Album of the Day

Genesis' fourth studio set, FOXTROT, did much to raise the progressive rockers' profile – it became their first album to chart in the U.K. and secured their first show in the U.S. (on this day in 1972). While the whimsical tone of past releases is still present, it's bolstered by the band's most forceful and focused playing yet. From punchy opener “Watcher of the Skies” to the near-side-long “Supper's Ready” closing suite, this ambitious collection touches on sci-fi, mythology, English history and social commentary with some of Peter Gabriel's most imaginative lyrics. Allmusic rightly said of FOXTROT “This is the rare art-rock album that excels at both the art and the rock, and it's a pinnacle of the genre (and decade) because of it.”