Classic rock will always be a legendary genre, and the 1970s were a pretty hefty decade for that very genre. So many amazing pieces of work were released that decade, particularly in the early years, and some of those long-enduring albums prove that the 70s were the very best years for rock music. Let’s look at a handful of killer classic rock albums from 1972, specifically, that are just too good to ever get old.
‘Eat A Peach’ by The Allman Brothers Band
Remember this Allman Brothers Band gem from early 1972? This Southern rock blues album followed the band’s legendary live breakthrough album, At Fillmore East, in 1971. It was an amazing follow-up, to say the least. And it’s a haunting piece of work, too. Eat A Peach would be the last album to feature Duane Allman’s stunning lead and slide guitar work, as he would tragically die in a motorcycle accident just months ahead of the album’s release. Bittersweetness aside, Eat A Peach is a stellar piece of work that peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in 1972.
Videos by American Songwriter
‘Exile On Main St.’ by The Rolling Stones
This one’s an obvious shoo-in. Many would say that Exile On Main St., released in the summer of 1972, is one of The Rolling Stones’ best records. That’s debatable, considering it’s sandwiched between two legendary records, Sticky Fingers and Goats Head Soup. But one can’t deny that this hard rock record is one of the most memorable albums of the 20th century. Exile On Main St. features a few of The Stones’ most memorable hits, such as “Tumbling Dice”.
‘Harvest’ by Neil Young
The 1970s were the era of folk rock, and few folk rock records have stood the test of time quite like Neil Young’s early 1972 release, Harvest. Few Young releases have endured through the years like this one, but listeners in the early 1970s recognized its appeal from the get-go. Harvest peaked at No. 1 on the UK Albums chart, the Billboard 200, and a number of other US and international charts. “Harvest” and “Heart Of Gold” are a few standout singles, but the whole of this record is essential listening.
‘The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’ by David Bowie
There’s no way I’d leave this artsy David Bowie offering off our list of legendary classic rock albums from 1972. This glam rock record was ahead of its time in an amazing way, and listeners at the time got just a small taste of what Bowie was capable of creatively. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars was a Top 10 hit in the UK. And after Bowie’s passing in 2016, the album reached No. 21 on the Billboard 200 in the US.
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns