Top Albums of 1972
Rank▼ All Time Rank▼ Artist▼ Album▼ Genres▼
1
10
 The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. Blues Rock
2
19
 David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Glam Rock, Pop Rock
3
99
 Lou Reed Transformer Glam Rock, Pop Rock
4
102
 Neil Young Harvest Country Rock, Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter
5
146
 Stevie Wonder Talking Book Soul
6
174
 Curtis Mayfield Superfly Chicago Soul, Film Soundtrack, Funk
7
277
 Roxy Music Roxy Music Art Rock, Glam Rock
8
301
 Nick Drake Pink Moon Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter
9
337
 Deep Purple Machine Head Hard Rock
10
391
 Todd Rundgren Something/Anything? Power Pop, Singer/Songwriter
11
415
 Randy Newman Sail Away Singer/Songwriter
12
480
 Big Star #1 Record Power Pop
13
557
 Steely Dan Can't Buy a Thrill Pop Rock
14
567
 Deep Purple Made in Japan Hard Rock
15
583
 Yes Close to the Edge Symphonic Prog
16
586
 Neu! Neu! Krautrock
17
644
 Can Ege Bamyasi Krautrock
18
658
 The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Will the Circle Be Unbroken Bluegrass
19
660
 Al Green I'm Still in Love with You Southern Soul
20
689
 Al Green Let's Stay Together Smooth Soul, Southern Soul
21
749
 Paul Simon Paul Simon Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter
22
825
 Little Feat Sailin' Shoes Boogie Rock, Southern Rock
23
828
 T. Rex The Slider Glam Rock
24
841
 Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band Clear Spot Art Rock, Blues Rock
25
950
 Van Morrison Saint Dominic's Preview Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter
26
959
 Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace Gospel, Southern Soul
27
1057
 The O'Jays Back Stabbers Philly Soul
28
1176
 The Allman Brothers Band Eat a Peach Blues Rock, Jam Band, Southern Rock
29
1197
 Mott the Hoople All the Young Dudes Glam Rock
30
1200
 Black Sabbath Vol. 4 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
31
1206
 Miles Davis On the Corner Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Funk
32
1239
 Stevie Wonder Music of My Mind Funk, Soul
33
1296
 Genesis Foxtrot Progressive Rock
34
1347
 Chick Corea Return to Forever Jazz Fusion
35
1348
 Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges Clube da esquina MPB
36
1375
 Tim Buckley Greetings from L.A. Funk Rock, Singer/Songwriter
37
1437
 Jackson Browne Jackson Browne (Saturate Before Using) Singer/Songwriter
38
1452
 Joni Mitchell For the Roses Folk Pop, Singer/Songwriter
39
1493
 Faust So Far Krautrock
40
1523
 Elton John Honky Chateau Piano Rock
41
1583
 Jethro Tull Thick As a Brick Progressive Rock
42
1646
 Donny Hathaway Live Deep Soul
43
1697
 Alice Cooper School's Out Glam Rock, Hard Rock
44
1745
 Big Youth Screaming Target Deejay, Roots Reggae
45
1755
 Santana Caravanserai Jazz-Rock, Latin Rock
46
1798
 Aretha Franklin Young, Gifted and Black Deep Soul, Smooth Soul
47
1832
 The Temptations All Directions Psychedelic Soul
48
1979
 Dr. John Dr. John's Gumbo New Orleans R&B
49
2010
 War The World Is a Ghetto Funk, Soul
50
2017
 Hawkwind Doremi Fasol Latido Space Rock
51
2041
 Wishbone Ash Argus Hard Rock, Progressive Rock
52
2060
 PFM Storia di un Minuto Symphonic Prog
53
2073
 The Band Rock of Ages Folk Rock, Roots Rock
54
2076
 J.J. Cale Naturally Americana, Blues Rock, Country Rock
55
2082
 Ton Steine Scherben Keine Macht für Niemand Deutschrock
56
2137
 Rory Gallagher Live! In Europe Blues Rock
57
2197
 David Ackles American Gothic Americana, Singer/Songwriter
58
2203
 Bill Withers Still Bill Soul
59
2223
