Listed below are the best albums of 1973 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 58,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 3 hours ago).
"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. ...""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
93.6"[+]Reply
"Probably Stevie Wonder's most perfect record. Innervisions, May not be your favourite Wonder LP, and you may not even think it's his best, but it is his one album that ticks all the boxes. It doesn't feel indulgent or overlong, there's no filler, weak tracks or any missteps, it's simply Stevie Wo...""Probably Stevie Wonder's most perfect record. Innervisions, May not be your favourite Wonder LP, and you may not even think it's his best, but it is his one album that ticks all the boxes. It doesn't feel indulgent or overlong, there's no filler, weak tracks or any missteps, it's simply Stevie Wonder firing on all cylinders, making a tight, cohesive and unforgettable LP. Great songs in, living for the city, higher ground, and, all in love is fair. Simply breathtaking. "[+]Reply
"I remember one summer when when I was a kid, I came home to my family, who were outside by the barn shucking corn. It was one of those balmy, late summer afternoons in south Georgia. After helping out for a while, I walked into our hundred year old house and got some iced tea. I walked upstairs a...""I remember one summer when when I was a kid, I came home to my family, who were outside by the barn shucking corn. It was one of those balmy, late summer afternoons in south Georgia. After helping out for a while, I walked into our hundred year old house and got some iced tea. I walked upstairs and put this album on. I love how some albums connect you to great memories. A great summer record. "[+]Reply
"This is one of the true masterpieces of the prog rock genre. To start with the negatives, this isn't a perfect album as it does have a couple flaws such as the elongation of The Battle Of Epping Forest. However, none of these flaws hold it back significantly and for the most part they are people ...""This is one of the true masterpieces of the prog rock genre. To start with the negatives, this isn't a perfect album as it does have a couple flaws such as the elongation of The Battle Of Epping Forest. However, none of these flaws hold it back significantly and for the most part they are people picking out tiny details that aren't really important. Then there are the positives of this album which is pretty much all of it. Musically, it is absolutely stunning with some of the arrangements on here completely blowing my mind every time I revisit this release. Then there is the instrumentation which is a marvel with this record having some of the greatest prog guitar and drum work I have ever heard. They then build upon this with a diverse array of instruments which are all performed beautifully and add such depth to the music. Their layering is fantastic as well with there being so much for us to explore and discover about the music on here. Then there is the songs as a whole which are beautiful compositions with the peak of this being The Cinema Show and Firth Of Fifth. Finally, you add on top an outstanding vocal display from Peter Gabriel and then you have a cohesive, fulfilling masterpiece that only gets better the more times you hear it. Overall, this is a phenomenal record and it deserves all the praise it receives as it is truly one of the greatest albums of all time. "[+]Reply
"I know taste is subjective and all but, this album being below 7 Radiohead albums just shows how absurd this website is lol Basically Elton's greatest hits album with what is probably one of the best openers of all time. Candle of the Wind, Bennie and the title track are also amazing tunes. Overa...""I know taste is subjective and all but, this album being below 7 Radiohead albums just shows how absurd this website is lol
Basically Elton's greatest hits album with what is probably one of the best openers of all time. Candle of the Wind, Bennie and the title track are also amazing tunes. Overall one of the best 50/100 albums of all time easily"[+]Reply
"I am biased! I was a mod in the 60s and The Who were my favourite band....by some distance. Seeing them live was a life changing experience. I think this is Pete's master work, the essence of who he was and how he felt growing up too. It is the epitome of the "the whole is greater that the sum of...""I am biased! I was a mod in the 60s and The Who were my favourite band....by some distance. Seeing them live was a life changing experience. I think this is Pete's master work, the essence of who he was and how he felt growing up too. It is the epitome of the "the whole is greater that the sum of it's parts". The whole concept works and the songs take you to a time and a place and a feeling and an angst and a despair and a joy and a thrill. And the more you listen the deeper you get and then you forget individual tracks and "get" the whole. All four band members were on their top form for these recordings, Daltrey, particularly, sings like a man possessed. Perhaps the American audience do not see the mod psyche as the Brits do, and some see the album as rather depressing...there is no happy ending. But a work of some considerable genius."[+]Reply
"Band on the run, is quite rightly regarded as Paul McCartney's best album. You may prefer other records but, band on the run, has got to be the best. It's a thoroughly consistent album from start to finish, every song is potentially a highlight. The title track and, jet, are two of McCartney's be...""Band on the run, is quite rightly regarded as Paul McCartney's best album. You may prefer other records but, band on the run, has got to be the best. It's a thoroughly consistent album from start to finish, every song is potentially a highlight. The title track and, jet, are two of McCartney's best solo songs, but, let me roll it, is just as good as those two. Mamunia, is excellent, bluebird, is lovely, and, nineteen hundred and eighty-four, is great. In fact it's all great. Picasso's last words, is a song McCartney wrote after being challenged to write a song on the spot by Dustin Hoffman using those words. No words, the sole McCartney-Laine co-write on the record, is good, and, Mrs. Vanderbilt, is McCartney at his most catchy. McCartney would never make another album as good as this, at least in his Wings incarnation, and quite rightly stands up as a classic. "[+]Reply
"Slightly underrated since it's not iconic as Hunky Dory or Ziggy and not innovative as Station to Station or Low, but still a great David Bowie album. It follows the glam rock sound of Ziggy but with a more "americanized" sound and themes. Instumentally possibly Bowie's best, with incredible guit...""Slightly underrated since it's not iconic as Hunky Dory or Ziggy and not innovative as Station to Station or Low, but still a great David Bowie album. It follows the glam rock sound of Ziggy but with a more "americanized" sound and themes. Instumentally possibly Bowie's best, with incredible guitar playing from Mick Ronson who achieves such an amazing crunchy guitar tone on this one and sublime piano work from Mike Garson."[+]Reply
"It's always tough for an album whose opening track begs for endless repetition. As a result of listening to "Search and Destroy" and then needing to listen to "Search and Destroy" twenty more times, I've only been able to get all the way through Raw Power on a handful of occasions. Still, it was ...""It's always tough for an album whose opening track begs for endless repetition. As a result of listening to "Search and Destroy" and then needing to listen to "Search and Destroy" twenty more times, I've only been able to get all the way through Raw Power on a handful of occasions. Still, it was always very worth it (though maybe I should have spent that time just listening to "Search and Destroy" instead...)"[+]Reply
"While I have to give Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi at least one more listen, I still think that this album is better than both. Future Days (the song) is really sth special. I can't quite explain it, but I've listened to that song about 20 times today"Reply
DriftingOrpheus | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Daydreamer | 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.
