List of Hot Country Singles number ones of 1972

Hank Williams, Jr. (pictured in 2006) achieved his second number one in 1972 with "Eleven Roses", although he had not yet developed the country rock style with which he would find his greatest success.^[1]

Hot Country Songs is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music songs in the United States, published by Billboard magazine. In 1972, 27 different singles topped the chart, then published under the title Hot Country Singles, in 53 issues of the magazine, based on playlists submitted by country music radio stations and sales reports submitted by stores.^[2]

At the start of the year, the number one single was "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" by Charley Pride, which had been in the top spot since the issue of Billboard dated December 4, 1971,^[3] and held the position for one further week in 1972. Freddie Hart spent the most weeks at number one in 1972, totalling 11 weeks in the top spot with "My Hang-Up Is You", "Bless Your Heart" and "Got the All Overs for You (All Over Me)". "My Hang-Up Is You" had the longest unbroken run at number one, spending six weeks at the top of the chart in the spring, twice as long as any other song spent at number one in 1972. Hart had been an active recording artist since the early 1950s and had his first Hot Country hit in 1959, but had never reached the top 10 until 1971, when "Easy Loving" went to number one and began a run of top 10 hits which lasted until 1975, when his chart performance began to decline again.^[4][5] In addition to Hart, Charley Pride and Merle Haggard each achieved three number ones in 1972, spending seven and six weeks respectively at the top of the chart.

Three artists topped the chart for the first time in 1972. Donna Fargo spent three weeks at number one in June with her first ever hit, "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.",^[6] and went on to gain her second number one in the fall with "Funny Face". Jerry Wallace achieved the only country chart-topper of his career with "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry", which spent two non-consecutive weeks at number one after being featured in an episode of the TV show Night Gallery.^[7][8] Finally, Mel Tillis topped the chart for the first time with "I Ain't Never", more than a decade after he had first charted in Billboard.^[9] Tillis co-wrote the song with Webb Pierce, whose version went to number 2 on the chart in 1959, but Tillis did not record the song until 1972, when he went one better than Pierce to gain his first number one.^[10] The final number one of the year was "She's Got to Be a Saint" by another singer who had been charting since the 1950s, Ray Price.^[11] Every number one in 1972 was by a solo artist; no bands topped the chart during the year.

Chart history

After more than a decade of hits without ever reaching the top 10, Freddie Hart had reached number one for the first time in 1971 and continued his run of success in 1972.

Donna Fargo began her chart career with a number one and quickly followed it up with a second.

Mel Tillis (pictured in 2007) achieved his first number one, more than a decade after he first entered the chart.

a. ^ Double A-sided single

See also

• 1972 in music
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. country chart

References