Best Albums of the 1970s

Listed below are the best albums of the 1970s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 59,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 1 hour 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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"Not convinced Elton John is the genius he's said to be? Take a listen to this one and see if you change your mind. Don't have time for a whole album? Closer "Burn Down the Mission" should do just fine."  Reply
- poppmusic | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
Rank Score:
1,465
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"This album never bores me. It may be his most commercial, but it is still very musical and comical. There are a handful of people who could write a line like "He took a dog-doo snow cone and stuffed it in my right eye," and make it groove. And Zappa made it groove indeed."  Reply
- AAL2014 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
Rank Score:
1,463
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"A wonderfully crafted collection of songs that really deserve a lot more love than I see them receive. Every song on here possesses something that you will enjoy and every track is at least good if not better. Their build up is sensational and they really allow every song to properly breathe whic..."  [+]  Reply
- Untitled | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,455
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"This was my first taste of electronic-prog-ambient-krautrock. And the album develops some quite mezmerizing soundscapes. The end of the title track is really chilling. Like landing on some cold, dead planet."  Reply
- CellarDoor | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
Rank Score:
1,435
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Comments:
245.
"This isn't an album that I can just listen to in the background. Whenever it comes on it puts me into a trance. No album has done atmosphere better than this one. When I hear this album, I AM in the Bahamas, lost in the woods as I happen upon a circle of people with musical instruments of all kin..."  [+]  Reply
- BLO | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
Rank Score:
1,434
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Average Rating:
Comments:
"As colorful a first eight bars of an album as you'll ever hear, and with four funky songs behind it - and then along comes "Baby Boomerang," aimed at... Babies? I'm asking because it certainly wasn't aimed the three decades-old American who just sat listening to it. Also, did they have "Seventeen..."  [+]  Reply
- JuJu83 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
Rank Score:
1,399
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247.
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,382
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"Small change is without doubt the best Tom Waits album of the seventies. Here, he is fully formed, the sozzled barroom troubadour reaches it's peak. Waits is at the top of his game. While, closing time, was uncertain, the heart of Saturday night, slightly immature, and, nighthawks at the diner, a..."  [+]  Reply
- garycottier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,373
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"Consistently interesting listen, with less of the ELO generic orchestra gimmickry. Probably their second best album for me, after their first. Best songs are the El Dorado Overture, Laredo Tornado and the finale."  Reply
- clockworkfiction3 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
Rank Score:
1,368
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"The pastoral Van's album. Irish like the Guinness, country, rain...... and "The Quiet Man". Great vocals, great songs. Lyrics are full of images, impressions and strongs shots. An underrated and extraordinary record."  Reply
- carneham | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
Rank Score:
1,359
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Total albums: 1,000. Page 25 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Best Artists of the 1980s
1. The Smiths
2. Prince
3. The Cure
4. Pixies
5. Talking Heads
6. U2
7. Metallica
8. Kate Bush
9. R.E.M.
10. The Stone Roses