The Best Albums of 1977
By the later half of the 1970s, Dolly Parton, a highly successful traditional-minded country artist since the late 1960s, mounted a high-profile campaign to crossover to pop music, culminating in her 1977 hit “Here You Come Again”, which peaked at No. 1 country and No. 3 pop. Of her 25 careers No. 1 hit, 11 of them came during the 1970s. Parton also became the female country music artist to host her own variety show, Dolly!, which aired during the 1976–77 season. Bing Crosby, who sold about half a billion records, died October 14, 1977. His single, “White Christmas”, remains as the best selling single of all time, confirmed by the Guinness Records. The Sex Pistols caused a major sensation in 1977 and were the first serious challenge to the established rock groups like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, although the punk era in Britain lasted only three years and effectively ended with the Pistols’ breakup. Here are all of the 1977 albums ranked.
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10. Trans-Europa Express (Kraftwerk)
“From the highway that led to success, Kraftwerk had subsequently embarked on a somewhat hazy road with “Radio-Activity”. The futuristic theme that contrasts with the following album: “Trans-Europe Express”, a return to excellence for the Teutonic pope of electro. This is an opportunity for Kraftwerk to invite us once again to travel. This is an opportunity to glorify the old and modern Europe. The only way out of this magnetic torpor is to dance to the syncopated and enjoyable rhythm of “Trans-Europe Express”. A glossy electro-funk album that allowed Afrika Bambaataa a few years later to sign a hit with “Planet Rock” (Kraftwerk being a source of vintage samples for hip-hop).”
9. The Stranger (Billy Joel)
“Extremely consistent, and enough variation between energetic and soft to keep one involved. Aside from You Don’t Mess Around With Jim and Sunflower, probably the most underrated album on this site. Even if a song is a bit cheesy the jazziness makes it worth it. Other than that there are some really really good tracks on this”
8. Heroes (David Bowie)
“Loved this album for years although initially took a while to click with the instrumental stuff. The title track itself is one of my all-time favorite tracks but also adore Sons of the Silent Age and Secret Life of Arabia. V2 Schneider is my standout instrumental here”
See more: David Bowie Albums Ranked
7. The Clash (The Clash)
“Hits you like a tornado. This is what rock sounds like when it’s pushing all the barriers. Scorching guitars, snarling vocals, and very very intelligent lyrics were a Clash trademark. They would equal this album a couple of times but never surpass it.”
6. Aja (Steely Dan)
“A very clean album with interesting song lyrics and masterful instrumentation. Although I get a little bored at times during this record, I enjoy it. “Black Cow” is my favorite song, partly because I recognized it from an MF DOOM track.”
5. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (Sex Pistols)
“This is the gold standard album of British punk. Every song is an absolute gem which is incredible considering how raw and basic it is. Any metal fan should love this. What I like most about this album is that Johnny Lydon is one of the few rock singers who mean every fricking thing that he sings…the spitting anger never gets old…he is so out there but i love that about him.”
4. Low (David Bowie)
“One of the most barren and fragmented albums of all time, and also one of the best. It may not contain any real classic Bowie hits, but it’s his masterpiece; a complete vision told in fragmented poetry and ambient instrumentals. Listening to it is like inhabiting a foreign world he and Eno created.”
See more: Television Albums Ranked
3. Marquee Moon (Television)
“I was honestly not expecting to like this album as much as I did, considering that I am not a huge new wave/punk fan. It spans multiple types of genres while staying within one genre…I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense, that’s the only way I can explain it. The band plays very tight and efficient and the singer’s loose and vague lyrics work well over it.”
2. Animals (Pink Floyd)
“Is it viable to say this is an underrated album? It’s fucking great and on par with their other masterpieces. Maybe underrated is the wrong term. Not recognized is probably what I should have said. Anyway, it’s a really good album. You should get it.”
1. Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)
“Reviewing such icons, such pillars of popular music is almost not even worth it. To the end, I’ll keep it short and say that this album is incredible. It belongs high on the list of best and most influential rock albums of all time. If you’ve never listened to Fleetwood Mac before then you owe it to yourself to give this album a go. You will recognize many of the songs just from movies and TV and will be surprised at how far-reaching the influence this album has had.”