1972 in music

See also: 1971 in music,
other events of 1972,
1973 in music, 1970s in music and the list of 'years in music'

Events

January 17 - Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Blvd"

January 31 - Over 40,000 mourners file past Mahalia Jackson's open casket to pay their respects in Chicago's Great Salem Baptist Church.

February 8 - Frank Zappa's concert at London's Royal Albert Hall is canceled because of Zappa's obscene lyrics

February 9 - Paul McCartney's new band, Wings, make their live debut at Nottingham University in England

February 13 - Led Zeppelin is cancels a concert in Singapore when government officials won't let them off the airplane because of their long hair

February 14 - "Steppenwolf Day" is declared in Los Angeles, California

February 17 - Pink Floyd debuts "The Dark Side of the Moon" during a performance at London's Rainbow Theater. It would be a full year before the song was released.

Mid February - John Lennon and Yoko Ono cohost an entire week on The Mike Douglas Show.

February 19 - Paul McCartney's single "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" (which was inspired by the "Bloody Sunday" massacre in Ireland on January 30, 1972) is banned by the BBC. The controversy caused by the banning only increases the song's popularity and it ends up in the Top 20 in England.

February 23 - Elvis and Priscilla Presley separate

February 29 - John Lennon's U.S. immigration visa expires, beginning his three-and-a-half year fight to remain in the country.

April 2 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold a press conference in New York. The Lennons discuss their appeal of the US Immigration Department's decision to deport John

April 29 - New York City mayor John Lindsay announces that he is supporting John Lennon and Yoko Ono in their fight to remain in the United States

May 2 - Stone the Crows lead guitarist Les Harvey is electrocuted on stage during a show in Swansea, Wales after touching a poorly connected microphone. Harvey died in a hospital a few hours later.The band's lead singer, Maggie Bell, who had been Harvey's longtime girlfriend, was also hospitalized. Bell collapsed on stage after the incident.

May 8 - Billy Preston becomes the first rock performer to headline at New York's Radio City Music Hall

June - Simon and Garfunkel reunite briefly to perform live at Madison Square Garden in New York City for a campaign benefit for Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern.

First Sunsbury Rock Festival held @ Sunbury, VIC, AUS

The Sonny and Cher Show begins airing

Sammy Davis Jr makes a guest appearance on the television show All In The Family

Billy Ray Hearn founds Myrrh Records.

Albums released

Eat a Peach - The Allman Brothers Band

America - America

Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 - Black Sabbath

Squawk - Budgie

The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie

*An early glam rock album. Included the American and British hit "Starman".

Ege Bamyasi - Can

Chicago V - Chicago

Live in Japan - Chicago

Into the Purple Valley - Ry Cooder

Olympia 71 - Dalida

Il faut du temps - Dalida

Machine Head - Deep Purple

*This album contains the rock and roll staple "Smoke on the Water". The album is one of the first heavy metal records, as the style would come to be known.

Pink Moon - Nick Drake

Will the Circle Be Unbroken - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

The Eagles - The Eagles

Pictures at an Exhibition - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Trilogy - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

First Take - Roberta Flack

Foxtrot (album) - Genesis

Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway - Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway

Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull

Living in the Past - Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull

Dr. John's Gumbo - Dr. John

Honky Chateau - Elton John

Music - Carol King

The soundtrack to Superfly - Curtis Mayfield

American Pie - Don McLean

Catch A Fire - Bob Marley & The Wailers

The Divine Miss M. - Bette Midler

For the Roses - Joni Mitchell

All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople

I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash

Sail Away - Randy Newman

Give Tomorrow's Children One More Chance - Ocean

Roy Orbison Sings - Roy Orbison

Obscured By Clouds - Pink Floyd

He Touched Me - Elvis Presley

Give It Up - Bonnie Raitt

Transformer - Lou Reed

Exile on Main Street - The Rolling Stones

Something/Anything - Todd Rundgren

No Secrets - Carly Simon

Paul Simon - Paul Simon

Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits - Simon and Garfunkel

Can't Buy a Thrill - Steely Dan (debut)

Catch the Bull at Four - Cat Stevens

One Man Dog - James Taylor

Free to Be... You and Me - Marlo Thomas & Friends

Seven Separate Fools - Three Dog Night

Live at Max's Kansas City - The Velvet Underground

Album III - Loudon Wainwright III

Infinite - Kazumi Watanabe

Music of My Mind - Stevie Wonder

Talking Book - Stevie Wonder

Close to the Edge - Yes

Fragile - Yes

Harvest - Neil Young

*The best selling album of the year in the United States. Features hits such as "Heart of Gold" and "Needle and the Damage Done". The album blends country music and rock and roll and a degree of experimentalism, all led by Young's guitar and songwriting talents.

