America Tops the US Charts on This Date in 1972 With Debut Single About a Lonely Horse

America, a band from America but formed in London, found success throughout the 1970s as a soft rock/pop band with a string of hits that all began on this date in 1972 with a song about a horse with no name.

America's self-titled debut album was released in 1971, and on this date in 1972 they celebrated their first of what would eventually be two total #1 singles.  "A Horse With No Name"  wasn't even included on the UK release, and, despite the commercial & chart success, there was backlash.

Several radio stations in the US banned the song because of the alleged references to drug use (horse = heroin, apparently).  There was also backlash from fans of Neil Young, saying America lead singer Dewey Bunnell was trying to sound like the more famous musician.  As a funny twist of fate, it was actually "A Horse With No Name" that knocked Young's only career solo #1 hit, "Old Man", out of the top spot on the charts.

America's debut album would go platinum, and many songs from the band would find commercial and radio success.  Only one more #1 hit would follow for the band ("Sister Golden Hair") before Dan Peek left the band in the early '80s.  Despite no more commercial success following their final charting single in 1982 ("You Can Do Magic"), the band continues to play, tour and record, releasing their most recent album, Back Pages, in 2011.