Best Albums of the 1970s

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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: 2 hours ago).

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1970s decade summaryThe best artists of the 1970s were Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder and The Who.

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211.

Young Americans

David Bowie

"This is definitely one of Bowie's best work, brilliant album. Every single song is great, really strong. After this album Bowie's singing style change forever, he learned how to use this deeper voice and this high falsetto (in a soulful way). Should be higher rated, up there in the top 5, at leas..." [+] Reply

- Hellaboi | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

435 charts

Rank Score:

1,683

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

211

Overall Rank:

1,031

Average Rating:

77 (762 votes)

Comments:

212.

Just Another Diamond Day

Vashti Bunyan

"This sounds like I'm working at a sweet quaint farm. I wake up to the birds chiming and the rooster cockle-doodling, and I skip along a vast field of daisies (daisies again, why does female folk remind me of daisies all the time?), and I'm happy as can be. I bask in the sun and Vashti and I decid..." [+] Reply

SuedeSwede | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

267 charts

Rank Score:

1,682

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

212

Overall Rank:

1,033

Average Rating:

80 (280 votes)

Comments:

213.

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

"The most important thing to realize going into listening to this album the first couple of times is that Syd Barrett really *was* a talented songwriter, and that even without his total mental breakdown he still would have amassed a pretty decently sized following. There are quite a few melodies a...""The most important thing to realize going into listening to this album the first couple of times is that Syd Barrett really *was* a talented songwriter, and that even without his total mental breakdown he still would have amassed a pretty decently sized following. There are quite a few melodies and chord sequences here that would have worked just fine in a normal setting, with a lyrical combination of playfulness and self-confession that would make quite an impact on their own. The opening "Terrapin" is a great example of this, as it's a rather gentle acoustic ballad that combines playful (and only somewhat nonsensical) lyrics about being a swimming fish and simple (but still kinda clever to my ears) boy-girl lyrics like, "Well oh baby my hair's on end about you." Simple and poppy, yes, but high quality simple-and-poppy, if you ask me. But of course, it's not the normal aspects of the album alone that ultimately draw people here, but rather the way in which they provide a context for the train wreck of Syd's mind. "Terrapin," by having such 'regular' appeal, is an extremely deceptive opener, as the evidence for this album's weirdness reputation begins in full force with track two. Witness the dark aggressive (and outright disturbing) cacophony of "No Good Trying", whose most revealing moment is the line about the person Syd is singing to spinning around in a car while lights are flashing all around. Witness the hilariously catchy up-tempo, nonsensical "Love You," where Syd and Co. conjure up a vaguely Kinksy piano number and let it linger in the astral plane just long enough to totally screw it up (meant in a good way). Witness ESPECIALLY when Syd's performance (singing, lyrics, guitar, everything) goes totally off the deep end in "Octopus," all culminating in the ecstatic chanting of, "Please leave us here! Close our eyes to the octopus riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!!!" And so on. The easiest way, for me at least, to categorize the rest of the album is to divide it into "lucid" and "less lucid." The less lucid parts sometimes happen within the songs themselves (like the weird mumbling freak-out in the second half of "No Man's Land"), but the most frightening one comes when Roger Waters and David Gilmour (the producers) share an outtake from right before Syd's 'proper' rendition of "If It's In You," where Syd starts into the number and ends up hideously off-key in singing, "Yes I'm thiiiiiiiiiiiNNNNNNNNNNKing" and follows by mumbling only semi-coherently. Poor, poor, Syd. What makes his collapse even more frightening and sad in my mind, though, is the ways the lucid moments show he was fully aware of it. "Dark Globe" is playful and has somewhat off-key vocals, yes, but those are serious chills down my back when he sings, "Won't you miss me? Wouldn't you miss me at aaaallllllll??" Those chills stay when I hear Syd longing for a girl in "Here I Go," in the mournful "Long Gone," and even when he's slowly singing James Joyce poetry to an elementary melody. Beyond these, there are some songs that aren't really that super, and that kinda negate my original hopes that, even in the wake of such heavy drug abuse, his songwriting abilities would remain completely unscathed. But really, I don't think that's the point. This is an album that can be extremely enjoyable at points, yes, but it's also very sad, and more than that really has no parallel in music of which I'm aware. It's messy, it's playful, it's sad ... it's Syd. And Syd was great, despite himself. This is why I like this album terribly much, despite that I almost never bring it out. If you don't like it, I can understand, but you must also understand that those of us who do like it get a feel from it that's largely indescribable, and thus you should not condemn us or this album. PS: Somehow, I left out mention of the album's second best song, the closing "Late Night." It's probably the best example on the album of a semi-coherent love song, one that had a great song at its core but got tweaked more than a bit by being filtered through Syd's mind. It brings a tear to my eye each time I hear it. " [+] Reply

- Tarkus1980 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

326 charts

Rank Score:

1,679

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

213

Overall Rank:

1,034

Average Rating:

76 (444 votes)

Comments:

214.

