The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1972

19 May 2024, 15:00 | Updated: 16 July 2024, 18:45

Glam rock gets serious, prog rock gets even more ambitious... and the seeds of heavy metal start to sprout. Let's look back at the greatest rock albums of '72.

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1. Bread - Baby I'm-a Want You: released January 1972

   The US soft rock band's fourth album included David Gates' Mother Freedom, Diary and the classic Everything I Own, later taken to Number 1 by Ken Boothe.

   

2. Paul Simon - Paul Simon: release date 24th January 1972

   Two years after his partnership with Art Garfunkel ended, the singer-songwirter decided to go it alone again and this marks his second solo album after 1965's The Paul Simon Songbook. Tracks included Mother And Child Reunion and Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard.

   

3. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? Released February 1972

   The former Nazz man's third solo album included the songs I Saw The Light, Couldn't I Just Tell You, Hello It's Me and Wolfman Jack.

   

4. Neil Young - Harvest: release date 1st February 1972

   The fourth solo album from the singer-songwriter was a career highlight and a huge seller. Famous tracks include Heart Of Gold and The Needle And The Damage Done.

   

5. Humble Pie - Smokin': release date March 1972

   Steve Marriott's post-Small Faces band issued their fifth album, which saw the departure of guitarist Peter Frampton. Tracks included the single 30 Days In The Hole and a cover of Eddie Cochran's Come On Everybody.

   

6. Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick: release date 3rd March 1972

   The British folk-rock band's fifth outing is really one continous piece of music across two sides of vinyl, devised by frontman Ian Anderson when people kept calling Tull's previous LP Aqualung a "concept album". It made Number 5 in the UK charts.

   

7. Deep Purple – Machine Head: released 25th March 1972

   The British rock band's sixth album included their signature song, Smoke On The Water. Also on the track listing were Lazy, Never Before and Highway Star.

   

8. Wishbone Ash - Argus : release date 25th April 1972

   The hugely-influential third album from the British rock band peaked at Number 3 in the charts and included the tracks The King Will Come, Leaf And Stream and Blowin' Free - and some say the cover art was an influence on the character of Darth Vader in Star Wars!

   

9. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street: release dare 12th May 1972

   The Stones' tenth studio album was their first double, recorded in London, Los Angeles and Nellcôte in the South of France, where the band were hiding out as tax exiles. Tracks include Rocks Off, Tumbling Dice, Shine A Light and the Keef favourite Happy.

   

10. Aphrodite's Child - 666: released June 1972

    The third and final album from the Greek prog group - which included instrumentalist Vangelis and singer Demis Roussos - is a concept LP about the end of the world. Tracks include The Four Horsemen and Break.

    

11. Eagles - Eagles: release date 1st June 1972

    The debut album from the American country rock titans kicked off with the evergreen Take It Easy, ushering in a career of FM radio-friendly sounds. The album also included Witchy Woman and Peaceful Easy Feeling.

    

12. Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds: release date 2nd June 1972

    Floyd's seventh album was the soundtrack to the Barbet Schroeder hippie movie La Vallée and composed of half instrumental, half vocal pieces. The track Free Four was issued as a single in the US but didn't chart. Next stop: The Dark Side Of The Moon!

    

13. David Bowie - The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars: release date 16th June 1972

    The album that made Bowie a superstar incredibly never topped the charts in the UK and didn't reach its peak of No 5 until eight months later. Tracks included Starman, Suffragette City and, of course, the epic title track.

    

14. Alice Cooper – School’s Out: release date 30th June 1972

    The fifth album from the US shock rock band was their commercial breakthrough, spawning a No 1 hit in the Uk with the raucous title track.

    

15. T. Rex - The Slider: release date 21st July 1972

    The Summer of Glam continued with the seventh studio album from Marc Bolan and one of his biggest releases. Tracks include Metal Guru and Telegram Sam.

    

16. The Kinks - Everybody's In Showbiz: release date 25th August 1972

    Ray Davies and co's eleventh album was the follow-up to Muswell Hillbillies and was issued as a double set - one disc of studio, the other disc a live show from New York in March 1972. Celluloid Heroes and Supersonic Rocket Ship were the hit singles from the studio side.

    

17. Yes - Close To the Edge: release date 8th September 1972

    The British progressive rockers issued their fifth studio album, the follow-up to 1971's Fragile. The LP contained two lengthy pieces - And You And I and Close To The Edge - plus Siberian Khatru.

    

18. Mott The Hoople – All the Young Dudes: 8th September 1972

    The fifth album from the pioneers of what would become glam rock included the David Bowie-penned title track One Of The Boys and Lou Reed's Sweet Jane.

    

19. Black Sabbath - Vol. 4: released 25th September 1972

    The fourth outing from the British heavy rock pioneers included the classic song Changes, later re-recorded by frontman Ozzy Osbourne with daughter Kelly.

    

20. Genesis – Foxtrot: release date 6th October 1972

    The fourth album from the English prog rockers included Watcher Of The Skies and Supper's Ready, two fan favourites from the Peter Gabriel-fronted band.

    

21. Steely Dan – Can’t Buy A Thrill: release date November 1972

    The debut album from the American smooth rock heroes included their signature song Reelin' In The Years.

    

22. Slade - Slayed? release date 1st November 1972

    The third album from the glam rock legends included their hits Mama Weer All Crazee Now and Gudbuy T' Jane. It was the first of their two No 1 albums (the other being 1974's Old New Borrowed And Blue).

    

23. Lou Reed – Transformer: release date 8th November 1972

    Reed's second solo album after leaving The Velvet Underground included two of his most enduring songs: Walk On The Wild Side, Satellite Of Love and Perfect Day.

    

24. Status Quo - Piledriver: released 15th December 1972

    The Quo's fifth studio album saw the rockers move further towards their trademark heads-down-no-nonsense-boogie that would make them one of the most successful British bands of the era. The biggest track was the Top 10 hit Paper Plane, plus there was Don't Waste My Time and a cover of The Doors' Roadhouse Blues.

    

25. Can - Ege Bamyasi: release date 29th November 1972

    The German progressive rock band's third album is one of their most famous and includes Spoon, Vitamin C and I'm So Green.