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 44,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

1970s decade summary

Year	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts.	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year)	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.
1970	1,744	282,484	Paranoid (62nd)by Black Sabbath
1971	1,794	373,303	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (11th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	1,843	292,484	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	1,771	300,829	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	1,644	147,595	Red (163rd)by King Crimson
1975	1,811	256,060	Wish You Were Here (8th)by Pink Floyd
1976	1,759	157,123	Songs In The Key Of Life (108th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	1,793	284,213	Rumours (27th)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	1,808	153,448	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (193rd)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	1,785	242,090	London Calling (18th)by The Clash
Total	17,752	2,489,630

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

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21.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,405 charts

Rank Score:

19,372

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

86 (1,639 votes)

Comments:

118

22.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

1,219 charts

Rank Score:

19,302

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

84 (1,338 votes)

Comments:

23.

Close To The Edge

Yes

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,027 charts

Rank Score:

16,071

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

85 (1,287 votes)

Comments:

103

24.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

1,303 charts

Rank Score:

15,903

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

25.

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

1,207 charts

Rank Score:

15,800

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

26.

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

1,220 charts

Rank Score:

15,604

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

101

Average Rating:

85 (1,872 votes)

Comments:

105

27.

Harvest

Neil Young

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,223 charts

Rank Score:

15,500

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

103

Average Rating:

84 (1,561 votes)

Comments:

28.

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

1,064 charts

Rank Score:

14,954

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

108

Average Rating:

85 (1,152 votes)

Comments:

29.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

1,255 charts

Rank Score:

14,337

Rank in 1977:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

30.

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

1,044 charts

Rank Score:

14,318

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

117

Average Rating:

86 (1,174 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 3 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	106	11%
1971	100	10%
1972	103	10%
1973	110	11%
1974	94	9%
1975	96	10%
1976	89	9%
1977	93	9%
1978	111	11%
1979	98	10%

Artist	Albums	%

David Bowie	11	1%
Jethro Tull	9	1%
Genesis	9	1%
The Rolling Stones	8	1%
Electric Light Orchestra	8	1%
Neil Young	8	1%
AC/DC	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	390	39%
	374	37%
	42	4%
	38	4%
	36	4%
	23	2%
	21	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	975	98%
Yes	25	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	948	95%
Yes	52	5%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	990	99%
Yes	10	1%

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

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