This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1972.

List of years in music (table)
In radio
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
In television
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
+...
Ike & Tina Turner in 1972

Specific locations

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Specific genres

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Events

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Bands formed

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Bands disbanded

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Albums released

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January

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Day Album Artist Notes
7 Jamming with Edward! The Rolling Stones, Nicky Hopkins, Ry Cooder 1969 jam
15 Home Is Where the Music Is Hugh Masekela Recording date
17 Linda Ronstadt Linda Ronstadt -
20 Garcia Jerry Garcia -
24 Cass Elliot Cass Elliot -
Got to Be There Michael Jackson -
Paul Simon Paul Simon -
Young, Gifted and Black Aretha Franklin -
31 Let's Stay Together Al Green -
- America America Debut
Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult -
Phase III The Osmonds -
1+1 Grin -
All the Good Times Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -
Baby I'm-a Want You Bread -
Beads and Feathers Carol Hall -
Clever Dogs Chase the Sun Kenny Young -
Coven Coven -
Flash Flash -
Greenhouse Leo Kottke -
Hands of Jack the Ripper Screaming Lord Sutch -
Hendrix in the West Jimi Hendrix Live 1969–70
How Much Time Jake Holmes -
I'm the One Annette Peacock -
Incredible! Live! Country Joe Live
Into the Purple Valley Ry Cooder -
I've Found Someone of My Own The Free Movement -
Jackson Browne Jackson Browne -
Keep the Faith Black Oak Arkansas -
Loose Crazy Horse -
Malo Malo -
Mark-Almond II Mark-Almond -
Peter Peter Yarrow -
Rockpile Dave Edmunds -
Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven Daddy Cool Australia
Solid Rock The Temptations -
The Spotlight Kid Captain Beefheart -
The Unnamables Magma as Univeria Zekt
Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine The Doors Compilation

February

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Day Album Artist Notes
1 Something/Anything? Todd Rundgren -
Harvest Neil Young -
8 Root Down Jimmy Smith -
12 Eat a Peach The Allman Brothers Band -
18 Manfred Mann's Earth Band Manfred Mann's Earth Band -
25 Pink Moon Nick Drake -
- Elvis Now Elvis Presley -
1 The Crusaders -
3 McKendree Spring -
Blue River Eric Andersen -
Border Lord Kris Kristofferson -
Brave Belt II Brave Belt -
Burgers Hot Tuna -
Cherish David Cassidy -
Dinnertime Alex Taylor -
Don Quixote Gordon Lightfoot -
Fanny Hill Fanny -
Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes John Kay -
Good Hearted Woman Waylon Jennings -
Grave New World Strawbs -
Greatest Hits Blood, Sweat & Tears Compilation
Headkeeper Dave Mason -
Heavy Turbulence Merl Saunders -
Hellbound Train Savoy Brown -
Lonesome Crow Scorpions -
Loudwater House Tony Hazzard -
My Hang-Up is You Freddie Hart -
Ndeda Quincy Jones Compilation
Oh How We Danced Jim Capaldi -
Pain Ohio Players -
Patti Dahlstrom Patti Dahlstrom -
Rockin' The Guess Who -
Silver Pistol Brinsley Schwarz -
Tantamount to Treason Vol. 1 Michael Nesmith -
Three Jackie Lomax -
Together Jesse Colin Young -

