Some rock songs become legendary, destined to be played on classic rock radio stations for decades to come. And some of those legendary songs somehow didn’t top the Billboard Hot 100 chart when they were first released, despite being massively popular at the time and still popular today. It just doesn’t make sense! Let’s look at a few rock songs released in 1972 that should have topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but somehow didn’t get there.
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“School’s Out” by Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper had quite a time in the early 1970s. The memorable jam “School’s Out” from 1972 was quite the hefty hit for the shock rocker. This title track from Cooper’s glam rock album of the same name peaked at No. 1 on the UK Singles chart. However, for some reason, the song only made it to No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart in the US. I hear this song constantly, decades after it was released, so I’m pretty shocked it wasn’t a No. 1 hit on our side of the pond. Alice Cooper deserved better!
“Day After Day” by Badfinger
Released in late 1971 in the US and 1972 in the UK, this pop-rock jam was popular in both countries, among others. “Day After Day” by Badfinger peaked at No. 1 on the Record World Singles Chart in the US. It also reached the Top 10 in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. And yet, it only managed to reach No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart in the US. That’s just wild to me, considering how much of a global hit this jam was back in the day.
“Go All The Way” by Raspberries
How about some classic soft rock? “Go All The Way” by Raspberries was one of the most popular soft rock and power pop songs from 1972. And if the BBC hadn’t banned the tune for its sexually explicit lyrics, I bet this jam would have been a No. 1 hit in the UK. It certainly came close in the US. “Go All The Way” peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100, and did even better on several other US-based charts. The song also reached No. 14 in Australia and No. 5 in Canada.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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