Top 45 Music Albums of 1970
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 4 days ago
- (Created: 04/11/2012 18:13).
- Chart size: 45 albums.
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1970-ATLANTIC
Produced By CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG
1. Carry On
2. Teach Your Children
3. Almost Cut My Hair
4. Helpless
5. Woodstock
6. Déjà Vu
7. Our House
8. 4 + 20
9. Country Girl: Whiskey Boot Hill/Down, Down, Down/Country Girl (I Think You’re Pretty)
10. Everybody I Love You
As if having a supergroup with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash wasn’t unfair enough…they had to go and add in Neil Young for their second album. The CSN (&Y) franchise was so successful that they were able to put together a full greatest hits album after only two records. They had a successful debut album, then played at Woodstock, were already stars in their previous bands, and in 1970, they could do no wrong. Déjà Vu divides the songwriting pretty evenly, with each member contributing two songs each. The remaining two songs consist of a cover (Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock”) and “Everybody I Love You”, co-written by Stills and Young. The inclusion of Young on the album has been often overstated. While “Helpless” is one of his greatest songs, his other contribution, the mini-suite “Country Girl”, may be the album’s weakest track. And he only appears on half of the songs on the album, making Déjà vu really more of a CSN project with Neil as more of a guest than anything else. But even so, his presence definitely adds an edge to the songs he does play on.
But what really makes this work is that the two songs each from the other members are all exceptional. Stills hits big with “Carry On”, a perfect song for all that harmony, but also with the stunning “4 + 20”, which may be his most beautiful track. Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair” is a bluesy rocker buoyed by Young’s stinging guitar, while the title track is proof of his understated genius. And Nash adds his pop sensibility with the charming “Our House” and the neat “Teach Your Children”, which features solid pedal steel work by Jerry Garcia. As an album, Déjà Vu kicks off the 70’s in fine fashion, and showcases not only the strengths of the individual members, but also their ability to sing so strongly and seemingly effortlessly together. This, alongside their debut, is all of the CSN you’ll ever really need…it would be seven years before their next studio effort, by which time Stills had dried up as a writer and the distance between the three made them sound less cohesive. But at the turn of the 70’s, there was no one who did it better than these guys. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Produced By CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG
1. Carry On
2. Teach Your Children
3. Almost Cut My Hair
4. Helpless
5. Woodstock
6. Déjà Vu
7. Our House
8. 4 + 20
9. Country Girl: Whiskey Boot Hill/Down, Down, Down/Country Girl (I Think You’re Pretty)
10. Everybody I Love You
As if having a supergroup with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash wasn’t unfair enough…they had to go and add in Neil Young for their second album. The CSN (&Y) franchise was so successful that they were able to put together a full greatest hits album after only two records. They had a successful debut album, then played at Woodstock, were already stars in their previous bands, and in 1970, they could do no wrong. Déjà Vu divides the songwriting pretty evenly, with each member contributing two songs each. The remaining two songs consist of a cover (Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock”) and “Everybody I Love You”, co-written by Stills and Young. The inclusion of Young on the album has been often overstated. While “Helpless” is one of his greatest songs, his other contribution, the mini-suite “Country Girl”, may be the album’s weakest track. And he only appears on half of the songs on the album, making Déjà vu really more of a CSN project with Neil as more of a guest than anything else. But even so, his presence definitely adds an edge to the songs he does play on.
But what really makes this work is that the two songs each from the other members are all exceptional. Stills hits big with “Carry On”, a perfect song for all that harmony, but also with the stunning “4 + 20”, which may be his most beautiful track. Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair” is a bluesy rocker buoyed by Young’s stinging guitar, while the title track is proof of his understated genius. And Nash adds his pop sensibility with the charming “Our House” and the neat “Teach Your Children”, which features solid pedal steel work by Jerry Garcia. As an album, Déjà Vu kicks off the 70’s in fine fashion, and showcases not only the strengths of the individual members, but also their ability to sing so strongly and seemingly effortlessly together. This, alongside their debut, is all of the CSN you’ll ever really need…it would be seven years before their next studio effort, by which time Stills had dried up as a writer and the distance between the three made them sound less cohesive. But at the turn of the 70’s, there was no one who did it better than these guys. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,170
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
57
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Produced by Geoff Haslam, Shel Kagan & The Velvet Underground. A lot of people dismiss Loaded, but I think it deserves a place next to the rest of the Velvet's work. Even above it. I know...Cale is gone, as is Mo Tucker. It's a Lou Reed album, but it shows that the Velvets could have done great pop music if they had stuck around. Some of Reed's best songs..."Sweet Jane", "Rock & Roll", and the best Velvet's song ever in "Who Loves The Sun", the saddest piece of candy ever.
