Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s
by 
buzzdainer 
I was born and raised in a New England mill town that had seen better days. The textile mills and shoe factories had mostly closed down, and the river that passed through town was rated by the EPA as one of the seven most polluted in the country. My neighborhood was rough by Maine standards: a working-class French Canadian community where teenagers wielding knives roamed the streets looking for trouble. Especially during the summer, though, I spent most of my time outside, building forts in the woods, playing pickup baseball in the sandlot, and swinging like Tarzan on a makeshift rope swing somebody had rigged to a high limb behind the school.
When I was cooped up indoors, I remember playing my parents' records on my own little record player in the basement. My favorite was the Beach Boys, but I also distinctly remember listening to Fleetwood Mac, Boston, Stevie Wonder, the Everly Brothers, Doobie Brothers, Meat Loaf, Jim Croce, America, the Association, Paul Simon, Elton John, the Eagles, Electric Light Orchestra, the Beatles, and many others. I didn't fully develop my own individual musical tastes until I was older, but it's actually quite amazing to me how much of that stuff stuck. With the benefit of hindsight, I've added great artists like Nick Drake and Big Star, whom I never heard at the time, as well as lots of great funk, country, folk, proto-punk, and reggae. I'm a little less enamored of the so-called classic rock from this period, as I think I've been oversaturated with it, thanks to the local radio station, WBLM, the Rock and Roll Blimp, that was wall-to-wall seventies rock. You'll see Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin in my year charts, but I can't get quite excited enough about them to include them here.
- Chart updated: 11/07/2022 20:15
- (Created: 02/16/2016 17:23).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 23 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 23 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
Log in or create an account to rate this chart, leave comments or join the discussion.
Available from
I like just about everything Tom Waits has ever recorded, but Closing Time is my favorite of all his albums. Which probably says a lot about me as a listener. While I love the weirdness, goofiness, and twistedness of later Waits albums, it is this collection of guilelessly sentimental, lonesome love songs that reaches my heart the most. In addition to being Tom Waits's finest, this also earns the distinction of the greatest debut of all time. To gain a sense of the beer-soaked pathos of this album, check out "Ol' 55" and "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You."
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,963
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
This album remains one of punk's defining moments, if not its single, signature document. Yet it hardly sounds like a punk rock record. In fact, it's as much a reggae record, as much a dub record, as much a werewolf-rock record, as it is a punk record. Whatever this is, though, it's stood the test of time better than any other punk album ever made. I doubt I really need to sell you on the merits of this sprawling, wonderful album, but in case I do, start with the gorgeous anthem "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)," both homage to the Ben E. King song that preceded it specifically and to pop music in general, especially early Beatles.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
28,950
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
It's a genuine achievement when an artist can be innovative and influential while at the same time creating something that feels familiar and timeless. Gram Parsons is one of those artists. He wrote songs that felt unironically straight out of a decades-old Nashville country tradition, yet managed to carve out for himself a unique niche in the history of both rock and country music. His songs are respectful of the conservative and Christian roots of the bluegrass and country artists who came before him, yet he really felt more at home among the innovators of the Bay Area scene of the late sixties and early seventies. If you've never heard of Gram Parsons, you'll immediately recognize most any track on Grievous Angel, particularly the oft-covered "Return of the Grievous Angel"--or at least, you'll insist you've heard it someplace before.
[First added to this chart: 03/15/2016]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,128
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
"Timeless" is a word that gets used far too often when people express praise for albums, but it's the right word to describe John Prine's debut album. When I was in my twenties, I played guitar often with friends I worked with in environmental education, and many of the songs we played together came from a folk songbook called Rise Up Singing, a book my buddy Mike calls "the Bible." A number of John Prine's songs appear there, and at the time I didn't know who he was. I've come to understand him as one of America's most important folk songwriters, alongside Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. The song on this album that flipped the switch for me is the classic environmentalist credo "Paradise," but every song on this album is beautiful and important, yet often funny and self effacing.
[First added to this chart: 04/03/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,183
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
"The Blue album, there's hardly a dishonest note in the vocals," Joni Mitchell told Rolling Stone in 1979. "At that period of my life, I had no persona defenses. I felt like a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigarettes. I felt like I had absolutely no secrets from the world, and I couldn't pretend in my life to be strong. Or to be happy." To be sure, there's a lot of delicate vulnerability in Blue's minimalist Canadian folk. But there's also a kind of reckless joy that surfaces here from time to time, as in these lines from the gorgeous "Carey": "And we'll laugh and toast to nothing / And smash our empty glasses down." Maybe vulnerability is less about sadness and more about openness to a wide range of emotions--and letting them pour forth, as she does here on song after song. It's quite a gift to offer to the world.
