Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s
by 
CharlieBarley 
I took a long time with this because when I did a poll of my 100 greatest albums I found out that the 1970s was my favourite decade for albums. So after hours of deliberation and making lists here is my top 100 albums of the 1970s, the decade I was born in will always be a special one for me.
- Chart updated: 08/04/2024 22:15
- (Created: 11/13/2016 17:43).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 12 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 17 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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[First added to this chart: 12/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
43,807
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
674
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 09/04/2017]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,805
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,231
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,043
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 03/17/2017]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,628
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Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 05/20/2017]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,131
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Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
58,699
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Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/07/2016]
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
42,207
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Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 05/20/2017]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,077
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1971 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1972 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1973 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1974 | 2 | 2% | |
| 1975 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1976 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1977 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1978 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1979 | 11 | 11% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| David Bowie | 6 | 6% | |
| Pink Floyd | 6 | 6% | |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 3% | |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 3% | |
| Neil Young | 3 | 3% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 2 | 2% | |
| Lou Reed | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
43 | 43% | |
| |
38 | 38% | |
 |
8 | 8% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 3 from 10th to 7thDarkness On The Edge Of Town by Bruce Springsteen |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 3 from 7th to 10thBorn To Run by Bruce Springsteen |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  decemberhotel | 1970s decade chart | 2015 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  Pastiche | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | Madrocker | 1970s decade chart | 2019 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | tim0505 | 1970s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Los 100 mejores discos de los años 70 | Diariocrítico | 1970s decade chart | 2016 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s |  StefanR10 | 1970s decade chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | Juneof44 | 1970s decade chart | 2020 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | album guru joe | 1970s decade chart | 2012 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | matterhornrider | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | mjbreuer | 1970s decade chart | 2016 | |
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Other decade charts by CharlieBarley
CharlieBarley has shared 6 more decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 38 Music Albums of the 2020s | CharlieBarley | 2020s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | CharlieBarley | 2010s decade chart | 2023 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | CharlieBarley | 2000s decade chart | 2023 | |
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 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 17 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/16/2024 13:02 | C0NB9NN | 20 | 85/100 | |
| 06/17/2023 14:30 |  Tamthebam | 651 | 85/100 | |
| 03/11/2023 11:46 | KineticEchoes02 | 110 | 88/100 | |
| 03/11/2023 09:57 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 | |
| 09/08/2022 14:54 | Johnnyo | 2,575 | 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 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.7/100, a mean average of 93.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 4.5.
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s comments
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From CharlieBarley 09/09/2022 11:52 | #289528
CharlieBarley 09/09/2022 11:52 | #289528
Thanks Moondance. Good to hear.
Yes I like CSNY but I prefer that solo David Crosby album.
Good to see we have so many albums in common
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Moondance 09/08/2022 22:34 | #289509
Yes, Charlie ~ the 70's are also my favourite decade by a long shot ~ and in that decade I have '70 & '71 as the standout years of my lifetime musical journey. You have a terrific chart and I enjoyed looking at our common albums (28); common artists (30), but also where are tastes go down different pathways. I was surprised to see that CSNY 'Deja Vu' is not on the list but equally delighted to see Crosby's 'If Only I Could Remember My Name'.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From CharlieBarley 09/08/2022 16:56 | #289501
CharlieBarley 09/08/2022 16:56 | #289501
thanks Larcx
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From CharlieBarley 09/08/2022 15:57 | #289500
CharlieBarley 09/08/2022 15:57 | #289500
Thanks Johnny!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 09/08/2022 14:54 | #289498
A great chart for a great decade. Love it
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From CharlieBarley 11/03/2020 23:37 | #260156
CharlieBarley 11/03/2020 23:37 | #260156
47 is a lot!
cool
it's healthy to disagree
Get Stoned (the Rolling Stones comp you mentioned) means a great deal to me.
I'm surprised you heard of it. It's not very well known and it's deleted/never issued on CD or re-issued, I believe.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From leniad 11/03/2020 23:04 | #260151
47 albums in common!!
but i disagree with that rlling stones compilation :(
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From cabvo 03/16/2020 14:30 | #248788
Great to see how many people like Animals ! Such a great underrated album
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Goliath 07/16/2018 16:02 | #218337
Goliath 07/16/2018 16:02 | #218337
Great list, I have 48 of these albums. 70's is my favorite decade.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
buzzdainer 05/20/2017 19:43 | #191127
buzzdainer 05/20/2017 19:43 | #191127
I was born in the seventies too, so it will always be a special musical decade for me. Turns out we had a similar take on the decade--I'm especially happy to see London Calling (I know everybody loves that one, but it's for good reason), Innversions, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Exodus, and Big Star's 3rd represented here. I appreciate the depth and breadth you've offered here; obviously a lot of thought went into this chart. Well done.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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