March

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Day Album Artist Notes
3 Black Magic Martha Reeves and the Vandellas -
Glitter Gary Glitter -
Thick as a Brick Jethro Tull -
Music of My Mind Stevie Wonder -
6 Bare Trees Fleetwood Mac -
10 Shades of a Blue Orphanage Thin Lizzy -
Touch Your Woman Dolly Parton -
21 Love Theme from "The Godfather" Andy Williams -
24 Slade Alive! Slade Live
Striking It Rich Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks -
Jerusalem Jerusalem -
Coming Together New Birth -
30 Machine Head Deep Purple -
- Alvin Lee and Company Ten Years After Compilation
Just Another Band from L.A. Frank Zappa and The Mothers Live
The Kink Kronikles The Kinks US; Compilation
The Ballad of Calico Kenny Rogers and the First Edition -
Heads & Tales Harry Chapin Debut
Bobby Whitlock Bobby Whitlock Solo Debut
Cold Blue Excursion Ray Dorset -
D&B Together Delaney and Bonnie -
Drowning in the Sea of Love Joe Simon
Ennea Chase -
Feedback Spirit -
The Killer Rocks On Jerry Lee Lewis -
Live Cream Volume II Cream Live 1968
Powerglide New Riders of the Purple Sage -
Pure Prairie League Pure Prairie League -
Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden Steve Miller Band -
Roadwork Edgar Winter's White Trash -
Shopping Bag The Partridge Family -
Smokin' Humble Pie -
Space and First Takes Lee Michaels -
Stories We Could Tell The Everly Brothers -
What a Bloody Long Day It's Been Ashton, Gardner and Dyke -

April

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Day Album Artist Notes
4 Rio Grande Mud ZZ Top -
5 Graham Nash David Crosby Crosby & Nash -
10 Raspberries Raspberries -
11 Mardi Gras Creedence Clearwater Revival -
12 Manassas Stephen Stills and Manassas -
14 Three Friends Gentle Giant UK
20 Dr. John's Gumbo Dr. John -
24 Number 1 Record Big Star -
28 Argus Wishbone Ash -
- Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway -
Annie Anne Murray -
Arthur Alexander Arthur Alexander -
Bolan Boogie T. Rex Compilation
Cat Mother Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys -
Comin' Thru Quicksilver Messenger Service -
David Clayton-Thomas David Clayton-Thomas -
He Touched Me Elvis Presley -
Henry the Human Fly Richard Thompson -
Hobo's Lullaby Arlo Guthrie -
The Island of Real The Rascals -
A Lonely Man The Chi-Lites -
Merrimack County Tom Rush -
Moonshot Buffy Sainte-Marie -
Mountain Live: The Road Goes Ever On Mountain Live
On Record April Wine -
A Possible Projection of the Future / Childhood's End Al Kooper -
Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Procol Harum Live
A Thing Called Love Johnny Cash -
You Don't Mess Around with Jim Jim Croce -
Day Album Artist Notes
1 Live in Europe Rory Gallagher [3]
Jeff Beck Group Jeff Beck -
2 Brother, Brother, Brother The Isley Brothers -
11 Cabbage Alley The Meters -
15 Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" The Beach Boys -
17 Lookin' Through the Windows The Jackson 5 -
19 Demons and Wizards Uriah Heep -
Honky Château Elton John -
Waterloo Lily Caravan -
22 America Eats Its Young Funkadelic -
26 Exile on Main St. The Rolling Stones -
I Sing the Body Electric Weather Report -
Wind of Change Peter Frampton -
30 Live at Max's Kansas City The Velvet Underground Live 1970
Understanding Bobby Womack -
- Lou Reed Lou Reed Solo debut
Ace Bob Weir -
Bloodrock Live Bloodrock Live
Castles Joy of Cooking -
Chameleon The Four Seasons -
Colors of the Day Judy Collins Compilation
Come from the Shadows Joan Baez -
Floy Joy The Supremes -
In Concert Janis Joplin Live 1968 and 1970
Last of the Red Hot Burritos The Flying Burrito Brothers Live
People ... Hold On Eddie Kendricks -
Roy Orbison Sings Roy Orbison -
Sail Away Randy Newman -
Sailin' Shoes Little Feat -
Skies of America Ornette Coleman -
Still Bill Bill Withers -
Tell Me This Is a Dream The Delfonics -

