Best 1970s Albums Ranked
In North America, Europe, and Oceania, the decade saw the rise of disco, which became one of the biggest genres of the decade, especially in the mid-to-late 1970s. In Europe, a variant known as Euro disco rose in popularity towards the end of the 1970s. Aside from disco, funk, soul, R&B, smooth jazz, and jazz fusion remained popular throughout the decade. Rock music played an important part in the Western musical scene, with punk rock thriving throughout the mid to late 1970s. Other subgenres of rock, particularly glam rock, hard rock, progressive rock, art rock, blues rock, and heavy metal achieved various amounts of success. Other genres such as reggae were innovative throughout the decade and grew a significant following. Hip hop emerged during this decade, but was slow to start and did not become significant until the late 1980s. Classical began losing a little momentum; however, through invention and theoretical development, this particular genre gave rise to experimental classical and minimalist music by classical composers. Here are the best 1970s albums ranked.
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10. London Calling – The Clash
“The Clash released London Calling in 1979, a departure from their previous punk-rock style that strayed into other genres such as reggae and hard rock. The album included heavy social commentary on topics of poverty, drug use, and racism. It was widely acclaimed and even included on a series of stamps in the UK in 2010.”
9. The Wall – Pink Floyd
“The legacy of Pink Floyd was not cemented with just The Dark Side of the Moon. The Wall is one of the greatest concept albums of all time. It tells the tale of Pink, a troubled young man raised by an overprotective mother, who is trying to break down the wall in his mind that has been constructed by the authoritative figures in his life. It’s a painful story that most can relate to or at least comprehend, not only because so many have suffered similar pains in life, but because it comes from the story of a real person.”
8. Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
“Rumours is undoubtedly one of Fleetwood Mac’s most iconic albums, released in 1977 while the band members were in a period of personal and professional turmoil. The tracks are heavily focused on topics of infidelity, drug use, and ending relationships. Ironically, these songs were wildly successful and are some of the band’s best-known legacies.”
7. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie
“David Bowie’s 1972 album isn’t just any old album — it is a full rock opera complete with a storyline. More specifically, it concerns the story of Bowie’s alter ego and stage persona Ziggy Stardust. It has been called historically significant for its wrestling with topics of sexuality, politics, and celebrity, as well as for its musical exemplification of glam rock.”
6. Who’s Next – The Who
“It’s kinda hard to believe Who’s Next, The Who’s rawest, most powerful and perfect album, came out in 1971. Barely out of the flowery 1960s (and fresh off their psychedelic—and cluttered—rock-opera, Tommy), guitarist-songwriter-vocalist Pete Townshend set to work on Lifehouse, a futuristic follow-up concept album so epic in its proposed scope, it made Tommy’s deaf-dumb-blind-pinball-playing narrative look meager by comparison.”
5. Highway to Hell – AC/DC
“Highway to Hell was AC/DC’s most famous album and the last album to feature singer Bon Scott, who would pass away mere months after its release. The 1979 album put the already-successful band among the top ranks of hard rock, a trend that continued into the 80s.”
4. Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
“Hard rock was on the rise during the 1970s, and few albums represent it better than Led Zeppelin’s 1975 album Physical Graffiti. It was highly successful in both the UK and the US, where it received 16 platinum certifications. “
3. A Night at the Opera – Queen
“Coming off of the heels of A Night at the Opera (and their biggest hit of all time, “Bohemian Rhapsody”) Queen decided it best to not let the success linger and released A Day at the Races just little over a year later. Like so many of Queen’s albums, this one was an assorted blend of current metal and classical music and meant to be played in the largest arenas in the world. The album weaves through blaring guitars, cathedral pianos, fast and furious vocals and deep ballads, but it’s Freddie Mercury’s gospel-baroque hits of “Somebody to Love” and “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” that sent millions of fans over the edge.”
2. Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin
“It’s difficult to call Led Zeppelin IV the greatest “hard rock” album in music history—only because (in spite of its legacy) it’s much, much more than a “hard rock” album. Led, as always, by the black-magic mojo of guitarist-producer Jimmy Page, Led Zep truly indulged in 1971, branching out into extended progressive-rock (the sweeping, majestic epic “Stairway to Heaven”), medieval folk (the witchy “The Battle of Evermore”) and psychedelic balladry (the emotional centerpiece, “Going to California”), in addition to their trademark electrified blues (“Rock and Roll,” “Black Dog,” “Four Sticks,” “When the Levee Breaks”).”
1. Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
“1,285 weeks on the charts. That’s just under 25 years! The album spent 724 weeks on The Billboard 200, including 591 consecutive weeks from 1976 to 1988. Then in 1991, with the institution of the Pop Catalog chart, the album returned the chart where it has resided for the past 10 years almost entirely in the Top 10. Its closest rival is James Taylor’s Greatest Hits, checking in at 573 weeks on the chart.”