January 1972: Jackson Browne Debuts with JACKSON BROWNE

Jackson Browne had already built quite the impressive resume by the time he signed with Asylum Records to release his debut album. The young singer-songwriter had already spent time as a member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which he joined soon after graduating from high school. His songwriting prowess found Browne penning tunes for the likes of Linda Ronstadt, the Byrds, and Eagles.

So anticipation was high when Browne delivered his self-titled first LP in January 1972. Rolling Stone was fast to heap praise on the emerging artist: "It’s not often that a single album is sufficient to place a new performer among the first rank of recording artists," gushed the record review. "Jackson Browne’s long-awaited debut album chimes in its author with the resounding authority of an Astral Weeks, a Gasoline Alley, or an After the Gold Rush."

Jackson Browne made a solid chart run for a debut, peaking at #53 on the Billboard 200 for the week of May 28, 1972. The #1 album in the country that week: Roberta Flack's debut, First Take. It was Jackson Browne's lead single, "Doctor, My Eyes," that introduced the new artist to the mainstream. A radio hit, the song peaked at #8 for the week of May 7, 1972. America's top tune that week: Roberta Flack with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."

While Browne's follow-up single, "Rock Me on the Water," only made it to #48 on the Hot 100, the impact of this new singer-songwriter had already been well impressed on the world of music. Jackson Browne had arrived, and was a force to be reckoned with.