1972 in heavy metal music

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal music in the year 1972.

Bands formed

 * Baumstam
 * Beck, Bogert & Appice
 * Bleak House
 * Bonfire (as Cacumen)
 * Frankenstein
 * Geordie (featuring Brian Johnson on vocals)
 * The Handsome Beasts
 * Heavy Metal Kids (featuring Gary Holton on vocals)
 * Jerusalem
 * Magnum
 * Mother's Finest
 * Petra
 * Poobah
 * Pop Mašina
 * Progresiv TM
 * Resurrection Band
 * Tarkus
 * Tempest
 * The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
 * Styx
 * The Tubes
 * Twisted Sister (as Silver Star)
 * Urchin
 * Van Halen (as Genesis, later Mammoth)
 * West, Bruce and Laing

Bands reformed

 * The Stooges

Bands disbanded

 * Cactus
 * Creedence Clearwater Revival
 * MC5 (reformed in 1974)
 * Steppenwolf (reformed in 1974)
 * The Jeff Beck Group
 * Van der Graaf Generator (reformed in 1975)

Albums

 * Bang – Bang
 * Night Sun – Mournin'
 * Warpig – Warpig