# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 1972 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252 "2014-09-22T16:38:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/41 "2014-09-23T01:35:49Z")
> [@Cognoscant](#): > > That’s strange…I don’t see “The Ballad of El Goodo” by Big Star up there. It was definitely from 1972, and it was certainly on a _#1 Record_ 😃 Well, then - I guess there ain’t no one gonna turn you 'round. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/42 "2014-09-23T01:44:00Z")
Hmmm I suspect Gilbert O’Sullivan is the first Irish act. I voted “Heart Of Gold” though. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/43 "2014-09-23T02:00:59Z")
“Heart Of Gold” for the awesome lap steel guitar and harmonica. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/44 "2014-09-23T03:11:33Z")
[QUOTE=NDP] BTW, does anyone think the reason Gilbert O’Sullivan got so much airplay in 1972 and 1973 was because he sounded a lot like Paul McCartney? [/QUOTE] > [@DChord568](#): > > Not me. Seems to me the standards for “sounding like Paul McCartney” are pretty loose, to hear many tell it. Just because you sing melodically in a higher register doesn’t necessarily mean you “sound like Paul.” > > I’ve heard many say this about one of my favorite artists, Emitt Rhodes. Was he influenced by Paul? Certainly. **But anyone who listens to them side-by-side and mistakes one for the other just isn’t paying very much attention**. [**Boldness** added.] I probably wasn’t at the time but, then again, I was only seven. To my young undiscerning ears hearing music out of my Dad’s car radio, the guy who sang “Alone Again (Naturally)”, “Clair”, and “Get Down” was the same one who sang “My Love” and “Live and Let Die”. Of course, I eventually realized they were two different people but still wondered if anybody else made the same mistake and whether that had anything to do with Gilbert O’ Sullivan’s short-lived flash of success in 1972-73. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/45 "2014-09-23T07:35:52Z")
Back then, O’Sullivan’s voice reminded me of Peter Noone, aka Herman of Herman’s Hermits. So in retrospect, I’d say he doesn’t sound that much like McCartney, unless you think Herman and Paul sounded a lot like each other. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/46 "2014-09-23T07:51:45Z")
I’d say it was Gilbert’s musical style that sounded like '70s Paul/Wings, even more than his voice. Similarly with America and Neil Young (and, a few years later, with Dire Straits and Eric Clapton). ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/47 "2014-09-23T08:58:57Z")
Neil Young did better (Man needs a Maid is my fav)… Don Mclean did better (vincent)… Al Green did better … (Take me to the river) Brandy is everything you want a 3 minute pop song to be. Plus i had a great night once hitting on a girl because I sang the entire song to her… Her name of course was Brandy and I think he uncle use to sing it to her… Funny tho the girl at Spelman named Cinnamon was NOT amused when i sang Cinnamon Girl to her… what drummer would date that stuck up chick… ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/48 "2014-09-23T09:10:10Z")
Wow just remembered that “Baby Blue” by Badfinger came out this year. Apple screwed up the distribution… amazing it only got to 14 on the charts… Yet… The Candy Man hit number one… wow ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/49 "2014-09-23T09:14:16Z")
There’s simply no contest this year. “I Am Woman” is the greatest. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/50 "2014-09-23T09:45:53Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I’d say it was Gilbert’s musical style that sounded like '70s Paul/Wings, even more than his voice. > > Similarly with America and Neil Young (and, a few years later, with Dire Straits and Eric Clapton). I’m not the biggest fan of Paul in his Wings days, but sheesh, Paul put more energy into his vocals on his worst day than O’Sullivan puts into “Alone Again.” I can grant that “Horse With No Name” has a very Neil Young feel to the vocals, and it would be easy to think it was a Neil Young song on a casual listen (though I can’t think of any other America song for which that’s true), but I can’t imagine anyone confusing Mark Knopfler with Clapton. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/51 "2014-09-23T09:51:48Z")
One of the best lists so far, including two of my all-time favourite songs. Voted for Roberta Flack, just ahead of Don McLean. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/52 "2014-09-23T14:06:37Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I can grant that “Horse With No Name” has a very Neil Young feel to the vocals, and it would be easy to think it was a Neil Young song on a casual listen (though I can’t think of any other America song for which that’s true)… The three members of America took turns singing lead vocals. It was Dewey Bunnell who sounded like Neil, so “Tin Man” is another that would qualify. I think he also sang lead on their final Top 40 hit, “The Border.” Other America Top 40 hits were sung by other members of the group. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/53 "2014-09-23T14:36:52Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > The worst year so far, IMO. > [@Art\_Rock](#): > > One of the best lists so far I’d just like to say it amuses me to no end that almost every single one of these polls I’ve posted so far has a series of posts like this. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/54 "2014-09-23T14:50:22Z")
Lists like this lend credence to the notion that the 70s sucked armadillo ass, culturally. I was torn between "Heart of Gold’ and “First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)”. HoG edged in front for no particular reason. “American Pie” is overdone. Everything by Gilbert O’Sullivan is annoying, and it makes me physically ill to listen to “Brandy”. I have unfortunate associations with that song - I was working a factory job that summer and it got played during my mind-paralysing boredom gig until I wanted to go postal. Fun set of threads, though - thanks, **Smapti**. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/55 "2014-09-23T14:53:41Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’d just like to say it amuses me to no end that almost every single one of these polls I’ve posted so far has a series of posts like this. So you could start every year’s poll with: _They were the best of songs, they were the worst of songs_. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/56 "2014-09-23T14:55:12Z")
An uninspiring list. _Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone_, if only for all the years I replaced “hat” with “bone” and sang it to my dog. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/57 "2014-09-23T15:07:56Z")
> [@dba\_Fred](#): > > So you could start every year’s poll with: _They were the best of songs, they were the worst of songs_. It was the best of years for music, it was the worst of years for music. It was the age of the singer-songwriter, it was the age of bubblegum. It was the epoch of art, it was the epoch of commercialism. It was the season of rock, it was the season of pop. It was the spring of guitar music, it was the winter of Auto-Tune. We had heavy metal before us, we had disco before us. We were all going direct to the Grammys, we were all going direct to the Razzies. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/58 "2014-09-23T15:16:02Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It was the best of years for music, it was the worst of years for music. > > \<\< snipped \>\> Are you planning to take the top vote-getter in each poll and have an All-Time poll when it’s all said and done on the by-year polls? That might be fun! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/59 "2014-09-23T15:18:46Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Are you planning to take the top vote-getter in each poll and have an All-Time poll when it’s all said and done on the by-year polls? That might be fun! 🙂 I was thinking of doing “Best of the Decade” first with the winner from each poll, and then pitting the winners of those polls against each other. Or maybe just throw all the winners from each poll into one mega-poll. (Is it possible to have 60 options in one poll? I’m not sure if there’s a hard upper limit on poll options or not - if there is, I hope it’s higher than 34, because 1974’s poll is only a few days away.) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252/60 "2014-09-23T15:22:12Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > … but I can’t imagine anyone confusing Mark Knopfler with Clapton. Really? The late 70s Clapton _style_ of “Lay Down Sally,” “The Core,” “Cocaine,” and “Promises” sounded quite Knopfleresque to my eight-year-old ears, but to each his own. (Truth is, the only Dire Straits song I knew at the time was “Sultans of Swing.”) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-1972/699252.md?page=4)