5 Top Records From 1972 That Never Get Old, No Matter How Many Times I Listen

The early 1970s were some of the most fruitful and enduring years for classic rock and its acoustic-driven subgenre, folk-rock. I know this because I’ve listened to these five top records from 1972 thousands of times, and they’ve never gotten old, no matter how many times I listen.

“Superstition” by Stevie Wonder

Who would ever tire of this ultra-funky clavinet solo? Once every blue moon, a specific tone and a particular groove come together to create a pocket so tight, you can’t help but twist your face in reverent disgust at just how funky a song is. “Superstition”, which Stevie Wonder released on his fifteenth studio album, Talking Book, is absolutely one of those tracks that maintains its freshness over countless listens.

“Anticipation” by Carly Simon

If I’m being honest with myself and you, dear reader, it’s that I can only listen to Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” so many times before I have to take a break, much like she needed to take from the antagonist behind this timeless but overplayed song. Other tracks, like her 1972 hit “Anticipation”, however, don’t rub me in the same wrong way. In fact, I can listen to it hundreds of times, and it never gets old.

“Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)” by The Hollies

I’ve never considered myself to be a big Hollies fan, but I am definitely a massive fan of one particular top record from 1972: “Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)”. From Allan Clarke’s distinctive vocal delivery á la John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival to Bernie Calvert holding it down on the bass, this track has the kind of groove—and storyline—that never gets old. 

“Old Man” by Neil Young

The further away I get from 24 years old, the more my perspective on Neil Young’s line, “Twenty-four, and there’s so much more,” changes. That’s part of what makes this 1972 top record so incredible. Whether you identify more closely with the first-person narrator or the titular old man, Young’s words ring heavy and true as ever.

“Vincent” by Don McLean

Finally, wrapping up my personal list of top records from 1972 that never, ever get old is one that tugs at my heartstrings each and every time I listen: “Vincent” by Don McLean. The emotional plight of the sensitive artist is a delicate topic to discuss without sounding querulous, but McLean pulls it off beautifully.

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