[First added to this chart: 05/13/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,234
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
I was first introduced to Parliament a year after I graduated from college by a girl who put "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)" on a mix tape for me. It was only then that I discovered how badly I had needed to improve my interplanetary funksmanship. And that that was a thing. George Clinton's place in the world of music is all his own--the most bizarre combination of seventies funk and space-age psychedelia, hilarious self-promotion, and an unapologetically playful and self-deprecating take on blackness. This album never fails to make me smile.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,503
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
Electric Light Orchestra's frontman Jeff Lynne is a musician's musican, in the sense that he always seems to appear in celebrity all-star lineups of musicians, including his involvement in supergroup the Traveling Wilburys in the 1980s. This has probably had a mixed effect on people's impressions of ELO: simultaneously attracting new listeners to his back catalog and causing his work to be overshadowed in comparison to collaborators such as Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. A New World Record is clear evidence that ELO deserves consideration in the same conversation with those other giants. It's an incredibly expansive, ambitious piece of work, with soaring orchestral arrangements blending with driving guitar-driven rock. "Telephone Line" is rightly the song most people know here, but sibling singles "Do Ya" and "Living Thing" are fantastic, too.
[First added to this chart: 06/04/2016]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,994
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
On Pink Moon, the notoriously reclusive English folklorist Nick Drake pares down his songs to the simplest of elements: his breathy, whispering vocals; his signature fingerpicking guitar style; and a simple piano melody added to the title track. The spare instrumentation and production create an incredibly intimate listening experience, but the lyrics themselves are often obscure and impenetrable. This paradox of simultaneous communion and distance lies at the heart of the emotional experience of Pink Moon. It's sometimes dismissed as a "depressed" record, but that's not really what I hear in these songs. There is sadness here, of course, but also cracks where the light gets in. Nothing quite like it has been recorded before or since.
[First added to this chart: 02/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,592
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
Marquee Moon wasn't in my parents' record collection when I was growing up, so I never heard it until many years later. This was an album I came to almost entirely because of its ubiquitous presence in greatest-albums-ever lists such as this one (I probably saw it first in a Rolling Stone list), since I never heard it on the radio or had any friends who listened to it. What a great album I was missing. The strength of the songs here lies in the interlacing guitar work of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd. Sometimes they are perfectly in sync, creating an incredible droning effect, while at other times Lloyd provides the perfect counterpoint to Verlaine, Lloyd's zig to Verlaine's zag. The result is one of the most creative and unique rock albums ever made.
[First added to this chart: 02/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,479
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Available from
Toots and the Maytals are often regarded as the quintessential roots reggae band, and one of Bob Marley's key influences. I love them, but I did have a bit of a challenge deciding which of their albums to rank highest, especially since there are multiple versions of Funky Kingston that are quite different from one another. My first and only purchase of a Toots album was a compilation that included tracks from both Funky Kingston and In the Dark. In the end, I decided to give the nod to Funky Kingston, as it's the one that most fully captures the fun and soul of Toots Hibbert's vocals and songwriting. Even if you're referring to the original 1972 album under the Funky Kingston name, every song here is a gem.
[First added to this chart: 10/26/2020]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
517
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1971 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1972 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1973 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1974 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1975 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1976 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1977 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1978 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1979 | 9 | 9% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Neil Young | 7 | 7% | |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4% | |
| Bob Marley | 4 | 4% | |
| David Bowie | 4 | 4% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 3% | |
| Grateful Dead | 3 | 3% | |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  Sean | 1970s decade chart | 2017 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | bertdepoortere | 1970s decade chart | 2026 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | mjbreuer | 1970s decade chart | 2016 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | JeffN999 | 1970s decade chart | 2021 |  |
| Los 100 mejores discos de los años 70 | Diariocrítico | 1970s decade chart | 2016 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | matterhornrider | 1970s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  imimesis | 1970s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | Finky | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  junodog4 | 1970s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  RFNAPLES | 1970s decade chart | 2012 | |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s similarity to your chart(s)
Not a member? Creating an account is quick, easy and FREE!
Join 50,000+ music fans
- Join a community of over 50,000 music fans.
- Create & share your own charts.
