Top 92 Music Albums of the 1970s
by 
DriftingOrpheus 
- Chart updated: 09/14/2025 06:15
- (Created: 04/25/2020 19:17).
- Chart size: 92 albums.
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Novices to the world of acclaimed rock music looking to cut their teeth wouldn't have to dig very deep to find evidence of The Dark Side of the Moon's legacy and societal imprint. After all, this is a record that is arguably the most universally celebrated and globally popular in modern history. Unfortunately, nowadays it's characterized, more often than not, by hyperbole. This is a shame really because it's pinpoint nuance that makes The Dark Side of the Moon one of the finest albums to grace humanity's collective eardrums. The record radiates a sound of a group that knows exactly what it wants to achieve sonically and signals the completion of a maturation that has occurred over the course of a handful of prior outings. Take 1971's Meddle for example. It's one of Floyd's finest without reservation, boasting immense successes such as Fearless and San Tropez, but there is a rather hefty outlier laden within the tracklist. To be clear, I'm using the term outlier in its most complimentary form. The 23 minute behemoth, Echoes, ended the record and served as a roadmap for where the band would venture next. The destination was a cosmic, ethereal, metaphysical realm that they dubbed The Dark Side of the Moon.
The album commences with Speak to Me, a transport that can loosely be described as a track, however, its importance is critical to the LP's DNA. The track is fronted by a literal heartbeat and incorporates various samples (faintly heard) that coordinate with future expositions, elapsing to lay out the coming journey that remains ahead. They say that your life flashes before you on your deathbed, but here the band have presented those nanoseconds at birth. It's an intriguing concept put lightly. After a short (breath) of cognizance, third track, On the Run, epitomizes the frantic rigors that life will bestow upon its participants. Synths and a Hammond organ spark throughout the frenetic, instrumental piece that help craft one of Floyd's most satisfying short-burst affirmations. A cacophony of alarm bells greet you when fourth track Time, one of Floyd's most cherished works, emerges. The song, unsurprisingly, deals with the passage of its namesake and how it is futile to protest against the all-devouring pull of its black hole. The horology driven track is arguably the album's spaciest statement, as it glides wonderfully across an unblemished, unsullied terrain. David Gilmour's lead vocals are hoisted by the serene backing of a myriad of singers before he himself uncorks a guitar solo of unflinching allure. Gilmour warns, "Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain; you are young and life is long and there is time to kill today, and then one day you find ten years have got behind you; no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun." The Dark Side of the Moon has just revealed its first treasure. The final track of the A side is a bit of a deviation, but not in quality. The stunning, non-lexical vocal stylings of Clare Torry caress The Great Gig in the Sky, which stands in as a figurative grim reaper. If only dying could be this inviting. Her yowls seep into every crevice and cranny of the instrumentation, fusing into an intense moment of catharsis as side one fades out.
The tranquility subsides with an exchange of currency but this particular quid is of the funky variety. Money benefits substantially from drummer Nick Mason and session saxophonist Dick Parry. Mason excels against a tricky 7/4 time signature which is later converted to 4/4 for Gilmour's punctual guitar solo. Parry's sax shepherds the track through that very transition with all the eccentricities of a free jazz maestro. Thematically, the track mocks the pursuit of monetary wealth in the grand scheme of life's expansive possibility. "Money, it's a gas; grab that cash with both hands and make a stash; New car, caviar, four-star daydream, think I'll buy me a football team," elicits Gilmour. Money is, without opposition, the wittiest voyage on the album. Seventh track, Us and Them, shreds any remaining inklings of snarky banter. The nearly eight-minute cut is an expedition through the nucleus of human interaction and conflict. It's also the highpoint for melodic elegance on the record. For instance, the vocal harmony shared between Gilmour and Richard Wright, supported by the returning vocal quintet from Time, dishes out multiple crescendos which never fail to produce goosebumps. Dick Parry also returns, once again armed with his tenor saxophone. He contributes healthy doses of chaos alongside the angelic climaxes. Gilmour and Wright cry, "Haven't you heard it's a battle of words, the poster bearer cried, listen, son, said the man with the gun, There's room for you inside." Incredible is too tame a word for Us and Them. Any Colour You Like bridges the gap between Us and Them and the final two tracks of the record. Brain Damage, previously known as "Lunatic", is an uncompromising examination of the deterioration of one's mental health. It's a notably subdued moment on the LP, treading lightly in the manner in which one would approach a loved one battling cognitive disarray. Roger Waters tries his hand here, chanting, "And if the dam breaks open many years too soon, and if there is no room upon the hill, and if your head explodes with dark forebodings too; I'll see you on the dark side of the moon." These lyrics seem to metaphorically chronicle the spiraling psychological state of former Floyd compatriot, Syd Barrett. More details on that in 1975. The album comes to a stirring, reflective ending on Eclipse. It unfurls almost as a warning to its audience to take life seriously and thoroughly taste every precious drop of elixir it grants. Waters bestows, "And all that is now and all that is gone, and all that's to come and everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon." The track departs with the heartbeat that introduced the record's arrival. It's the symbolic ending of a journey, or is it a rebirth?
