*#1] YOU’RE SO VAIN by Carly Simon
LW #4 / Peak Position / 6 wks / 99-60-37-9-4|-1 / Biggest Jump Inside the Top 10 - 3 positions / rich in lyrical detail, yet completely ambiguous, the exploits of Simon’s man of international mystery had captured the imaginations of record buyers / after debuting at #99 on the 12/2/72 chart, YOU’RE SO VAIN made jumps of 29, 23 & 28 positions to vault into the Top 10 on the 12/23/72 chart; her smash hit needed just two more weeks to reach #1 on the first chart of the new year
#2] CLAIR by Gilbert O’Sullivan
LW #2 / Peak Position / 11 wks / 86-53-36-28-17-12-9-7-4-2|-2 / the Irish singer-songwriter’s first US single, ALONE AGAIN (Naturally) spent six non-consecutive weeks at #1 in the summer & early fall of ‘72 / his second single wasn’t able to achieve that feat, as it was “only” able to reach #2 for the last week of December ‘72 & first week of January ‘73
#3] ME AND MRS. JONES by Billy Paul
LW #1 / 10 wks / 74-48-39-23-13-6-1-1-1|-3 / 38-year-old Soul singer Billy Paul’s first Philadelphia International Records single, about being addicted to the pleasures of infidelity, had ridden the Autumn wave of “Philly Soul” hits by the Stylistics, O’Jays and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes all the way to #1 in mid-December, needing just seven weeks to rise from #74 to #1
*#4] SUPERSTITION by Stevie Wonder
LW #16 / 8 wks / 82-71-43-32-27-22-16|-4 / Highest Debut in the Top 10 / Biggest Jump Into the Top 10, Biggest Jump Inside the Top 20, Biggest Jump Inside the Top 40 & 7th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [3] - 12 positions / now 22-years-old, Stevie Wonder had already amassed 29 songs on the Hot 100, beginning in June ‘63, a month after he turned 14 / of those, 23 reached the Top 40, 16 were Top 20 hits and 13 rose into the Top 10 / SUPERSTITION was Wonder’s seventh Top 10 single to reach the Top 5, following FINGERTIPS - Pt. 2 [#1 - 3 wks] in August ‘63; UPTIGHT (Everything’s Alright) [#3 - 2 wks] in February '66, I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER [#2 - 2 wks] in July/Aug ‘67, FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE [#2 - 2 wks] in Dec ‘68-Jan ‘69, MY CHERIE AMOUR [#4 - 2 wks] in July/Aug ‘69 & SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED I’M YOURS [#3 - 2 wks] in August ‘70
#5] FUNNY FACE by Donna Fargo
LW #6 / Peak Position / 15 wks / 95-83-71-59-51-45-31-25-21-20-12-12-7-6|-5 / Country singer Donna Fargo’s second crossover hit to the Pop chart spent 14 weeks climbing the Hot 100 in ‘72 before finally reaching its Peak Position of #5 in week 15 in the first Billboard chart of ‘73
#6] IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA by Albert Hammond
LW #5 / 12 wks / 65-50-39-27-21-14-8-7-5-5-5|-6 / Hammond’s first hit spent the three weeks from 12/16/72 to 12/30/72 at its Peak Position of #5; from 3/4/72 to 3/18/72, EVERYTHING I OWN by Bread also peaked at #5 - the only other single to spend three weeks at that position in ‘72
#7] ROCKIN’ PNEUMONIA—BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU by Johnny Rivers
LW #8 / 14 wks / 80-75-55-49-44-38-32-26-19-15-11-10-8|-7 / Rivers had been charting since May ‘64 with his first single, the Top 10 hit MEMPHIS [#2 - 2 wks] in July / his latest single was his 24th on the Hot 100; his first 13 A-sides were all Top 40 hits with seven Top 10s & four more reaching the Top 20; ROCKIN’ PNEUMONIA—BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU was Rivers’ first Top 10 hit since THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS [#10 - 1 wk] in early July ‘67 - over 5 years earlier
*#8] YOUR MAMA DON’T DANCE by Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina
