https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=65100&src=rssBack in the early 70's James Taylor was considered the leader of the Singer-Songwriter movement. Post-hippie era introspection was all the rage and Taylor was the gold standard, the voice of his generation, yada yada. Critics salivated over each new album and he sold truckloads. Everybody loved sweet baby James. There was just one problem with all that: Taylor was never particularly good. In fact, most of his shit was boring as hell. His most-acclaimed album, Sweet Baby James, did include three legitimately great songs ("Fire & Rain", "Country Road", and the title track). But the rest of it was dull and forgettable. I'll be generous and give it 3.5 stars on the strength of those three classics. But the bulk of his discography is an exercise in sterile, narcoleptic drudgery, peppered with a few embarrassingly whitebread covers of old soul tunes. So it's a damn crying shame to think about all the unfortunate listeners who might be dipping their feet into the 70's Singer-Songwriter waters for the first time and get scared/bored away from the genre when Taylor is the first artist they encounter. If this overrated snooze is the best there is, then why dig any deeper? Well, my friends, here are 60 reasons to dig deeper. Every album on this list is worth at least 4 stars IMO, which automatically makes them better than any James Taylor album. Sadly, 70's music magazines like Rolling Stone were too busy fellating Taylor every issue to even notice that these artists existed. So they floundered in relative obscurity while JT was taking coke-fueled yacht trips between mansions. Obviously, there were plenty of famous singer-songwriters back then who were also better than Taylor (Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Cat Stevens, etc). But for this list, I'm shining a light on the lesser-known ones. Some of the artists on this list may be well-known to seasoned BEA users, who might then quibble with describing them as "obscure". So here's how I'm defining "Obscure" for the purposes of this list: Any artist who never made the US Top 40 charts (singles or albums) and is virtually unknown to the vast majority of Americans. Some of the artists from other countries may be stars in their homeland, but they're cult figures at best in the US. Also, some of the artists on the list began their recording careers in the 60's. That's ok and shouldn't exclude them. As long as they never achieved mainstream success in any decade, their 70's albums are eligible. One album per artist. Updated by BorderFreeAndrew on 2024-12-08 16:45:02.60https://www.besteveralbums.com/resources.phphttps://www.besteveralbums.com/img/bealogo2.jpghttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=65100&src=rssWed, 11 Dec 2024 03:04:27 -0500https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=3774&src=rss6759478b3ddc9  1. No Other - Gene ClarkBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=22414&src=rss6759478b3de21  2. Red Hash - Gary HigginsBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=6713&src=rss6759478b3de54  3. Judee Sill - Judee SillBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=16778&src=rss6759478b3de84  4. Stormcock - Roy HarperBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=22173&src=rss6759478b3deb6  5. Songs For The Gentle Man - Bridget St. JohnBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=8182&src=rss6759478b3dee5  6. Bless The Weather - John MartynBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=13097&src=rss6759478b3df12  7. Cantigas Do Maio - José AfonsoBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=5927&src=rss6759478b3df3f  8. Parallelograms - Linda PerhacsBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=8028&src=rss6759478b3df6d  9. Marjory Razorblade - Kevin CoyneBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=11573&src=rss6759478b3df9a  10. Mediterráneo - Joan Manuel SerratBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=63004&src=rss6759478b3dfc7  11. Trout Steel - Mike CooperBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=13430&src=rss6759478b3dff4  12. El Derecho De Vivir En Paz - Víctor JaraBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=123837&src=rss6759478b3e022  13. Primordial Lovers - Essra MohawkBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=1311&src=rss6759478b3e04d  14. Cold Fact - RodriguezBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=72079&src=rss6759478b3e089  15. Greatest Hits - Phil OchsBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=22830&src=rss6759478b3e0b5  16. Dreaming With Alice - Mark FryBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=105840&src=rss6759478b3e0e2  17. Ageh Ye Rooz - Faramarz AslaniBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=40836&src=rss6759478b3e10d  18. Blue River - Eric AndersenBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=21501&src=rss6759478b3e138  19. Rosemary Lane - Bert JanschBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=123954&src=rss6759478b3e163  