Best Albums of the 1970s

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231.

Third 

 Soft Machine

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"The album consists of four extended jams of 18-19 minutes duration that combine minimalistic keyboards, outstanding jazz horns on three of the four jams (particularly, Hopper's 'Facelift'), saxophone, flute and, in Robert Wyatt, some of the greatest drumming ('Slightly All The Time') and expressi...""The album consists of four extended jams of 18-19 minutes duration that combine minimalistic keyboards, outstanding jazz horns on three of the four jams (particularly, Hopper's 'Facelift'), saxophone, flute and, in Robert Wyatt, some of the greatest drumming ('Slightly All The Time') and expressive vocals ('Moon In June') in the history of rock. The latter is Wyatt's first monumental achievement. His voice bleeds a vulnerability and melancholy that bends and weaves intricately around a melody that is as delicate as it is complex and austere. 'Third' is one of the essential jazz, rock and classical albums of the 1970s that demands repeated listens in order to fully grasp and embrace the enormity of its stunning ambition and originality. "  [+]  Reply

- hairymarx1 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

315 charts

Rank Score:

1,530

Rank in 1970:

31

Rank in 1970s:

231

Overall Rank:

1,139

Average Rating:

 79 (381 votes)

Comments:

23

232.

The Basement Tapes 

 Bob Dylan & The Band

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"Younger people say, "The bootleg series is the proper version." Older people say, "Oh it was all on bootleg, anyway, everybody had already heard it." Not if you were 14 when this came out on LP, and didn't know what a bootleg was. This was like finding some sort of occult text from another world....""Younger people say, "The bootleg series is the proper version." Older people say, "Oh it was all on bootleg, anyway, everybody had already heard it." Not if you were 14 when this came out on LP, and didn't know what a bootleg was. This was like finding some sort of occult text from another world. I used to pour over every second of this version, trying to figure out exactly what it all meant, making up my own meanings, playing along on my acoustic. This is the version that brought Dylan to the teens of the 70s, along with Blood on the Tracks and Desire. It's like the Memphis Jug Band came back to life in the late 60s. What an album. "  [+]  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

285 charts

Rank Score:

1,526

Rank in 1975:

19

Rank in 1970s:

232

Overall Rank:

1,145

Average Rating:

 79 (375 votes)

Comments:

17

233.

Fulfillingness' First Finale 

 Stevie Wonder

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"I would consider this album to be very underrated. A deserving Grammy winner for album of the year not in the top 1500? Not in the top 20 for 1974? Overall it is a very good album. Not my favorite from Stevie, but very nice work nonetheless. Some fantastic instrumentation and vocal performances o...""I would consider this album to be very underrated. A deserving Grammy winner for album of the year not in the top 1500? Not in the top 20 for 1974? Overall it is a very good album. Not my favorite from Stevie, but very nice work nonetheless. Some fantastic instrumentation and vocal performances on here. They Won't Go When I Go is a hidden gem in Stevie's catalog. "  [+]  Reply

- AAL2014 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

277 charts

Rank Score:

1,519

Rank in 1974:

20

Rank in 1970s:

233

Overall Rank:

1,150

Average Rating:

 80 (328 votes)

Comments:

16

234.

Powerage 

 AC/DC

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"This is one album I just have to give a 10/10. It's in my top three of all time and is pure, unadulterated AC/DC in the middle of their prime. Lack of a hit single may turn off some people from caring for this album, but it grows on you until you realize just how damn perfect it is."  Reply

- Killerviolin | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

254 charts

Rank Score:

1,511

Rank in 1978:

20

Rank in 1970s:

234

Overall Rank:

1,156

Average Rating:

 77 (419 votes)

Comments:

27

235.

