Music and memory are closely entwined, which means certain songs can suddenly whisk us down memory lane when we least expect it—for baby boomers, that includes these four hits from 1972.
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Robert Flack
Roberta Flack is not the first person to record “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face”, but her version is certainly one of the most memorable. The song served as Flack’s breakthrough hit, though, interestingly, it didn’t join the hit songs of the day until 1972, three years after she first released it on her album First Take. Flack’s rendition of the Ewan MacColl composition was featured in Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty For Me, which likely holds even more memories for baby boomers who saw the film when it first came out.
“Brand New Key” by Melanie
Melanie Safka released “Brand New Key” as a single in October 1971, giving it the winter holiday to rise among the ranks of other hit songs in 1972. The childlike song about having a brand-new pair of roller skates and looking for a key was just innocent enough to appeal to the masses. But there was also a vague opacity that left people wondering if she was using the roller skates and keys as an innuendo. Some even claim she was talking about drugs, as in “kilo,” not “key.”
“Nights In White Satin” by The Moody Blues
Like Roberta Flack’s 1972 hit, The Moody Blues enjoyed later success for their second release of “Nights In White Satin”, which they first put out in 1967. Because it had been around for so long, baby boomers had plenty of time to develop memories to go with this track. Whether you associate this song with being on the dance floor or taking drives down back roads (or both), this song is one that holds plenty of nostalgia for anyone who identifies as a baby boomer.
“You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” by Jim Croce
Almost every baby boomer’s first introduction to Jim Croce was through his debut single, “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”, which came out in the summer of 1972. The single quickly became one of the top hits of the year, peaking at No. 8. A Top 10 debut single is nothing to sneeze at and was one of several hits Croce would contribute to the pop canon before his untimely death.
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