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This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1972.
Specific locations
- 1972 in British music
- 1972 in Norwegian music
Specific genres
Events
- January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard."
- January 20 – The debut of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties. 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 booted him if he did.
- 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 Das.
- 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. It's McCartney's first public concert since The Beatles' 1966 US tour.
- February 10 – David Bowie opens the 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" (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.
- Sammy Davis, Jr. makes a guest appearance on the television show All in the Family.
- 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.[1] King wins Album of the Year (for Tapestry), Record of the Year (for "It's Too Late") and Song of the Year (for ”You've Got a Friend"), while Carly Simon wins Best New Artist.
- L.A. disc jockey Robert W. Morgan plays Donny Osmond's "Puppy Love" non-stop for 90 minutes. Police are called, but no arrests are made.
- 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 Grand Funk's manager. 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 16 – Electric Light Orchestra make their live debut at the Fox and Greyhound pub in Park Lane, Croydon, England.
- 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 died in a hospital a few hours later. The band's lead singer, Maggie Bell, Harvey's longtime girlfriend, was 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 3 – The Rolling Stones open their North American tour in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- 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 was 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, garnering 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 Song Contest, held in the Congres and Expositions Palace, Madrid, Spain, is won by singers Tobias and Claudia Regina, representing Brazil with the song Diálogo ("Dialogue").
- 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. Fortunately, 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 (before moving to ABC) with Three Dog Night as the featured act. Blood, Sweat & Tears, Helen Reddy and Al Green also perform.
- unknown date
Bands disbanded
Albums released
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Release date unknown
Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1972.
| # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries |
| 1 | Don McLean | "American Pie" | 1972 |  | US Billboard 1 for 19 weeks, Canada RPM 1 for 5 weeks, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks, Australia 1 for 5 weeks, UK 2 for 16 weeks |
| 2 | Harry Nilsson | "Without You" | 1972 | | UK 1 for 20 weeks, Australia 1 for 5 weeks, US Billboard 1 for 19 weeks, New Zealand 1 for 2 weeks |
| 3 | Hot Butter | "Popcorn" | 1972 | | Holland 1 for 15 weeks, France 1 for 5 weeks, Switzerland 1 for 17 weeks, Norway 1 for 20 weeks, Germany 1 for 5 months, UK 5 for 19 weeks, US Billboard 9 for 18 weeks |
| 4 | Neil Young | "Heart of Gold" | 1972 | .svg.png) | US Billboard 1 for 14 weeks, Canada 1 for 12 weeks, France 2 for 8 weeks, Norway 4 for 11 weeks, Germany 4 for 4 months, |
| 5 | The Moody Blues | "Nights in White Satin" | 1972 | | US Billboard 2 for 18 weeks, Canada 2 for 12 weeks, France 1 for 9 weeks, Holland 2 for 14 weeks, |
Other selected singles (US, UK)
See also: Hot 100 number-one hits of 1972 (United States)
Published popular music
Other notable songs (world)
Classical music
- Arthur Bliss – Metamorphic Variations
- Friedrich Cerha – Spiegel
- George Crumb – Makrokosmos, Volume I for amplified piano
- Mario Davidovsky – Transientes for orchestra
- Paul Le Flem – Symphony No. 4
- Karel Goeyvaerts
- Bélise dans un jardin
- Nachklänge aus dem Theater I–II, for tape
- Piano Quartet
- Hans Werner Henze – Heliogabalus imperator
- Klaus Huber
- ...Ausgespannt..., sacred music for baritone, five instrumental groups, loudspeakers, two two-track tapes, and organ
- Ein Hauch von Unzeit I: Plainte sur la perte de la réflexion musicale – quelques madrigaux pour flûte seule ou flûte avec quelques instruments quelquonques...