The Dark Side of the Moon continues to induce innumerable headlines, but it's the subtext which serves as a finer asseveration of its invincibility. Its chart topping run isn't the catalyst for the album's cultural staying power, nor is it typified by its pieces. It was constructed with the intention to be consumed wholly in the same fashion in which humans cannot pick and choose select instances within a lifetime. Yes, the performances are marvelous, but it's the uncolored edges of ruminative headspace between the sonic apexes that truly hold the jewels. It's not Pink Floyd's most personal outing (Wish You Were Here) or even their most technically proficient (Animals), but it remains their most essential due to its kinship with the human condition. The truth is, yes, it really is that good. Look within life's tiniest moments for validation.
"Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time,
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines,
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way,
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say."
-Time
Standout Tracks:
1. Us and Them
2. Time
3. Brain Damage
91.4 [First added to this chart: 04/27/2020]
The album commences with Speak to Me, a transport that can loosely be described as a track, however, its importance is critical to the LP's DNA. The track is fronted by a literal heartbeat and incorporates various samples (faintly heard) that coordinate with future expositions, elapsing to lay out the coming journey that remains ahead. They say that your life flashes before you on your deathbed, but here the band have presented those nanoseconds at birth. It's an intriguing concept put lightly. After a short (breath) of cognizance, third track, On the Run, epitomizes the frantic rigors that life will bestow upon its participants. Synths and a Hammond organ spark throughout the frenetic, instrumental piece that help craft one of Floyd's most satisfying short-burst affirmations. A cacophony of alarm bells greet you when fourth track Time, one of Floyd's most cherished works, emerges. The song, unsurprisingly, deals with the passage of its namesake and how it is futile to protest against the all-devouring pull of its black hole. The horology driven track is arguably the album's spaciest statement, as it glides wonderfully across an unblemished, unsullied terrain. David Gilmour's lead vocals are hoisted by the serene backing of a myriad of singers before he himself uncorks a guitar solo of unflinching allure. Gilmour warns, "Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain; you are young and life is long and there is time to kill today, and then one day you find ten years have got behind you; no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun." The Dark Side of the Moon has just revealed its first treasure. The final track of the A side is a bit of a deviation, but not in quality. The stunning, non-lexical vocal stylings of Clare Torry caress The Great Gig in the Sky, which stands in as a figurative grim reaper. If only dying could be this inviting. Her yowls seep into every crevice and cranny of the instrumentation, fusing into an intense moment of catharsis as side one fades out.
The tranquility subsides with an exchange of currency but this particular quid is of the funky variety. Money benefits substantially from drummer Nick Mason and session saxophonist Dick Parry. Mason excels against a tricky 7/4 time signature which is later converted to 4/4 for Gilmour's punctual guitar solo. Parry's sax shepherds the track through that very transition with all the eccentricities of a free jazz maestro. Thematically, the track mocks the pursuit of monetary wealth in the grand scheme of life's expansive possibility. "Money, it's a gas; grab that cash with both hands and make a stash; New car, caviar, four-star daydream, think I'll buy me a football team," elicits Gilmour. Money is, without opposition, the wittiest voyage on the album. Seventh track, Us and Them, shreds any remaining inklings of snarky banter. The nearly eight-minute cut is an expedition through the nucleus of human interaction and conflict. It's also the highpoint for melodic elegance on the record. For instance, the vocal harmony shared between Gilmour and Richard Wright, supported by the returning vocal quintet from Time, dishes out multiple crescendos which never fail to produce goosebumps. Dick Parry also returns, once again armed with his tenor saxophone. He contributes healthy doses of chaos alongside the angelic climaxes. Gilmour and Wright cry, "Haven't you heard it's a battle of words, the poster bearer cried, listen, son, said the man with the gun, There's room for you inside." Incredible is too tame a word for Us and Them. Any Colour You Like bridges the gap between Us and Them and the final two tracks of the record. Brain Damage, previously known as "Lunatic", is an uncompromising examination of the deterioration of one's mental health. It's a notably subdued moment on the LP, treading lightly in the manner in which one would approach a loved one battling cognitive disarray. Roger Waters tries his hand here, chanting, "And if the dam breaks open many years too soon, and if there is no room upon the hill, and if your head explodes with dark forebodings too; I'll see you on the dark side of the moon." These lyrics seem to metaphorically chronicle the spiraling psychological state of former Floyd compatriot, Syd Barrett. More details on that in 1975. The album comes to a stirring, reflective ending on Eclipse. It unfurls almost as a warning to its audience to take life seriously and thoroughly taste every precious drop of elixir it grants. Waters bestows, "And all that is now and all that is gone, and all that's to come and everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon." The track departs with the heartbeat that introduced the record's arrival. It's the symbolic ending of a journey, or is it a rebirth?
