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	260,288	Paranoid (54th)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,138	329,166	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,175	260,288	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,062	267,609	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	1,951	139,692	Red (144th)by King Crimson
1975	2,105	226,155	Wish You Were Here (7th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,098	150,273	Songs In The Key Of Life (87th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,112	256,321	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,157	145,847	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (205th)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,086	212,875	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	20,923	2,248,514

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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31.

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

1,152 charts

Rank Score:

13,098

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

108

Average Rating:

86 (1,281 votes)

Comments:

32.

Safe Mode: On

Houses Of The Holy

Led Zeppelin

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

1,296 charts

Rank Score:

12,958

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

110

Average Rating:

85 (2,002 votes)

Comments:

116

33.

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

977 charts

Rank Score:

11,840

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

124

Average Rating:

84 (1,242 votes)

Comments:

34.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

1,343 charts

Rank Score:

11,799

Rank in 1977:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

35.

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,211 charts

Rank Score:

11,087

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

137

Average Rating:

83 (1,509 votes)

Comments:

36.

Red

King Crimson

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

840 charts

Rank Score:

10,550

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

144

Average Rating:

86 (1,056 votes)

Comments:

37.

Meddle

Pink Floyd

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

1,093 charts

Rank Score:

10,409

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

145

Average Rating:

84 (1,925 votes)

Comments:

103

38.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,071 charts

Rank Score:

10,391

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

39.

Can

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

903 charts

Rank Score:

10,240

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

150

Average Rating:

83 (1,018 votes)

Comments:

40.

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

928 charts

Rank Score:

10,139

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

153

Average Rating:

84 (1,154 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 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%
Joni Mitchell	8	1%
Pink Floyd	8	1%
Yes	8	1%
Wishbone Ash	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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Best Albums of 1959
1. Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis
2. Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus
3. Time Out by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4. The Shape Of Jazz To Come by Ornette Coleman
5. Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
6. Berry Is On Top by Chuck Berry
7. Moanin' In The Moonlight by Howlin' Wolf
8. Little Girl Blue by Nina Simone
9. Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs by Marty Robbins
10. The Genius Of Ray Charles by Ray Charles
11. Chega De Saudade by João Gilberto
12. N° 4 by Jacques Brel
13. What'd I Say by Ray Charles
14. Porgy And Bess by Miles Davis
15. Ritchie Valens by Ritchie Valens
16. Chet by Chet Baker
17. Jazz In Silhouette by Sun Ra And His Arkestra
18. Go Bo Diddley by Bo Diddley
19. Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Songbook by Ella Fitzgerald
20. I'm John Lee Hooker by John Lee Hooker