SSM

1972 was a monumental year for albums. From the The Rolling Stones to Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin to Big Star, there was an abundance of artists releasing career-defining and redefining music. Here we make our case for ten of the best.

In the twilight of the ’70s, as the shrapnel of the punk explosion was still settling, the movement was already inspiring new groups. As New Wave unfurled, the post-punk movement represented a tortured, even radical turn. From pioneers Joy Division and The Fall to current bands Shame and Fontaines D.C., here’s a close-up on the landmark albums that electrified the entire music world and continue to fascinate the rock’n’roll underground.

As the sales of the legendary Appetite For Destruction approach the 20 million copies in the United States, who remembers today that it almost never saw the light of day? Not only the bonds uniting Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler were fragile, but fate seemed set against this band which seemed to be slow to catch on to Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Cinderella or Dokken. This is almost as a kindness that David Geffen had accepted to welcome this homeless band on his label. He would not regret his altruism…