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	260,326	Paranoid (54th)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,137	329,133	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,176	260,297	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,063	267,601	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	1,951	139,644	Red (144th)by King Crimson
1975	2,105	226,214	Wish You Were Here (7th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,100	150,292	Songs In The Key Of Life (86th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,112	256,273	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,157	145,878	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (203rd)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,086	212,902	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	20,927	2,248,559

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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71.

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

701 charts

Rank Score:

6,248

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

284

Average Rating:

83 (872 votes)

Comments:

72.

Boston

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

711 charts

Rank Score:

6,191

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

286

Average Rating:

78 (925 votes)

Comments:

73.

Thick As A Brick

Jethro Tull

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

622 charts

Rank Score:

6,135

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

292

Average Rating:

83 (822 votes)

Comments:

74.

The Cars

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

686 charts

Rank Score:

6,093

Rank in 1978:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

294

Average Rating:

81 (779 votes)

Comments:

75.

Foxtrot

Genesis

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

601 charts

Rank Score:

5,977

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

301

Average Rating:

82 (821 votes)

Comments:

76.

Raw Power

Iggy And The Stooges

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

779 charts

Rank Score:

5,974

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

302

Average Rating:

83 (1,002 votes)

Comments:

77.

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

768 charts

Rank Score:

5,960

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

305

Average Rating:

83 (1,280 votes)

Comments:

78.

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

706 charts

Rank Score:

5,808

Rank in 1978:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

311

Average Rating:

81 (874 votes)

Comments:

79.

Trans Europa Express

Kraftwerk

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

703 charts

Rank Score:

5,798

Rank in 1977:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

312

Average Rating:

82 (887 votes)

Comments:

80.

Master Of Reality

Black Sabbath

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

675 charts

Rank Score:

5,696

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

315

Average Rating:

84 (1,010 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 8 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%
Wishbone Ash	8	1%
Joni Mitchell	8	1%
Pink Floyd	8	1%
Yes	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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