LW #10 / 9 wks / 89-68-55-34-29-24-14-10|-8 / third chart single in ‘72 for the duo & the first Top 40 hit for singer-songwriter Loggins, who had teamed up with his producer Messina in ‘70 to record their first album together, SITTIN’ IN
#9] SUPER FLY by Curtis Mayfield
LW #9 / 8 wks / 83-40-31-22-15-12-9|-9 / Mayfield’s fourth chart single was his third Top 40 & second straight Top 10 hit, following FREDDIE’S DEAD [#4 - 2 wks / Gold] in November ‘72 - both of his Top 10s were from Mayfield’s soundtrack for the hit blaxploitation film SUPER FLY
#10] YOU OUGHT TO BE WITH ME by Al Green
LW #10 / Peak - #3 [2 wks] / Top 10 - 7 wks / Top 20 - 8 wks / Top 40 - 12 wks / Hot 100 - 12th wk [of 15] / 91-59-31-21-15-8-7-5-4-3-3|-10-22-38-48 / Gold / Green’s fourth Top 5 single on the Hot 100 in ‘72, following LET’S STAY TOGETHER [#1 - 1 wk] in February, LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE FOR ME [#4 - 1 wk] in May & I’M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU [#3 - 2 wks] in September / recorded at Royal Recording Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and produced by Willie Mitchell & Al Green, Green’s fifth Pop Top 20 hit was the first single released from his sixth album - fifth on the Hi Records label, CALL ME [#10 Top 200 / #1 Soul / Gold] / CALL ME, often cited as one of the best Soul albums ever made, included four songs written by Green and three he co-wrote, along with his covers of Hank Williams’ I’M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY & Willie Nelson’s FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY / VH1 ranked CALL ME at #70 on its Greatest Albums [of any genre] list in ‘03; Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at #289 on its original 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, also in ‘03 / YOU OUGHT TO BE WITH ME was written by Al Green, Al Jackson, Jr. & Willie Mitchell / included on Green’s Greatest Hits [#17 Top 200 / #3 Soul / 2x Platinum / #27 Canada / #18 UK / Silver], released in April ‘75, which was ranked #52 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in ‘03 / on Billboard’s Soul chart, YOU OUGHT TO BE WITH ME was Al Green’s fifth Top 10 hit & third #1: TIRED OF BEING ALONE [#7 / Gold] in ‘71; and LET’S STAY TOGETHER [#1 - 9 wks / Platinum] in Jan/Feb/Mar, LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO ME [#2 / Gold], I’M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU [#1 - 2 wks / Gold] in mid-August and YOU OUGHT TO BE WITH ME [#1 - 1 wk / Gold] the first week of December ‘72
#11] KEEPER OF THE CASTLE by The Four Tops
LW #11 / Peak - #10 [1 wk] / Top 10 - 1 wk / Top 20 - 6 wks / Top 40 - 9 wks / Hot 100 - 9 wks [of 12] / 71-60-41-32-25-17-15-11|-11-10-16-31 / the Four Tops’ 31st song on the Hot 100 was, surprisingly, only their sixth Top 10 hit when it peaked at #10 on the 1/13/73 chart; the single was their first on Dunhill Records after nine years recording for Motown / their most successful Motown years on the Pop chart were ‘64 to ‘68 with five Top 10 hits & eight more singles that charted in the Top 20 / Motown Top 10 hits: I CAN’T HELP MYSELF [#1 - 2 wks] in June & IT’S THE SAME OLD SONG [#5 - 2 wks] in Aug/Sept ‘65, REACH OUT I’LL BE THERE [#1 - 2 wks] in October ‘66, and STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE [#6 - 2 wks] in January & BERNADETTE [#4 - 2 wks] in April ‘67; Motown Top 20 hits: BABY I NEED YOUR LOVING [#11 - 1 wk] in October ‘64, SOMETHING ABOUT YOU [#19 - 2 wks] in December ‘65, SHAKE ME, WAKE ME (When It’s Over) [#18 - 1 wk] in March ‘66, 7 ROOMS OF GLOOM [#14 - 2 wks] in June & YOU KEEP RUNNING AWAY [#19 - 1 wk] in October ‘67, WALK AWAY RENEE [#14 - 2 wks] in March & IF I WERE A CARPENTER [#20 - 2 wks] in June ‘68; and also STILL WATER (Love) [#11 - 2 wks] in October ‘70 / KEEPER OF THE CASTLE, about men’s roles in relationships, was co-written by Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter and co-produced by Steve Barri with Lambert & Potter / title song of their first Dunhill Records album [#33 Top 200 / #6 Soul], their eighth Top 10 album on Billboard’s R&B/Soul Album chart / on the R&B/Soul charts, KEEPER OF THE CASTLE was The Four Tops’ 16th Top 10 hit; 1964 - BABY I NEED YOUR LOVING* [#4 - 2 wks] *[Cashbox R&B chart as Billboard did not publish its R&B chart in ‘64]; 1965 - ASK THE LONELY [#9], I CAN’T HELP MYSELF (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) [#1 - 9 wks], IT’S THE SAME OLD SONG [#2], SOMETHING ABOUT YOU [#9] & SHAKE ME, WAKE ME (When It’s Over) [#5]; 1966 - REACH OUT I’LL BE THERE [#1 - 2 wks] & STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE [#2]; 1967 - BERNADETTE [#3], 7 ROOMS OF GLOOM [#10] & YOU KEEP RUNNING AWAY [#7]; 1970 - IT’S ALL IN THE GAME [#6] & STILL WATER (Love) [#4]; 1971 - JUST SEVEN NUMBERS (Can Straighten Out My Life) [#9]; and 1972 - (It’s The Way) NATURE PLANNED IT [#8] & KEEPER OF THE CASTLE [#7] / on the Cashbox [sales only] chart, the song reached #9; on Canada’s RPM Top 100, KEEPER OF THE CASTLE was the Soul foursome’s 13th Top 40 hit, reaching #32; and it was their 22nd Top 40 single & 13th Top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at #18
#12] LIVING IN THE PAST by Jethro Tull
LW #13 / 10 wks / 76-62-47-36-30-26-20-17-13|-12 / second US chart single & first Top 40 hit by Progressive Rock band led by Scottish lead singer-flutist Ian Anderson, which formed in Blackpool, England, in ‘68
*#13] CROCODILE ROCK by Elton John
LW #20 / 5 wks / 73-46-30-20|-13 / 2nd Biggest Jump Inside the Top 20 & 2nd Biggest Jump Inside the Top 40 - TIE [2] - 7 positions / his eighth chart single & sixth Top 40 hit; Elton’s three previous singles that reached the Top 20 were all Top 10 hits - YOUR SONG [#8 - 4 wks] in Jan/Feb ‘71 and ROCKET MAN [#6 - 1 wk] in July & HONKY CAT [#8 - 1 wk] in September ‘72
#14] I AM WOMAN by Helen Reddy
LW #7 / Peak - #1 [1 wk] / Top 10 - 8 wks / Top 20 - 11 wks / Top 40 - 14 wks / Hot 100 - 20th wk [of 22] / 99-98-97-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-__-87-65-58-46-36-27-17-12-8-4-4-2-1-2-2-7|-14-31-48 / Gold / the title song of Reddy’s third album had originally been released on her first album, I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM, in ‘71 / the song’s lyrics were Reddy’s feelings on female empowerment & after years of performing, she was very aware of the contempt many men felt towards women / “I couldn't find any songs that said what I thought being woman was about. I thought about all these strong women in my family who had gotten through the Depression and world wars and drunken, abusive husbands. But there was nothing in music that reflected that. The only songs were 'I Feel Pretty' or that dreadful song 'Born A Woman'. These are not exactly empowering lyrics. I certainly never thought of myself as a songwriter, but it came down to having to do it. . . . I remember lying in bed one night and the words, 'I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman', kept going over and over in my head. That part I consider to be divinely inspired. I had been chosen to get a message across." / the next day Reddy wrote down the lyrics, which she felt came from ‘the universe’ & turned to Ray Burton, with whom she had worked in Australia & was also living in Los Angeles, to put her words to music / although she used it as her opening number - to positive response - in live shows, Reddy didn’t think of the song as a single - but it was being mentioned in her fan mail / over a year after recording the two minute song, it was tapped to be used over the closing credits of the women’s lib comedy film STAND UP AND BE COUNTED, starring Jacqueline Bisset, Stella