Listed below are the best albums of the 1970s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 58,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 4 hours ago).
"An absolutely bonkers LP. Andrew Lloyd Webber meets Bruce Springsteen in this wonderfully bombastic and over the top album. It's incredibly theatrical, a kind of rock'n'roll musical all about love, sex and having a whale of a time. The title track is off course the most famous song here but, for ...""An absolutely bonkers LP. Andrew Lloyd Webber meets Bruce Springsteen in this wonderfully bombastic and over the top album. It's incredibly theatrical, a kind of rock'n'roll musical all about love, sex and having a whale of a time. The title track is off course the most famous song here but, for crying out loud, paradise by the dashboard light, and, two out of three ain't bad, are all great. Bat out of hell, is pretentious, silly, and overly ambitious, but it's also a lot of fun. Good stuff. "[+]Reply
"I have 225 records and only 224 listed on this site, I kept going through them over and over to see which one I hadn't yet listed.... b4 doing this though, I went through the top 1000 albums on this site and added all of them to either my wish list or collection.... so when going through my recor...""I have 225 records and only 224 listed on this site, I kept going through them over and over to see which one I hadn't yet listed.... b4 doing this though, I went through the top 1000 albums on this site and added all of them to either my wish list or collection....
so when going through my records I never guessed that this one hadn't already been added when I went through the top 1000. I skipped right past the fleetwood mac albums b/c I "knew" they'd already been accounted for. it doesn't make any sense - I've listened to this + Rumours a MILLION times each, and this one probably even more often than Rumours. how in the hell is Rumours considered that many leagues higher than this? this isn't even top 1000, are you f*&^ing kidding me?
this has got to be the most underrated album of all time. landslide, rhiannon, monday morning, warm ways, over my head, say you love me, crystal, I'm so afraid... unbelievable ranking here. the quality is extremely close to that of Rumours."[+]Reply
"Rumors was an incredibly focused, accessible, and well written album. Most of Fleetwood Mac's fanbase undoubtedly came from that album for those reasons. Tusk has the misfortune of being the followup to Rumors, and was specifically designed to turn the Rumors formula on its head, while still maki...""Rumors was an incredibly focused, accessible, and well written album. Most of Fleetwood Mac's fanbase undoubtedly came from that album for those reasons. Tusk has the misfortune of being the followup to Rumors, and was specifically designed to turn the Rumors formula on its head, while still making a great piece of art. This means that Tusk was designed to be messy, inaccessible, but still well written. I feel that a lot of the detractors that this album has are hung up on the fact that this album is long and varied, and tend to overlook the incredible innovation and incredible songwriting on this beast. I first listened to this album probably seven years ago, and I could not make it through on my first few listens. However, as I have grown older, I have learned to appreciate this album more than Rumors. If Rumors is about the deconstruction of relationships, then Tusk is about the deconstruction of the self. Here we have a band who know each other very intimately- Stevie and Lindsay were a couple, Stevie and Mick had a fling, and the McVie's recently had a divorce. Each member is dealing with the memories of their intense relationships with each other, and coping in different ways. Buckingham has devolved into a paranoid cocaine abuser, Stevie Nicks is clearly traumatized by the betrayal of her new lover Mick Fleetwood as well as her recent abortion, and Christine McVie is still processing her divorce, and the breakdown of the band. This leads to a variety of music that ranges from beautiful, to heart-wrenching, to utterly deranged. "Sara" has one of my favorite drumming performance of all time, and is an utterly beautiful song where Nicks alludes to her aborted baby, Sara, as well as her friend that Fleetwood left her for (also Sara). Fleetwood apparently put 24 hours straight of effort into making the drumming for this song as perfect as possible, and it shows. I could be reading into it to much, but the drum tone almost conveys a sense of remorse that adds to the ethereal bitter-sweetness of the song. McVie's songs aren't quite as depressing as Nicks' contributions, but they exude a similar energy. "Over and Over" is a beautiful opener that sets the tone for what the rest of the album will be, but then is quickly subverted by the bonkers "The Ledge". Buckingham had succumbed to a "blizzard of cocaine" when writing this album, and was apparently obsessed with appealing to Talking Heads fans and Beach Boys fans alike with his compositions. This leads to occasionally beautiful harmonies like those in "Save Me a Place", but usually results in paranoid, angry songs like "Not that Funny". "Tusk" is the culmination of Buckingham's paranoia, which is essentially a song about telling Nicks and Fleetwood that he knows their dirty little secret and can blackmail them whenever he wants, then forces Fleetwood to give the best damn drumming performance of his career on it.
