One of one hundred, 1972

Songs that enter the Billboard Hot 100 at #100 are obviously at a huge disadvantage when it came to getting airplay and therefore selling records, but a few become unlikely success stories or just have an interesting narrative around them. Here are eight such records from 1972, listed by song title, artist and the date it entered the Hot 100.

Joy – Apollo 100 (1/1/72)

Nut Rocker – Emerson, Lake and Palmer (3/18/72)

Nights in White Satin – Moody Blues (8/5/72)

Somewhere between the Beatles’ studio innovations and the excesses of prog rock, symphonic rock was a trend that mostly affecting British bands. Apollo 100 came up with a rousing, bouncy, harpsichord-driven version of Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring that hit #6 in the U.S. Emerson, Lake and Palmer, never synonymous with fun, redid Nut Rocker, a sped-up arrangement of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker originally done by L.A. studio band B. Bumble and the Stingers (#23 in 1961). A live favorite, and certainly a relief after sitting through concert versions of Pictures At An Exhibition and Tarkus, the single died at #70. The Moody Blues were originally a British Invasion act that leaned heavily on American R&B covers. They disappeared after their 1964 hit Go Now, bought Edwardian suits and a mellotron, then recorded Nights in White Satin with the London Symphony Orchestra. It was their best-selling single, going to #2 in the U.S. 

The Moody Blues

Taxi – Harry Chapin (3/11/72)

Did you know that Taxi is 6:40 long? It feels much shorter, a credit to its production and noirish storyline. Or that Harry Chapin recorded a sequel to Harry and Sue in 1980, called Sequel? (It was something better left alone; Harry should have just kept the change). Chapin’s bass player, John Wallace, sings the soaring falsetto bridge which always felt somewhat reminiscent of the “sail on silver girl” coda to Bridge Over Troubled Water. Taxi stayed on the charts for a long 16 weeks without ever getting into the top 20 (#24). 

Sylvia’s Mother – Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show (4/1/72)

The Cover of Rolling Stone – Dr. Hook and the Medicine How (12/2/72)

Sylvia’s Mother went to #2, Rolling Stone to #6. Both written by Shel Silverstein, who also wrote A Boy Named Sue and someone whose bio includes award-winning children’s book author and Playboy Mansion predator. 

Down On Me – Janis Joplin (7/15/72)

Record companies have no misgivings about releasing, or in this case re-releasing, posthumous recordings. Otis Redding singles and Jimi Hendrix albums released after their deaths were usually weak reminders of past glories haunting the record stores but not the Hot 100. The same fate awaited Down On Me. In 1967 (credited to Big Brother and the Holding Company) it got to #42. This time it only inched up to #91. 

Hi, Hi, Hi – Wings (12/16/72)

This was a mystery when it came out, and not just for impenetrable lyrics about a “sweet banana” and a “body gun,” although Paul McCartney swore he’s singing “polygon” there, which doesn’t make much sense either. The song felt too loose, chaotic, to be the usually precise McCartney production unless he was having flashbacks to Helter Skelter. Thanks to the title, the obligatory banning by the BBC followed as the song went to #5 in the U.K. and #10 in the U.S.