First Utterance 

 Comus

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"This album could be described as folk. But the folk in it isn't the relaxed gentile songs that most people would associate with the genre. It has a pagan feel to it. It feels like it should be played in a dark ancient woodland around a fire by a band all more animal then human. The whole album is...""This album could be described as folk. But the folk in it isn't the relaxed gentile songs that most people would associate with the genre. It has a pagan feel to it. It feels like it should be played in a dark ancient woodland around a fire by a band all more animal then human. The whole album is like a pulsing living organic monstrosity. It is tribal in feeling, with a blend of flute, violin, hand drums, acoustic guitars, female and male vocals and mix of other instruments. "  [+]  Reply

- zonrod | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

216 charts

Rank Score:

1,497

Rank in 1971:

32

Rank in 1970s:

235

Overall Rank:

1,163

Average Rating:

 80 (204 votes)

Comments:

13

236.

Let There Be Rock 

 AC/DC

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"This is a fantastic rock and roll album and it really stunned me with the quality on first listen. The guitar work is incredible and the riffs along with the solos are genius and stunning. The drumming is relentless and makes the music overflow with energy when paired with the guitar. Then there ...""This is a fantastic rock and roll album and it really stunned me with the quality on first listen. The guitar work is incredible and the riffs along with the solos are genius and stunning. The drumming is relentless and makes the music overflow with energy when paired with the guitar. Then there is the choruses which get stuck in your brain and are so enjoyable to just nod your head along to them. This is aided by what I think makes this album such a joy to experience which is the vocal. Its shrill and piercing nature completely dominates the album and is one of my favourite vocals of all time. The performances on the whole on this album are brilliant and really shocked me. However, I do think Overdose is a bit weaker than the rest of the tracks and that does take up quite a bit of time in the record. Overall, an energetic riot of an album that is pure rock and roll and deserves to be enjoyed and be given a lot more credit than it currently gets. "  [+]  Reply

- Untitled | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

285 charts

Rank Score:

1,492

Rank in 1977:

26

Rank in 1970s:

236

Overall Rank:

1,167

Average Rating:

 78 (459 votes)

Comments:

24

237.

Workingman's Dead 

 Grateful Dead

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"The Dead will always be known as a touring band, and one of the best ever. Their genius came from turning their somewhat loosely constructed songs from the record into epic explorations on the stage. In 1970 they shocked everyone by releasing two folky, acoustic-based albums, just months apart. W...""The Dead will always be known as a touring band, and one of the best ever. Their genius came from turning their somewhat loosely constructed songs from the record into epic explorations on the stage. In 1970 they shocked everyone by releasing two folky, acoustic-based albums, just months apart. When I think of American Beauty and this one, I think of them together, almost as if they are part of a double album. To the uninitiated, I would suggest Live/Dead to give you a feel of the 'real' band. But I would say either of these - why not both! - next."  [+]  Reply

- ninecurses | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

276 charts

Rank Score:

1,491

Rank in 1970:

32

Rank in 1970s:

237

Overall Rank:

1,169

Average Rating:

 79 (437 votes)

Comments:

19

238.

Hosianna Mantra 

 Popol Vuh (DE)

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"Each track blends so well with each other I noticed it had ended 5 minutes after it actually ended."  Reply

- Defago | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +12 votes (13 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

218 charts

Rank Score:

1,486

Rank in 1972:

25

Rank in 1970s:

238

Overall Rank:

1,179

Average Rating:

 80 (275 votes)

Comments:

10

239.

