Best Albums of the 1970s

« View best albums of the 1960sView best albums of the 1980s »

Listed below are the best albums of the 1970s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 53,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

1970s decade summary

Year	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts.	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year)	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.
1970	2,041	259,360	Paranoid (54th)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,141	328,421	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,179	259,736	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,067	266,165	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	1,954	139,416	Red (143rd)by King Crimson
1975	2,109	225,574	Wish You Were Here (7th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,102	149,924	Songs In The Key Of Life (86th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,118	255,697	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,166	145,568	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (206th)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,097	212,449	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	20,974	2,242,312

The best artists of the 1970s were Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, The Who and Genesis.

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31.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,237 charts

Rank Score:

13,050

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

108

Average Rating:

84 (1,491 votes)

Comments:

32.

Safe Mode: On

Houses Of The Holy

Led Zeppelin

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

1,296 charts

Rank Score:

12,847

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

110

Average Rating:

85 (2,003 votes)

Comments:

116

33.

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

978 charts

Rank Score:

11,737

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

124

Average Rating:

84 (1,245 votes)

Comments:

34.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

1,343 charts

Rank Score:

11,716

Rank in 1977:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

35.

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,211 charts

Rank Score:

11,030

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

137

Average Rating:

83 (1,511 votes)

Comments:

36.

Red

King Crimson

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

842 charts

Rank Score:

10,547

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

143

Average Rating:

86 (1,061 votes)

Comments:

37.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,071 charts

Rank Score:

10,369

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

145

Average Rating:

83 (1,382 votes)

Comments:

128

38.

Meddle

Pink Floyd

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

1,090 charts

Rank Score:

10,311

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

39.

Can

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

905 charts

Rank Score:

10,275

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

148

Average Rating:

83 (1,021 votes)

Comments:

40.

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

928 charts

Rank Score:

10,177

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

151

Average Rating:

84 (1,157 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	107	11%
1971	100	10%
1972	102	10%
1973	108	11%
1974	99	10%
1975	98	10%
1976	90	9%
1977	89	9%
1978	109	11%
1979	98	10%

Artist	Albums	%

David Bowie	12	1%
Genesis	10	1%
Jethro Tull	9	1%
Wishbone Ash	8	1%
Miles Davis	8	1%
Joni Mitchell	8	1%
Electric Light Orchestra	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	387	39%
	370	37%
	43	4%
	37	4%
	37	4%
	24	2%
	20	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	974	97%
Yes	26	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	939	94%
Yes	61	6%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

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