McQ's Favorite Albums Of 1972

From January 2022 through December 2023 - McQ's Best Of will be reassessing and reranking the most celebrated releases of 1972. 

Black Sabbath's solid but more workmanlike than inspired Volume 4 is the latest addition to our rankings.

Highest Recommends

1. Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones
2. The Harder The Come - Original Soundtrack
3. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie
4. Transformer - Lou Reed

5. Saint Dominic's Preview - Van Morrison

6. Can't Buy A Thrill - Steely Dan

7. Sail Away - Randy Newman

8. All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople

Strong Recommends

9. #1 Record - Big Star

10. Talking Book - Stevie Wonder
11. So Far - Faust

12. Clear Spot - Captain Beefheart

13. Gumbo - Dr. John

14. Pink Moon - Nick Drake

15. Harvest - Neil Young

16. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield

17. Something/Anything - Todd Rundgren

18. Blacknuss - Rashaan Roland Kirk

19. Slayed? - Slade

20. Machine Head - Deep Purple

21. Back Stabbers - The O'Jays

22. Rock Of Ages - The Band
23. Will The Circle Be Unbroken - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

24. Eat A Peach - The Allman Brothers

25. Let's Stay Together - Al Green

26. Give It Up - Bonnie Rait

Solid Recommends

27. I'm Still In Love With You - Al Green

28. Jackson Browne (Saturate Before Using)

29. On The Corner - Miles Davis

30. Ege Bamyasi - CAN

31. Neu!

32. Thick As A Brick - Jethro Tull

33. Manassas - Stephen Stills

34. Close To The Edge - Yes

35. The Slider - T Rex

36. Caravanserai - Santana

37. The World Is A Ghetto - War

38. School's Out - Alice Cooper

39. Roxy Music

40. Never A Dull Moment - Rod Stewart

41. Sailin' Shoes - Little Feat

42. Volume 4 - Black Sabbath

43. Foxtrot - Genesis

44. Hosianna Mantra - Popol Vuh

45. Made In Japan - Deep Purple

46. Honky Chateau - Elton John

47. Sahara - McCoy Tyner

48. Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Mild Recommends

49. The Complete Science Fiction Sessions - Ornette Coleman

50. Blue Oyster Cult

51. Trilogy - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

52. Paul Simon

53. The Spotlight Kid - Captain Beefheart.

54. Screaming Target - Big Youth

55. He Touched Me - Elvis Presley

1972 Albums Of Critical Note I've Yet To Process In Full

666 - Aphrodite's Child
Acabou Chorare - Os Novos Balanos
All Directions - The Temptations

Amazing Grace - Aretha Franklin
American Gothic - David Ackles

And The Hits Just Keep On Comin' - Michael Nesmith
Argus - Wishbone Ash

Baby I'm-a Want You - Bread

Be Altitude:Respect Yourself - The Staples Singers
Birds Of Fire - The Mahayishnu Orchestra

Black Unity - Pharoah Sanders

Blue River - Eric Anderson

Bobby Charles

Catch Bull At Four - Cat Stevens

Cigars, Acappella, Candy - The Belmonts
Clube da esquina - Milton Nascimento And Lo Borges

Crusaders 1 - Crusaders
Discover America - Van Dyke Parks
Doremi Faso Latido - Hawkwind

Eagles

Echoes Of A Friend - McCoy Tyner
Europe '72 - The Grateful Dead
Expresso 2222 - Gilberto Gil
For The Roses - Joni Mitchell
Greetings From L.A. - Tim Buckley

He Touched Me - Elvis Presley

I Sing The Body Electric - Weather Report
I'm Still In Love With You - Al Green

Into The Purple Valley - Ry Cooder
Irrlicht - Klaus Schulze

Only Visiting This Planet - Larry Norman
Keine Macht Fur Neimand - Tom Steine Scherben
Let My Children Hear Music - Charles Mingus
Live - Donny Hathaway
Live! In Europe - Rory Gallagher

Matching Mole
Music Of My Mind - Stevie Wonder
Naturally - J.J. Cale

No Secrets - Carly Simon
On The Corner - Miles Davis

Return To Forever - Chick Corea

Roforofo Fight - Fela Kuti

Round 2 - The Sylistics

Sandy - Sandy Denny
Schwingungen - Ash Ra Tempel
Science Fiction - Ornette Coleman

Skies Of America - Ornette Coleman

Slade Alive! - Slade

Still Bill - Bill Withers
Storio di un Minuto - PFM

The Academy In Peril - John Cale

The Divine Miss M - Bette Midler

The Grand Wazoo - Frank Zappa

The Great American Songbook - Carmen McRae
The Late Great Towns Van Zandt

Transa - Caetano Veloso

Trouble Man - Marvin Gaye

Waka/Jawaka - Frank Zappa
What Color Is Love - Terry Callier
Whatevershebringswesing - Kevin Ayers

Winter Concert - Icarus - Paul Winter
Young, Gifted, And Black - Aretha Franklin

Zeit - Tangerine Dream

Last Updated 05.06.23