 Stephen Stills Manassas Country Rock, Folk Rock
60
2254
 Caetano Veloso Transa MPB, Singer/Songwriter
61
2259
 Eagles Eagles Country Rock
62
2323
 Charles Mingus Let My Children Hear Music Experimental Big Band, Third Stream
63
2393
 Bonnie Raitt Give It Up Blues Rock, Singer/Songwriter
64
2402
 Terry Callier What Color Is Love Chicago Soul
65
2480
 Townes Van Zandt The Late Great Townes Van Zandt Country, Singer/Songwriter
66
2596
 Ornette Coleman Science Fiction Free Jazz
67
2600
 Weather Report I Sing the Body Electric Jazz Fusion
68
2756
 Jimmie Dale & The Flatlanders All American Music/More a Legend Than a Band Country
69
2803
 Ash Ra Tempel Schwingungen Krautrock, Psychedelic Rock
70
2804
 Marvin Gaye Trouble Man Film Soundtrack, Soul
71
2860
 Matching Mole Matching Mole Canterbury Scene
72
2872
 Os Novos Baianos Acabou Chorare MPB, Samba
73
2902
 Captain Beefheart The Spotlight Kid Blues Rock, Experimental Rock
74
2933
 Grateful Dead Europe '72 Jam Band, Psychedelic Rock
75
2996
 John Cale The Academy in Peril Experimental, Modern Classical
76
2997
 Gilberto Gil Expresso 2222 Tropicália

Albums "bubbling under" the all-time top 3000:
Bette Midler The Divine Miss M Pop
Rod Stewart Never a Dull Moment Pop Rock
Kevin Ayers Whatevershebringswesing Art Rock, Canterbury Scene
Klaus Schulze Irrlicht Progressive Electronic, Space Ambient
Van Dyke Parks Discover America Art Pop, Calypso
McCoy Tyner Sahara Post-Bop
Sandy Denny Sandy British Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Carmen McRae The Great American Songbook Vocal Jazz
Popol Vuh Hosianna Mantra Neoclassical New Age
Aphrodite's Child 666 Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Emerson, Lake & Palmer Trilogy Symphonic Prog
Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult Hard Rock
Fela Kuti Roforofo Fight Afrobeat
Rahsaan Roland Kirk Blacknuss Soul Jazz
Julius Hemphill Dogon A.D. Free Jazz
Bread Baby I'm-A Want You Soft Rock
Slade Slade Alive! Glam Rock, Hard Rock
Tangerine Dream Zeit Progressive Electronic, Space Ambient
Bobby Charles Bobby Charles Singer/Songwriter
Slade Slayed? Glam Rock, Hard Rock
Carly Simon No Secrets Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock
The Belmonts Cigars, Acappella, Candy Doo-Wop
Francesco Guccini Radici Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter
The Staple Singers Be Altitude: Respect Yourself Southern Soul
Larry Norman Only Visiting This Planet Christian Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Pharoah Sanders Black Unity Free Jazz, Spiritual Jazz
Ornette Coleman Skies of America Avant-Garde Jazz, Modern Classical, Third Stream
Manfred Mann's Earth Band Manfred Mann's Earth Band Progressive Rock
Cat Stevens Catch Bull at Four Folk Pop, Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Ry Cooder Into the Purple Valley Americana, Country Rock, Folk Rock
The Stylistics Round 2 Smooth Soul
Eric Andersen Blue River Contemporary Folk, Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter
American Spring Spring/American Spring Baroque Pop, Sunshine Pop
Michael Nesmith And the Hits Just Keep On Comin' Country, Singer/Songwriter
The Crusaders Crusaders 1 Jazz-Funk
Mellow Candle Swaddling Songs Folk Rock, Progressive Folk
Paul Winter / Winter Consort Icarus Jazz Fusion
The Mothers The Grand Wazoo Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Rock
Jorge Ben Ben MPB, Samba-Rock
McCoy Tyner Echoes of a Friend Avant-Garde Jazz
Elvis Presley He Touched Me Gospel, Pop
Leo Kottke Greenhouse American Primitivism
Frank Zappa Waka/Jawaka Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Rock