June

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Day Album Artist Notes
1 Amazing Grace Aretha Franklin Live
Eagles Eagles -
2 Obscured by Clouds Pink Floyd -
5 The Osmonds Live The Osmonds Live
6 Looking Glass Looking Glass -
9 Earthbound King Crimson Live
There It Is James Brown -
10 Moon Shadow LaBelle -
12 Some Time in New York City John Lennon and Yoko Ono -
13 School's Out Alice Cooper -
A Song for You Carpenters -
14 Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits Simon & Garfunkel Compilation
16 Roxy Music Roxy Music -
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars David Bowie -
Together Golden Earring -
20 Syreeta Syreeta -
23 Trilogy Emerson, Lake & Palmer -
Living in the Past Jethro Tull Compilation
26 Carney Leon Russell -
- As Recorded at Madison Square Garden Elvis Presley Live
666 Aphrodite's Child -
Bless Your Heart Freddie Hart -
Blues Roots Ike Turner -
Free at Last Free -
If an Angel Came to See You, Would You Make Her Feel at Home? Black Oak Arkansas -
Let Me Tell You About a Song Merle Haggard -

July

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Day Album Artist Notes
4 American Gothic David Ackles -
5 Waka/Jawaka Frank Zappa -
7 The Harder They Come Jimmy Cliff Soundtrack
10 Chicago V Chicago -
Son of Schmilsson Harry Nilsson -
11 Super Fly Curtis Mayfield Soundtrack
17 Full Circle The Doors -
20 Long John Silver Jefferson Airplane -
Straight Shooter James Gang -
21 I Can See Clearly Now Johnny Nash -
Never a Dull Moment Rod Stewart -
The Slider T. Rex -
27 All Directions The Temptations -
Flying High Together Smokey Robinson & The Miracles -
Seven Separate Fools Three Dog Night -
Toulouse Street The Doobie Brothers -
The Academy in Peril John Cale -
Captain Beyond Captain Beyond -
Feel Good Ike & Tina Turner -
Exercises Nazareth -
Foghat Foghat -
Music Is the Message Kool & the Gang -
Saint Dominic's Preview Van Morrison -
Moods Neil Diamond -
White Witch White Witch -
Someplace Else Now Lesley Gore -
Sparks Sparks Debut under final name

August

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Day Album Artist Notes
1 Back Stabbers The O'Jays -
Elf Elf -
2 Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72 Ella Fitzgerald Live
4 Ben Michael Jackson -
7 America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song Johnny Cash -
14 Play the Blues Buddy Guy and Junior Wells -
15 Rock of Ages The Band Live
25 Everybody's in Show-Biz The Kinks Double LP; one studio, one live
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes -
28 'Ot 'n' Sweaty Cactus -
31 Styx Styx -
- And the Hits Just Keep on Comin' Michael Nesmith -
Free Will Gil Scott-Heron -
Irrlicht Klaus Schulze -
Live at the Paramount The Guess Who Live
Roy Buchanan Roy Buchanan -
Smokin' O.P.'s Bob Seger -

September

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Day Album Artist Notes
8 Close to the Edge Yes [4]
All the Young Dudes Mott the Hoople -
9 Summer Breeze Seals and Crofts -
15 Foxtrot Genesis -
Below the Salt Steeleye Span -
Phoenix Grand Funk Railroad -
Rocky Mountain High John Denver -
26 Live Full House The J. Geils Band Live
27 Catch Bull at Four Cat Stevens -
29 Glorified Magnified Manfred Mann's Earth Band -
- Vol. 4 Black Sabbath -
At Home with Their Greatest Hits The Partridge Family Compilation
Bandstand Family -
Bright Phoebus Lal and Mike Waterson -
Give It Up Bonnie Raitt -
Hot Butter Hot Butter -
Ladies Love Outlaws Waylon Jennings -
My Time Boz Scaggs -
Nervous on the Road Brinsley Schwarz -
Rolling Thunder Mickey Hart -
Sandy Sandy Denny -
Solomon's Seal Pentangle -
Squawk Budgie -
Tequila Sunrise David Clayton-Thomas -

