1972 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1972.
Specific locations
Specific genres
- 1972 in country music
- 1972 in heavy metal music
- 1972 in jazz
- 1972 in progressive rock
Events
- January 17 – 12 miles of U.S. Highway 51 in Memphis, Tennessee, from South Parkway East to the Tennessee/Mississippi state line, is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard."
- January 20 – The first live performance of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical problems. Dark Side of the Moon would be played in its entirety the following night, but it would be a full year before the album was released.
- January 21 – Keith Richards jumps on stage to jam with Chuck Berry at the Hollywood Palladium, but is ordered off for playing too loud. Berry later claims that he did not recognize Keith and would not have removed him if he had.
- January 29–31 – The first Sunbury Music Festival is held in Sunbury, Victoria. Performers include Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Wendy Saddington, Chain and the La De Da's.
- 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 9 – Paul McCartney's new band, Wings, make their live debut at the University of Nottingham in England. This is McCartney's first public concert since US tour.
- February 10 – David Bowie introduces his Ziggy Stardust persona at the second show of the 1972–73 Ziggy Stardust Tour, at The Toby Jug pub, Tolworth, Surrey.
- February 13 – Led Zeppelin's concert in Singapore is canceled when government officials will not let them off the airplane because of their long hair.
- February 14–18 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-host an entire week of The Mike Douglas Show.
- February 15 – The United States gives federal copyright protection to sound recordings. Prior to this, phonograph records were only protected at state level, and not in all states.
- February 19 – Paul McCartney's single "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" 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.
- March 15 – At the 14th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Andy Williams, winners include Carole King, Kris Kristofferson, Colin Davis, Michel LeGrand, Isaac Hayes, Julian Bream, Vladimir Horowitz, the Juilliard String Quartet and Bill Withers. King wins Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while Carly Simon wins Best New Artist.
- March 21 – Terry Knight announces he is launching a $5 million lawsuit against Grand Funk's new manager John Eastman, one week after being fired as the band's manager himself. It triggers a series of suits and counter-suits between Knight and the band throughout the coming months.
- March 25 – The 17th Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland, is won by German-based Greek singer Vicky Leandros, representing Luxembourg with the song "Après Toi". The song is subsequently released around Europe, having been recorded in several languages, including in English as Come What May.
- March 31 – Official Beatles fan club closes down.
- April 2 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono hold a press conference in New York. The Lennons discuss their appeal against the US Immigration Department's decision to deport John.
- April 9 – First solo concert of Valery Leontiev.
- 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, by touching a poorly connected microphone. Harvey dies in a hospital a few hours later. The band's lead singer, Maggie Bell, Harvey's longtime girlfriend, is also hospitalized, having 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
- May 27 – The Opryland USA country music theme park opens in Nashville, Tennessee.
- June – Founding member Roy Wood leaves the Electric Light Orchestra line-up just as the band scores its first hit single..
- June 10 – Elvis Presley does the first of four concerts at the Madison Square Garden in New York City. He sells out all the shows in one day.
- June 14 – Simon & Garfunkel reunite briefly to perform live at Madison Square Garden at a campaign benefit for Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern. Other performers include Peter, Paul and Mary and Dionne Warwick.
- July 24 – Bobby Ramirez, drummer for Edgar Winter's White Trash, is beaten to death in a Chicago bar fight, reportedly because his hair is too long.
- August 5 – Clive Davis signs Aerosmith to Columbia Records at Max's Kansas City in New York City.
- August 30 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono headline the "One To One Concert" at Madison Square Garden to benefit mentally handicapped children. Elephant's Memory, Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder and Sha Na Na also perform.
- September 1–7 – Karlheinz Stockhausen directs performances of his works at the Shiraz Arts Festival, including Mantra, Hymnen, an all-day performance of Aus den sieben Tagen, and world premieres of two compositions from Für kommende Zeiten
- September 21 – ABC premieres the new TV series In Concert. The first episode features Alice Cooper.
- September 29 – Miles Davis unveils his new nine-piece band at the Lincoln Center Philharmonic Hall.
