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	2,040	260,264	Paranoid (54th)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,138	329,039	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,178	260,303	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,061	267,477	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	1,951	139,611	Red (144th)by King Crimson
1975	2,105	226,221	Wish You Were Here (7th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,100	150,257	Songs In The Key Of Life (86th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,112	256,202	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,157	145,855	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (203rd)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,086	212,850	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	20,928	2,248,077

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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221.

Workingman's Dead

Grateful Dead

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

257 charts

Rank Score:

1,689

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

221

Overall Rank:

1,049

Average Rating:

79 (423 votes)

Comments:

222.

Paul Simon

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

320 charts

Rank Score:

1,688

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

222

Overall Rank:

1,050

Average Rating:

78 (342 votes)

Comments:

223.

África Brasil

Jorge Ben

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

159 charts

Rank Score:

1,687

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

223

Overall Rank:

1,051

Average Rating:

81 (174 votes)

Comments:

224.

Powerage

AC/DC

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

232 charts

Rank Score:

1,677

Rank in 1978:

Rank in 1970s:

224

Overall Rank:

1,054

Average Rating:

77 (391 votes)

Comments:

225.

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Richard & Linda Thompson

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

268 charts

Rank Score:

1,674

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

225

Overall Rank:

1,058

Average Rating:

80 (294 votes)

Comments:

226.

Safe Mode: On

Country Life

Roxy Music

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

305 charts

Rank Score:

1,673

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

226

Overall Rank:

1,059

Average Rating:

78 (391 votes)

Comments:

227.

No Other

Gene Clark

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

216 charts

Rank Score:

1,662

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

227

Overall Rank:

1,065

Average Rating:

79 (216 votes)

Comments:

228.

Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)

Brian Eno

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

232 charts

Rank Score:

1,660

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

228

Overall Rank:

1,066

Average Rating:

80 (330 votes)

Comments:

229.

Tumbleweed Connection

Elton John

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

261 charts

Rank Score:

1,658

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

229

Overall Rank:

1,067

Average Rating:

78 (369 votes)

Comments:

230.

Third

Soft Machine

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

297 charts

Rank Score:

1,656

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

230

Overall Rank:

1,068

Average Rating:

80 (363 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 23 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	107	11%
1971	100	10%
1972	102	10%
1973	108	11%
1974	97	10%
1975	99	10%
1976	90	9%
1977	91	9%
1978	107	11%
1979	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	389	39%
	371	37%
	42	4%
	37	4%
	36	4%
	24	2%
	20	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	974	97%
Yes	26	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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