Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s
by Johnnyo 
The rules are; I have to own it, the odd compliation is allowed but no greatest hits / best of's.
- Chart updated: 07/17/2026 08:15
- (Created: 12/06/2011 03:44).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 13 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 15 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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I can’t put my figure on precisely why this is my favourite album of all time. Maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that it has four 100/100 tracks on it, Adam Raised A Cain, Candy’s Room, Racing In The Street & Factory.
Maybe it’s because it flows seamlessly from one fabulous track to another. It’s not that there’s no filler here, it’s that there’s not even an average track on the album. Every, and I mean every, track is at least a 90/100.
How do you follow up your breakthrough album? Born To Run has been described as a “Wall Of Sound” album, and although I think that it’s a great album, it’s way too over produced for my liking. DOTEOT is leaner. Some say angrier. Not sure about that but it’s certainly more, lyrically anyway, in your face. There’s something of the punk sensibility to the album with it’s raw energy
I think that I warm to the characters depicted so eloquently by Springsteen on the album, their struggles and their fights.
It feels real to me. What I think sounds like, The real New Jersey but, not coming from there, I might be way off the mark.
So many songs were written for the album that didn’t fit the albums narrative that Springsteen famously “gave them away” to other artists
• "Hearts of Stone" & "Talk to Me" to Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes;
• "Because the Night" to Patti Smith;
• "Fire" to Robert Gordon;
• "Rendezvous" to Greg Kihn;
• "Don't Look Back" to the Knack;
• "This Little Girl" to Gary U.S. Bonds
You have more guitar solos and less sax (although it’s still there) than on his previous albums, which I prefer. [First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Maybe it’s because it flows seamlessly from one fabulous track to another. It’s not that there’s no filler here, it’s that there’s not even an average track on the album. Every, and I mean every, track is at least a 90/100.
How do you follow up your breakthrough album? Born To Run has been described as a “Wall Of Sound” album, and although I think that it’s a great album, it’s way too over produced for my liking. DOTEOT is leaner. Some say angrier. Not sure about that but it’s certainly more, lyrically anyway, in your face. There’s something of the punk sensibility to the album with it’s raw energy
I think that I warm to the characters depicted so eloquently by Springsteen on the album, their struggles and their fights.
It feels real to me. What I think sounds like, The real New Jersey but, not coming from there, I might be way off the mark.
So many songs were written for the album that didn’t fit the albums narrative that Springsteen famously “gave them away” to other artists
• "Hearts of Stone" & "Talk to Me" to Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes;
• "Because the Night" to Patti Smith;
• "Fire" to Robert Gordon;
• "Rendezvous" to Greg Kihn;
• "Don't Look Back" to the Knack;
• "This Little Girl" to Gary U.S. Bonds
You have more guitar solos and less sax (although it’s still there) than on his previous albums, which I prefer. [First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,075
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
The first Rolling Stones studio album to feature Mick Taylor and for me this is the best Stones line up.
With the occasional exception, this album returned to the basics of drums, guitar, bass, and percussion with keyboards and sax included on various tracks. This for me is the Stones happy place.
The album moves seamlessly from hard rock, blues, through elements of rock and roll to Americana / country. It’s a masterpiece of all the elements that made the Stones the greatest rock N rock band in the world and this is one of the greatest albums in history.
NME wrote that the album "captures the Stones bluesy swagger" in a "dark-land where few dare to tread". I like that description
David Hepworth, a favourite writer of mine wrote that the contributions of guest performers such as Keys, Jim Dickinson, and Preston gave the album "more musical range than any other Rolling Stones album", including "Dickinson's honky-tonk piano on 'Wild Horses'" and "Preston's churchy organ solo on 'I Got the Blues'". He also suggested that Taylor's "Latin-flavored guitar solo" on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" was influenced by Santana's 1970 album Abraxas.
It’s my favourite Stones album of all time and is my second favourite album ever. [First added to this chart: 12/31/2011]
With the occasional exception, this album returned to the basics of drums, guitar, bass, and percussion with keyboards and sax included on various tracks. This for me is the Stones happy place.
The album moves seamlessly from hard rock, blues, through elements of rock and roll to Americana / country. It’s a masterpiece of all the elements that made the Stones the greatest rock N rock band in the world and this is one of the greatest albums in history.