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,345
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1970-FANTASY
Produced By JOHN FOGERTY
1. Ramble Tamble
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Travelin' Band
4. Ooby Dooby
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door
6. Run Through The Jungle
7. Up Around The Bend
8. My Baby Left Me
9. Who'll Stop The Rain
10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
11. Long As I Can See The Light
Is it really better to burn out than fade away? Creedence Clearwater Revival had a two year run that was unbelieveable...5 top ten albums with nine consecutive top 10 singles (5 #2's...they never got a #1) between 1969 and 1970. And inside of what may be the worst rock album cover ever is Cosmo's Factory, the 4th of the 5. And it may be their best. The album is loaded with hits, great cover songs, and even two longer jams (John Fogerty's guitar work on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is worth having this alone for). This is a band at the top of their game, firing on all cylinders and cranking out one great song after another, one great album after another. Cosmo's Factory is simply a great album, a must have for any rock collection.
It was also the beginning of the end. John Fogerty was becoming more demanding with each song, and his dictatorship over the rest of the band was taking its toll. The relationships are straining here, and it poured over to their next album. Tom Fogerty quit after Pendulum, saying that he would never be replaced because no one would ever be crazy enough to join the band. After Pendulum, John Fogerty lost it...he told the other two members that they had to write songs for the next album, but that he would not play lead guitar on them. Mardi Gras from 1972 was horrible, and the band was done. Fogerty, who seemingly hated everyone by this time, traded his song rights to Fantasy to get him out of what may have been the worst record deal in history (he still owed them 8 albums!), which led to him being sued years later for plagiarizing himself. CCR lasted only 5 years and 7 albums, but 1969-70 was truly an amazing run.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford continue on as Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Tom Fogerty died of AIDS in 1990. And John Fogerty has had a spotty solo career. He refused to play CCR songs live until 1987 when he was convinced to do so by Bob Dylan and George Harrison. But there's always the short period of time when this band almost ruled the world. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Produced By JOHN FOGERTY
1. Ramble Tamble
2. Before You Accuse Me
3. Travelin' Band
4. Ooby Dooby
5. Lookin' Out My Back Door
6. Run Through The Jungle
7. Up Around The Bend
8. My Baby Left Me
9. Who'll Stop The Rain
10. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
11. Long As I Can See The Light
Is it really better to burn out than fade away? Creedence Clearwater Revival had a two year run that was unbelieveable...5 top ten albums with nine consecutive top 10 singles (5 #2's...they never got a #1) between 1969 and 1970. And inside of what may be the worst rock album cover ever is Cosmo's Factory, the 4th of the 5. And it may be their best. The album is loaded with hits, great cover songs, and even two longer jams (John Fogerty's guitar work on "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is worth having this alone for). This is a band at the top of their game, firing on all cylinders and cranking out one great song after another, one great album after another. Cosmo's Factory is simply a great album, a must have for any rock collection.
It was also the beginning of the end. John Fogerty was becoming more demanding with each song, and his dictatorship over the rest of the band was taking its toll. The relationships are straining here, and it poured over to their next album. Tom Fogerty quit after Pendulum, saying that he would never be replaced because no one would ever be crazy enough to join the band. After Pendulum, John Fogerty lost it...he told the other two members that they had to write songs for the next album, but that he would not play lead guitar on them. Mardi Gras from 1972 was horrible, and the band was done. Fogerty, who seemingly hated everyone by this time, traded his song rights to Fantasy to get him out of what may have been the worst record deal in history (he still owed them 8 albums!), which led to him being sued years later for plagiarizing himself. CCR lasted only 5 years and 7 albums, but 1969-70 was truly an amazing run.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford continue on as Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Tom Fogerty died of AIDS in 1990. And John Fogerty has had a spotty solo career. He refused to play CCR songs live until 1987 when he was convinced to do so by Bob Dylan and George Harrison. But there's always the short period of time when this band almost ruled the world. [First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,358
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,854
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Produced by George Harrison & Phil Spector. When George left The Beatles, he had years worth of songwriting just waiting to be released. All Things Must Pass is 3 records of newfound freedom...no more second fiddle to John & Paul. Like all of his solo work, this is open and spiritually honest, and you can hear the joy in his singing and playing. He was never this good again, but on this album, he was simply great. The best of all of the solo albums by The Beatles...and that's saying a lot. A triple solo debut album that works...yep!