The Man Who Sold The World

David Bowie

"Bowie dips into heavy rock. I love this album. Width of a Circle blows me away every time. All the Madmen and After All give us a little glimpse into Bowie’s mindset. With mental illness sadly stalking his family history. A lot of credit goes to Mick Ronson and Tony Visconti who arranged and prod..." [+] Reply

Nowhereman1965 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

453 charts

Rank Score:

1,674

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

214

Overall Rank:

1,037

Average Rating:

78 (873 votes)

Comments:

215.

A Farewell To Kings

Rush

"For whatever reason Rush is not a band that I've ever felt the need to connect with and listen to until now, a relatively late phase in my musical discovery (of classic rock at least), and I am completely shocked and blown away by how good this album is (especially considering that you don't hear...""For whatever reason Rush is not a band that I've ever felt the need to connect with and listen to until now, a relatively late phase in my musical discovery (of classic rock at least), and I am completely shocked and blown away by how good this album is (especially considering that you don't hear about it all that often). I can't think of a single reason to dock this album even five points. A true masterpiece of performance, thematic cohesion, innovation...just great rock music in every sense. All six tracks are spectacular in their own right and work wonderfully together. The album opens with the title track, which immediately pulls you in with its incredibly catchy chorus "Cities full of hatred fear and lies". Whereas the Ayn Rand influence can be a bit overbearing in some of their earlier albums, here I feel like it is mixed in just the right amount, capturing a sense of dissatisfaction in the present and a deeply held internal conviction that things can be better, as relevant now as ever. The song ends with the lyric "closer to the heart" which acts as a perfect connection to the song of the same name which appears third on the album and succinctly encapsulates all these things. In between these two songs is the album's centerpiece, the incredible "Xanadu" which is an absolute tour de force, from its beautiful zen opening, to its parade of brilliant riffage that opens the work, glossed with reverberated sounds that anticipated the 80s before its time, leading to the song itself that maintains momentum with its sudden tempo changes, and topped off by a truly tremendous drumming performance by Peart. The second half of the album is equally strong, beginning with the hugely underrated "Cinderella Man", one of the most earwarm pleasant songs I have ever heard. It seems to idolize an Elon Musk kind of figure, which honestly probably is not the most aligned with my personal beliefs but is done so convincingly you can't help but to be swept up by it. Sure, "Madrigal" is the weakest track, but it fits very well as a palette cleanser and it is nice to have a more simple, sweet sentiment within all the complex political and social theory. The last track on the album is the first one I heard, and when it popped up on a playlist without me checking the artis or song name, I could have sworn something from "Kid A" snuck its way in. Well, it quickly transitions from that course, but you get some of the coolest prog rock I've ever heard, kind of proto-Tool in a way with its complex time signatures and heavy mayhem, giving a quite convincing musical portrayal of a black hole while lyrically genuinely reflecting on the mysteries of the cosmos that could cause such a phenomena. One heck of an impressive album, very surprised this isn't regarded higher or more frequently as Rush's best." [+] Reply

poppmusic | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

345 charts

Rank Score:

1,670

Rank in 1977:

Rank in 1970s:

215

Overall Rank:

1,040

Average Rating:

80 (520 votes)

Comments:

216.

Safe Mode: On

Expensive Shit

Fela Kuti & Africa 70

"Water No Get Enemy is one of Fela Kuti's finest." Reply

JoaoMoreira | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

250 charts

Rank Score:

1,662

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

216

Overall Rank:

1,045

Average Rating:

80 (238 votes)

Comments:

217.