NME wrote that the album "captures the Stones bluesy swagger" in a "dark-land where few dare to tread". I like that description
David Hepworth, a favourite writer of mine wrote that the contributions of guest performers such as Keys, Jim Dickinson, and Preston gave the album "more musical range than any other Rolling Stones album", including "Dickinson's honky-tonk piano on 'Wild Horses'" and "Preston's churchy organ solo on 'I Got the Blues'". He also suggested that Taylor's "Latin-flavored guitar solo" on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" was influenced by Santana's 1970 album Abraxas.
It’s my favourite Stones album of all time and is my second favourite album ever. [First added to this chart: 12/31/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
16,162
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Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
36,583
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Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
313
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[First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
42,157
Rank in 1975:
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[First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
467
Rank in 1970:
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[First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
56,656
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[First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,739
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Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,104
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Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 12/20/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
602
Rank in 1971:
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 | 26 | 26% | |
| 1972 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1973 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1974 | 5 | 5% | |
| 1975 | 5 | 5% | |
| 1976 | 6 | 6% | |
| 1977 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1978 | 7 | 7% | |
| 1979 | 6 | 6% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Neil Young | 5 | 5% | |
| AC/DC | 4 | 4% | |
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 4% | |
| Traffic | 4 | 4% | |
| Various Artists | 3 | 3% | |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 3% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
44 | 44% | |
| |
32 | 32% | |
 |
8 | 8% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s chart changes
There have been no changes to this chart.
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Other decade charts by Johnnyo
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2020s | Johnnyo | 2020s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | Johnnyo | 2010s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | Johnnyo | 2000s decade chart | 2025 | |
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 15 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 08/08/2024 20:47 |  pedro1976 | 106 | 85/100 |
| ! | 05/19/2024 01:19 | mrmcrook | 874 | 92/100 |
| ! | 09/08/2022 17:23 |  CharlieBarley | 476 | 94/100 |
| ! | 09/06/2022 22:20 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 |
| ! | 09/06/2022 09:59 | Thearei30ee | 17 | 88/100 |
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 has a Bayesian average rating of 86.9/100, a mean average of 87.7/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.7/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.8.
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s comments
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From
pedro1976 08/08/2024 20:48 | #304685
pedro1976 08/08/2024 20:48 | #304685
great chart - surprised only 28 albums in common. a few for me to investigate further (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Johnnyo 02/16/2024 14:01 | #302032
A major revamp of my chart (especially towards the lower end) after couple of minor revamps in 2023. Hope that people still like it. (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Johnnyo 09/08/2022 18:14 | #289504
Thanks Charlie. Appreciate you leaving a comment.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
CharlieBarley 09/08/2022 17:24 | #289503
CharlieBarley 09/08/2022 17:24 | #289503
top chart! some fantastic albums though I haven't heard them all
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Moondance 09/06/2022 22:27 | #289439
Hey Johnnyo ~ as always, a thoughtful chart. Good to see CSNY in there as a group and also solo (almost) ~ except, I see you had no room for Graham Nash's 'Songs For Beginners'? Totally agree with Sticky Fingers as the Stones best: and liked seeing John Martyn, Wishbone Ash & Thin Lizzy (Black Rose - sensational!). I would have rated Born To Run much much higher ~ but it did come out when I was 19 and it was like a revelation of the highest order ~ so it holds a special place for me.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Johnnyo 06/22/2019 07:34 | #238055
Tamthebam you should definitely check out Can. I don’t like everything that they have ever done but they are always an interesting listen. Hope you find something that grabs you
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Tamthebam 05/03/2019 09:10 | #235794
Tamthebam 05/03/2019 09:10 | #235794
23 albums in common not bad ! The 70's were a great period in music. Most of these albums still sound great today I must check out Can again I've always meant to and these days its so easy to listen to albums without purchasing them ! Great Chart .
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
bobbyb5 04/22/2018 13:55 | #213409
bobbyb5 04/22/2018 13:55 | #213409
You have awesome taste in 70s music.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
buzzdainer 06/24/2016 03:12 | #169597
buzzdainer 06/24/2016 03:12 | #169597
Excellent chart! I love Darkness on the Edge of Town and On the Beach. Enjoyed comparing your selections to some of mine.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Johnnyo 11/21/2014 12:37 | #127613
Personality! I like that description. Your very kind Decurso. The 70's was my favourite era so these are many of my favourite albums.
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