A Passion Play
by Jethro Tull

A Passion Play by Jethro Tull
Year: 1973
Release date: 1973-07-06
Overall rank: 3,986th   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 210 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1973 (70th)
Award Top albums of the 1970s (668th)
Award Best albums of all time (3,986th)

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Product Details
Availability

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Jethro Tull : A Passion Play CD
Condition: Very Good


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Jethro Tull - A Passion Play (An Extended Performance) 2xCD 2xDVD Digibook 2014
Condition: Like New


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A Passion Play (Steven Wilson Mix) (Breakout) by Jethro Tull (CD, 2015)
Condition: Brand New


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Jethro Tull bestography

A Passion Play is ranked 9th best out of 48 albums by Jethro Tull on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Jethro Tull is Aqualung which is ranked number 317 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 5,287.

Jethro Tull album bestography « Higher ranked (3,928th)
This Was
This album (3,986th)
A Passion Play
Lower ranked (5,580th) »
Living In The Past

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

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A Passion Play track list

  Track ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 79 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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A Passion Play rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 3,986th | 1970s rank: 668th | 1973 rank: 70th

A Passion Play collection

A Passion Play ratings

Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 210 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album.  | Show all 210 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
80/100
 
04/01/2026 13:10 MetalMan67  Ratings distribution  6,04371/100
 
90/100
 
03/30/2026 08:47 Leginlists  Ratings distribution  3,41183/100
 
85/100
 
03/25/2026 22:46 Menelao  Ratings distribution  18371/100
 
75/100
 
01/01/2026 09:37 Exist-en-ciel  Ratings distribution  9,62370/100
 
65/100
 
11/14/2025 22:13 mrmcrook  Ratings distribution  1,07577/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 17% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 74.0/100, a mean average of 73.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 74.1/100. The standard deviation for this album is 16.8.

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A Passion Play favourites

Showing all 18 members who have added this album as a favourite

A Passion Play comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 13 comments |
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Rating:  
65/100
From 11/14/2025 22:16 | #311673
It's alright, but I found it a bit to free style and disjointed for my liking in comparison to other Tull albums.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 08/04/2023 13:32 | #298488
One of the 5 masterpieces I have ever heard. Been listening to it continuously since 1973
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 01/23/2022 17:47 | #279899
Maybe i am a perverted, but... This is one of the best albums ever heard in my life... more worring... it never gets me bored.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
65/100
From 02/28/2021 10:21 | #266774
Quite a different listening experience, can't really be compared to the top three or four Tull album output. With Ian Anderson playing saxophone the sound is unique from other albums. Reading some of the other comments, possibly an album which will grow with repeated listens. The spoken bits are a bit wacky and reduce quality music listening time. Bit of a mixed bag really. I will give it more time as only just played for the first time.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 11/15/2020 20:35 | #260862
I wonder why people compare this to thick as a brick which was a masterpiece IMO... It's good but nowhere near the best JT album such as thick as a brick, aqualung, songs from the woods or ministrel in the gallery.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 04/30/2020 01:34 | #250688
I rank this one second only to Thick as a Brick. Really warms to repeated listens. No issues with the intermission for me. Thematically it is rich, recalls a lot of the lyrical ideas begun on Aqualung. Interesting build up of themes, nice touches with keyboard and brass instruments. Don't let anyone tell you (as the media did when it was released) that this is a weak album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 05/04/2018 20:44 | #214195
That "Hare" intermission is not THAT bad, just overly long. Like the whole album. It's not as coherent and interesting as Thick As A Brick. Still a good album though.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 05/04/2018 20:28 | #214193
Doesn't take enough risks for the band like they do on other albums
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
50/100
From 07/10/2016 13:46 | #171013
Nowhere near as coherent or as tight as, thick as a brick, and the hare who lost his spectacles is unlistenable. Disappointing.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 09/30/2015 03:04 | #150723
Best musical quality of Jethro Tull's work, somewhat drowned by repetitive verses. I recommend to listen to The Château d'Hérouville Sessions included in the Extended Performance edition of this album. These songs are less lyrical and sometimes outperform A Passion Play's songs.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1973
1. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
2. Innervisions by Stevie Wonder
3. Houses Of The Holy by Led Zeppelin
4. Selling England By The Pound by Genesis
5. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
6. Quadrophenia by The Who
7. Band On The Run by Paul McCartney & Wings
8. Aladdin Sane by David Bowie
9. Raw Power by Iggy And The Stooges
10. Future Days by Can