Stevens, Steve Lawrence & Loretta Swit; Capitol Records decided that in case the film was a hit [it was not], they needed to have a single of I AM WOMAN ready to promote and asked Reddy to write a third verse & re-record the song / the new track was recorded on April 23, 1972, with producer Jack Senter & members of The Wrecking Crew having already recorded the backing track & its B-side, DON’T MESS WITH A WOMAN, before Reddy & her husband-manager Jeff Wald arrived at the session; an argument ensued between the couple & the producer because they thought they would be involved in recording the backing track; Reddy eventually sang the lyrics & left the studio; the song’s guitar riff on Mike Deasy’s 12-string electric guitar was recorded after the vocals and a horn arrangement & backing vocals by three of LA’s top session singers were added in the next week / Wald worked long promotional hours with radio & TV stations, arranging appearances on 19 different TV shows for his pregnant wife to perform the song / although many men in the radio industry hated the song, they often commented that their wives or girlfriends loved it / I AM WOMAN first appeared on the Billboard Pop chart at #99 on the 6/24/72 chart - but got no higher than #97 before exiting after two more weeks in July; ten weeks later, the resurgent song re-debuted at #87 on the 9/16/72 chart & with a steady climb reached the Top 40 four weeks later, the Top 10 in four more weeks & in week 13 of its second chart run, it topped the Hot 100 for a week in the 12/9/72 issue, ultimately spending six of its eight weeks in the Top 10 in the four top chart positions
Reddy’s huge hit was the first #1 single on the Pop chart for Capitol Records since Bobbie Gentry spent four weeks at #1 with ODE TO BILLIE JOE in Aug/Sept ‘67 / the song was the first US #1 by an Australian-born artist & was the first winner of a Grammy Award for a song written by an Australian; in her Grammy acceptance speech for Best Pop Performance, Female, in ‘73, Reddy set off a firestorm of controversy in some quarters, closing her speech by thanking "God, because She makes everything possible" / I AM WOMAN was a hit the same year that Gloria Steinem started Ms. magazine in the US & Cleo was launched in Australia and the burgeoning Women’s Rights Movement adopted the song as its anthem / not surprisingly, a Country version of I AM WOMAN by Bobbie Roy, also on Capitol Records, was not a Top 40 hit on Billboard’s Country chart / the song became the first of a number of hits for Reddy on the Pop & Easy Listening charts and generated a great deal of wealth for Reddy & Wald, which the couple reportedly spent lavishly / Reddy felt that the song was about empowerment as much as feminism: "It's not just for women. It's a general empowerment song about feeling good about yourself, believing in yourself. When my former brother-in-law, a doctor, was going to medical school he played it every morning just to get him going." / the “feminist icon” infuriated feminists by singing the song at the Miss World beauty pageant in ‘81 ["Let them step forward and pay my rent and I'll stay home. What I'm doing is advertising a product I wouldn't use.”] / 30 years after the song was a hit, she reflected, "I had no idea what the song was destined to become. If I'd known, I would have been far too intimidated to have written it." / in her autobiography, “The Woman I Am: A Memoir,” she recounted an encounter with the high school aged nephew of a longtime friend, who told her that she was mentioned in his history book along with the lyrics of I AM WOMAN; her reaction was to retire from singing: "I thought, 'Well, I'm part of history now. And how do I top that? I can't top that.'" / Helen Reddy did return to singing in ‘14 & was asked how she felt