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,387
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1970-POLYDOR
Produced by TOM DOWD
1. I Looked Away
2. Bell Bottom Blues
3. Keep On Growing
4. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
5. I Am Yours
6. Anyday
7. Key To The Highway
8. Tell The Truth
9. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad
10. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
11. Little Wing
12. It’s Too Late
13. Layla
14. Thorn Tree In The Garden
Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle left escaped from the constant fighting of Delaney And Bonnie to form a new band of their own, Derek And The Dominos. Duane Allman was brought in to play slide guitar, and the Layla album was made. A collaborative effort, this may also be Eric Clapton’s finest hour. This band worked for him like no other , and the inclusion of Allman pushed him to new heights. Six of the songs are band efforts, with the rest being originals or cover songs. The highlights are numerous: “Bell Bottom Blues”, a slowed down “Tell The Truth”, an inspired cover of Jimi Hendrix’ “Little Wing”, and of course the famous title track.
The Dominos ended after only one album. Allman never officially joined the band because he wanted to stay in The Allman Brothers Band. Whitlock and Radle went their own ways, and Jim Gordon (who co wrote “Layla”) ended up serving a life sentence in California for killing his mother. Clapton went on to a solo career as a mellow man. But for one album, there was plenty of magic. Layla is a true classic, one of the best of the early 70’s. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Produced by TOM DOWD
1. I Looked Away
2. Bell Bottom Blues
3. Keep On Growing
4. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
5. I Am Yours
6. Anyday
7. Key To The Highway
8. Tell The Truth
9. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad
10. Have You Ever Loved A Woman
11. Little Wing
12. It’s Too Late
13. Layla
14. Thorn Tree In The Garden
Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon and Carl Radle left escaped from the constant fighting of Delaney And Bonnie to form a new band of their own, Derek And The Dominos. Duane Allman was brought in to play slide guitar, and the Layla album was made. A collaborative effort, this may also be Eric Clapton’s finest hour. This band worked for him like no other , and the inclusion of Allman pushed him to new heights. Six of the songs are band efforts, with the rest being originals or cover songs. The highlights are numerous: “Bell Bottom Blues”, a slowed down “Tell The Truth”, an inspired cover of Jimi Hendrix’ “Little Wing”, and of course the famous title track.
The Dominos ended after only one album. Allman never officially joined the band because he wanted to stay in The Allman Brothers Band. Whitlock and Radle went their own ways, and Jim Gordon (who co wrote “Layla”) ended up serving a life sentence in California for killing his mother. Clapton went on to a solo career as a mellow man. But for one album, there was plenty of magic. Layla is a true classic, one of the best of the early 70’s. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,764
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1970-A&M
Produced By DENNY CORDELL & LEON RUSSELL
1. Introduction
2. Honky Tonk Women
3. Introduction
4. Sticks And Stones
5. Cry Me A River
6. Bird On The Wire
7. Feelin’ Alright
8. Superstar
9. Introduction
10. Let’s Go Get Stoned
11. Blue Medley: I’ll Drown In My Own Tears/When Something Is Wrong With My Baby/I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
12. Introduction
13. Girl From The North Country
14. Give Peace A Chance
15. Introduction
16. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
17. Space Captain
18. The Letter
19. Delta Lady
Joe Cocker has always been more of a cover artist than anything else, so he’s always at the mercy of those around him who select material for him. As a result, we’ve had to endure things like “Up Where We Belong” , and decades of bad to worse albums. But in the beginning, Cocker had people like Denny Cordell and Leon Russell on his side…and a huge sense of adventure that allowed him to take on the biggest of songs. On this live album, Cocker tackles The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Traffic, Bob Dylan and more, and it’s easy to see why he was such a hit at Woodstock.
