Continuing with our Best Classic Rock albums of the 1970s series, we turn to the year 1972. Just as we have seen in 1970 and 1971, the year was filled with releases from great solo rock artists and rock bands. The singer songwriter genre exploded in 1972 with artists like Jim Croce, James Taylor, Harry Chapin and many others all receiving significant airplay on both AM pop radio and FM album oriented rock. Hard Rock was evolving into metal with bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath releasing great albums that would inspires generations of Metal bands. The popularity of Progressive rock continued to grow with bands like Yes and Emerson Lake & Palmer selling millions of records. Fifties artists such as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley were still releasing records. Soul music was also dominating charts as the sound of Motown continued to shine. There was a great deal of music choices for consumers in 1972. Rock and roll in all its genres stood at the forefront.
Here is our Top 10Â best classic rock albums choices for the year 1972. They will be followed by our choices for the best 1972 rock albums released throughout the entire year in chronological order.
# 10 – You Don’t Mess Around with Jim – Jim Croce
We open up our 1972′ best classic rock albums list with a great one from Jim Croce. The album You Don’t Mess Around with Jim featured classic song such as “Operator,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Time In A Bottle,” “Photographs and Memories,” and so many more.
# 9 – Honky Château – Elton John
Elton John’s Honky Chateau was a transitional album from the legendary artist. Headed towards a more slick pop sound, the album presented fans with such nuggets as “Rocket Man, Honky Cat, Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters,” and other great tracks.
#Â 8 – Can’t Buy A Thrill – Steely Dan
Steely Dan’s great debut album unleashed the talents of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker into a rock and roll world that would fall in love with the group instantly. Who could forget the album’s standout tracks such as “Do It Again, Dirty Work and Reelin’ In the Years.” At the time we had no idea of the brilliant catalog of music soon to come from the band. Can anyone say Aja?
#Â 7 – Trilogy – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Trilogy was one of Emerson Lake & Palmer’s finest albums. It was the band’s third album release. Side one alone of this fantastic record put this one in our top 10. Standout tracks included “The Endless Enigma (Part 1) and Enigma (Part 2), ” From the Beginning” and “Hoedown.”
#Â 6 – Machine Head – Deep Purple
Deep Purple’s legendary record Machine Head was released in March of 1972. It stands as one of the greatest and most hard rock influential records ever released. The album included such Deep Purple classics as “Highway Star, Smoke On The Water” and “Space Truckin.”
#Â 5 – Harvest – Neil Young
Neil Young crossed so many genres on the great Harvest album defining the brilliance of the singer songwriter genre within the mergers of country, southern and rock styles. Standout tracks included the songs “Heart of Gold, Old Man, Alabama, and The Needle and the Damage Done.”
#Â 4 – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
David Bowie’s brilliant album officially titled The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was released in the spring of 1972. The album stands as one of David Bowie greatest musical achievements. David Bowie’s character of Ziggy Stardust defined a fascinating story delivered with such brilliant songs as “Starman, Ziggy Stardust, “Suffragette City, Five Years and Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide.”
#Â 3 – Eat A Peach – The Allman Brothers Band
As we move closer to the top spot on our 1972’s best classic rock albums list, we turn to one of our favorite bands of all time.The Allman Brothers Band album Eat A Peach was a landmark two record set release for the group. The album was a mix of live tracks from the Fillmore East concerts along with new studio recordings with and without Duane Allman. Standout tracks included “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Melissa, Blue Sky Little Martha,” and incredible live versions of “Mountain Jam,” and “One Way Out.”
#Â 2 – Close To The Edge – Yes
Many Yes fans will argue that the Close To The Edge album was Yes’s finest work. It was an incredible rock record that stands as one of the greatest progressive rock records ever released.
#Â 1 – Exile on Main St –Â The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones two record set Exile On Main Street is so good we don’t even know where to start in describing this record. It was The Rolling Stones’ tenth album. The record is clearly defined by most critics and fans as the Rolling Stones’ best work. Song after song, this one just blows you away. The big hits like “Tumbling Dice, Happy, Rips This Joint, Sweet Virginia,” and the deeper cuts like “Sweet Black Angel, Torn and Frayed,” and just about every other track on the album have been cherished among rock fans for five decades.