about the song on InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: "Ever regret it because it's so iconic? Does it overshadow everything else? Because people forget how many hit songs you had, and yet this song becomes so big. Is it ever too much to have on your back?" Reddy responded: "No, no, [pause] I'm proud of it.” / the song’s opening lines “I am woman, hear me roar” are now part of the cultural lexicon / after film director Kathryn Bigelow won the Oscar for Best Director for the ‘09 film THE HURT LOCKER - the first woman to win the award - an instrumental of I AM WOMAN was played as she exited the stage
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
And no one's ever gonna keep me down again
Yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul
Yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
I am woman, watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin' arms across the land
But I'm still a little embryo
With such a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand
Oh yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to, I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman
I am woman
except for its title track, the album I AM WOMAN [#14 US / Platinum / #10 Australia / Gold / #7 Canada], was produced by Tom Catalano, Neil Diamond’s producer / the album was the first of a string of six top-selling albums which were all Top 20 hits on Billboard's Top 200 album chart from ‘72 to ‘76 / on numerous compilation & live albums by Helen Reddy, including GREATEST HITS [#5 US / 2x Platinum / #42 Australia / Gold / #9 Canada / #1 New Zealand / Gold / #5 UK / Gold] on Capitol Records in ‘75, the last song of an 11-song hits medley on her 2-disc LIVE IN LONDON album, released in ‘78 [Did Not Chart], the 23-track I AM WOMAN: THE ESSENTIAL HELEN REDDY COLLECTION on Razor & Tie Records in ‘98, and the 22-track THE WOMAN I AM: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION on Capitol Records, released in conjunction with her autobiography in ‘06 / on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, I AM WOMAN was Reddy’s second Top 10 hit, peaking at #2; while she would have five more Top 10s, including two more #1s, on the Pop chart, Reddy would be far more successful on the EL chart with 13 more Top 10 hits, including eight #1s - six straight from ‘73 to ‘75 / I AM WOMAN also topped the Cashbox [sales only] chart & Canada’s RPM Top 100 chart [#4 RPM EL] and was her second single to peak at #2 in Australia, following I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM in ‘71; it was not a hit in the UK when originally released & failed to reach the Top 50 when it was re-released after several Top 10 hits in ‘75
an Australian biopic of Helen Reddy’s life, titled I AM WOMAN & starring Tilda Cobham-Hervey, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to good reviews in early September ‘19 and was nominated for ten AACTA* Awards / *[the AACTA Awards are Australia’s awards for cinema & television] / the film’s director & co-producer, Unjoo Moon, commented about screening the film for Reddy, who was living in a Los Angeles care facility at the time: "Before we locked the movie off, producer Rosemary Blight and I felt very strongly that we needed to show the movie to Helen and her family. We did a screening for Helen, her ex-husband Jeff Wald, and her two children. As a filmmaker, sitting in the cinema with Helen Reddy was, and it’s probably going to be, one of the hardest screenings I had to do for the film, I suddenly realised that this is her life, and she was watching it through my eyes. During the screening, Helen sang along to her songs, and when she cried, it wasn’t because she was sad that we made the movie, she cried because she found the whole experience so touching, and I think really cathartic in a way." / Helen Reddy died at the age of 78 in September ‘20 / introduced by former Australian Prime Minister Julian Gillard, I AM WOMAN was performed as a tribute to Reddy at the ARIAS Music Awards in late November ‘20 by an ensemble of Australian female singers, who were backed by a “virtual” choir of more than 20 singers
