25 Under the Radar Albums From 1972

It’s not hard to find classic albums that were released in 1972. After all, it’s one of the all-time greatest years for popular music. During those 12 months, David Bowie broke through with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Lou Reed made his greatest solo statement, Transformer. The Rolling Stones defended their title and then some with Exile on Main St. Meanwhile, Neil Young and Stevie Wonder grew as artists – with Harvest and Talking Book, respectively – as they were given the freedom to explore new paths on record.

But rippling below those essential records – and let’s not forget LPs by Deep Purple, Nick Drake, Curtis Mayfield and Roxy Music – are some lesser-known works that didn’t sell millions of copies or hit the upper parts of the charts. Some are unquestionably adored by fans, some have even achieved cult status over the years. (And can you call an LP that hit No. 1, albeit in the U.K., unknown?) Still, all of the records in our below list of 25 Under the Radar Albums From 1972 have one thing in common: They deserve to be heard.

You’ve listened to the essential records by Bowie, the Stones, et al. hundreds of times; now it’s time to go deeper. We’ve scoured the music landscape of 1972 – pop, prog, soul, folk, R&B, Afrobeat and, of course, plenty of rock – to uncover more than two dozen albums that deserve a place on the shelf next to #1 Record and Can’t Buy a Thrill.