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 54,000 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	2,085	255,378	Paranoid (53rd)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,182	323,870	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,246	255,788	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,126	261,471	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	2,035	138,275	Red (140th)by King Crimson
1975	2,161	220,558	Wish You Were Here (6th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,173	149,564	Songs In The Key Of Life (83rd)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,177	252,065	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,230	145,494	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (209th)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,153	208,615	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	21,568	2,211,079

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 Stevie Wonder.

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161.

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

Joni Mitchell

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

309 charts

Rank Score:

2,526

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

161

Overall Rank:

709

Average Rating:

80 (398 votes)

Comments:

162.

Nursery Cryme

Genesis

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

380 charts

Rank Score:

2,505

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

162

Overall Rank:

712

Average Rating:

81 (571 votes)

Comments:

163.

Fleetwood Mac (1975)

Fleetwood Mac

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

416 charts

Rank Score:

2,475

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

163

Overall Rank:

720

Average Rating:

81 (618 votes)

Comments:

164.

Curtis

Curtis Mayfield

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

368 charts

Rank Score:

2,470

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

164

Overall Rank:

721

Average Rating:

80 (373 votes)

Comments:

165.

Live At Leeds
Live

The Who

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

426 charts

Rank Score:

2,468

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

165

Overall Rank:

723

Average Rating:

83 (673 votes)

Comments:

166.

Damn The Torpedoes

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

404 charts

Rank Score:

2,464

Rank in 1979:

Rank in 1970s:

166

Overall Rank:

725

Average Rating:

80 (502 votes)

Comments:

167.

Catch A Fire

The Wailers

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

374 charts

Rank Score:

2,452

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

167

Overall Rank:

726

Average Rating:

81 (444 votes)

Comments:

168.

All Mod Cons

The Jam

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

382 charts

Rank Score:

2,441

Rank in 1978:

Rank in 1970s:

168

Overall Rank:

729

Average Rating:

79 (469 votes)

Comments:

169.

Chairs Missing

Wire

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

361 charts

Rank Score:

2,422

Rank in 1978:

Rank in 1970s:

169

Overall Rank:

737

Average Rating:

81 (412 votes)

Comments:

170.

Paris 1919

John Cale

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

284 charts

Rank Score:

2,410

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

170

Overall Rank:

742

Average Rating:

79 (326 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 17 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	107	11%
1971	97	10%
1972	102	10%
1973	108	11%
1974	99	10%
1975	100	10%
1976	89	9%
1977	90	9%
1978	109	11%
1979	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

David Bowie	12	1%
Genesis	10	1%
Jethro Tull	9	1%
Yes	8	1%
Elton John	8	1%
The Rolling Stones	8	1%
AC/DC	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	386	39%
	369	37%
	42	4%
	37	4%
	36	4%
	24	2%
	21	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	976	98%
Yes	24	2%

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 the 1970s
1. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
2. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
3. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
4. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin
5. London Calling by The Clash
6. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
7. The Wall by Pink Floyd
8. Animals by Pink Floyd
9. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
10. Who's Next by The Who
11. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
12. Exile On Main St. by The Rolling Stones
13. Marquee Moon by Television
14. Hunky Dory by David Bowie
15. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
16. Pink Moon by Nick Drake
17. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
18. Low by David Bowie
19. Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
20. Blue by Joni Mitchell