More Fantastic Classic Rock Albums Released in 1972
These are listed in chronological order in which they came out throughout the year
Best Rock Albums – January 1972
Blue Öyster Cult – Blue Öyster Cult
Paul Simon – Paul Simon
1+1 – Grin
Jackson Browne – Jackson Browne
Linda Ronstadt – Linda Ronstadt
Best Rock Albums – February 1972
Something/Anything? – Todd Rundgren
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Burgers – Hot Tuna
Fanny Hill – Fanny
Hellbound Train – Savoy Brown
Best Rock Albums – March 1972
Glitter – Gary Glitter
Music of My Mind – Stevie Wonder
Just Another Band from L.A. – Frank Zappa and The Mothers
Bare Trees – Fleetwood Mac
Bobby Whitlock – Bobby Whitlock
Pure Prairie League – Pure Prairie League
Roadwork – Edgar Winter’s White Trash
Smokin’ – Humble Pie
Best Rock Albums – April 1972
Rio Grande Mud –Â ZZ Top
Graham Nash David Crosby – Crosby & Nash
Manassas – Stephen Stills
Dr. John’s Gumbo – Dr John
Lou Reed – Lou Reed
Best Rock Albums – May 1972
Jeff Beck Group – Jeff Beck
Live in Europe – Rory GallagherÂ
Demons and Wizards – Uriah Heep
Wind of Change – Peter FramptonÂ
Live at Max’s Kansas City – The Velvet Underground
Sail Away – Randy Newman
Sailin’ Shoes – Little Feat
Best Rock Albums – June 1972
Some Time in New York City – John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Roxy Music – Roxy Music
Living in the Past – Jethro Tull
Number 1 Record – Big Star
School’s Out – Alice Cooper
Best Rock Albums – July 1972
Toulouse Street – The Doobie Brothers
Waka/Jawaka – Frank Zappa
Chicago V – Chicago
Son of Schmilsson – Harry Nilsson
Long John Silver – Jefferson Airplane
Never a Dull Moment – Rod Stewart
Foghat – Foghat
I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
Saint Dominic’s Preview – Van Morrison
Straight Shooter – James Gang
Best Rock Albums – August 1972
Rock of Ages – The Band
Rock of Ages – The Kinks
Back Stabbers – The O’Jays
Live at the Paramount – The Guess Who
Roy Buchanan – Roy Buchanan
Smokin’ O.P.’s – Bob Seger
Summer Breeze – Seals and Crofts
Best Rock Albums – September 1972
Phoenix – Grand Funk Railroad
Vol. 4 – Black Sabbath
Live Full House – The J. Geils Band
Below the Salt – Steeleye Span
Sandy –Â Sandy Denny
Best Rock Albums – October 1972
Talking Book – Stevie Wonder
Barnstorm – Joe Walsh
Bustin’ Out – Pure Prairie League
Clear Spot – Captain Beefheart
Lion’s Share – Savoy Brown
Loggins and Messina – Loggins and Messina
The London Chuck Berry Sessions – Chuck Berry
Passin’ Thru – James Gang
Rock & Roll Music to the World – Ten Years After
Stealers Wheel – Stealers Wheel
Who Came First – Pete Townshend
Best Rock Albums – November 1972
Europe ’72 – The Grateful Dead
Fresh – Raspberries
Homecoming – America
Seventh Sojourn – The Moody Blues
Ege Bamyasi – Can
For the Roses – Joni Mitchell
Joe Cocker – Joe Cocker
The Magician’s Birthday – Uriah Heep
No Secrets – Carly Simon
They Only Come Out at Night – Edgar Winter Group
Why Dontcha – West, Bruce and Laing
The World Is a Ghetto – War
Best Rock Albums – December 1972
Octopus – Gentle Giant
Piledriver – Status Quo
Made in Japan – Deep Purple
Updated May 8, 2023
1972’s Best Classic Rock Albums article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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