Top Country Albums is a chart that ranks the top-performing country music albums in the United States, published by Billboard. In 1972, six different albums topped the chart, which was at the time published under the title Top Country LP's, based on sales reports submitted by a representative sample of stores nationwide.[1]
In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, Charley Pride's album Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs climbed one place to number one, displacing the final chart-topper of 1971, Freddie Hart's Easy Loving.[2] Pride's album remained in the top spot through the issue dated April 15, a total of 16 consecutive weeks at number one. When it was eventually displaced from the top spot it was by the compilation album The Best of Charley Pride, Volume 2, which also spent 16 weeks at number one. Pride therefore topped the chart without interruption for 32 consecutive weeks. After five weeks out of the top spot, Pride returned to number one with A Sunshiny Day with Charley Pride, which spent 10 weeks atop the chart, giving him a total of 42 weeks at number one in 1972. The first African-American performer to become a major star in the country music field, Pride was at the peak of his success between 1969 and 1972, when he achieved a succession of number one singles as well as his chart-topping albums.[3]
Pride's 32-week run at number one was ended in August by The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. by Donna Fargo, which spent four weeks in the top spot. Although Fargo had won the award for Most Promising Female Vocalist from the Academy of Country Music in 1970,[4] she did not achieve chart success until 1972, when the song "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." reached number one on the Hot Country Singles listing.[5] Its namesake LP topped the albums chart two months later. Between Fargo's spell at number one and Pride's return to the top spot, Jerry Wallace topped the chart for a single week with To Get to You. Wallace had begun his career as a pop singer in the 1950s before moving into the country genre in the mid-1960s, but had experienced little success until 1972, when he topped both the singles and albums charts.[6] Legal problems and frequent changes of record label, however, meant that his run of high chart placings was short-lived.[6] The year's final chart-topping country album was Merle Haggard's compilation The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard, which spent the final six weeks of 1972 at number one.
Chart history
editIssue date | Title | Artist(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
January 1 | Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs | Charley Pride | [2] |
January 8 | [7] | ||
January 15 | [8] | ||
January 22 | [9] | ||
January 29 | [10] | ||
February 5 | [11] | ||
February 12 | [12] | ||
February 19 | [13] | ||
February 26 | [14] | ||
March 4 | [15] | ||
March 11 | [16] | ||
March 18 | [17] | ||
March 25 | [18] | ||
April 1 | [19] | ||
April 8 | [20] | ||
April 15 | [21] | ||
April 22 | The Best of Charley Pride, Volume 2 | [22] | |
April 29 | [23] | ||
May 6 | [24] | ||
May 13 | [25] | ||
May 20 | [26] | ||
May 27 | [27] | ||
June 3 | [28] | ||
June 10 | [29] | ||
June 17 | [30] | ||
June 24 | [31] | ||
July 1 | [32] | ||
July 8 | [33] | ||
July 15 | [34] | ||
July 22 | [35] | ||
July 29 | [36] | ||
August 5 | [37] | ||
August 12 | The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. | Donna Fargo | [38] |
August 19 | [39] | ||
August 26 | [40] | ||
September 2 | [41] | ||
September 9 | To Get to You | Jerry Wallace | [42] |
September 16 | A Sunshiny Day with Charley Pride | Charley Pride | [43] |
September 23 | [44] | ||
September 30 | [45] | ||
October 7 | [46] | ||
October 14 | [47] | ||
October 21 | [48] | ||
October 28 | [49] | ||
November 4 | [50] | ||
November 11 | [51] | ||
November 18 | [52] | ||
November 25 | The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard | Merle Haggard | [53] |
December 2 | [54] | ||
December 9 | [55] | ||
December 16 | [56] | ||
December 23 | [57] | ||
December 30 | [58] |
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Hot Country Albums: Billboard 1964 to 2007. Record Research, Incorporated. p. 6. ISBN 9780898201734.
- ^ a b "Country Albums chart for January 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ Vinopal, David. "Charley Pride Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
- ^ Horton, Carrie (April 1, 2019). "Every ACM Awards New Artist of the Year Winner Ever". The Boot. Townsquare Media. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Donna Fargo Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Ankeny, Jason. "Jerry Wallace Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for January 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for January 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for January 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for January 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for February 5, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for February 12, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for February 19, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for February 26, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for March 4, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for March 11, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for March 18, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for March 25, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for April 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for April 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for April 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for April 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for April 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for May 6, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for May 13, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for May 20, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for May 27, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for June 3, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for June 10, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for June 17, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for June 24, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for July 1, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for July 8, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for July 15, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for July 22, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for July 29, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for August 5, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for August 12, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for August 19, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for August 26, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for September 2, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for September 9, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for September 16, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for September 23, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for September 30, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for October 7, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for October 14, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for October 21, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for October 28, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for November 4, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for November 11, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for November 18, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for November 25, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for December 2, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for December 9, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for December 16, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for December 23, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Country Albums chart for December 30, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2020.