The year 1972 is a bit underrated in music history. A lot of top-notch music came out that year. And you can quite literally hear the sound of the decade begin to form from the ashes of the 1960s. Plus, there were more than a few great one-hit wonders that came out in 1972 that 70s kids would likely recognize immediately today. Let’s look at just a few examples, shall we?
“Me And Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul
Remember this Philadelphia soul gem? “Me And Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul was released in September of 1972. The gorgeous tune hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, among a number of other US charts. The song also did well internationally.
Videos by American Songwriter
Unfortunately, Billy Paul dealt with a lot of controversy later in his career. After “Me And Mrs. Jones” topped the Hot 100, he only had a few minor hits, none of which reached the Top 30 on that coveted chart.
“Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” by Charley Pride
This one-hit wonder was technically released in 1971, but it started to chart quite well in 1972. So, I’ll go ahead and include it here.
“Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’” was quite a hit for Charley Pride and reached No. 21 on the Hot 100 chart, and topped the country charts at No. 1. Pride enjoyed a long and impressive string of No. 1 hits in the years that followed on the country charts in the US. However, when it comes to that coveted Hot 100 chart placement, Pride never had a Top 40 hit again as a lead artist.
“Hold Your Head Up” by Argent
Remember the band Argent? This hard rock outfit was formed by the keyboardist and songwriter of The Zombies, Rod Argent. It’s one of the most memorable one-hit wonders to come out of the year 1972, and I think it’s on the underrated side of rock song releases from that year.
Argent made it all the way to No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart in 1972 with “Hold Your Head Up”. However, they never made to the Top 100 again. They had some lingering success in the UK, but their Hot 100 days ended with “Hold Your Head Up”.
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
More The List
-
John Travolta during John Travolta Backstage After Opening in "Bus Stop" at Westchester Playhouse in Tuckahoe, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 5: Chris Cornell performs with Soundgarden in concert at the Marriott Hotel Ballroom on October 5, 1991 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage) *** Local caption *** Chris Cornell -
John Denver, country singer on the Muppets Show. TVT Archive 1979 794. -
Unspecified: Harry Chapin performing on the ABC tv series 'Directions' (Photo by Ann Limongello /Walt Disney Television via Getty Images) -
NETHERLANDS – FEBRUARY 15: Photo of Leonard COHEN; posed (Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns) -
American singer-songwriter K.T. Oslin (1942 – 2020) poses for a portrait with her Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance during the 30th Annual Grammy Awards, held at Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York, March 2, 1988. (Photo by Oscar Abolafia/TPLP/Getty Images)