- October 12 – Diana Ross makes her acting debut in the successful film Lady Sings the Blues, winning her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
- November 3 – James Taylor and Carly Simon are married in a tiny ceremony in Simon's Manhattan apartment.
- November 12 – 51,778 fans pack San Diego Stadium for a concert promoted by KGB-AM to see J. Geils Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Foghat and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show.
- November 25 – The 1st OTI Festival, held at the Palacio de Congresos, in Madrid, Spain, is won by the song "Diálogo", written by Paulo César Pinheiro and Baden Powell, and performed by Tobias and Claudia Regina representing Brazil.
- November 26 – Family, touring North America as the warmup act for Elton John, play their last concert on U.S. soil in St. Petersburg, Florida.
- December 23 – Grand Funk Railroad, completing its 1972 Tour, with a sold-out concert at NYC's Madison Square Garden, with the proceeds from the concert benefiting the Phoenix House Drug Rehabilitation Program, and with the show being filmed for ABC-TV's "In Concert" Series, the band is met by a lawsuit taken out by their former manager, Terry Knight, who attempts to block the show from going on, attempting to seize their equipment. A court injunction is given later in the day, allowing the concert to take place.
- December 31 – The first New Year's Rockin' Eve, with host Dick Clark, airs on NBC with Three Dog Night as the featured act. Blood, Sweat & Tears, Helen Reddy and Al Green also perform.
- unknown date
- *Herbert Howells becomes a Companion of Honour.
- *Billy Ray Hearn founds Myrrh Records.
- *Joseph Hoo Kim founds Channel One Studios in Kingston, Jamaica.
- *Numa Labinsky and the brothers Michael and Gerald Reynolds found Nimbus Records, a specialist classical music recording company at Wyastone Leys in Herefordshire, England.
- *Heisei College of Music is established in Mifune, Kumamoto, Japan.
Bands formed
- ''See Musical groups established in 1972''
Bands disbanded
- Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Jefferson Airplane
- Martha and the Vandellas
- MC5
- Them
- The Velvet Underground
Albums released
August
Release date unknown
- 360 Degrees of Billy Paul - Billy Paul
- Akilah! - Melvin Sparks
- All Together Now - Argent
- Alone Again (Naturally) – Andy Williams
- Already Here – Redbone
- Antithesis - Gypsy
- The Artistry of Glen Campbell – Glen Campbell
- Attica Blues – Archie Shepp
- The Award Winning Country Gentlemen - The Country Gentlemen
- Azteca - Azteca
- Baby Won't You Change Your Mind - Black Ivory
- Back Door - Back Door
- Banco del Mutuo Soccorso – Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
- Be Altitude: Respect Yourself – The Staple Singers
- Be Good to Yourself at Least Once a Day - Man
- Bitter Sweet - The Main Ingredient
- Black Heat - Black Heat
- Blacknuss – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
- Bloodstone - Bloodstone
- Blue Moses - Randy Weston
- Bluesmith - Jimmy Smith
- The Bridge in Blue – The Brooklyn Bridge
- Bugger Off! - Stack Waddy
- Bulletproof - Hard Stuff
- Bump City - Tower of Power
- Carnival in Babylon – Amon Düül II
- Changes - Catapilla
- Cherry - Stanley Turrentine
- Cluster II – Cluster
- Coming Together - New Birth
- Cosmo - Doug Clifford
- Crossings – Herbie Hancock
- Cymande - Cymande
- Dark Round the Edges – Dark
- Dead Forever... - Buffalo
- Demolition Derby – Sandy Bull
- Demon in Disguise – David Bromberg
- Diamonds in the Rough - John Prine
- Dig This! - Bobbi Humphrey
- Dingly Dell – Lindisfarne
- Discover America - Van Dyke Parks
- Don't It Drag On - Chris Smither
- Double Dubliners – The Dubliners
- Duane & Greg Allman - Duane and Gregg Allman
- Earthspan – Incredible String Band
- Elis – Elis Regina
- Ella Loves Cole – Ella Fitzgerald
- Emergency Ward – Nina Simone
- Ethiopian Knights - Donald Byrd
- Everything Stops for Tea - Long John Baldry
- Face to Face with the Truth - The Undisputed Truth
- Faust So Far – Faust
- Fifth - Soft Machine
- Filthy! - Papa John Creach
- First Base - Babe Ruth
- First Taste of Sin – Cold Blood
- Fly Dude - Jimmy McGriff
- Foursider - The Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66
- Foxy Lady - Cher
- Framed – The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
- "Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball" - Shel Silverstein
- Freeway Madness - Pretty Things
- Friendliness - Stackridge
- Garden in the City – Melanie
- The Gentle Giant - Yusef Lateef
- Geronimo's Cadillac - Michael Martin Murphey
- Goin' Down Slow - Sonny Stitt
- Hard Attack - Dust
- Heads – Osibisa
- The Heatin' System - Jimmy McGriff
- Help Me Make It Through the Night - Hank Crawford
- High, Low and In Between – Townes van Zandt
- Hogwash – The Groundhogs
- Home - Home
- Home Free – Dan FogelbergHome Is Where the Music Is - Hugh Masekela
- Hometown! – The Dubliners
- Honky-Tonk Stardust Cowboy - Jonathan Edwards
- Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers Favorites - Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
- Howard Tate - Howard Tate
- Hush 'N' Thunder - Yusef Lateef
- I Am – Pete Townshend
- I Am Woman - Helen Reddy
- I Love the Way You Love - Betty Wright
- I'll Play the Blues for You - Albert King
- If 4 – If
- I'll Make You Music – Beverly Bremers
- Imagination Lady – Chicken Shack
- In Search of Amelia Earhart - Plainsong
- ...In Spite of Harry's Toenail - Gnidrolog
- Instant Death - Eddie Harris
- Intensity - Charles Earland
- It Never Rains in Southern California – Albert Hammond
- It's Just Begun - Jimmy Castor
- Jackie - Jackie DeShannon
- Jerry Jeff Walker - Jerry Jeff Walker
- Jermaine - Jermaine Jackson
- Jo Jo Gunne – Jo Jo Gunne
- John David Souther - JD Souther
- Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds – Randy California
- Keeper of the Castle – Four Tops
- La Población – Víctor Jara
- Lark - Linda Lewis
- Last Autumn's Dream – Jade Warrior
- The Late Great Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt
- Let's Make Up and Be Friendly – Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
- Let My Children Hear Music – Charles Mingus
- Letters - Jimmy Webb
- Live – Donny Hathaway – Live
- Live in Tokyo – Weather Report – Live
- The London Muddy Waters Sessions – Muddy Waters
- Love Unlimited - Love Unlimited
- Mark, Don & Mel: 1969–71 – Grand Funk Railroad – Compilation
- Marlena (Marlena Shaw album) - Marlena Shaw
- Mandrill Is – Mandrill
- Maxoom - Mahogany Rush
- Me & Chet - Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed
- Mediterranean Tales - Triumvirat
- A Meeting of the Times – Rahsaan Roland Kirk
- A Message from the People – Ray Charles
- Millie Jackson - Millie Jackson
- Mississippi Gambler – Herbie Mann
- Mournin' – Night Sun
- Morning Bugle - John Hartford
- Morning Star - Hubert Laws
- Move Along - The Grass Roots
- Myrrh - Robin Williamson
- Neu! – Neu!
- Never Get Out of These Blues Alive – John Lee Hooker
- Next Album - Sonny Rollins
- O'Keefe - Danny O'Keefe
- Of Rivers and Religion - John Fahey
- Offering - Larry Coryell
- Olympia 71 – Dalida – Live
- Orange - Al Stewart
- The Osmonds Live – The Osmonds – Live
- Painted Head – Tim Hardin
- Piano Improvisations Vol. 2 – Chick Corea
- Portrait of Donny – Donny Osmond
- Pancho and Lefty – Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson
- Prologue – Renaissance
- Prosperous – Christy Moore
- Raw Velvet - Bobby Whitlock
- Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff - Taj Mahal
- Red Sea - Warhorse
- Return to Forever – Return to Forever
- Reunion Blues – Oscar Peterson and Milt Jackson
- Road - Road
- The Road Is No Place for a Lady - Cass Elliot
- Rock Me Baby – David Cassidy
- Roforofo Fight - Fela Kuti
- Sahara - McCoy Tyner
- Science Fiction - Ornette Coleman
- Scraps – NRBQ
- Screaming Target – Big Youth
- Seven Bridges Road - Steve Young
- Seventy-Second Brave - Keef Hartley
- Shades of Green – Grant Green
- Shakara – Fela Kuti
- Shearwater - Martin Carthy
- Sloppy Seconds – Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
- Sonic Seasonings - Wendy Carlos
- Sort Of – Slapp Happy
- Soul Is... Pretty Purdie - Bernard Purdie
- Space Shanty - Khan
- Speech - Steamhammer
- Spring - American Spring
- Stardancer - Tom Rapp
- Stoneground Words – Melanie
- Stratavarious - Ginger Baker
- Suite for Late Summer – Dion DiMucci
- Sunday Morning Coming Down – Johnny Cash
- The Sweet Life - Reuben Wilson
- Sweet Revival - Ronnie Foster
- The Sylvers - The Sylvers
- A Tab in the Ocean – Nektar
- Talk to the People - Les McCann
- Te John, Grease, & Wolfman - Charlie Daniels
- Tell Me This Is a Dream - The Delfonics
- Texas Cannonball - Freddie KingThink - Lyn CollinsTibetan Bells – Henry Wolff and Nancy Hennings
- Too Young – Donny Osmond
- The Train I'm On - Tony Joe White
- Understanding - Bobby Womack
- Uomo di pezza – Le Orme
- Vindicator - Arthur Lee
- The Voice of the Eagle - Robbie Basho
- Walking the Blues - Otis SpannWarpig – Warpig
- We Got a Good Thing Going - Hank Crawford
- We the People - The Soul Searchers
- What a Bunch of Sweeties - Pink Fairies
- Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get – The Dramatics
- Who Will Save the World? – The Groundhogs
- Where It All Began – Bo Diddley
- ...Where the Groupies Killed the Blues - Lucifer's Friend
- White Rabbit - George Benson
- Whole Oats - Hall & Oates
- Wild Flower - Hubert Laws
- Wild Horses Rock Steady - Johnny "Hammond" Smith
- Wild One – The Guess Who
- Will the Circle Be Unbroken – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- The Willie Way - Willie Nelson
- Wolf City – Amon Düül II
- World Galaxy – Alice Coltrane
- You Want It, You Got It – The Detroit Emeralds
Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highestin the charts of 1972.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Don McLean | "American Pie" | 1972 |  Top 40 Chart hit singles
Other Chart hit singles
Notable singlesOther Notable singles
Published popular music
Other notable songs (world)
Classical music
Opera
Musical theaterBerlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill – Off-Broadway revue opened at the Theatre de Lys on October 1 and ran for 152 performancesCompany – London production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on January 18 and ran for 344 performancesCowardy Custard – London production opened at the Mermaid Theatre on July 10 and ran for 405 performancesDon't Bother Me, I Can't Cope – London production opened at the Playhouse Theatre on April 19 and ran for 914 performancesDon't Play Us Cheap – Broadway production opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on May 16 and ran for 164 performancesA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum – Broadway revivalThe Good Old, Bad Old Days London production opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre on December 20 and ran for 309 performancesJesus Christ Superstar – London production opened at the Palace Theatre on August 9 and ran for 3358 performancesGrease – Broadway production ran for 3388 performances, the longest run ever at that timeJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – London production opened at The Roundhouse on November 8 and ran for 43 performancesMan of La Mancha Broadway revivalPippin – Broadway production opened at the Imperial Theatre on October 23 and ran for 1944 performancesSugar – Broadway production opened at the Kajestic Theatre and ran for 505 performancesMusical filmsBaharo Phool BarsaoCabaretFillmore Jawani DiwaniLady Sings the BluesMan of La ManchaPropala Hramota
Musical television productions
Births
Deaths
AwardsGrammy Awards
Eurovision Song ContestLeeds Piano Competition">Leeds International Pianoforte Competition">Leeds Piano Competition |