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 53,000 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	2,039	258,855	Paranoid (55th)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,133	328,700	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,175	258,820	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,060	266,295	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	1,951	139,158	Red (144th)by King Crimson
1975	2,104	225,790	Wish You Were Here (8th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,092	150,172	Songs In The Key Of Life (86th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,110	255,993	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,154	145,543	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (204th)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,081	212,688	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	20,899	2,242,014

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 Genesis.

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21.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

1,330 charts

Rank Score:

17,123

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

85 (1,451 votes)

Comments:

108

22.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,521 charts

Rank Score:

16,326

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

86 (1,740 votes)

Comments:

129

23.

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

1,224 charts

Rank Score:

15,459

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

85 (1,310 votes)

Comments:

24.

Close To The Edge

Yes

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,134 charts

Rank Score:

14,395

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

25.

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,168 charts

Rank Score:

13,583

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

26.

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

1,318 charts

Rank Score:

13,356

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

27.

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

1,057 charts

Rank Score:

13,304

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

103

Average Rating:

85 (1,508 votes)

Comments:

28.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

1,383 charts

Rank Score:

13,304

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

104

Average Rating:

83 (1,882 votes)

Comments:

129

29.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,236 charts

Rank Score:

13,177

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

106

Average Rating:

84 (1,487 votes)

Comments:

30.

Harvest

Neil Young

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,322 charts

Rank Score:

13,161

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

107

Average Rating:

84 (1,668 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 3 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	107	11%
1971	101	10%
1972	100	10%
1973	108	11%
1974	97	10%
1975	99	10%
1976	91	9%
1977	91	9%
1978	107	11%
1979	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

David Bowie	12	1%
Genesis	10	1%
Jethro Tull	9	1%
Joni Mitchell	8	1%
Pink Floyd	8	1%
AC/DC	8	1%
Yes	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	388	39%
	372	37%
	42	4%
	37	4%
	36	4%
	24	2%
	21	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	973	97%
Yes	27	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	941	94%
Yes	59	6%

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

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

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