20. At Home - Lambert & NuttycombeBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=32632&src=rss6759478b3e18c  21. River - Terry ReidBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=15283&src=rss6759478b3e1b6  22. Previsão Do Tempo - Marcos ValleBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=20245&src=rss6759478b3e1e0  23. Time Of The Last Persecution - Bill FayBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=68702&src=rss6759478b3e20a  24. Es Lebe Der Zentralfriedhof - Wolfgang AmbrosBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=18091&src=rss6759478b3e240  25. Isle Of View - Jimmie SpheerisBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=22821&src=rss6759478b3e26a  26. Qualsevol Nit Pot Sortir El Sol - SisaBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=26520&src=rss6759478b3e293  27. Fully Qualified Survivor - Michael ChapmanBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=54428&src=rss6759478b3e2be  28. Stargazer - Shelagh McDonaldBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=8282&src=rss6759478b3e2e9  29. Lô Borges - Lô BorgesBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=96073&src=rss6759478b3e314  30. But That Is Me - Mandy MoreBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=35068&src=rss6759478b3e33f  31. Francesco De Gregori - Francesco De GregoriBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=52122&src=rss6759478b3e369  32. Album - Dave EllisBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=42337&src=rss6759478b3e393  33. Sold American - Kinky FriedmanBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=73927&src=rss6759478b3e3bd  34. Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda - HyldonBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=82932&src=rss6759478b3e3e7  35. Outlander - Meic StevensBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=18428&src=rss6759478b3e411  36. Værsgo - Kim LarsenBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=93885&src=rss6759478b3e43a  37. Coast To Coast Fever - David WiffenBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=6711&src=rss6759478b3e47d  38. Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Kate & Anna McGarrigleBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=56008&src=rss6759478b3e4a8  39. Aspettando Godot - Claudio LolliBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=162595&src=rss6759478b3e4d3  40. Bat Hiru - Mikel LaboaBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=178005&src=rss6759478b3e510  41. Steve Goodman - Steve GoodmanBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=42488&src=rss6759478b3e53b  42. Way Out West - Mary McCaslinBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=41306&src=rss6759478b3e566  43. Benimle Oynar Mısın - Bülent OrtaçgilBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=56030&src=rss6759478b3e590  44. Piero Ciampi - Piero CiampiBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=10280&src=rss6759478b3e5ba  45. Tom Rush (1970) - Tom RushBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=98965&src=rss6759478b3e5e4  46. Here In The Land Of Victory - Rex HolmanBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=65873&src=rss6759478b3e60d  47. Willis Alan Ramsey - Willis Alan RamseyBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=105071&src=rss6759478b3e637  48. Rito - Luis Eduardo AuteBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=142755&src=rss6759478b3e660  49. Andy Pratt - Andy PrattBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=144830&src=rss6759478b3e68a  50. Day Breaks - John WonderlingBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=104701&src=rss6759478b3e6b4  51. Upon Velveatur - Roger RodierBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=20255&src=rss6759478b3e6de  52. Into Your Ears - Pete DelloBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=88147&src=rss6759478b3e706  53. The Legendary Me - Wizz JonesBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=85518&src=rss6759478b3e72e  54. Wil Malone - Wil MaloneBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=58832&src=rss6759478b3e757  55. Mateo Solo Bien Se Lame - Eduardo MateoBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=86516&src=rss6759478b3e77f  56. What A Beautiful Place - Catherine HoweBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=177522&src=rss6759478b3e7c1  57. Liebeslied - Jordi SolerBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=28908&src=rss6759478b3e7ec  58. Two Weeks Last Summer - Dave CousinsBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=123838&src=rss6759478b3e817  59. Beware Of The Beautiful Stranger - Pete AtkinBuy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMThttps://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=135267&src=rss6759478b3e84d  60. Stories - David Blue (1970s)Buy now View this chart on BestEverAlbums.com: 60 Best Obscure Singer-Songwriter Albums from the 70's]]>Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:29:11 GMT