*#15] DON’T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT by James Taylor
LW #21 / 6 wks / 60-41-38-27-21|-15 / Highest New Entry in the Top 20 / Biggest Jump Into the Top 20 - 6 positions / sixth single on the Hot 100 for the singer-songwriter; all five of his Warner Bros. singles were Top 40 hits & DON’T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT was his third to reach the Top 20; the previous two Top 20s were both Top 10 hits, with FIRE AND RAIN peaking at #3 & YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND rising all the way to #1
#16] SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH ME by Austin Roberts
LW #12 / Peak - #12 [1 wk] / Top 20 - 7 wks / Top 40 - 10 wks / Hot 100 - 13th wk [of 15] / 98-72-55-46-33-29-18-16-13-13-13-12|-16-36-47 / first solo chart single for the 27-year-old singer-songwriter, born in Newport News, Virginia, in September ‘45 / Roberts previously had two singles chart in the lower half of the Hot 100 as lead singer of Arkade in ‘70 & ‘71 / SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH ME [3:07] b/w MY SONG [3:34] were both written by Danny Janssen & Bobby Hart* and produced by Janssen, Hart & Roberts / *[Hart was half of the songwriting-producing team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart; they wrote several hits & other songs for The Monkees and scored a Top 10 hit of their own with I WONDER WHAT SHE’S DOING TONIGHT [#8 - 3 wks] in Apr/May ‘68] / both the A & B-sides of the Roberts single were from his self-titled debut album on Chelsea Records and included his next single, KEEP ON SINGING*, along with TIME, WHAT FOOLS WE ARE, THERE’S A SHADOW, TAKE AWAY THE SUNSHINE, ONLY CHILD, BELIEVE IN ME and I CAN FEEL IT / *[KEEP ON SINGING would be a Top 20 Pop & #1 Easy Listening hit for Helen Reddy in ‘74] / Roberts’ first Hot 100 hit, which appeared to be a long-lasting hit where it was being played, reached #10 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart; also a Top 20 hit on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart where it reached #16 / in Canada, the “45” was a Top 10 hit, peaking at #6; in Australia, it topped out at #40
#17] WALK ON WATER by Neil Diamond
LW #17 / Peak - #17 [2 wks] / Top 20 - 3 wks / Top 40 - 8 wks / Hot 100 - 9th wk [of 12] / 85-51-34-27-23-21-19-17|-17-28-41-73 / the third single from Diamond’s MOODS album was his 30th song to chart on the Hot 100, 20th to reach the Top 40 & 14th Top 20 hit, dating to CHERRY, CHERRY, which made a 10-point jump to #14 in its sixth week on the 9/24/66 chart / MOODS [#5 US / Platinum / #4 Australia / #4 Canada / #7 UK] was Diamond’s sixth album on Uni Records [eighth overall] & was his first Top 10 album in the US / produced by Tom Catalano & Neil Diamond, the album was similar to TAP ROOT MANUSCRIPT from ‘70 & helped to define his sound going forward; Billboard wrote that the album had "brilliant, diversified material." / MOODS, with all ten of its songs written by Diamond, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year & SONG SUNG BLUE was nominated for both Record of the Year & Song of the Year in ‘73 / MOODS, with its trio of singles - SONG SUNG BLUE [#1 - 1 wk / Gold] in July, PLAY ME [#11 - 2 wks] in October & WALK ON WATER [#17 - 2 wks] in Dec ‘72-Jan ‘73 - was Diamond’s second album to produce three Top 20 singles - but was much more successful than the first, JUST FOR YOU [#80] & its three singles -YOU GOT TO ME [#18 - 1 wk] in Marc, GIRL, YOU’LL BE A WOMAN SOON [#10 - 1 wk] in May & I THANK THE LORD FOR THE NIGHT TIME [#13 - 2 wks] in Aug/Sept in ‘67 / WALK ON WATER, although one of his biggest Pop and Easy Listening hits, was included on very few of Diamond’s many compilation albums - but was on AND THE SINGER SINGS HIS SONG '[#102], a repackaging of album tracks including the Top 20 hits STONES & WALK ON WATER, in ‘76, and the Australian & European editions of THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION [#30 Australia / #5 UK / Platinum] in ‘96; surprisingly, NOT included on the 2-disc CD THE GREATEST HITS: 1966-1992 in ‘92, the 2-disc CD THE ESSENTIAL NEIL DIAMOND in ‘01 or the 3-disc CD NEIL DIAMOND 50 - 50TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION in ‘17 / WALK ON WATER was Diamond’s 12th Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, tenth to reach the Top 5 and fourth to peak at #2: SWEET CAROLINE [#3] & HOLLY HOLY [#5] in ‘69; SHILO [#8], SOLITARY MAN [#6], SOOLAIMON [#5], CRACKLIN’ ROSIE [#2] & HE AIN’T HEAVY, HE’S MY BROTHER [#4] in ‘70; I AM . . . I SAID [#2] & STONES [#2] in ‘71; and SONG SUNG BLUE [#1 - 7 wks] in June/July, PLAY ME [#3] & WALK ON WATER [#2] in ‘72 / it was a Top 10 hit in Canada, reaching #8 [#33 EL]; a Top 20 hit in New Zealand [#14] - but only #74 in Australia; and a Top 40 single in West Germany, peaking at #39
#18] SITTING by Cat Stevens
LW #18 / Peak - #16 [1 wk] / Top 20 - 3 wks / Top 40 - 9 wks / Hot 100 - 8th wk [of 11] / 89-51-35-27-23-21-18|-18-16-32-38 / SITTING would reach its Peak Position in the 1/13/73 issue of Billboard, then spend its two final weeks in the lower part of the Top 40 / written by Cat Stevens & produced by Paul Samwell-Smith / only US single released from the critically acclaimed album CATCH BULL AT FOUR* [#1 US / Platinum / #1 Australia / #1 Canada / #2 UK / Top 10 in 5 more countries] / *[the album title is taken from “The Ten Bulls of Zen”] / the album was Stevens’ third since breaking through in the US & other countries outside of England, and his sixth overall / his three most recent albums were all produced by Samwell-Smith; preceding his first US chart topping album were TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN [#8 US / 3x Platinum / #2 Australia / Platinum / #11 Canada / #20 UK / Gold], released in November ‘70, and TEASER AND THE FIRECAT [#2 US / 3x Platinum / #1 Australia / #2 Canada / #2 UK / Gold], released in October ‘71 / SITTING was Steven’s fifth Hot 100 single & fifth Top 40 hit with three Top 20 singles, including two Top 10s: WILD WORLD [#11 - 1 wk] in April, MOON SHADOW [#30 - 1 wk] in August & PEACE TRAIN [#7 - 3 wks] in November ‘71; and MORNING HAS BROKEN [#6 - 2 wks] in May/June '72 / included on the compilation albums GREATEST HITS [#6 US / 4x Platinum / #41 Australia / #1 Canada / #2 UK / Gold], released in June ‘75; two versions of THE VERY BEST OF CAT STEVENS [#58 US / Gold / #6 Australia / #6 UK / 3x Platinum], released in ‘00 in the US & ‘03 in the UK; on Disc 3 of the 4-disc box set IN SEARCH OF THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, released on Island/A&M Records in ‘01, with rare & live tracks [including HONEY MAN w/Elton John] & a 96-page book; and the 2-disc CD set GOLD, released in November ‘05, featuring 31 singles & album tracks drawn from a dozen albums - MATHEW & SON in ‘67 to BACK TO EARTH in ‘78 - plus the new Yusuf Islam song INDIAN OCEAN / on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, Stevens had five Top 25 singles with three Top 10s & a pair of #1s: WILD WORLD [#21], MOON SHADOW [#10], PEACE TRAIN [#1 - 3 wks] in Oct/Nov ‘71, MORNING HAS BROKEN [#1 - 1 wk] in May ‘72 & SITTING [#17] in ‘73 / internationally, SITTING was #4 in New Zealand, #14 Canada [#38 EL] & #34 in Australia
