What was the number one song in the UK on 20th May 1972?

“Metal Guru” by T Rex was number one on 20th May 1972 and stayed there for a total of 4 weeks.

So let’s have a listen to this then, shall we? This is classic T.Rex at it’s finest in my opinion. This was their fourth #1 hit in the UK and they were on a high at the time. I can just imagine this song being on the radio all over the place back in the Summer of ’72.

The song is uplifting and powerful, and has that classic T.Rex sound. Marc Bolan really was a musical genius.

Let’s see what Wikipedia has to say.

Wikipedia

“Metal Guru” is a song by the British rock band T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was the band’s fourth (and final) number one on the UK Singles Chart when it topped the chart for four weeks from May–June 1972. It was also included on the album The Sliderin 1972.

Despite coming only ten months after the success of “Get It On”, it failed to chart in the United States. The song reached No. 45 in Canada in July 1972.

Bolan himself described the song’s apparent religious references as this:

“Is a festival of life song. I relate ‘Metal Guru’ to all Gods around. I believe in a God, but I have no religion. With ‘Metal Guru’, it’s like someone special, it must be a Godhead. I thought how God would be, he’d be all alone without a telephone. I don’t answer the phone any more. I have codes where people ring me at certain times.”

In 2008, Freaky Trigger placed “Metal Guru” at number 37 in their list of “The Top 100 Songs of All Time”.

Lyrics