On 17/08/2025 at 12:52, jimwatts said:

'Heart Of Gold' is a classic and has probably overtaken 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' as my favourite Neil Young song these days, very lyrically endearing. Not surprised but a bit sad to see the low score for 'Amazing Grace', that sound can be quite stirring in the right setting. Its pure sales were 998,509 as of early 2022 so even if it's selling 7 downloads a week it must have a chance of trickling past the million mark some time soon!

ooh I'd love to see some further actual sales millionaires, all this one would need would be a decent advert or film spot then!

Another strong group here: 1972 is definitely exceeding expectations so far. Elton started his hit-making career pretty flawlessly with “Your Song” and “Rocket Man” and I like this Sly And The Family Stone song even more than “Family Affair”.

9	Elton John	Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time)	Inspired by Bowie and a story about an astronaut, it's a 2nd outstanding hit for him and more successful than "Your Song"
9	Sly And The Family Stone	Runnin' Away	Last of their 5 hits: this has dark lyrics juxtaposed with a happy sounding track and the sardonic "ha ha"; I think it's brilliant
8	The Rolling Stones	Tumbling Dice	The main single from "Exile On Main Street", this feels joyous with great lyrics and combines a blues style with rock and roll
8	Johnny Cash And The Evangel Temple Choir	A Thing Called Love	His biggest hit: the song is originally from 1968 and has many versions but it suits Johnny very well and he does it brilliantly
7	Johnny Nash	Stir It Up	A cover of a song by Bob Marley who won't have a hit here for a while: this is beautifully done with expressive falsetto
7	Paul Simon	Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard	A folky 2nd solo hit for him with intrguing lyrics: this style is more to my taste than that of "Mother And Child Reunion"
7	The Temptations	Take A Look Around	I love the harpsichord bassline running through this: it's a lovely and soulful track with beautiful lead and backing vocals
6	David Cassidy	Could It Be Forever/Cherish	1st hit for this US star: "Cherish" is an Association cover but both sides are sincerely performed and rousing pop ballads
6	Ramsey Lewis	Wade In The Water	Only hit for this US pianist and composer: this is a lovely jazz instrumental but more something you'd want to hear live
6	Mungo Jerry	Open Up	It has that bouncy guitar bassline you might find in T.Rex or other Mungo Jerry songs: a good but not remarkable track
5	The Marmalade	Radancer	I think their more soulful songs have been some of the folkier ones: this is a standard pulsing rock number but it's decent
5	Daniel Boone	Beautiful Sunday	His 2nd and last solo hit and this was a big international success: it's a jolly record but feels very slightly formulaic to me
4	Vicky Leandros	Come What May	The English version of "Après Toi" that won Eurovision for Luxembourg: it's not bad but a somewhat overblown ballad
4	Leeds United FC	Leeds United	The 1st of 2 #10 hits that they'll have: the B side of this is the better known one but this isn't a bad tune for what it is
3	Dave Newman	The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)	Only hit for this artist about which I can find no information: it's very similar to The Tokens version from a decade before

1972 Group 6:

#3950	29/04/1972	Hurricane Smith	Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?	4	38-27-18-15-6-{4}-4-8-12-20-27-27-33-37-41-49->16
#3951	29/04/1972	Donnie Elbert	A Little Piece Of Leather	27	39-36-30-31-{27}-27-30-34-47->9
#3952	29/04/1972	Bread	Everything I Own	32	43-35-35-{32}-40-49->6
#3953	06/05/1972	The Moody Blues	Isn't Life Strange	13	34-39-24-19-{13}-15-15-22-37-47->10
#3954	06/05/1972	Jerry Lee Lewis	Chantilly Lace	33	44-{33}-33-34-39->5
#3955	13/05/1972	T.Rex	Metal Guru	1	9-{1}-1-1-1-2-4-15-22-28-34-42-44-46->14
#3956	13/05/1972	Lindisfarne	Lady Eleanor	3	29-19-12-6-{3}-6-10-23-33-46-49->11
#3957	13/05/1972	New World	Sister Jane	9	31-27-16-16-{9}-9-11-17-24-26-36-39-45->13
#3958	13/05/1972	Don McLean	Vincent	1	36-29-11-5-2-{1}-1-2-5-8-19-26-29-40-49->15
#3959	13/05/1972	Diana Ross	Doobedood'ndoobe Doobedood'ndoobe Doobedood'ndoobe	12	42-30-22-18-18-{12}-26-34-41->9
#3960	13/05/1972	The Angelettes	Don't Let Him Touch You	35	44-40-{35}-38-41->5
#3961	13/05/1972	Neil Diamond	Song Sung Blue	14	45-38-31-31-23-16-15-{14}-17-24-29-34-43->13
#3962	13/05/1972	The Move	California Man	7	46-34-20-11-8-{7}-7-7-10-14-24-25-32-41->14
#3963	20/05/1972	Chicory Tip	What's Your Name	13	39-26-23-21-{13}-27-31-42->8
#3964	20/05/1972	Michael Jackson	Rockin' Robin	3	43-33-22-10-5-{3}-6-7-10-15-22-25-34-48->14

Rocket Man is a classic, always loved it, especially the sci-fi stark, lonely lyrics and mood 10/10. Runnin' Away I also loved at the time, unusual, but these days I've switched more to Family Affair as the jewell in the Sly crown, but it's still great 8/10. I fondly recall the Exile flexi disc I swapped for a Faces single - that was a bad decision! Tumbling Dice I never loved that much, it was OK but was no Honky Tonk Women or Jumping Jack Flash in my mind. A bit shambolic in comparison. 6/10.

A Thing Called Love is my fave Johnny Cash song, upbeat and fun yet oddly affecting in an optimistic fashion, 9/10. One I quite fancy trying at karaoke one day near closing time, that should clear the pub. Johnny Nash is under-rated and forgotten these days - yet he was promoting Bob Marley years ahead of his success, and Stir It Up is a goodie 8/10. The latin-sound of Me & Julio was delicious at the time, and the song is quirky and engaging 8/10.

Take A Look Around should be better-known as a great Temps ballad, love the message and mood 9/10. Could It Be Forever was the main side and turned David into a huge star in the UK, it's still one of his best ballads 9/10 Cherish less so 6/10. My 16-year-old Aunty bought this single at the time. Wade In The Water is a fave of mine, an ancient spiritual song getting the jazz instrumental treatment from Ramsey - long overdue a UK hit and this 1966 track got in on the 1972 re-issue fever 9/10. Open Up for some odd reason I was big on at the time, but it's not weathered well 5/10.

Radancer was catchy and it was great Marmalade were still having hits where other 60's acts had faltered, but it was a last fling for 4 years. I still like it 7/10. Beautiful Sunday always did sound formulaic to me too, singalong in a Sweet Caroline sort of way but not as good 6/10. Come What May robbed the New Seekers of a victory, but it's decent enough, French distraught ballads usually work for me 7/10. My grandma was a Vicky Leandros fan in later years. Leeds United not too bad for a football song 3/10. The Lion Sleeps Tonight was a UK cover, I think, ahead of a big US cover hit by Robert John - who would get his own UK hit in 7 years time. I rather liked both versions, but Robert John's is better. 6/10.