On This Day in 1972, a Legendary Classic Rock Band Called It Quits After Just Four Years of Hit Songs

Creedence Clearwater Revival announced their break-up on 16 October 1972, following the poor reception of their final studio album, *Mardi Gras*. The split ended a remarkable run in which the band became one of America’s most popular rock acts, releasing seven albums and a string of enduring hits in just four years on the national stage.

The band’s roots stretched back to 1959, and they adopted the CCR name in 1968. John Fogerty wrote and sang the group’s best-known songs, but his brother Tom left in 1971 after disagreements over creative control. For *Mardi Gras*, Fogerty required Stu Cook and Doug Clifford to each contribute a third of the songs; the album missed the top 10, drew mostly negative reviews and yielded only one top-10 single, “Sweet Hitch-Hiker”. Fogerty told Cook in October 1972 that he was quitting, and Cook said he had had enough too.