Pawn Hearts 

 Van Der Graaf Generator

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"The quotes below are - for the most part - from “Van der Graaf Generator - The Book” by Jim Jim Christopulos and Phil Smart. John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) - "When we started touring for the album By The Way, I and the rest of the band would always be listening to Pawn Hearts on the bus ...""The quotes below are - for the most part - from “Van der Graaf Generator - The Book” by Jim Jim Christopulos and Phil Smart. John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) - "When we [RHCP] started touring for the album By The Way, I and the rest of the band would always be listening to Pawn Hearts on the bus and back stage... With Hammill's singing there are so many vocal gymastics, he's capable of so much with his voice, and he's pushing himself even beyond his capabilities! Anthony [Kiedis, RHCP singer] has a couple of Van der Graaf albums, and he likes that extreme kind of singing very much. As a singer myself, I'm really in awe of Hammill." Stephen Morris (Joy Division & New Order) - [names Pawn Hearts as one of his all time faves] "At the time, with Pawn Hearts, all of your mates would say: 'Ooh, there's a track that's three days long… it's pixie stuff'. But 'A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers' is... like a nightmare with saxophones... terrifying. I really like Peter Hammill. He's another guy who's really unique - he has a really individual way of singing, and it's very raw." Simon Gallup (The Cure) - "'We Go Now' [a SG 'desert island' pick off of Pawn Hearts] is brilliant. Van der Graaf weren't involved in all mysticism and stuff, they were still a bit hard, there was some attack. Peter Hammill was a bit of a god as well." Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) - "I liked them, especially Pawn Hearts... [Peter Hammill] is one of the most brilliant songwriters of his or any other generation." Julian Cope (Teardrop Explodes & solo artist) - "Prog wasn't all Genesis and Gentle Giant, baby. VdGG were punks in a prog rock style... Pawn Hearts is a masterpiece in the old-fashioned sense of the word, that is: it is a musical blueprint on which to build in the future and has as sensibly structured an anti-structure as you could wish for. It is in turns beautiful, ridiculous, foul, overwhelming, irritating, mutating, and magnificent... First time I ever heard Pawn Hearts was in [summer 1972]. How I adored this record. However, thirty-one years and a couple of hundred spins later I'm still genuinely disoriented by this extremely everything LP, and even more in shock and awe of Peter Hammill than I was all those years ago." Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) - "Peter Hammill was one of my childhood lyrical hero's but, you know, you say 'Peter Hammill' to most people and they go, 'Huh?'... And it's such a shame cause they had so much more to them, I think, than Genesis. They were a bunch of pansies compared to Van der Graaf, really... I was talking about this with the manager of Entombed, Dave Thorne, who's a huge Van der Graaf Generator fan and we were talking about how amazing some Van der Graaf Generator songs would sound if a metal band did them. It'd sound really f***ing heavy... I mean, can you imagine 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' done by a real prog metal band, it'd be amazing!" Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, frequent Jeff Buckley collaborator, solo artist) - "Pawn Hearts to me was the summation of all that was great about Van der Graaf. Lyrically and instrumentally, it was haunting, elegiac, eerie, and mad. It gave new credibility to the words 'progressive rock.'""  [+]  Reply

- Lakonac | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

237 charts

Rank Score:

1,473

Rank in 1971:

33

Rank in 1970s:

239

Overall Rank:

1,190

Average Rating:

 79 (284 votes)

Comments:

13

240.

Solid Air 

 John Martyn

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"I always feel grateful to hear John Martyns voice. He shares a lot of himself. This album is both deep and playful and somehow manages to comfort my emotions and then rip them apart again. Solid Air is like an old friend. It never fades. Everyone should own this"  Reply

- maitredj | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

239 charts

Rank Score:

1,470

Rank in 1973:

27

Rank in 1970s:

240

Overall Rank:

1,194

Average Rating:

 78 (260 votes)

Comments:

14

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 24 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Year	Albums	%
1970	109	11%
1971	100	10%
1972	97	10%
1973	112	11%
1974	93	9%
1975	98	10%
1976	91	9%
1977	92	9%
1978	105	11%
1979	103	10%

Artist	Albums	%
David Bowie	11	1%
Yes	9	1%
Genesis	9	1%
Elton John	8	1%
Queen	8	1%
Jethro Tull	8	1%
The Rolling Stones	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	387	39%
	375	38%
	42	4%
	39	4%
	38	4%
	21	2%
	20	2%
Show all

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

Live?	Albums	%
No	943	94%
Yes	57	6%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	987	99%
Yes	13	1%