| The CASH BOX R&B Top 60 | ||||||
| Dark blue square = bullet (strong upward move) | Week ending OCTOBER 21, 1972 | |||||
| TW | TITLE | Artist (Label) | LW | 2WK | 3WK | WKS | |
| 1 | FREDDIE’S DEAD (Theme From “Superfly”) Curtis Mayfield (Curtom 1975) | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | |
| 2 | I’LL BE AROUND Spinners (Atlantic 2904) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | |
| 3 | USE ME Bill Withers (Sussex 241) | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | |
| 4 | GET ON THE GOOD FOOT (pt. 1) James Brown (Polydor 14139) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |
| 5 | BEN Michael Jackson (Motown 1207) | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | |
| 6 | WOMAN DON’T GO ASTRAY King Floyd (Chimneyville 443) | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | |
| 7 | MY DING-A-LING Chuck Berry (Chess 2131) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 14 | |
| 8 | HONEY I STILL LOVE YOU Mark IV (Mercury 73319) | 9 | 11 | 16 | 9 | |
| 9 | EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL Main Ingredient (RCA Victor 74-0731) | 8 | 7 | 3 | 17 | |
| 10 | SLOW MOTION (pt. 1) Johnny Williams (Philadelphia Int’l 3518) | 18 | 19 | 20 | 10 | |
| 11 | SWEET CAROLINE (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) Bobby Womack & Peace (United Artists 50946) | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | |
| 12 | DON’T EVER BE LONELY (A Poor Little Fool Like Me) Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose (United Artists 50954) | 13 | 16 | 17 | 8 | |
| 13 | WHY CAN’T WE BE LOVERS Holland-Dozier Featuring Lamont Dozier (Invictus 9125) | 15 | 17 | 24 | 6 | |
| 14 | BACK STABBERS O’Jays (Philadelphia Int’l 3517) | 11 | 10 | 9 | 17 | |
| 15 | (Win, Place Or Show) SHE’S A WINNER Intruders (Gamble 4019) | 16 | 18 | 27 | 8 | |
| 16 | (They Long To Be) CLOSE TO YOU Jerry Butler featuring Brenda Lee Eager (Mercury 73301) | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | |
| 17 | BABY SITTER Betty Wright (Alston 4614) | 22 | 25 | 31 | 6 | |
| 18 | A LONELY MAN Chi-Lites (Brunswick 55483) | 20 | 24 | 25 | 6 | |
| 19 | (It’s The Way) NATURE PLANNED IT Four Tops (Motown 1210) | 26 | 30 | 29 | 10 | |
| 20 | MY MIND KEEPS TELLING ME (That I Really Love You, Girl) Eddie Holman (GSF 6873) | 21 | 21 | 26 | 9 | |
| 21 | STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN Mel & Tim (Stax 0127) | 17 | 13 | 11 | 18 | |
| 22 | IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME BY NOW Harold Melvin & Blue Notes (Philadelphia Int’l 3520) | 30 | 41 | — | 3 | |
| 23 | GUILTY Al Green (Bell 45,258) | 28 | 31 | 43 | 5 | |
| 24 | FOOL’S PARADISE Sylvers (Pride 1001) | 25 | 26 | 30 | 10 | |
| 25 | ONE LIFE TO LIVE Manhattans (DeLuxe 139) | 31 | 34 | 40 | 9 | |
| 26 | OPEN HOUSE AT MY HOUSE (pt. 1) Little Johnny Taylor (Ronn 64) | 23 | 22 | 22 | 10 | |
| 27 | STOP DOGGIN’ ME Johnny Taylor (Stax 0142) | 29 | 32 | 35 | 6 | |
| 28 | TOAST TO THE FOOL Dramatics (Volt 4082) | 24 | 20 | 23 | 12 | |
| 29 | SLAUGHTER Billy Preston (A&M 1380) | 38 | 39 | 48 | 4 | |
| 30 | MAN SIZED JOB Denise LaSalle (Westbound 206) | 33 | 35 | 37 | 5 | |
| 31 | POWER OF LOVE Joe Simon (Spring 128) | 14 | 9 | 7 | 17 | |
| 32 | THEME FROM THE MEN Isaac Hayes (Enterprise 9058) | 34 | 43 | — | 3 | |
| 33 | ENDLESSLY Mavis Staples (Volt 4086) | 36 | 46 | — | 3 | |
| 34 | MY MAN, A SWEET MAN Millie Jackson (Spring 127) | 19 | 15 | 14 | 14 | |
| 35 | THAT’S HOW LOVE GOES Jermaine Jackson (Motown 1201) | 39 | 40 | 47 | 5 | |
| 36 | I’LL ALWAYS HAVE YOU THERE Doug Gibbs (Oak 108) | 32 | 33 | 44 | 8 | |
| 37 | A JOYFUL PROCESS Funkadelic (Westbound 205) | 35 | 37 | 45 | 6 | |
| 38 | IF YOU LET ME Eddie Kendricks (Tamla 54222) | 42 | 47 | 49 | 5 | |
| 39 | I JUST WANT TO BE THERE Independents (Wand 11249) | 37 | 36 | 39 | 5 | |
| 40 | PAPA WAS A ROLLIN’ STONE Temptations (Gordy 7121) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 41 | IF YOU CAN BEAT ME ROCKIN’ (You Can Have My Chair) Laura Lee (Hot Wax 7207) | 44 | 49 | 50 | 6 | |
| 42 | I HEAR YOU KNOCKING (It’s Too Late) Reuben Bell (DeLuxe 140) | 52 | — | — | 2 | |
| 43 | HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART Spoonbread (Stang 5043) | 40 | 44 | 53 | 6 | |
| 44 | I’M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU Stylistics (Avco 4603) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 45 | I’M SO TIRED Bobby Bland (Duke 477) | 50 | 52 | 55 | 5 | |
| 46 | PEACE IN THE VALLEY OF LOVE Persuaders (Win Or Lose 225) | 55 | — | — | 2 | |
| 47 | SO FAR AWAY Crusaders (Blue Thumb 217) | 58 | — | — | 2 | |
| 48 | MAY THE BEST MAN WIN Ollie Nightingale (Pride 1002) | 51 | 53 | — | 3 | |
| 49 | I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW Donny Hathaway (Atco 6903) | 60 | — | — | 2 | |
| 50 | SIXTY MINUTE MAN Trammps (Buddah 321) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 51 | IT AIN’T NO USE Z. Z. Hill (Mankind 12012) | 56 | 60 | — | 3 | |
| 52 | TIME Jackie Moore (Atlantic 2830) | — | 58 | — | 2 | |
| 53 | INNOCENT TIL PROVEN GUILTY Honey Cone (Hot Wax 7208) | 53 | 54 | — | 3 | |
| 54 | ON AND OFF (pt. 1) Anacostia (Columbia 45685) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 55 | CABBAGE ALLEY Meters (Reprise 1106) | 59 | — | — | 2 | |
| 56 | TRYING TO LIVE MY LIFE WITHOUT YOU Otis Clay (Hi 2226) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 57 | GUESS WHO B. B. King (ABC 11330) | 41 | 38 | 41 | 11 | |
| 58 | THINK (About It) Lyn Collins (People 608) | 45 | 27 | 18 | 16 | |
| 59 | ARE YOU LEAVING ME? Pep Brown (Lava 1002) | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 60 | THIS WORLD Staple Singers (Stax 0137) | 46 | 29 | 19 | 14 | |
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