- Influence the overall album rankings.
- Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
- Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
- Discover new music & improve your music collection.
- Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
- Create a wishlist of albums.
- Unlock Dark Mode and other member features.
- Help maintain the BEA database.
- Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
- And much more.
Join now It only takes a moment.
Other decade charts by buzzdainer
buzzdainer has shared 6 more decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2020s | buzzdainer | 2020s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | buzzdainer | 2010s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | buzzdainer | 2000s decade chart | 2024 | |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 23 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 11/07/2022 02:25 |  Larcx13 | 1,139 | 86/100 |
| ! | 11/06/2022 20:47 | adbrack1988 | 26 | 97/100 |
| ! | 11/06/2022 20:34 | Johnnyo | 2,689 | 80/100 |
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 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 91.2/100, a mean average of 93.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.7.
Please log in or create an account if you want to be able to leave a rating
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s favourites
Showing all 2 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 2 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 11/06/2022 09:00 in Chart of the day (#4030): By buzzdainer
BestEverAlbums 11/06/2022 09:00 in Chart of the day (#4030): By buzzdainer“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s by buzzdainer () 1. Closing Time by Tom Waits (1973) 2. London Calling by The Clash (1979) 3. Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons (1974) 4. John Prine by John Prine (1971) 5. Blue by Joni Mitchell (1971) 6. Mothership Connection by Parliament…”
(2 mentions across Chart of the Day topics)View latest topic →
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s comments
Showing latest 5 comments | Show all 23 comments |
Top Comments First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Showing comments with any number of votes. Manage Profile)
Top Comments First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First | Longest Comments First
(Showing comments with any number of votes. Manage Profile)
From
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 10/04/2016 16:27 | #176306
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 10/04/2016 16:27 | #176306
Glad to hear you enjoyed Closing Time, Kuzh69! I do think it's an incredibly immersive and emotional listening experience, very unlike anything else in Tom Waits' discography. Lately the song from that album that's been haunting me (in a good way) is "Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards)"--such a sad and regretful song about lost love, one that's easy to strum on the guitar and has gotten me back into playing and singing.
As for other Waits albums, I think he's recorded a bunch of good ones. Many Waits fans would recommend Rain Dogs, but I think my next favorites after Closing Time would be Bone Machine and Mule Variations. Both are thoroughly weird, and very different from Closing Time, but filled with memorable songs delivered in the feral growl that has become Waits' trademark.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
From
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 10/11/2016 16:12 | #176716
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 10/11/2016 16:12 | #176716
Me too, pa! "Boulder to Birmingham" has a lot of special significance to me, as several years ago I relocated from the Deep South (not Birmingham specifically, but still) to Boulder to live with my sweetheart. It's such a sweet and tender song, all the more so when you realize it was written as an elegy for Gram Parsons. I also think of that song often during wildfire season, as the line "and the canyon was on fire" resonates for me, having lived in a cabin that was one of two structures damaged by the Fourmile Canyon Fire back in 2010. So much about that song hits close to home, and Emmylou delivers it beautifully.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
From
Kuzh69 10/04/2016 05:05 | #176286
Well I figured since we had so many albums and artists in common,
After several passes on resisting for what reason, I have no idea,
I had heard about your number 1, by name only. I finally chilled out and
Listened to tom waits, closing time from start to finish.
The album has left my mouth wide open, I cannot believe how good it is.
I hope I enjoy any of his remaining catalog half as much as I've liked this
One. Thank you.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
From
bobbyb5 06/04/2017 09:17 | #191974
bobbyb5 06/04/2017 09:17 | #191974
Really thoughtful chart and well-condidered, obviously. But you'd never know from it that the 70s was an unbelievably FUN decade for music. Its a little grim considering how raucous and wild and full of variety the 70s was. But people today have an image of the 70s as being depressing, but it was actually a hoot. 70s made music proves this.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
From
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 07/15/2016 16:32 | #171353
buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 07/15/2016 16:32 | #171353
Thanks for the kind comment, Tamthebam! I obviously love all the artists you mention. If you haven't listened to Big Star's 3rd, you're in for a treat. Parke Putterbaugh of Rolling Stone called it Alex Chilton's "untidy masterpiece," and I couldn't agree more. That's saying something, since I really like both #1 Record and Radio City, as well.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) · 1
What do you think of this chart? Join the conversation!!
Log in or create an account to rate this chart, leave comments or join the discussion.