Cocker has a lot to deal with here, however. The band is massive (three drummers and a full choir), which gives him a lot to have to pay attention to. His vocals don’t suffer, but the songs sometimes do. Having a terrified sounding Rita Coolidge sing Russell’s classic “Superstar” is a low point. But, as has always been the case with Cocker, the better the song, the better the performance. This is worth having…although if you’re a true fan you can get later and more expansive versions, including a six disc monstrosity of the entire two day run at the Filmore East. [First added to this chart: 01/30/2013]
Produced By DENNY CORDELL & LEON RUSSELL
1. Introduction
2. Honky Tonk Women
3. Introduction
4. Sticks And Stones
5. Cry Me A River
6. Bird On The Wire
7. Feelin’ Alright
8. Superstar
9. Introduction
10. Let’s Go Get Stoned
11. Blue Medley: I’ll Drown In My Own Tears/When Something Is Wrong With My Baby/I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
12. Introduction
13. Girl From The North Country
14. Give Peace A Chance
15. Introduction
16. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
17. Space Captain
18. The Letter
19. Delta Lady
Joe Cocker has always been more of a cover artist than anything else, so he’s always at the mercy of those around him who select material for him. As a result, we’ve had to endure things like “Up Where We Belong” , and decades of bad to worse albums. But in the beginning, Cocker had people like Denny Cordell and Leon Russell on his side…and a huge sense of adventure that allowed him to take on the biggest of songs. On this live album, Cocker tackles The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Traffic, Bob Dylan and more, and it’s easy to see why he was such a hit at Woodstock.
Cocker has a lot to deal with here, however. The band is massive (three drummers and a full choir), which gives him a lot to have to pay attention to. His vocals don’t suffer, but the songs sometimes do. Having a terrified sounding Rita Coolidge sing Russell’s classic “Superstar” is a low point. But, as has always been the case with Cocker, the better the song, the better the performance. This is worth having…although if you’re a true fan you can get later and more expansive versions, including a six disc monstrosity of the entire two day run at the Filmore East. [First added to this chart: 01/30/2013]
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[First added to this chart: 05/25/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,013
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Produced by Phil Spector. I wish this was a no holds barred, 5 disc box set with every scrap of fighting and song fragments recorded during these sessions. But I still love Let It Be. It's the sound of a band falling apart, and of Paul McCartney slowly alienating himself from his mates. And yet there is still enough in the tank for tracks like "I Me Mine", "Get Back", "I've Got A Feeling", and "Two Of Us". A curious and sad way to say goodbye to a once indestructible band.
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,437
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Produced by Neil Young, David Briggs & Kendall Pacios. Originally started as a soundtrack to a screenplay by Dean Stockwell that was never written, this album is a thing of beauty. Some of Neil's greatest melodies are here, plus the romping Southern Man make this his crowning achievement as an album. He never sang higher or sweeter than on the title track, and songs like Tell Me Why, Only Love Can Break Your Heart and I Believe In You are among his best work. A masterpiece through and through.
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1970
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,962
Rank in 1970:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 45. Page 1 of 5
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Top 45 Music Albums of 1970 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| Van Morrison | 2 | 4% | |
| Elton John | 2 | 4% | |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 4% | |
| The Doors | 2 | 4% | |
| Grateful Dead | 2 | 4% | |
| Sly & The Family Stone | 1 | 2% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 45 Music Albums of 1970 chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 44th to 45th McCartney by Paul McCartney |
| New entries |
|---|
 Alone Togetherby Dave Mason |
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Other year charts by Romanelli
(from the 1970s)| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 38 Music Albums of 1979 | Romanelli | 1979 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 38 Music Albums of 1978 | Romanelli | 1978 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 46 Music Albums of 1977 | Romanelli | 1977 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 35 Music Albums of 1976 | Romanelli | 1976 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 33 Music Albums of 1975 | Romanelli | 1975 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 33 Music Albums of 1974 | Romanelli | 1974 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 39 Music Albums of 1973 | Romanelli | 1973 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 46 Music Albums of 1972 | Romanelli | 1972 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 43 Music Albums of 1971 | Romanelli | 1971 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 45 Music Albums of 1970 | Romanelli | 1970 year chart | 2025 | |
Top 45 Music Albums of 1970 ratings
87/100 (from 6 votes)
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| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
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 85/100  | 03/12/2016 18:16 | beatlekid123 | | 65/100 |
| 90/100 | 08/22/2014 14:36 |  thedistantship | | 84/100 |
| 85/100 | 02/04/2014 18:57 | PauloPaz | | 89/100 |
| 80/100 | 09/29/2013 19:59 | edubs | | 89/100 |
| 100/100 | 01/05/2013 23:22 | guigs13 | | 88/100 |
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100/100
From guigs13 01/05/2013 23:22
Your chart is just perfect!
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