*#19] WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER by Timmy Thomas
LW #24 / 7 wks / 94-82-62-45-32-24|-19 / 2nd New Entry in the Top 20 / 2nd Biggest Jump Into the Top 20 - 5 positions / first Hot 100 single for the 28-year-old singer-songwriter-keyboardist & studio musician, who had moved to Miami in ’70
#20] SWEET SURRENDER by Bread
LW #15 / Peak - #15 [1 wk] / Top 20 - 5 wks / Top 40 - 8 wks / Hot 100 - 9th wk [of 11] / 55-40-30-24-20-16-16-15|-20-45-50 / Bread’s fourth chart single in ‘72 was the band’s fourth Top 20 Pop hit for the year & second, following DIARY, to peak at #15 in just over six months / the second single released from their fifth Elektra Records studio album GUITAR MAN [#18 US / Gold / #22 Australia] was written & produced by group leader David Gates / the Soft Rock album, GUITAR MAN, was described as a “classic … it’s pop, but transcendent pop” in “The New Rolling Stone Album Guide,” first published in ‘79; an English review in the Birmingham Post at the time of its release wrote that the album’s highlights "are, not surprisingly, the Gates' compositions, 'Sweet Surrender', 'Aubrey' and the title track, three of the strongest songs he ever contributed to the band." / Bread’s Hot 100 hits: MAKE IT WITH YOU [#1 - 1 wk / Gold] in August & IT DON’T MATTER TO ME [#10 - 1 wk] in November ‘70; LET YOUR LOVE GO [#28 - 1 wk] in February, IF [#4 - 1 wk] in May, MOTHER FREEDOM [#37 - 2 wks] in August & BABY I’M-A WANT YOU [#3 - 2 wks / Gold] in Nov/Dec ‘71; and EVERYTHING I OWN [#5 - 3 wks] in March, DIARY [#15 - 2 wks] in June, GUITAR MAN [#11 - 3 wks] in September & SWEET SURRENDER [#15 - 1 wk] in December ‘72 / SWEET SURRENDER has been included on the band’s many compilation albums - BEST OF BREAD, VOLUME 2 [#32 US / Gold / #73 Australia / #48 UK], released in ‘74; THE SOUND OF BREAD, THEIR 20 FINEST SONGS [#28 Australia / #1 UK / Platinum] was released outside of North America in ‘77, and released as ANTHOLOGY OF BREAD [Platinum] in the US in ‘85; also on THE SOUND OF BREAD, THEIR 16 FINEST SONGS, released on K-Tel Records in the US in ‘82; for the CD re-issue of BEST OF BREAD in ‘01, eight additional songs were added to the original dozen tracks & SWEET SURRENDER was one of six songs from BEST OF BREAD, VOLUME 2 to be included; other compilation albums include, THE VERY BEST OF BREAD [#41 UK / Silver] on Pickwick Records in ‘89, DAVID GATES & BREAD ESSENTIALS [#9 UK / Gold] and RETROSPECTIVE - both on Elektra Records in ‘96, THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION on Elektra/Rhino in ‘06, and the 6-CD box set THE ELEKTRA YEARS: THE COMPLETE ALBUM COLLECTION - all six of their studio albums from ‘69 to ‘77 - on Warner Music Group UK/Rhino Records in ‘17 / on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, SWEET SURRENDER was their eighth straight to reach the Top 10 - all were Top 5 hits - and fourth & final #1, although three more singles would be Top 5 hits on the chart in ‘73 [1] & ‘77 [2] / two of Bread’s Top 40 Pop singles from ‘71, LET YOUR LOVE GO & MOTHER FREEDOM, did not enter the EL chart / Bread’s Top 5 hits on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, to date: MAKE IT WITH YOU [#4] & IT DON’T MATTER TO ME [#2] in ‘70; IF [#1 - 3 wks] in Apr/May & BABY I’M-A WANT YOU [#1 - 1 wk] in late November ‘71; and EVERYTHING I OWN [#3], DIARY [#3], GUITAR MAN [#1 - 1 wk] in September & SWEET SURRENDER [#1 - 1 wk] the last week of December ‘72 / SWEET SURRENDER was a #4 RPM Pop hit in Canada* - but only #24 on the RPM EL chart; *[seventh Top 10 hit in Canada & second highest charting, after the #2 hit MAKE IT WITH YOU]; a #7 hit in New Zealand but did not chart highly in Australia [#67] or the UK [#53]; and #11 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart