1. Don McLean, "American Pie"
United Artists 5535 (October 1971) b/w "American Pie (Part 2)"recorded August 1971, New York, NY
What else needs to be said about a song so lyrically dense yet beerhall catchy that it has more websites devoted to it than arguably any other song? This epic folk song uses a series of Biblical and secular metaphors to describe the death of Buddy Holly, the end of the Fifties rock and roll dream, the triumph of crass professionalism, and just about anything else you care to read into it.
2. Derek and the Dominos, "Layla"
Atco 6809 (April 1972) b/w "I Am Yours"recorded August–September 1970, Miami, FL
Assembled from a variety of musical sources, this anguished plea for a forbidden love -- THE anguished plea for a forbidden love -- languished on its eponymous album until a Clapton comp forced its release as a full-length single. Dave Marsh described it as the greatest moment "where a singer or writer has reached so deeply into himself that the effect of hearing them is akin to witnessing a murder, or a suicide."
3. The Staple Singers, "I'll Take You There"
Stax 0125 (March 1972) b/w "I'm Just Another Soldier"recorded November 1971, Muscle Shoals, AL
One of the finest examples of Caribbean rhythms being worked into soul music, completing a circle forming for at least a decade. Of course, the Staples' origin as gospel singers didn't hurt this move for utopia: "there" is Heaven itself, a place where there "ain't no smiling faces / lying to the races." Contains what may be rock's most ethereal bass solo; the groove was so deep James Brown was envious.
4. The Rolling Stones, "Tumbling Dice"
Rolling Stones 19103 (14 April 1972) b/w "Sweet Black Angel"recorded 10 July - 19th December 1971, Villefranche-sur-mer, France and Los Angeles, CA
"It's an old blues trick," said Mick Jagger about this classic's use of gambling as a metaphor for love (and/or lust). This one is all the Stones, however, a deceptively easy-sounding performance actually assembled from a pastiche of endless takes and bad mixes. The group concluded their greatest period with this slow and yet potent blues-rocker.
5. Al Green, "Let's Stay Together"
Hi 2202 (December 1971) b/w "Tomorrow's Dream"recorded August 1971, Memphis, TN
He'd scored with "Tired Of Being Alone," but the Al Green formula was finally written in stone here: Hi's rhythm section, Al's silky presence, and producer Willie Mitchell's bizarre talent for making the seductive sound heavenly and vice-versa. Green's so confident he can murmur asides and stretch words beyond meaning, but this is no American Idol-style display of extreme melismatics... this is soul. Deep and real.
6. The Temptations, "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone"
Gordy 7121 (28 September 1972) b/w "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (instrumental)"recorded May 15, June 14, 22, 28, 1972, Detroit, MI
By the end of the Temps' greatest run, the group was arguing that producer Norman Whitfield cared more about his sonic backdrops than the songs -- or the group. And they're right; dig that flip side (and the unnecessary 12-minute album version). But this was the sound of ghetto tragedy in '72, backed by vocals that Whitfield dragged out of the five like a acting coach.
7. Elvis Presley, "Burning Love"
RCA 0769 (1 August 1972) b/w "It's A Matter Of Time"recorded 28 March 1972, Hollywood, CA
This, Elvis' last Top Ten hit, is also arguably The King's last rock song. But that's not why it's on this list: this is one of the few places in history where Presley's lust was allowed to roam unbridled and unccensored, and the result, far from being perverse, sounds almost redemptive. You can thank Elvis' gospel roots for that, but his transcendant yelps in the, uh, climax feel truly transporting.
8. Elton John, "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time)"
Uni 55328 (17 April 1972) b/w "Suzie (Dramas)"recorded January 1972, Château D'Hierouville, France
The incredible reality of space travel, coupled with the irony of an imperfect life on Earth, was a pervasive theme around this time, and Elton, who was just coming into his own as an important and popular artist, finds just the right surreal atmosphere to match it on this dreamy ballad. Based on sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury's short story "The Rocket Man," written four years before Apollo 11.
9. The Raspberries, "Go All The Way"
Capitol 3348 (March 1972) b/w "With You In My Life"recorded December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
Badfinger got there first, but this was power-pop's first real shot across the bow of American culture: a perfect slice of the teen dream that moved like arena-rock but eventually revealed a sweet bubblegum heart. It was also, in its way, a sign of the sexual revolution planting roots in our consciousness for good: only at this time could a song about losing one's virginity seem so, well, almost cute.
10. Alice Cooper, "School's Out"
WB 7596 (26 April 1972) b/w "Gutter Cat"recorded January 1972, New York, NY
Having often described his band as the group that killed off the peace and love generation, Alice really went for the jugular here with an anthem about being free from the oppression of kiddie-jail classrooms. But there was something larger at work, as evidenced in lines about how this generation had no class and no principles (puns definitely intended). And why the hell has school "been blown to pieces"?!
