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	2,033	259,358	Paranoid (56th)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,129	329,149	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,157	259,536	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,056	266,663	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	1,941	139,246	Red (144th)by King Crimson
1975	2,101	226,405	Wish You Were Here (8th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,089	150,543	Songs In The Key Of Life (86th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,104	256,250	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,140	145,347	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (202nd)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,069	212,839	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	20,819	2,245,334

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.

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

1,145 charts

Rank Score:

12,915

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

111

Average Rating:

86 (1,277 votes)

Comments:

32.

Safe Mode: On

Houses Of The Holy

Led Zeppelin

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

1,294 charts

Rank Score:

12,887

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

112

Average Rating:

85 (1,997 votes)

Comments:

116

33.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

1,344 charts

Rank Score:

11,826

Rank in 1977:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

126

Average Rating:

80 (1,817 votes)

Comments:

145

34.

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

974 charts

Rank Score:

11,647

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

127

Average Rating:

84 (1,238 votes)

Comments:

35.

Transformer

Lou Reed

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,211 charts

Rank Score:

11,200

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

136

Average Rating:

83 (1,507 votes)

Comments:

36.

Red

King Crimson

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

837 charts

Rank Score:

10,431

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

144

Average Rating:

86 (1,052 votes)

Comments:

37.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,067 charts

Rank Score:

10,331

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

146

Average Rating:

83 (1,379 votes)

Comments:

128

38.

Meddle

Pink Floyd

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

1,089 charts

Rank Score:

10,248

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

39.

Can

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

902 charts

Rank Score:

10,220

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

152

Average Rating:

83 (1,018 votes)

Comments:

40.

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

927 charts

Rank Score:

10,150

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

155

Average Rating:

84 (1,152 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	101	10%
1972	100	10%
1973	108	11%
1974	97	10%
1975	99	10%
1976	93	9%
1977	91	9%
1978	105	11%
1979	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

David Bowie	11	1%
Genesis	10	1%
Jethro Tull	9	1%
Joni Mitchell	8	1%
Pink Floyd	8	1%
AC/DC	8	1%
Yes	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	387	39%
	372	37%
	42	4%
	38	4%
	36	4%
	25	3%
	21	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	973	97%
Yes	27	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	941	94%
Yes	59	6%

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

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