The Grand Wazoo - Frank Zappa

Top hits on record

"People Need Love" - Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid"He Is Your Brother" - Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid"Jealous Guy" - John Lennon"Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard" - Paul Simon "Mother and Child Reunion" - Paul Simon "Duncan" - Paul Simon "America" - Simon and Garfunkel"Ben"- Michael Jackson"Parle plus bas (Le Parrain)"- Dalida"Les choses de l'amour"- Dalida"Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" - Mac Davis"For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" - Simon and Garfunkel"American Pie" - Don McLean"Horse With No Name" - America"Ventura Highway" - America"Rocket Man" - Elton John"Layla" - Derek & the Dominoes"Rock & Roll Part 2" - Gary Glitter"You Don't Mess Around With Jim" - Jim Croce"The Candyman" - Sammy Davis Jr"Lean on Me" - Bill Withers"Freddie's Dead (Theme From Superfly)" - Curtis Mayfield"If You Don't Know Me By Now" - Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes"I Gotcha" - Joe Tex"Without You" - Nilsson"Let's Stay Together" - Al Green"Brand New Key" - Melanie"Signs" - The Drifters"My Ding-A-Ling" - Chuck Berry"Morning Has Broken" - Cat Stevens"I Can See Clearly Now" - Johnny Nash"The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" - Roberta Flack"I'll Take You There" - The Staple Singers"Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" - Looking Glass"Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" - Hollies"Heart of Gold" - Neil Young"Alone Again (Naturally)" - Gilbert O'Sullivan"Nights in White Satin" - The Moody Blues"Back Stabbers" - The O'Jays"I'm Stone in Love With You" - The Stylistics"I Am Woman" - Helen Reddy"I Gotcha" - Joe Tex"Song Sung Blue" - Neil Diamond"The Candy Man" - Sammy Davis Jr"Starman" - David Bowie"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" - Robert John"Rock and Roll" - Led Zeppelin"Metal Guru" - T.Rex"Two Divided By Love" - The Grass Roots"Burning Love" - Elvis Presley

See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1972

Published popular music

"Alone Again" w.m. Raymond O'Sullivan

"Alone At A Drive-In Movie" w.m. Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey

"American Pie" w.m. Don McLean

"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" w.m. Jim Croce

"Burning Love" w.m. Dennis Linde

"C is for Cookie" w.m. Joe Raposo

"Come Dream With Me" w. Sammy Cahn m. Jimmy Van Heusen

"Freddy, My Love" w.m. Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey

"Greased Lightin' " w.m. Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey

"I Can See Clearly Now" w.m. Johnny Nash

"It's Raining On Prom Night" w.m. Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey

"Liza With A Z" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander from the television production Liza With A Z

"Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" w.m. Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey"Magic To Do" w.m. Stephen Schwartz. Introduced by Ben Vereen in the musical Pippin

"Maybe This Time" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander from the musical Cabaret

"The Morning After" w.m. Joel Hirschhorn & Al Kasha from the film The Poseidon Adventure

"The Old Fashioned Way" w. Charles Aznavour, Joel Hirschhorn & Al Kasha m.George Garvarentz

"Ring Them Bells" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander from the television production Liza With A Z

"Shakin' At The High School Hop" w.m. Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey

"Speak Softly, Love" w. Larry Kusik m. Nino Rota from the film The Godfather

"Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree" w.m. L. Russell Brown & Irwin Levine

"Vincent" w.m. Don McLean

"We Go Together" w.m. Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey

"You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" w.m. Stevie Wonder

Classical music

Arthur Bliss - Metamorphic Variations

Friedrich Cerha - Spiegel

Mario Davidovsky - Transientes for orchestra

Paul Le Flem - Symphony No. 4

Charles Ives - Piano Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass., 1840-60 (Concord Sonata, revised version)

Dmitri Kabalevsky - A Letter to the 30th Century (oratorio)

Gy�rgy Ligeti - Double Concerto for Flute, Oboe and Orchestra

Theo Loevendie - Horn Concerto, "Orbits"

George Rochberg - Recordanza (Soliloquy for Cello and Piano)

Opera

Musical theater

Beggar's Opera Broadway production

Berlin To Broadway With Kurt Weill Broadway revue opened at the Theatre de Lys on October 1 and ran for 152 performances

Company(Stephen Sondheim) - London production

Cowardy Custard London production

Curly McDimple Broadway revival

Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope Broadway revue opened at the Playhouse Theatre on April 19 and ran for 914 performances

Don't Play Us Cheap Broadway production

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Stephen Sondheim) - Broadway revival

Jesus Christ Superstar (Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) - London production opened at the Palace Theatre on August 9 and ran for 3358 performances

Grease Broadway production

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Lloyd Webber & Rice) - London production opened at The Roundhouse on November 8 and ran for 43 performances

Man of La Mancha Broadway revival

Pippin Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on October 23 and ran for 1944 performances

Rebbitzen from Israel Broadway production

Sugar Broadway production

The Sunshine Train Broadway production