UK Top 20: July 15, 1972 Ft. David Bowie

Starman / David Bowie / 1972
New at Number 20: David Bowie

Presenting the Top 20 music chart in the United Kingdom for the week ending 15 July 1972


The Top 3 singles of the chart remained static with Donny Osmond clocking up a second week at the top with his reworking of the Paul Anka song, Puppy Love.

The biggest climber within the Top 20 was the début single by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Sylvia's Mother would eventually peak at Number 2, but this week the disc rose nine places to settle at Number 4.

Just two new entries this week as Neil Diamond and The Chi-Lites are replaced by the latest singles from The Partridge Family and David Bowie.

Donny Osmond at Number 1




The Chart: 
  • 01 (01) - Donny Osmond - Puppy Love 
  • 02 (02) - Gary Glitter - Rock and Roll Parts 1 and 2 
  • 03 (03) - Slade - Take Me Bak 'Ome 
  • 04 (13) - Dr Hook and the Medicine Show - Sylvia's Mother 
  • 05 (06) - The New Seekers - Circles 
  • 06 (04) - The Sweet - Little Willy 
  • 07 (12) - Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now 
  • 08 (05) - Don McLean - Vincent 
  • 09 (09) - Elvis Presley - An American Trilogy 
  • 10 (07) - Michael Jackson - Rockin' Robin 
  • 11 (08) - Gilbert O'Sullivan - Ooh-Wakka-Doo-Wakka-Day 
  • 12 (16) - The Who - Join Together 
  • 13 (30) - The Partridge Family - Breaking Up is Hard to Do 
  • 14 (10) - The Move - California Man 
  • 15 (11) - Wings - Mary Had A Little Lamb 
  • 16 (19) - Love Unlimited - Walkin' in the Rain With the One I Love 
  • 17 (14) - Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 
  • 18 (15) - Free - Little Bit of Love 
  • 19 (20) - B. Bumble and the Stingers - Nut Rocker 
  • 20 (29) - David Bowie - Starman
*Previous week in brackets; Climbers denoted in red; New entries in bold

Download This Week's New Hits:




13: The Partridge Family: Breaking Up is Hard to Do

The UK was a little slow to cotton on to the bubblegum pop of America's TV combo, The Partridge Family.

However, principally due to the increasing popularity of lead vocalist David Cassidy, the group's singles began to sell in ever greater amounts on this side of the Atlantic.

The band's latest offering was a cover of Neil Sedaka's signature song, Breaking Up is Hard to Do. While it stalled at just inside the Top 30 in America, it continued to climb the listing in the UK to eventually peak at Number 3.


20: David Bowie: Starman

It had been three long years since David Bowie had first appeared on the British charts with the seminal Space Oddity, but this had been one of the singer's most creative periods culminating in the birth of his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.

No doubt, it was this character's appearance on the BBC's Top of the Pops during July (see left) performing Starman which secured Bowie's eventual British breakthrough.

Ultimately included on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Starman was the first in a succession of UK Top 20 singles for Bowie over the next eighteen months to two years - many peaking within the Top 5. It would eventually peak at No.10, but marked the beginning of one of the most commercially successful and artistically inventive rock careers of all time.


The UK Number 1 album this week:
  • Various Artists: 20 Dynamic Hits


The American Top 10 (Click to play tracks)



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