At this point I am rambling, but that in a way is part of what Tusk is. It is rambling and unfocused, but contrary to what other commenters on here say, is devoid of filler. Filler implies that an artist wanted to reach the length of time required for a full album, but that is definitely not what is going on here. Each song has a unique soundscape and purpose that contributes to themes and sound that is Tusk."[+]Reply
"Another quick review.... Yes, this is perhaps the sexiest and most romantic record ever made. As a single guy who isn't a ladies man by any stretch of the imagination, it can be kinda strange to think how much I empathize with this record. The first half in particular is flawless as far as I'm co...""Another quick review....
Yes, this is perhaps the sexiest and most romantic record ever made. As a single guy who isn't a ladies man by any stretch of the imagination, it can be kinda strange to think how much I empathize with this record. The first half in particular is flawless as far as I'm concerned. And as far as "Greatest Songs of All Times" arguments go, well you will hear me pushing the title track forward in consideration. Just listen to that track closely again, everything about it - the horns, keyboards, the vocals, the harmonies, the sexy guitar and especially those fucking drums (the greatest drumming I've ever heard) is just perfection!
That level of excellence is nearly matched throughout, albeit in different ways. The slow burnin' shit on here is just about the most sizzlin' stuff ever recorded. (Example; "You Sure Love To Ball".) And the pure romantic stuff here is incredible too! (Example; "If I should Die Tonight" - perhaps one of the best love songs and most overlooked in Gaye's career.)
"There's nothin wrong
with me
Lovin' you
(Honey no nooooo)
And givin' yourself to me
can never be wrong
If the love is true.""[+]Reply
"Luis Alberto Spinetta was a big fan of John Lennon, and the latter's Plastic Ono Band is a point of reference to begin to understand the masterpiece known as Artaud. Both albums were recorded at times of turmoil in both artists' lives and in their respective countries, and this is reflected on th...""Luis Alberto Spinetta was a big fan of John Lennon, and the latter's Plastic Ono Band is a point of reference to begin to understand the masterpiece known as Artaud. Both albums were recorded at times of turmoil in both artists' lives and in their respective countries, and this is reflected on the naked sincerity of their lyrics. But while Lennon made the decision to play straightforward rock with simple lyrics and simpler arrangements, Spinetta favored complex compositions full of weird voicings, surrealist imagery and avant-garde elements, best exemplified in the 9-minute suite 'Cantata de Puentes Amarillos', inspired by Van Gogh, Artaud and Elagabalus, the transgender Roman Emperor.
Although it is considered a fundamentally acoustic work, Artaud has its moments of electric grandeur, such as 'Las Habladurias del Mundo', 'Cementerio Club' and 'Bajan', showcasing Spinetta's axe skills. This is one of those records you can listen to a million times and still find something new. Highly recommended."[+]Reply
"I was first introduced to Parliament a year after I graduated from college by a girl who put "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)" on a mix tape for me. It was only then that I discovered how badly I had always wanted to improve my intergalactic ...""I was first introduced to Parliament a year after I graduated from college by a girl who put "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)" on a mix tape for me. It was only then that I discovered how badly I had always wanted to improve my intergalactic funksmanship. And that that was a thing. George Clinton's place in the world of music is all his own--the most bizarre combination of seventies funk and space-age psychedelia, hilarious self-promotion, and an unapologetically playful and self-deprecating take on blackness. This album never fails to make me smile."[+]Reply
"Ethereal music springs out of this one, their 2nd effort. The interplay of Latimer's flute and Bardens' keyboards is simply ecstatic. Unfortunately it remains another underrated brilliant classic album. On a personal note, I’ve been listening to it for the last couple of days continuously through...""Ethereal music springs out of this one, their 2nd effort. The interplay of Latimer's flute and Bardens' keyboards is simply ecstatic. Unfortunately it remains another underrated brilliant classic album. On a personal note, I’ve been listening to it for the last couple of days continuously throughout the day and it still amazes the hell out of me."[+]Reply
"This is one of the best Queen albums. It shows that the band was much better when they took risks. The theatrical progressive rock here blows away any tame classic rock sounds this album has to offer. Procession is a decent intro, but also aids well in allowing the album to flow with how it seaml...""This is one of the best Queen albums. It shows that the band was much better when they took risks. The theatrical progressive rock here blows away any tame classic rock sounds this album has to offer.
Procession is a decent intro, but also aids well in allowing the album to flow with how it seamlessly ties into Father & Son. Both Father & Son and White Queen are highlights, the former showing a bit of Queen's heavier side. From there the next two songs are by far the worst for me. Not at all into Brian May's Some Day One Day, and Roger Taylor's The Loser In The End is highly forgettable to me other than the cool percussive intro. This part of the album just suffers from Lack-of-Freddie-itis.
Ogre Battle picks the album right back up again and begins a string of great and eclectic Queen compositions that doesn't let up until the album is over.
