American Top 40- The 1970’s- Week of October 21, 1972. A great week- the worst song though was at #1- I love Chuck Berry’s music- and to think of all the great singles he had back in the day- and his only #1- this piece of crap.When a Donny Osmond hit isn’t the worst on the list….. Anyway- it is an excellent week- half the songs I grade in the A’s. It would be hard to choose my favorite from this list- toss a coin- either “Back Stabbers” or ‘The City Of New Orleans.’
1 7 MY DING-A-LING –•– Chuck Berry (Chess)-10 (1 week at #1) (1) F–
2 2 USE ME –•– Bill Withers (Sussex)-9 (2) A+
3 4 BURNING LOVE –•– Elvis Presley (RCA)-10 (3) A+
4 3 EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL –•– The Main Ingredient (RCA)-15 (3)A+
5 8 NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN –•– The Moody Blues (Deram)-12 (5) A
6 1 BEN –•– Michael Jackson (Motown)-12 (1) B
7 6 BABY DON’T GET HOOKED ON ME –•– Mac Davis (Columbia)-17 (1)D
8 12 GARDEN PARTY –•– Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band (Decca)-13 (8)A+
9 10 POPCORN –•– Hot Butter (Musicor)-16 (9) B
10 5 GO ALL THE WAY –•– The Raspberries (Capitol)-17 (5)A+
11 15 TIGHT ROPE –•– Leon Russell (Shelter)-9 (11) A+
12 17 FREDDIE’S DEAD (Theme From “Superfly”) –•– Curtis Mayfield (Curtom)-10 (12)A+
13 13 YOU WEAR IT WELL –•– Rod Stewart (Mercury)-9 (13) A+A
14 18 GOOD TIME CHARLIE’S GOT THE BLUES –•– Danny O’Keefe (Signpost)-8 (14)A
15 16 WHY / LONELY BOY –•– Donny Osmond (MGM)-9 (15) F
16 14 SPEAK TO THE SKY –•– Rick Springfield (Capitol)-12 (14) B
17 22 LISTEN TO THE MUSIC –•– The Doobie Brothers (Warner Brothers)-8 (17)B
18 19 GET ON THE GOOD FOOT (Part 1) –•– James Brown (Polydor)-12 (18)B
19 20 THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS –•– Arlo Guthrie (Reprise)-13 (19)A+
20 26 I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW –•– Johnny Nash (Epic)-7 (20)A+
21 28 IF I COULD REACH YOU –•– The 5th Dimension (Bell)-7 (21) B
22 27 WITCHY WOMAN –•– Eagles (Asylum)-7 (22) C
23 25 STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN –•– Mel and Tim (Stax)-16 (23) B
24 24 DON’T EVER BE LONELY (A Poor Little Fool Like Me) –•– Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose (United Artists)-8 (24)B
25 29 THUNDER AND LIGHTNING –•– Chi Coltrane (Columbia)-8 (25) A
26 30 I BELIEVE IN MUSIC –•– Gallery (Sussex)-11 (26) B
27 36 I AM WOMAN –•– Helen Reddy (Capitol)-9 (27) C
28 32 I’LL BE AROUND / HOW COULD I LET YOU GET AWAY –•– The Spinners (Atlantic)-10 (28)A+
29 31 MIDNIGHT RIDER / WOMAN TO WOMAN –•– Joe Cocker and the Chris Stainton Band (A&M)-6 (29)A
30 35 I’D LOVE YOU TO WANT ME –•– Lobo (Big Tree)-5 (30) D
31 33 LOVING YOU JUST CROSSED MY MIND –•– Sam Neely (Capitol)-8 (31) C
32 39 SPACEMAN –•– Nilsson (RCA)-6 (32) A
33 21 BLACK & WHITE –•– Three Dog Night (Dunhill)-11 (1) B
34 50 SUMMER BREEZE –•– Seals and Crofts (Warner Brothers)-7 (34)A
35 9 BACK STABBERS –•– The O’Jays (Philadelphia International)-14 (3)A+
36 40 DON’T DO IT –•– The Band (Capitol)-6 (36) A
37 48 ELECTED –•– Alice Cooper (Warner Brothers)-3 (37) A+
38 38 ROCK ME BABY –•– David Cassidy (Bell)-7 (38) C
39 44 AMERICAN CITY SUITE (Sweet City Song / All Around the Town / A Friend Is Dying) –•– Cashman and West (Dunhill)-5 (39) B
40 41 FROM THE BEGINNING –•– Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Cotillion)-9 (40)C
slicethelife 
True…this is in the top 5 all time worst songs, I think. How sad that it’s Berry’s only #1 song. Sadder still that Berry, wrote it at all.
Chuck didn’t write it- it was wrote by David Bartholomew- who wrote ‘Ain’t That A Shame’- “I”m Walking’ and “Blue Monday’ among others for Fat Domino—
Well, that makes me feel a little better…I love the Domino tunes and I’ve heard of David Bartholomew…still a terrible song though.
at least Chuck didn’t write it– bad enough that anyone would record it. how that got to #1 ? insane.
Gawd. Nadine, Johnny B. Goode, Anthony Boy, You Never Can Tell, The Promised Land,’ all SECOND to this embarrassing throwaway? How that must have stuck in the throat of the first rock’n’roll poet?
At least Little Rickie Nelson proved he was a talent, at number 8…
The one funny thing in listening to the replay- was hearing the often prudish Casey Kasem- say My Ding A Ling -twice.
Man, the stream of memories this blog just pulled through my mind. That was a great rush. I could feel myself being back in 7th grade. Holy moly. Thank you.
A lot of memorable- and long lasting songs on that 40–49 years ago..
Well even a poor musician like Chuck gots to eat. I hardly remember this little ditty. It reminds me of the Telephone Song by some gal back around the same time.
Meri Wilson I think was her name. ‘Telephone Man’
Yep that is it. A local DJ here in Dallas, Ron Chapman played that song until we were sick of it. He had the singer on his show a few times and she did a live version. Ugh.
The novelty of that song wore off- on the second listen….
I remember that horrible telephone song. It was way worse than, “My Ding a Ling.” Yeah, it was THAT bad.
One thing I will say concerning both- I never want to hear either of them again. I deduct more points from Chuck though- he should have known better- Mari Wilson was a one hit wonder. Chuck embarrassed his great legacy.
Mari Wilson was the, “singer,” of that horrible Telephone Man song?
I just googled the song her first name is Meri. There is a Mari Wilson, who has a much more respectable career.
Unfortunately, I now recall the chorus of the telephone song and it’s stuck in my head. I recall me and my parents wretching whenever that POS came on the radio.
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