October

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Day Album Artist Notes
2 My Favorite Songwriter: Porter Wagoner Dolly Parton -
4 Willie Remembers Rare Earth -
9 Heavy Cream Cream Compilation
11 Caravanserai Santana -
On the Corner Miles Davis -
23 I'm Still in Love with You Al Green -
25 A Good Feelin' to Know Poco -
27 Talking Book Stevie Wonder -
- War Heroes Jimi Hendrix -
At Crooked Lake Crazy Horse -
Barnstorm Joe Walsh -
Music Is My Life Billy Preston -
Crazy Horses The Osmonds -
Bustin' Out Pure Prairie League -
Clear Spot Captain Beefheart -
Expectations Keith Jarrett -
Glen Travis Campbell Glen Campbell -
Got the All-Overs for You Freddie Hart -
Greetings from L.A. Tim Buckley -
Guitar Man Bread -
Lady Sings the Blues Diana Ross Soundtrack
The Lady's Not for Sale Rita Coolidge -
Lion's Share Savoy Brown -
Live Concert at the Forum Barbra Streisand Live
Loggins and Messina Loggins and Messina -
The London Chuck Berry Sessions Chuck Berry -
Made in England Atomic Rooster -
Mom's Apple Pie Mom's Apple Pie -
The Moviegoer Scott Walker -
New Blood Blood, Sweat & Tears -
Passin' Thru James Gang -
Rhymes & Reasons Carole King -
Rock & Roll Music to the World Ten Years After -
Round 2 The Stylistics -
Sniper and Other Love Songs Harry Chapin -
Stealers Wheel Stealers Wheel -
To Whom It May Concern Bee Gees -
Who Came First Pete Townshend -

November

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Day Album Artist Notes
1 Burning Love and Hits from His Movies, Volume 2 Elvis Presley Compilation
One Man Dog James Taylor -
Europe '72 Grateful Dead Live
7 The Divine Miss M Bette Midler -
Journey Through the Past Neil Young Soundtrack
8 Transformer Lou Reed -
10 Baby James Harvest Barclay James Harvest -
The Best of The Byrds: Greatest Hits, Volume II The Byrds Compilation
See All Her Faces Dusty Springfield -
13 Fresh Raspberries -
15 Homecoming America -
17 Seventh Sojourn The Moody Blues -
20 Get on the Good Foot James Brown -
24 Doremi Fasol Latido Hawkwind -
27 Garden Party Ricky Nelson -
- Slayed? Slade -
Boomer's Story Ry Cooder -
Can't Buy a Thrill Steely Dan -
Don McLean Don McLean -
Ege Bamyasi Can -
Romany The Hollies -
Ennismore Colin Blunstone -
For the Roses Joni Mitchell -
Free to Be... You and Me Marlo Thomas & Friends -
Good Times Kool & the Gang -
International Superstar Johnny Cash Compilation
Jesus Was a Capricorn Kris Kristofferson -
Joe Cocker Joe Cocker -
The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Johnny Cash Christmas
Killer Joe Little Jimmy Osmond -
Life Goes On Paul Williams -
The Magician's Birthday Uriah Heep -
No Secrets Carly Simon -
Not till Tomorrow Ralph McTell -
Old Dan's Records Gordon Lightfoot -
Passage Bloodrock -
The Partridge Family Notebook The Partridge Family -
The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb The Supremes -
They Only Come Out at Night Edgar Winter Group -
Tigers Will Survive Ian Matthews -
Whatever's for Us Joan Armatrading -
Why Dontcha West, Bruce and Laing -
The World Is a Ghetto War -

December

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Day Album Artist Notes
1 Octopus Gentle Giant UK
8 Trouble Man Marvin Gaye Soundtrack
9 Hot August Night Neil Diamond Live
11 More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) The Rolling Stones Compilation
15 Piledriver Status Quo -
22 Made in Japan Deep Purple Live
- Across 110th Street Bobby Womack and J.J. Johnson Soundtrack
The Best of Top of the Pops '72 Top of the Poppers Compilation
The Grand Wazoo Frank Zappa -
Gypsy Cowboy New Riders of the Purple Sage -
It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) Merle Haggard -
Pleasure Ohio Players -
R.E.O./T.W.O. REO Speedwagon -
The Sweet's Biggest Hits Sweet Compilation
Who's Gonna Play This Old Piano? Jerry Lee Lewis -
World Woven The Ides of March -