Maybe my 2nd favorite Queen album."[+]Reply
"Nominally, Joni Mitchell is Folk. This is really only true insofar as it indicates where she began as a songwriter. Mitchell's career quickly evolved into something far greater, and progressively harder to define. The Hissing of Summer Lawns is not only the greatest example of Joni Mitchell's cre...""Nominally, Joni Mitchell is Folk. This is really only true insofar as it indicates where she began as a songwriter. Mitchell's career quickly evolved into something far greater, and progressively harder to define. The Hissing of Summer Lawns is not only the greatest example of Joni Mitchell's creative individuality as a musician, but is also arguably the point at which all of the disparate pieces that comprise the woman who is "Joni Mitchell" came together in perfect harmony. Her impeccable skill as a songwriter, her unique guitar style, her jazz influence; on the Hissing of Summer Lawns, all of these pieces come together into a whole that is far greater than its individual parts. These “parts” have all been around Joni Mitchell at various points in her career; her songwriting and guitar skill were there from the start, but even from her beginnings of a masterful folk storyteller, she was to go in a slightly different direction with each coming album; toying with and sometimes fully implementing, at various points in her career, everything from pop-melodicism to African rhythmic structures. But the most important influence that hovered around Mitchell’s work, (and which had been since the early 70s) was that of jazz. By the time her massive commercial breakthrough came 1974’s “Court and Spark”, her folk origins were all but absent. In their place stood melodic and thoughtful pop-influenced ballads of the kind of self-expression that we had seen in her confessional masterpiece “Blue”. It would appear that no matter what kind of music Mitchell is delving into at any given time, her songwriting skill (which, by the way, easily matches if not trumps the likes of fellow lyrical geniuses Bob Dylan and Neil Young) is always present, but with every new album, there is always a twist in the way with which her words are displayed. Mitchell’s lyrical prowess, along with her mature vision of pop song construction, may have taken the forefront of Court and Spark, what is often overlooked is what may have been the beginning of what was to define Joni Mitchell’s most ambitious and most artistically rewording period as a musician, and that is that “Court and Spark”, behind it’s romantic orchestration, actually exhibited a substantial jazz influence. Of course, that did nothing to prepare Mitchell’s fan base for what was to come. In 1975, Joni Mitchell releases “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”, an album where the jazz that was hinted at in its predecessor takes full form, just as the folk that defined her early career makes a reappearance, and fuses itself with her love for the likes of Charles Mingus and Jaco Pastorius into an album that can only be loosely defined as “Jazz-folk”, but that contains a degree of ambition and sheer unexpectedness far greater than such a narrow genre pigeonholing would suggest. In the end, The Hissing of Summer Lawns exists outside of the realm of normal classification or judgment. Further description would do this album no justice. Joni has crafted a world that is entirely her own, and to which no parallels can or should be drawn.
That was too analytical.
I want to give this album a hug."[+]Reply
"nursery cryme was the first very good genesis album. The prior two albums were not as good -- 1969 debut from genesis to revelation was carved in a generic 60s-music template mold and follow-up trespass didn't yet carve out a unique identity for genesis yet (although sporting one of their better ...""nursery cryme was the first very good genesis album. The prior two albums were not as good -- 1969 debut from genesis to revelation was carved in a generic 60s-music template mold and follow-up trespass didn't yet carve out a unique identity for genesis yet (although sporting one of their better songs, "the knife") -- and will not be covered in following, previous-year music posts. nursery cryme was also the first album to show off the talents of phil collins and steve hackett. Highlights are "the musical box", "the return of the giant hogweed" (which takes on more significance in my current fight against a takeover of dandelions) and "the fountain of salmacis", all of which run about 8 minutes or more each. Hackett and collins shine on "hogweed", probably the best track of the bunch, an escalating war march sung savagely by gabriel. (i love his lines like "botanical creature stirs, seeking revenge!" and how he even identifies it by its latin name, "heracleum mantegazzianii" which makes it sound even more menacing, like a vampiric race that has been around for millenia.) "seven stories" is sadly poetic ruminating on a life focused on the wrong things ("despair that tires the world brings the old man laughter") underpinned by the darkly ominous moog (via tony banks). "harold the barrel" is the first really good "cornball" genesis song in a long line of really good cornball songs from "cuckoo cocoon" and "i know what i like" to "illegal alien" and "i can't dance". You can hear Phil's lead vocals in "for absent friends". "fountain of salmacis" closes the album leaving me question "hogweed"'s self-proclaimed title as album-best as it sounds as epic (catch that hackett guitar tear dueling with Phil's drums near-midway through or tony banks dueling with Phil nearer the end) and is more humanly-touching."[+]Reply
Mercury | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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buzzdainer | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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NickVolos | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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AAL2014 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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paladisiac | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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