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 54,000 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	2,071	256,985	Paranoid (52nd)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,173	325,225	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,227	257,287	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,112	263,131	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	2,027	138,610	Red (140th)by King Crimson
1975	2,149	221,769	Wish You Were Here (7th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,158	149,567	Songs In The Key Of Life (84th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,164	253,627	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,214	145,632	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (210th)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,147	210,255	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	21,442	2,222,089

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

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71.

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

709 charts

Rank Score:

6,195

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

281

Average Rating:

83 (876 votes)

Comments:

72.

Boston

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

726 charts

Rank Score:

6,051

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

288

Average Rating:

78 (932 votes)

Comments:

73.

Thick As A Brick

Jethro Tull

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

630 charts

Rank Score:

6,011

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

290

Average Rating:

83 (827 votes)

Comments:

74.

The Cars

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

693 charts

Rank Score:

5,922

Rank in 1978:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

301

Average Rating:

81 (781 votes)

Comments:

75.

Master Of Reality

Black Sabbath

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

685 charts

Rank Score:

5,840

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

307

Average Rating:

84 (1,022 votes)

Comments:

76.

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

779 charts

Rank Score:

5,768

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

313

Average Rating:

82 (1,288 votes)

Comments:

77.

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

712 charts

Rank Score:

5,750

Rank in 1978:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

314

Average Rating:

81 (877 votes)

Comments:

78.

Foxtrot

Genesis

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

609 charts

Rank Score:

5,744

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

315

Average Rating:

82 (829 votes)

Comments:

79.

Ege Bamyası

Can

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

616 charts

Rank Score:

5,725

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

316

Average Rating:

83 (708 votes)

Comments:

80.

Raw Power

Iggy And The Stooges

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

785 charts

Rank Score:

5,713

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

317

Average Rating:

83 (1,008 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 8 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	108	11%
1971	98	10%
1972	102	10%
1973	107	11%
1974	99	10%
1975	98	10%
1976	89	9%
1977	91	9%
1978	109	11%
1979	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

David Bowie	12	1%
Genesis	10	1%
Jethro Tull	9	1%
Elton John	8	1%
Electric Light Orchestra	8	1%
Wishbone Ash	8	1%
The Rolling Stones	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	386	39%
	370	37%
	42	4%
	37	4%
	36	4%
	24	2%
	21	2%
Show all

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

Live?	Albums	%
No	940	94%
Yes	60	6%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

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

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