The Dark Side of the Moon continues to induce innumerable headlines, but it's the subtext which serves as a finer asseveration of its invincibility. Its chart topping run isn't the catalyst for the album's cultural staying power, nor is it typified by its pieces. It was constructed with the intention to be consumed wholly in the same fashion in which humans cannot pick and choose select instances within a lifetime. Yes, the performances are marvelous, but it's the uncolored edges of ruminative headspace between the sonic apexes that truly hold the jewels. It's not Pink Floyd's most personal outing (Wish You Were Here) or even their most technically proficient (Animals), but it remains their most essential due to its kinship with the human condition. The truth is, yes, it really is that good. Look within life's tiniest moments for validation.
"Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time,
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines,
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way,
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say."
-Time
Standout Tracks:
1. Us and Them
2. Time
3. Brain Damage
91.4 [First added to this chart: 04/27/2020]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
59,980
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
10. (=)
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88.2
[First added to this chart: 03/28/2021]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,719
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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87.6
[First added to this chart: 04/27/2020]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,381
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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87.5
[First added to this chart: 04/03/2021]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
385
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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85.9
[First added to this chart: 09/03/2021]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,534
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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83.8
[First added to this chart: 12/11/2021]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,462
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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83.3
[First added to this chart: 01/18/2023]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,409
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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81.6
[First added to this chart: 10/20/2022]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,851
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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79.1
[First added to this chart: 06/03/2020]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,143
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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78.1
[First added to this chart: 03/06/2024]
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,513
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 13. Page 1 of 2
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Top 92 Music Albums of the 1970s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 13 | 14% | |
| 1971 | 6 | 7% | |
| 1972 | 9 | 10% | |
| 1973 | 13 | 14% | |
| 1974 | 10 | 11% | |
| 1975 | 9 | 10% | |
| 1976 | 4 | 4% | |
| 1977 | 11 | 12% | |
| 1978 | 9 | 10% | |
| 1979 | 8 | 9% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| David Bowie | 7 | 8% | |
| Tom Waits | 6 | 7% | |
| Pink Floyd | 6 | 7% | |
| The Beach Boys | 5 | 5% | |
| Scott Walker | 5 | 5% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4% | |
| Brian Eno | 4 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 92 Music Albums of the 1970s chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 66th to 67thSelling England By The Pound by Genesis |
| Down 1 from 67th to 68thClose To The Edge by Yes |
| Down 1 from 68th to 69th"Heroes" by David Bowie |
| New entries |
|---|
| Vintage Violence by John Cale |
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| Top 73 Music Albums of the 1970s | ars2458 | 1970s decade chart | 2020 | |
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Other decade charts by DriftingOrpheus
DriftingOrpheus has shared 6 more 1970s decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 28 Music Albums of the 2020s | DriftingOrpheus | 2020s decade chart | 2025 | |
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Top 92 Music Albums of the 1970s ratings
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av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 6 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 10/22/2022 13:56 |  sssvnnn | 2,865 | 83/100 |
| ! | 11/26/2021 07:51 |  desh79 | 1,278 | 93/100 |
| ! | 07/20/2021 15:04 |  Larcx13 | 1,145 | 86/100 |
| ! | 04/28/2021 19:07 |  Rhyner | 1,457 | 99/100 |
| ! | 11/10/2020 03:51 | leniad | 673 | 85/100 |
Top 92 Music Albums of the 1970s favourites
Top 92 Music Albums of the 1970s comments
Showing all 2 comments |
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From sssvnnn 10/22/2022 13:57 | #290687
sssvnnn 10/22/2022 13:57 | #290687
...pretty much my kind of music, I`m looking foreward to the next 30 entries,,,
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From leniad 11/10/2020 03:51 | #260515
good selections, hope you can enter 73 more albums
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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