Ever wonder if popular music is better today than it was, say, 40 years ago? Frankly, it isn't. Even with Gangnam style, it's hard to imagine this year producing so many recordings as important as the best of 1972.

The melting pot location between the north and south partly explains the appreciation running deep among local music fans for Southern-style rock. Little Feat -- with its mix of blues, country, rock and Cajun -- is one of several '70s bands that have kept St. Louis entertained for 40 years.