Best Albums of the 1970s
Explore the best albums of the 1970s, based on over 2 million album rankings across 60,000 charts.
Click to see how the rankings are calculated
Last updated: 3 hours ago
Last updated: 3 hours ago
This chart is currently filtered to only show non compilation albums. (Remove this filter)
"I once stated that I thought that this is the only album that really has a claim to the title 'greatest album ever.' I am not really sure that I would phrase that statement with such tenacity and chutzpah now, but I do feel that my point remains viable: There are no other albums out there that ar..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
56,707
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"This used to be my favorite record, and honestly I still don't really understand how someone couldn't like it. Of course opinions are subjective, but what is to dislike about this record? Even the longer tracks, which some more casual listeners don't find enjoyable in general, are made in the fas..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
42,176
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"The only album I've ever given a perfect score to on here. Simply the greatest album ever made. Completely incomprehensible that Bowie crafted this alone, I consider that the greatest acheivement in the history of music. If you haven't listened to it yet, do yourself a favor and go for it. I'm ex..." [+] Reply
- 
LoganGrube | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (9 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:
Rank Score:
41,007
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"This album has some of the best songs ever made. Stairway to Heaven is a magical masterpiece that gets better with each listen and When the Levee Breaks is so loud and heavy it almost makes your ear drums bleed when you are listening through the headphones. One of the most influential albums of i..." [+] Reply
- 
mayonaise93 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (10 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:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
36,614
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"I'm 53 years old, have heard some of these songs hundreds of times ... but have never listened to this from start to finish until today. It is definitely a cultural treasure for all the reasons stated elsewhere that don't need repeating. For me, it's the joy of the wonderful pure pop ditties Seco..." [+] Reply
- 
jhuik | 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:
Rank Score:
29,580
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"This record is pretty much as close to perfect as I've personally heard. It just rolls. Every track has its own unique identity but at the same time adds to the completeness of the whole. The wild diversity of the songs and styles and sounds on this record never seem forced or half-baked. And has..." [+] Reply
- 
Mercury | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +19 votes (19 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:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29,126
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"A lot of people complain about its "pretentiousness", and its pompous nature, but quite frankly I don't see it working without these traits. All the emotions and the rage towards the world of one person packaged in an incredibly expressive piece of work. It ranges from melancholic to angry to apa..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
23,643
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"It often gets overshadowed, being sandwiched in between WYWH and the Wall, but it's still as good as the rest of their 70's output. In fact, I rank it above the Wall by a good margin." Reply
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21,379
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"A brooding masterpiece. Like Jim Morrison and The Doors captured L.A in their music and lyrics, so Ian Curtis and Joy Division do the same with Manchester. Unknown pleasures, is a dark record of alienation, loneliness and foreboding. You cannot fail to be drawn into the eerie atmosphere as Curtis..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1979
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,676
Rank in 1979:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"If not for this album, The Who would be remembered as a British group with some hit singles and an uneven rock opera. In my opinion, they are lucky the crazy Lifehouse idea fell apart and that they could make one tight album instead of a messy double LP." Reply
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,425
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 976. Page 1 of 98
Best Albums of the 1970s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 111 | 11% | |
| 1971 | 101 | 10% | |
| 1972 | 96 | 10% | |
| 1973 | 112 | 11% | |
| 1974 | 95 | 10% | |
| 1975 | 97 | 10% | |
| 1976 | 89 | 9% | |
| 1977 | 91 | 9% | |
| 1978 | 105 | 11% | |
| 1979 | 103 | 10% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Frank Zappa | 11 | 1% | |
| Neil Young | 11 | 1% | |
| David Bowie | 11 | 1% | |
| Genesis | 9 | 1% | |
| Bob Marley | 9 | 1% | |
| Paul McCartney | 9 | 1% | |
| Yes | 9 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
385 | 39% | |
 |
376 | 38% | |
 |
42 | 4% | |
 |
38 | 4% | |
 |
38 | 4% | |
 |
20 | 2% | |
 |
20 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Best Albums of the 1970s chart changes
| Biggest climbers Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month |
|---|
Up 2 from 89th to 87th |
Up 2 from 65th to 63rd |
Up 1 from 100th to 99th |
| Biggest fallers Biggest fallers in top 100 since last month |
|---|
Down 2 from 27th to 29th |
Down 2 from 64th to 66th |
Down 2 from 87th to 89th |
Best Artists of
the 1960s
1.
The Beatles
3.
Jimi Hendrix
4.
Bob Dylan
6.
The Doors
7.
Led Zeppelin
10.
King Crimson
