Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s
by
Hayden 
This list is very silly because it could be 500+ albums and I'd still be missing stuff.
- Chart updated: 01/04/2026 15:45
- (Created: 12/04/2011 22:40).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
View the complete list of 58,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1971 | 16 | 16% | |
| 1972 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1973 | 6 | 6% | |
| 1974 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1975 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1976 | 4 | 4% | |
| 1977 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1978 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1979 | 12 | 12% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Gil Scott-Heron | 2 | 2% | |
| Steve Reich | 2 | 2% | |
| Tom Waits | 2 | 2% | |
| Don Cherry | 2 | 2% | |
| Nick Drake | 2 | 2% | |
| Fela Ransome-Kuti & The Africa '70 | 2 | 2% | |
| Fela Kuti & Africa 70 | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
|
42 | 42% | |
|
11 | 11% | |
|
9 | 9% | |
|
8 | 8% | |
|
5 | 5% | |
|
4 | 4% | |
|
4 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 10 from 80th to 70thDrumming (1971/Live) by Steve Reich |
| Up 9 from 63rd to 54thForça Bruta by Jorge Ben |
| Up 8 from 66th to 58thFear Of Music by Talking Heads |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 43 from 48th to 91stThe Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend by Baby Huey |
| Down 26 from 55th to 81stGambian Griot Kora Duets by Alhaji Bai Konte / Dembo Konte / Ma Lamini Jobate |
| Down 21 from 56th to 77thBill Fay by Bill Fay |
| New entries |
|---|
| The Call (Conducting The Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra) by Horace Tapscott |
| 20 Palavras Ao Redor Do Sol by Cátia De França |
| Comienzo El Día by Noel Nicola |
| Animals Garden by Miyasaka + 5 |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Fully Qualified Survivor by Michael Chapman |
| King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown by Augustus Pablo |
| Mateo Solo Bien Se Lame by Eduardo Mateo |
| Bilder by Turid |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s similar charts
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | brun027 | 1970s decade chart | 2017 | ![]() |
| Top 100 Greatest Music Albums | Overall chart | 2026 | ![]() | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | juanr1096 | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | ![]() |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | 1970s decade chart | 2021 | ![]() | |
| Albums Of The 1970s, 1-100 | saacsquatch | Custom chart | 2021 | ![]() |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | 1970s decade chart | 2016 | ![]() | |
| Top 97 Music Albums of the 1970s | 1970s decade chart | 2026 | ![]() | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | Jamie | 1970s decade chart | 2024 | ![]() |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | ![]() | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | 1970s decade chart | 2025 | ![]() |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s similarity to your chart(s)
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Other decade charts by Hayden
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2020s | 2020s decade chart | 2026 | ![]() | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | 2010s decade chart | 2026 | ![]() | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | 2000s decade chart | 2026 | ![]() |
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 33 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/19/2024 14:30 | 1,103 | 84/100 | ||
| 01/11/2024 09:55 | 150 | 96/100 | ||
| 01/09/2024 10:46 | 651 | 85/100 | ||
| 01/09/2024 10:23 | Johnnyo | 2,575 | 80/100 | |
| 05/07/2021 13:29 | jackq | 273 | 92/100 |
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 3% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 89.5/100, a mean average of 90.6/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 90.6/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.6.
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s favourites
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s comments
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Very cool chart
Great list! A lot I still have to check out. Unfortunately I kind of skipped over the 70s.
Great chart -- acknowledges classics, makes unexpected picks, incorporates sometimes-overlooked genres and countries of origin. Probably my favorite 70's chart, leaves me with a lot to check out.
Really love this chart; great mix of the classics with underground favourites, great to see The Sinking Of The Titanic and Pavilion Of Dreams both so high. I think the chart greatly benefits from your international diversity; far too often do I see 'Best of the 70s' charts that fail to have anything not from US/UK/Canada. Would love to see some notes (à la your overall chart) for a perfect score!!
Interesting list, can't blame ya for putting Unknown Pleasures on the #1 spot (I should put it on my list too actually, totally forgot about that album). I hope I remember checking out the stuff from here I don't know yet.
Very nice 70s chart.
Lovely chart! (Maybe check out mine?)
I f you are looking for a musical vision of the 70s that is one of these
Great
anything which has loaded deserves a decent rating
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