Nomad

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.

Pink Floyd's ground-breaking album The Dark Side of the Moon was the result of a long creative process that began around 1968. A Saucerful of Secrets (the main track from the eponymous album) was, for Nick Mason at least, where it all began. Their next album Ummagumma (1969) gave each band member the opportunity to create a solo piece, though they would have to combine their talents if they wanted to hit the jackpot. Pink Floyd continued to search for the perfect record with Meddle, an album which highlighted their skills in the studio, and Atom Heart Mother, before they reached nirvana with The Dark Side of the Moon. And the album’s perfection hasn’t faded one bit.

Having sold 125 million albums across the globe, including some 30 million copies of their “Black Album”, Metallica is among the unlikeliest of pop sensations to come out of the last half-century. So how did a heavy metal band with such a convoluted song structure end up on par with music from the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson? By following their instincts and sheer determination. Let’s return to the roots of the most famous heavy metal band in history.