Iconic 1972 Album Was a No. 1 Hit 54 Years Ago Today

Less than a month after it was released in February 1972,Neil Young‘s fourth record, Harvest, became a number-one hit in the United States.

On March 11, 1972, the album, which featured classics like “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man,” secured the number one spot on the Billboard Top 200. The other top five records on the Billboard Charts that week included Don Mclean‘s 1971 album, American Pie,George Harrison‘s 1971 record, The Concert For Bangla Desh, the 1971 album, Fragile, by Yes, and Carole King‘s Music, released in 1971.

Neil Young Shared His Thoughts About ‘Harvest’ Around the Album’s 50th Anniversary

Young reflected on the hit album around its 50th anniversary in a 2022 interview on the Zach Sang Show. He said that he believed that fans still have an appreciation for Harvest because its themes of love and it’s a snapshot of the early ’70s.

“It’s just the time, the time of life for me, the time of life for the people, the time of the world, what was happening. And love is really a popular thing with human beings, so if there’s love in something people gravitate towards it,” said the musician, now 80.

In addition, he said he believes the record has the “open feeling” that comes with youth.

“That gets to a lot of people when they’re young and open themselves, if they hear it. But that was just the time of life, just skeetered on by and then onto the next,” said Young in the 2022 interview.

Young also said that when he listens to the album his thoughts wander to his ex-girlfriend of five years, actress Carrie Snodgress.

“I think about Carrie Snodgress, you know, my girl at the time, the mother of my son, Zeke. I sometimes think of her when I hear that record,” shared the musician in the Zach Sang Show interview.