Best Albums of 1979

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Explore the best albums of 1979, based on over 2 million album rankings across 60,000 charts.
Last updated: 7 hours ago

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1979 year summaryThe best artists of 1979 were The Clash, Pink Floyd, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Neil Young, Michael Jackson, Supertramp, Gang Of Four, AC/DC and Fleetwood Mac.

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London Calling

The Clash

"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)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

2,842 charts

Rank Score:

29,136

Rank in 1979:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

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"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

- 19loveless91 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +13 votes (14 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

2,261 charts

Rank Score:

23,650

Rank in 1979:

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Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"I love to play (or Sing?) those opening beats of disorder in the shower like...ta da da....and then dug dug dug uuuuu...and then the bass....dan dand and dan dan, dun dun dun dun, dan dan dan, and then the voice gets deep and I sing like Ian Curtis, and then I realize I'm singing disorder at 5:50..." [+] Reply

Antonio-Pedro | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

2,001 charts

Rank Score:

20,684

Rank in 1979:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"Brilliant, it is weird and unique yet amazing at the same time. No matter how many times I listen to it, it always leaves me thinking "I love this but I don't know why". This album shows their influence on Radiohead the clearest in my opinion, compared to their other albums. This" Reply

- khj11 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

876 charts

Rank Score:

6,601

Rank in 1979:

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Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"Hands down one of my favourite of Michael Jackson albums. The album is fire and magical. Very black and groovy, really MJ was happy doing this album like Thriller. From the black groovy song Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough to the slow song She’s Out Of My Life. Off The Wall needs more love because ...""Hands down one of my favourite of Michael Jackson albums. The album is fire and magical. Very black and groovy, really MJ was happy doing this album like Thriller. From the black groovy song Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough to the slow song She’s Out Of My Life. Off The Wall needs more love because really it’s underrated in the MJ fandom. It’s a groovy kind of album perfect for a Disco or party unlike his later albums mainly History and Invincible doesn’t have dance songs or groovy songs not even Scream or 2Bad or You Rock My World count. The songs are fire, the videos are amazing, She’s Out Of My Life filmed on one take, Rock With You and the sparkly outfit and Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough and the dancing. Very iconic album one of his best musically along with Thriller. Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough is a iconic tune. Very black disco song, perfect for a party and disco and the video was fire. Never will I get tired of the song or video ever. Iconic tune 10/10 Rock With You is another iconic song. The song has a nice feeling and you could feel how happy he was and it’s so groovy. A classic R&B/Disco song, perfect for a party and the video is fire, with a little dancing, outfit and singing. 10/10 Workin Day N Night is a banger. That tune has a groovy beat in it, and you could tell he had a lot of fun doing his song, very classic never aged. 10/10 Get On The Floor a cool song. Even though I haven’t listen to it that much it’s catchy and worth to listen to it. Nice tune and the best is amazing. 8/10 Off The Wall another iconic song. The song is fun, fun to sing to, fun to dance to. This song has a nice R&B/Disco vibe to it. 10/10 She’s Out Of My Life is classic. It’s so underrated it needs love. The video is always left off when it comes to Michael Jackson videos, it’s amazing, filmed in one take, the Curl and jumper with the purple shirt in it is iconic. Looks like a gentleman, he was, so yeah. The song is a nice Soul song, he put his heart out to it even though he was sad when he sang it. 10/10 Girlfriend iconic one. The song has a nice R&B/Soul feeling, he sounds so happy, it’s just a banger. Needs more love cause that song is amazing. Wonderful and soulful. 9/10 I Cant Help It is a classic tune. Timeless tune, nice R&B/Soul vibe, never gets old this song needs more love. Looks like he had fun doing. He seems very happy in this album as well as he was in Thriller which he hardly was in his later albums. People need to give this song more love and appreciation, it’s a masterpiece.10/10 It’s The Fallin In Love classic one. This song is catchy although I didn’t listen to it for a while, it’s worth to sing it also to dance along to it. 9/10 Burn This Disco Out is amazing. Groovy tune, worth to dance to and got a Disco vibe to it, it’s so awesome for a party, you all need to give this song more love, he sounds so happy in it, very black R&B. 9/10" [+] Reply

- Ephraim99 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (3 helpful | 2 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

751 charts

Rank Score:

4,867

Rank in 1979:

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Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"Wonderful album. It is fun, humorous, and is progressive rock, which is good." Reply

- YoungPunk | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

646 charts

Rank Score:

4,663

Rank in 1979:

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Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

"Great guitar work, but songwriting could be better IMO. Damaged Goods is an obvious highlight, I also love Guns Before Butter, At Home He's a Tourist." Reply

- 19loveless91 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (3 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

692 charts

Rank Score:

4,604

Rank in 1979:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

359

Average Rating:

81 (765 votes)

Comments:

Highway To Hell

AC/DC

"Another great AC/DC album packed full of raw energy and power that is waiting to be enjoyed. It is simple but it is so effective with the choruses being infectious and forcing themself into your head so they replay once the album has finished. Songs like Highway To Hell and Girls Got Rhythm are j..." [+] Reply

- Untitled | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

667 charts

Rank Score:

4,009

Rank in 1979:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

408

Average Rating:

78 (1,034 votes)

Comments:

Rust Never Sleeps
Live

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

"With 'Rust Never Sleeps' Neil combines his innovative and distinctive guitar style and vocals with highly evocative lyricism and memorable melodies, best illustrated on the cryptic acoustic masterpiece 'Thrasher'. Shot through with rich imagery and metaphor, this bitter satire is one of rocks gre..." [+] Reply

- hairymarx1 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

685 charts

Rank Score:

3,979

Rank in 1979:

Rank in 1970s:

100

Overall Rank:

417

Average Rating:

84 (905 votes)

Comments:

10.

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

"A double album that as great as Rumours and as fresh and varied as anything coming out at the end of the 1970's while still remaining in that pop sense of sound. The songs "Sara", "Save me a Place", "Over and Over", and all of the Lindseys song contributions are eith..." [+] Reply

- BonesMc | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

434 charts

Rank Score:

2,584

Rank in 1979:

Rank in 1970s:

150

Overall Rank:

664

Average Rating:

77 (620 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 1979 composition

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	17	2%
Frank Zappa	5	1%
Steve Hillage	4	0%
Fela Kuti	3	0%
Motörhead	3	0%
Vangelis	3	0%
Sun Ra	3	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	366	37%
	246	25%
	41	4%
	41	4%
	36	4%
	31	3%
	29	3%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	949	95%
Yes	51	5%

Live?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

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

Best Albums of 1979 chart changes

Biggest climbers Biggest climbers in top 100 since last month
Up 4 from 31st to 27th Eat To The Beat by Blondie
Up 2 from 16th to 14th The B-52's by The B-52's
Up 1 from 97th to 96th Quiet Life by Japan

Biggest fallers Biggest fallers in top 100 since last month
Down 2 from 29th to 31st Cut by The Slits
Down 1 from 10th to 11th Reggatta De Blanc by The Police
Down 1 from 14th to 15th Armed Forces by Elvis Costello And The Attractions

« View best albums of 1978View best albums of 1980 »

Best Albums of 1977

1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

2. Animals by Pink Floyd

3. Marquee Moon by Television

4. Low by David Bowie

5. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols by Sex Pistols

6. Aja by Steely Dan

7. The Stranger by Billy Joel

8. Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers

9. "Heroes" by David Bowie

10. The Clash by The Clash