Every Picture Tells A Story

Rod Stewart

"With the release of “Every Picture Tells A Story” Rod Stewart solidified his career as a solo artist. Faces would release one more album before Rod The Mod swaggered off to a very lucrative and sometimes maligned solo career. For everything we think about Stewart after 1974-ish, this album stands..." [+] Reply

Rochmon | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

370 charts

Rank Score:

1,657

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

217

Overall Rank:

1,049

Average Rating:

78 (399 votes)

Comments:

218.

154

Wire

"Far removed from Pink Flag. Seems like another step forward into unchartered territory after Chairs Missing. Really inventive guitar sounds, creating a unique atmosphere." Reply

meccalecca | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

273 charts

Rank Score:

1,655

Rank in 1979:

Rank in 1970s:

218

Overall Rank:

1,050

Average Rating:

79 (316 votes)

Comments:

219.

On The Corner

Miles Davis

"Fucking Miles Davis. Just when you thought he'd already broken more new ground and created more timeless masterpieces than could ever be matched, he drops this piece of fusion genius, which is probably the most ambitious thing Davis ever released in his career. And I mean this is fucking Miles Da...""Fucking Miles Davis. Just when you thought he'd already broken more new ground and created more timeless masterpieces than could ever be matched, he drops this piece of fusion genius, which is probably the most ambitious thing Davis ever released in his career. And I mean this is fucking Miles Davis we're talking about. Made really just as an attempt to reconnect with a younger audience who had strayed from jazz, Davis ended up crafting what would later be seen as an important forerunner of everything from post-punk to drum'N'Bass. He played with weird structures and repetition and all kinds of avant-whatever else he felt like screwing with because he's Miles fucking Davis. He mastered the electronic music aesthetic before electronic music was really even a thing. As "out there" as all this sounds, throw in some funk and still maintain some jazz, and what could have been a Stockhausen tribute instead becomes a funky as fuck Stockhausen tribute album. The avant-garde has never been so catchy. It’s not surprising that, upon its initial release, On the Corner was met with not only critical scorn projected by those who just really didn’t get what they were listening to, but with a massive backlash from anyone who had been a dedicated fan of Davis’ jazz for any great amount of time. To them, this album must’ve felt like a complete abandonment, a monstrosity that marked the fall of a giant. But really it was quite the opposite; Miles Davis had hit a point where his artistic ambitions required him to advance sonically, and so advance he did. Fuck anyone who didn’t like it. Oh and I’m sure the shocking offense which was the actual music of this album was only worsened by those who cared to look into those credited, because holy shit what a lineup. Prominent featurings of everyone from Chick Corea to John McLaughlin to Herbie Hancock (just to name a few), what could possibly go wrong? Well in the eyes of the 70s jazz community, everything. In actuality, not a goddamn thing. No matter how many unexpected sounds are thrown at you, not matter how unfamiliar this album is from most anything the average listener is likely to have heard, its “weirdness” is the furthest possible thing from a hindrance on what is, in the end, an album without fault. Though I can’t really make statements like that when On The Corner doesn’t exactly have any peers to which I should be comparing it to judge its relative awesomeness. Though I’m sure if it did, they would all fall flat. tl;dr I agree with Borve" [+] Reply

- | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (11 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

302 charts

Rank Score:

1,647

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

219

Overall Rank:

1,055

Average Rating:

80 (347 votes)

Comments:

220.

No Other

Gene Clark

"Is this the greatest country rock album of all time? There are so many nights I feel that way. The songs are simply majestic. The type of songs that make me feel like I can take on the entire world no matter what the odds. And I need that kind of music in my life. Songs that make me want to shirk..." [+] Reply

Repo | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

248 charts

Rank Score:

1,645

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

220

Overall Rank:

1,056

Average Rating:

79 (234 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 22 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	110	11%
1971	99	10%
1972	97	10%
1973	112	11%
1974	94	9%
1975	97	10%
1976	89	9%
1977	93	9%
1978	106	11%
1979	103	10%

Artist	Albums	%

David Bowie	11	1%
Yes	9	1%
Genesis	9	1%
Miles Davis	8	1%
Electric Light Orchestra	8	1%
Pink Floyd	8	1%
AC/DC	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	388	39%
	373	37%
	43	4%
	39	4%
	38	4%
	20	2%
	20	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	976	98%
Yes	24	2%

Live?	Albums	%
No	944	94%
Yes	56	6%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	986	99%
Yes	14	1%

« View best albums of the 1960sView best albums of the 1980s »

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