Best Albums of 1972

Explore the best albums of 1972, based on over 2 million album rankings across 61,000 chartsHelp Click to see how the rankings are calculated . Last updated: 2 hours ago
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1972 year summaryThe best artists of 1972 were David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Nick Drake, Yes, Neil Young, Lou Reed, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Can and Genesis.
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"Was never a huge Bowie fan until hearing this record. It completely changed my opinion on him as a whole, I will probably do some more listening soon. Incredibly consistent album full of glorious 70's Rock. I enjoyed every second of it. Nothing negative I can really say. Killer record."  Reply
- xMUSICSNOBx | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 7 Help A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
40,520
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Top rated album (90/100 - 3601 votes)  90 (3,601 votes)
Comments:
"Up there in my top 5 albums of all time. Didn’t think much of it when it was first released surprisingly! It grew on me and I now think it’s The Stones best ever album. It’s got a groove of its own and they have struggled and failed to match it since. Not for everyone, but I love it."  Reply
- Nowhereman1965 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 8 Help A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1972
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Rank Score:
18,209
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Top rated album (85/100 - 2381 votes)  85 (2,381 votes)
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Year of Release:
1972
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Rank Score:
16,604
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Top rated album (86/100 - 1880 votes)  86 (1,880 votes)
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""Close To The Edge" (the song) is one of the best pieces of music ever written since humanity began to sing. It truly is an awesome piece of songwriting. Eclecticism and Simplicity go hand in hand beautifully and the tones and texture expand over such a wide, wide range featuring thick church org..."    Reply
- Wazzup | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 8 Help A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1972
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Rank Score:
13,441
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Top rated album (85/100 - 1504 votes)  85 (1,504 votes)
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"Addition to my previous comment: not only does this feel lazy but it feels like a retread. Alabama is basically Southern Man but less impactful and developed. Other songs try to hit the heights of After the Gold Rush and end up being nothing songs. Are You Ready For the Country is completely forg..."    Reply
- babyBlueSedan | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 4 Help A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,589
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Average Rating:
Top rated album (85/100 - 1763 votes)  85 (1,763 votes)
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"An absolute classic, an essential seventies album. Lou Reed always had a pop mentality even in his most inaccessible moments, and, transformer, with production help from David Bowie, helps to mold Reed's songs into a tight rock/pop album. It's full of that camp seventies New York attitude, and fe..."    Reply
- garycottier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 2 Help A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1972
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Rank Score:
9,250
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Year of Release:
1972
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Rank Score:
6,247
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Year of Release:
1972
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Rank Score:
5,059
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"A very interesting example of the prog-rock genre. Developing a theme throughout two sides, with some flashes of brilliance as the album plateaus towards the end of side one. Somehow much more engaging and interesting than other long prog pieces."  Reply
- Highhopes | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 5 Help A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,839
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"The album that proved that Genesis would be prog masters. Everything gels together so well here. There's hardly a moment where you're uninterested. Watcher of the Skies is a perfect opener and a contender for Genesis' best song, and of course Supper's Ready is fantastic as well. Get 'Em Out by Fr..."    Reply
- MetaKoopa99 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) · 4 Help A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,723
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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 1972 composition

Best Albums of 1972 chart changes

Biggest climbersHelp Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month
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Faller Down 3 from 59th to 62nd
Faller Down 2 from 61st to 63rd
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New entry Up 18 from 108th to 90th