- Ein Hauch von Unzeit II: Plainte sur la perte de la réflexion musicale pour piano à une main et demie... , for piano
- Ein Hauch von Unzeit III, for 2–7 players (variable instrumentation)
- Dmitri Kabalevsky – A Letter to the 30th Century (oratorio)
- Wojciech Kilar – Prelude and Carol for 4 oboes and strings
- György Ligeti – Double Concerto for flute, oboe and orchestra
- Theo Loevendie – Horn Concerto, "Orbits"
- Yves Prin – Actions-Simultanées II, for orchestra
- Einojuhani Rautavaara
- Cantus Arcticus, for orchestra
- Canto III – A Portrait of the Artist at a Certain Moment, for string orchestra
- Credo, for mixed chorus
- Book of Life (Elämän kirja), choral suite
- Steve Reich – Clapping Music
- George Rochberg – Recordanza (Soliloquy for Cello and Piano)
- Peter Ruzicka – Bewegung
- Karlheinz Stockhausen –
- Alphabet für Liège, for soloists and duos, Nr. 36
- Ylem, for variable ensemble of 19 or more players, Nr. 37
- Toru Takemitsu – Distance
- Veljo Tormis – Curse Upon Iron (Raua needmine)
Opera
Jazz
Main article: 1972 in jazz
Musical theater
Musical films
Musical television productions
Births
- January 3 – Nichole Nordeman, American singer
- January 17 – Aqualung, English songwriter, musician and record producer
- January 19 – Angham, Egyptian singer, record producer and actress
- January 26 – Christopher Boykin, American rapper
- January 27
- February 2 – Dana International, Israeli Eurovision-winning singer
- February 11 – Craig Jones, American heavy metal sampler/keyboardist (Slipknot)
- February 14 – Rob Thomas, American singer-songwriter, musician, multi instrumentalist, advocate (Matchbox Twenty)
- February 16 – Taylor Hawkins, American rock musician (Foo Fighters)
- February 17
- February 20 – K-os, Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer
- February 24
- Teodor Currentzis, Greek orchestral conductor
- Chris Fehn, American heavy metal percussionist/backing vocalist (Slipknot)
- March 4 – Alison Wheeler, British singer (The Beautiful South)
- March 6 – Jaret Reddick, American musician (Bowling for Soup)
- March 8 – Angie Hart, Australian pop singer
- March 9 – AZ, American rapper
- March 10 – Timbaland, American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ (Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake)
- March 11 – UA, Japanese singer-songwriter
- April 12 – Şebnem Ferah, Turkish singer and songwriter
- March 13 – Common, American rapper and actor
- March 15 – Mark Hoppus, American rock musician (blink-182)
- March 17 – Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole)
- March 20 – Alexander Kapranos, British rock singer and guitarist (Franz Ferdinand)
- April 1 – Sukshinder Shinda, British bhangra singer-songwriter and record producer
- April 8 – Paul Gray, American heavy metal bass guitarist (Slipknot)
- April 10 – Sami Yli-Sirniö, Finnish rock and metal guitarist
- April 12 – Şebnem Ferah, Turkish singer and songwriter
- April 13 – Aaron Lewis, American nu metal musician (Staind)
- April 20
- Željko Joksimović, Serbian singer, composer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer
- Marko Kon, Serbian composer, producer and singer
- Stephen Marley, Jamaican-American musician
- April 23 – Amira Medunjanin, singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina
- April 24 – Corey Cerovsek, Canadian violinist and pianist
- April 28 – Violent J, American rapper
- April 29 – Fredrik Kempe, Swedish songwriter and opera and pop singer
- May 4
- May 7 – Felix da Housecat, American house music DJ and record producer
- May 11 – Daniel Ornellas, South African bass player
- May 14 – Salaam Remi, American record producer
- May 19 – Jenny Berggren, Swedish singer (Ace of Base)
- May 20 – Busta Rhymes, American hip hop recording artist, actor, record producer and record executive
- May 21
- The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper (d. 1997)
- Mitch Allen, American record producer, songwriter and musician.
- May 26 – Ahmad Dhani, Indonesian rock musician, songwriter, arranger, producer and politician
- May 27 – Ivete Sangalo, Brazilian female singer
- June 5 – Toni Pearen, Australian singer, songwriter, TV host, dancer and actor
- June 6 – Cristina Scabbia, Italian singer
- June 12 – Bounty Killer, reggae/dancehall singer
- June 23 – Fredwreck, Palestinian American music artist and record producer
- June 25 – Mike Kroeger, Canadian rock bass guitarist (Nickelback)
- June 26 – Garou, French Canadian singer
- July 1
- Sunshine Becker, American backing singer (Furthur)
- Alex Machacek, Austrian guitarist (BPM and CAB)
- July 4 – Rogue, American dark wave lead singer (The Crüxshadows)
- July 10 – Tilo Wolff, German musician
- July 12 – Brett Reed, drummer (Rancid)
- July 17
- July 20 – Vitamin C, American singer-songwriter, dancer and actress (Eve's Plum)
- July 26 – Wayne Wonder, reggae singer
- July 29 – Anssi Kela, Finnish rock musician
- August 6 – Geri Halliwell, British singer, clothes designer, author and actress (Spice Girls)
- August 8 – Lüpüs Thünder (Bloodhound Gang)
- August 9 – A-mei, Taiwanese Puyuma singer-songwriter
- August 12
- Del tha Funky Homosapien, American hip-hop artist
- Demir Demirkan, Turkish rock musician and songwriter
- August 15 – Mikey Graham, Irish singer (Boyzone)
- August 16 – Emily Robison, American country music performer (Dixie Chicks)
- August 18
- August 27 – Jimmy Pop, American musician (Bloodhound Gang)
- September 4 – Carlos Ponce, Puerto Rican actor, singer, composer
- September 6 – Idris Elba, English actor, producer, musician and DJ
- September 21 – Liam Gallagher, British singer (Oasis)
- September 23 – Jermaine Dupri, American rapper, record producer, musician
- September 26 – Shawn Stockman, American singer (Boyz II Men)
- September 30 – Shaan, Indian singer
- October 10 – Tor Erik Hermansen, American record producer and songwriter of the team Stargate (music producers)
- October 17
- Eminem, American rapper, producer, record producer, musician, business man (D12 and Soul Intent (group))
- Tarkan, Turkish singer
- October 6 – Anders Iwers, Swedish heavy metal guitarist
- October 19 – Pras (Michél), American rapper, hip hop musician, record producer, songwriter and actor (Fugees)
- October 20 – Stephan Moccio, Canadian pianist, composer, producer, arranger and conductor
- October 27 – Elissa, Lebanese singer
- October 28 – Brad Paisley, American country music performer
- November 17 – Kimya Dawson, American singer/songwriter
- November 25 – Mark Morton, American heavy metal guitarist (Lamb of God)
- November 28 – Jesper Strömblad, Swedish death metal guitarist
- December 1 – Greg Upchurch, American rock drummer (Puddle of Mudd, 3 Doors Down)
- December 9 – Tré Cool, German-born American musician, drummer and composer (Green Day)
- December 10
- Scot Alexander, American alternative rock bass guitarist (Dishwalla)
- Brian Molko, British rock singer (Placebo)
- Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, American songwriter and producer of the team Stargate (music producers)
- December 11 – Easther Bennett, British singer (Eternal)
- December 12 – Kevin Parent, Canadian singer-songwriter and actor
- December 13 – Niki Evans, English actress and singer
- December 16 – Ben Kowalewicz, Canadian rock lead singer (Billy Talent)
- December 18 – DJ Lethal, Latvian-born rock musician (Limp Bizkit, House of Pain)
- December 19 – Alyssa Milano, American activist, advocate, producer, singer and actress
- December 22 – Vanessa Paradis, French singer and actress
- December 27 – Matt Slocum, American pop guitarist-composer and multi-instrumentalist (Sixpence None the Richer)
- December 31 – Joey McIntyre, American singer (New Kids on the Block)
Deaths
- January 1 – Maurice Chevalier, 83, French singer and actor
- January 16 – David Seville, 52, voice of the Chipmunks
- January 19 – Michael Rabin, 35, violinist (fell downstairs)
- January 20 – Jean Casadesus, 44, French pianist (car accident)
- January 23 – Big Maybelle, 47, singer and pianist
- January 24 – Gene Austin, 69, singer-songwriter
- January 27 – Mahalia Jackson, 61, gospel singer
- January 29 – Margherita Grandi, 77, operatic soprano
- February 8 – Markos Vamvakaris, 66, Greek composer
- February 11 – Rudi Gfaller, Austrian operetta singer and composer (b. 1882)
- February 19 – Lee Morgan, 33, hard bop trumpeter
- February 21 – Marie Dubas, 77, French music-hall singer
- March 2 – Erna Sack, 74, coloratura soprano (cancer)
- March 17 – Linda Jones, 27, soul singer (diabetic coma)
- March 27 – Sharkey Bonano, 67, jazz musician and bandleader
- April 3 – Ferde Grofé, 80, composer, arranger, and pianist
- April 4 – Stefan Wolpe, 69, composer
- May 2 – Les Harvey, 27, guitarist (Stone the Crows) (electrocuted on stage)
- May 5 – Reverend Gary Davis, 76, blues and gospel singer and guitarist
- May 12 – David Hughes, 43, operatic tenor (heart failure)
- June 8 – Jimmy Rushing, 70, blues and jazz singer
- June 13 – Clyde McPhatter, 39, R&B singer
- July 3 – "Mississippi" Fred McDowell, 68, blues musician
- July 9 – Robert Weede, 69, operatic baritone
- July 10 – Lovie Austin, 84, American pianist, composer, and bandleader
- July 24 – Bobby Ramirez, drummer (Edgar Winter's White Trash)
- July 28 – Helen Traubel, 73, operatic soprano
- August 2
- August 14 – Oscar Levant, 65, pianist and composer
- August 21 – Yvonne Gall, 87, operatic soprano
- August 29 – Lale Andersen, 67, Danish singer
- August 31 – Dalva de Oliveira, 55, Brazilian singer (internal bleeding)
- September 19 – Robert Casadesus, French pianist and composer, 73
- September 24 – Alfred Kalmus, music publisher, 93
- September 28 – Rory Storm, 33, English singer (appendicitis)
- September 30 – Grigore Cugler, 69, Romanian riter, artist, composer and violinist
- October 3 – Kari Marie Aarvold Glaser, 71, Norwegian pianist and music teacher
- October 24 – Thelma Votipka, 67, operatic mezzo-soprano
- November 3 – Harry Richman, 77, US singer, actor and composer
- November 6 – Billy Murcia, 21, drummer of New York Dolls (suffocation)
- November 11 – Berry Oakley, 24, bass player (The Allman Brothers Band) (motorcycle accident)
- November 12 – Rudolf Friml, 92, Rose-Marie composer
- November 18 – Danny Whitten, 29, guitarist (Crazy Horse) (drug overdose)
- November 28 – Havergal Brian, 96, English classical composer
- December 3 – Bill Johnson, 100, African American dixieland jazz double-bassist
Awards
Grammy Awards
- Grammy Awards of 1972
- Grammy Album of the Year: The Concert for Bangladesh
- Grammy Best New Artist: America
- Grammy Best Album Design: "School's Out" – Alice Cooper
- Grammy Best Pop Duo or Group: "Where Is the Love" – Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
- Grammy Best Pop Female Vocal: "I Am Woman" – Helen Reddy
- Grammy Best Pop Male Vocal: "Without You" – Harry Nilsson
- Grammy Best R&B Duo or Group: "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" – The Temptations
- Grammy Best R&B Female Vocal: "Young, Gifted And Black" – Aretha Franklin
- Grammy Best R&B Male Vocal: "Me And Mrs. Jones" – Billy Paul
- Grammy Record of the Year: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" – Roberta Flack
- Grammy Song of the Year: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" – Roberta Flack
Country Music Association Awards
Eurovision Song Contest
References
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