So much incredible music came out in the rock genre in the year 1972, and many of those killer songs remain way too underrated for my liking. Let’s look at a few amazing jams from that year that deserve a lot more love, considering they sound even better today than they did way back in 1972.
“Ventilator Blues” by The Rolling Stones
This song did have its time in the spotlight. It’s a deep cut often referenced by diehard Rolling Stones fans. However, this gritty, blues-driven rock tune from the legendary Exile On Main St. gets heavily overshadowed by the album’s singles, like “Tumbling Dice” or “Happy”. Written by Mick Taylor and Mick Jagger with Keith Richards, “Ventilator Blues” is a fine little blues arrangement that deserves a lot more love today.
Videos by American Songwriter
“30 Days In The Hole” by Humble Pie
I think Humble Pie is one of the most underrated rock outfits of the 1970s, but they weren’t totally obscure. They were actually quite successful. Albums like Smokin’ from 1972 and Eat It from 1973 reached the Top 20 in the US. From that first album came the track “30 Days In The Hole”, a top-notch album-oriented rock song that actually didn’t chart at all when it was first released back in 1972. This blues rock classic didn’t get a ton of airplay. But in the years that followed, “30 Days In The Hole” got a bit more love on classic rock radio. And even with all that retrospective love, I still think this hard rock tune is underrated. Even with all the drug references. Now that I mention it, I can see why radio stations weren’t clamoring to air this one back in the 70s…
“Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll” by Blue Öyster Cult
Heavy metal was in its infancy back in 1972. And this underrated rock classic from Blue Öyster Cult could be seen as one of the first anthems that fit the metal genre’s definition. “Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll” also has some blues elements. I think that makes this unique song stand out even more. And against a killed instrumental backdrop, Albert Bouchard screeches about nuclear war and destruction. It doesn’t get more metal than that.
Photo by Joe Bangay/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images