Release date unknown

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Biggest hit singles

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The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1972.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart Entries
1 Don McLean "American Pie" 1972   US Billboard 1 for 19 weeks, Canada RPM 1 for 5 weeks, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks, Australia 1 for 5 weeks, UK 2 for 16 weeks
2 Harry Nilsson "Without You" 1972   UK 1 for 20 weeks, Australia 1 for 5 weeks, US Billboard 1 for 19 weeks, New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks
3 Hot Butter "Popcorn" 1972   Holland 1 for 15 weeks, France 1 for 5 weeks, Switzerland 1 for 17 weeks, Norway 1 for 20 weeks, Germany 1 for 5 months, UK 5 for 19 weeks, US Billboard 9 for 18 weeks
4 Neil Young "Heart of Gold" 1972   US Billboard 1 for 14 weeks, Canada 1 for 12 weeks, France 2 for 8 weeks, Norway 4 for 11 weeks, Germany 4 for 4 months,
5 The Moody Blues "Nights in White Satin" 1972   US Billboard 2 for 18 weeks, Canada 2 for 12 weeks, France 1 for 9 weeks, Holland 2 for 14 weeks,

Top 40 Chart hit singles

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Alice Cooper in 1972
 
The Carpenters in 1972
Song title Artist(s) Release date(s) US UK Highest chart position Other Chart Performance(s)
"10538 Overture" Electric Light Orchestra June 1972 n/a 9 9 (United Kingdom) 24 (Netherlands [Dutch Top 40])
"A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done" Sonny & Cher February 1972 8 n/a 3 (Canada) See chart entry performance
"A Horse with No Name" America January 1972 1 3 1 (Canada, Finland, United States) See chart performance entry
"Ain't Understanding Mellow" Jerry Butler and Brenda Lee Eager January 1970 21 n/a 21 (United States 3 (U.S. Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles)
"All the Young Dudes" Mott the Hoople July 1972 37 3 3 (United Kingdom 4 (Ireland) - 13 (New Zealand) - 31 (Canada) - 32 (U.S. Record World) - 34 (U.S. Cash Box Top 100)
"Alone Again (Naturally)" Gilbert O'Sullivan February 1972 1 3 1 (Canada, France, United States) See chart performance entry
"Amazing Grace" Pipes and Drums and Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards April 1972 n/a 1 1 (Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom) n/a
"America" Simon & Garfunkel July 1972 97 25 25 (United Kingdom) n/a
"American Pie" Don McLean January 1972 1 2 1 (Australia, Canada, New Zealand) See chart performance entry [1971 single release overlapped into 1972]
"Anticipation" Carly Simon January 1972 13 n/a 9 (Canada) 3 (U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary) - 10 (U.S. Cash Box Top 100) - 64 (Australia)
"Baby Blue" Badfinger March 1972 14 n/a 3 (Malaysia) 7 (Canada) - 9 (New Zealand, U.S. Cash Box Top 100) - 12 (U.S. Record World Top 100) - 14 (Sweden) - 16 (Australia) - 18 (South Africa) - 30 (West Germany)

Other Chart hit singles

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Notable singles

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Song title Artist(s) Release date(s) Other Chart Performance(s)
"Starman" David Bowie April 1972 See chart performance entry

Other Notable singles

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Other notable songs (world)

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Classical music

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Opera

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Jazz

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Musical theater

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Musical films

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Musical television productions

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Births

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Deaths

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Awards

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Grammy Awards

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Country Music Association Awards

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Eurovision Song Contest

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References

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  1. ^ Woodmansey, Mick (2016). Spider from Mars: My Life with Bowie. London: Pan Macmillan. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-283-07274-1.
  2. ^ "1971 Grammy Award Winners". Grammy.com. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  3. ^ "Gallagher official site".
  4. ^ "Yes Discography".
  5. ^ Osborne, Jerry (2003). Movie/TV soundtracks & original cast recordings price & reference guide. Port Townsend, WA: Osborne Enterprises. p. 1982. ISBN 9780932117373.
  6. ^ Jha, Subhash (2006). The essential guide to Bollywood. New Delhi: Lustre Press Roli Books. p. 51. ISBN 9788174363787.
  7. ^ "長沼英樹 (Hideki Naganuma)". Genius. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Enrique Iturriaga (2001). "González Gamarra, Francisco". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.45211.