Neil Diamond | Song Sung Blue |
| 27 | America | A Horse With No Name |
| 28 | Hot Butter | Popcorn |
| 29 | Main Ingredient | Everybody Plays The Fool |
| 30 | Climax | Precious And Few |
| 31 | 5th Dimension | Last Night I Didn't Get To Sleep At All |
| 32 | Moody Blues | Nights In White Satin |
| 33 | Raspberries | Go All The Way |
| 34 | Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose | Too Late To Turn Back Now |
| 35 | O'Jays | Back Stabbers |
| 36 | Osmonds | Down By The Lazy River |
| 37 | Jonathan Edwards | Sunshine |
| 38 | Mel and Tim | Starting All Over Again |
| 39 | Badfinger | Day Atter Day |
| 40 | Elton John | Rocket Man |
| 41 | Michael Jackson | Rockin' Robin |
| 42 | Daniel Boone | Beautiful Sunday |
| 43 | Dennis Coffey and The Detroit Guitar Band | Scorpio |
| 44 | Cat Stevens | Morning Has Broken |
| 45 | Arlo Guthrie | The City Of New Orleans |
| 46 | Rick Nelson | Garden Party |
| 47 | Johnny Nash | I Can See Clearly Now |
| 48 | Elvis Presley | Burning Love |
| 49 | Betty Wright | Clean Up Woman |
| 50 | Argent | Hold Your Head Up |
| 51 | Chakachas | Jungle Fever |
| 52 | Bread | Everything I Own |
| 53 | Dramatics | In The Rain |
| 54 | Al Green | Look What You Done For Me |
| 55 | Donna Fargo | The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A. |
| 56 | T. Rex | Bang A Gong (Get It On) |
| 57 | Paul Simon | Mother And Child Reunion |
| 58 | Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway | Where Is The Love |
| 59 | Al Green | I'm Still In Love With You |
| 60 | Derek and The Dominos | Layla |
| 61 | Aretha Franklin | Day Dreaming |
| 62 | Cher | The Way Of Love |
| 63 | Three Dog Night | Black And White |
| 64 | Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show | Sylvia's Mother |
| 65 | Carpenters | Hurting Each Other |
| 66 | Nilsson | Coconut |
| 67 | Donny Osmond | Puppy Love |
| 68 | Jim Croce | You Don't Mess Around With Jim |
| 69 | Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen | Hot Rod Lincoln |
| 70 | Sonny and Cher | A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done |
| 71 | Apollo 100 | Joy |
| 72 | Carly Simon | Anticipation |
| 73 | Three Dog Night | Never Been To Spain |
| 74 | Charlie Pride | Kiss An Angel Good Morning |
| 75 | Alice Cooper | School's Out |
| 76 | Chicago | Saturday In The Park |
| 77 | Joe Simon | Drowning In The Sea Of Love |
| 78 | Bill Withers | Use Me |
| 79 | Sly and The Family Stone | Family Affair |
| 80 | Jimmy Castor Bunch | Troglodyte |
| 81 | Redbone | The Witch Queen Of New Orleans |
| 82 | Curtis Mayfield | Freddie's Dead |
| 83 | Joe Simon | Power Of Love |
| 84 | Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager | Ain't Understanding Mellow |
| 85 | Harry Chapin | Taxi |
| 86 | Beverly Bremers | Don't Say You Don't Rememeer |
| 87 | Bobby Vinton | Sealed With A Kiss |
| 88 | Todd Rundgren | I Saw The Light |
| 89 | Sailcat | Motorcycle Mama |
| 90 | Godspell | Day By Day |
| 91 | Yes | Roundabout |
| 92 | Jackson Browne | Doctor My Eyes |
| 93 | New Seekers | I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing |
| 94 | Don Mclean | Vincent / Castles In The Air |
| 95 | Detroit Emeralds | Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) |
| 96 | Rick Springfield | Speak To The Sky |
| 97 | Hillside Singers | I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing |
| 98 | Love Unlimited | Walking In The Rain With The One I Love |
| 99 | James Brown | Good Foot, Pt. 1 |
| 100 | Isley Bros. | Pop That Thang |
