Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s
by Tamthebam

This is my favourite decade my chart is dominated by Bowie, Elton John & Stevie Wonder but hey its the 70's. Electric Warrior was the first album I ever owned, so it has a special meaning for me, I still have the original vinyl copies of 50% of these albums. I have included some iconic "Best Of" albums that are regarded very highly, I love all types of music and I loved exploring music recommended by others, I discovered Soul and Country-Rock during this decade.

• Chart updated: 10/30/2025 09:45
• (Created: 08/24/2013 13:28).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 16 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 33 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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18. (=)

After The Gold Rush 

 Neil Young

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One of the best albums of all time & Neil Young's best. Southern Man, After the Gold Rush, Don't Let It Bring You Down are some of his best songs. Then there are the ballads Birds & Only Love Can Break Your Heart and the brilliant When You Dance.......... oh 'Till the Morning Comes .....ah. [First added to this chart: 08/25/2013]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,580 charts

Rank Score:

14,904

Rank in 1970:

2

Rank in 1970s:

23

Overall Rank:

83

Average Rating:

 86 (1,783 votes)

Comments:

130

37. (=)

Bridge Over Troubled Water 

 Simon & Garfunkel

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A classic album, one of the best albums of the 70's Bridge is an amazing album from start to finish, the title track, Cecilia, El Condor Pasa, Keep The Customer Satisfied and then there is more gems on Side 2 The Boxer, Only Living Boy & Song For The Asking. So Long Frank L. Wright also deserves a mention as it could be interpreted as Simon's farewell to Garfunkel. [First added to this chart: 08/25/2013]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,284 charts

Rank Score:

12,177

Rank in 1970:

4

Rank in 1970s:

29

Overall Rank:

104

Average Rating:

 84 (1,535 votes)

Comments:

97

38. (=)

Tumbleweed Connection 

 Elton John

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[First added to this chart: 08/25/2013]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

283 charts

Rank Score:

1,481

Rank in 1970:

34

Rank in 1970s:

243

Overall Rank:

1,184

Average Rating:

 79 (386 votes)

Comments:

26

46. (=)

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band 

 John Lennon

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[First added to this chart: 11/04/2018]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,110 charts

Rank Score:

9,630

Rank in 1970:

5

Rank in 1970s:

37

Overall Rank:

146

Average Rating:

 83 (1,424 votes)

Comments:

128

66. (=)

Let It Be 

 The Beatles

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A much looser sounding Beatles album, more than anything else they recorded this sounds like 3 distinct songwriters writing & performing their own songs and then releasing the finished product as a Beatles album ...... but it works the results are some of their best work Let It Be, Across The Universe, I've Got A Feeling & The Long & Winding Road stand out for me overall the album sounds fresh despite the fact that most of it was recorded at least a year previously. [First added to this chart: 09/26/2013]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,080 charts

Rank Score:

7,437

Rank in 1970:

11

Rank in 1970s:

51

Overall Rank:

213

Average Rating:

 80 (2,155 votes)

Comments:

128

71. (=)

The Man Who Sold The World 

 David Bowie

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A heavier sounding Bowie album than practically anything else he did. It is one of my favourite Bowie albums as it has an overall cohesive feel. Best tracks are All The Madmen, Black Country Rock , The Man Who Sold The World & After All. [First added to this chart: 09/26/2013]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

451 charts

Rank Score:

1,719

Rank in 1970:

28

Rank in 1970s:

212

Overall Rank:

1,015

Average Rating:

 78 (860 votes)

Comments:

45

74. (=)

Bitches Brew 

 Miles Davis

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[First added to this chart: 02/04/2023]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

954 charts

Rank Score:

9,188

Rank in 1970:

6

Rank in 1970s:

39

Overall Rank:

157

Average Rating:

 84 (1,199 votes)

Comments:

72

86. (=)

T. Rex 

 T. Rex

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[First added to this chart: 10/06/2015]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

160

Rank in 1970:

121

Rank in 1970s:

1,183

Overall Rank:

7,776

Average Rating:

 71 (85 votes)

Comments:

2

87. (=)

Loaded 

 The Velvet Underground

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I think this is their 3rd most enjoyable album behind their debut and 1969's V.U. album, the whole album is fairly accessible to anyone with an ear for good music. All 10 tracks fit well together a great all round album. [First added to this chart: 12/06/2013]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

872 charts

Rank Score:

6,315

Rank in 1970:

13

Rank in 1970s:

63

Overall Rank:

264

Average Rating:

 82 (1,246 votes)

Comments:

67

90. (=)

Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat 

 Laura Nyro

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[First added to this chart: 10/19/2025]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

52 charts

Rank Score:

205

Rank in 1970:

111

Rank in 1970s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,318

Average Rating:

 78 (53 votes)

Comments:

3

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Total albums: 11. Page 1 of 2

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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%
1970	11	11%
1971	12	12%
1972	9	9%
1973	12	12%
1974	10	10%
1975	11	11%
1976	8	8%
1977	10	10%
1978	7	7%
1979	10	10%

Artist	Albums	%
David Bowie	10	10%
Elton John	7	7%
Joni Mitchell	5	5%
The Rolling Stones	5	5%
Stevie Wonder	5	5%
Pink Floyd	5	5%
T. Rex	5	5%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	52	52%
	36	36%
	9	9%
	3	3%

Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 1 from 29th to 28th Baby It's Me by Diana Ross
Up 1 from 11th to 10th Aladdin Sane by David Bowie

Biggest fallers
Down 1 from 10th to 11th Joan Armatrading by Joan Armatrading
Down 1 from 28th to 29th Animals by Pink Floyd

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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 33 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
80/100	03/14/2025 12:20	SomethingSpecial	1,106	85/100
85/100	02/21/2025 22:19	mrmcrook	682	92/100
85/100	11/23/2023 11:45	Larcx13	1,141	86/100
75/100	07/03/2023 17:29	dukeboxkool	2	73/100
80/100	10/10/2022 01:49	Moondance	476	85/100

Rating metrics: 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 charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 9% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.0/100, a mean average of 88.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 88.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.8.

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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s favourites

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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s comments

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Rating:  

75/100

From dukeboxkool 07/03/2023 17:30

Overall, this is a very good chart.

#297928 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

80/100

From Moondance 10/10/2022 02:06

We both have the 70's as our favourite decade and the number of exceptional albums to choose from is simply outrageous. That said, we have 25 albums in common ~ interestingly your #100: Dylan's Blood On The Tracks is my #1 ~ and that, better than anything, explains where our personal musical journey takes a different route. I was surprised to see some classic, in my mind, 70's UK artists missing ~ Jethro Tull, Cat Stevens, The Who, The Clash (to name but a few). Overall a nice chart that I enjoyed wandering through.

#290321 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From Rm12398 10/10/2022 00:19

Almost a third of the chart in common. Very good music taste in my opinion! Great list!

#290320 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From Johnnyo 10/09/2022 10:28

One of the best ‘70’s charts I’ve come across. Outstanding

#290310 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From seb7 12/14/2020 16:42

simply a great list

#262687 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From vancevisuals 07/20/2020 21:18

could not agree with you more about the 70's
No Frank Zappa?

#255886 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

80/100

From Boltzmann 03/13/2018 21:04

Nice list, I like that you put “Heroes” above all other Bowie albums. That one seems to get a lot of hate lately.

#210851 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

85/100

From SamNassiri98 03/13/2018 10:29

lovely!

#210807 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

90/100

From Ulf 03/13/2018 08:02

very fine stuff would love to see some descriptions.

#210803 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

90/100

From Ashmark 02/17/2018 00:04

This is a phenomenal list. Almost every album is deep on substance. Then there are some that are just great to listen to. Their substance comes from just how damn great they sound and make you feel (Rumours for example). Awesome.

#208496 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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