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	2,087	255,367	Paranoid (53rd)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,182	323,997	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (12th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,247	255,832	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (9th)by David Bowie
1973	2,127	261,506	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	2,035	138,323	Red (139th)by King Crimson
1975	2,161	220,552	Wish You Were Here (5th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,173	149,573	Songs In The Key Of Life (83rd)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,177	252,118	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,230	145,491	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (209th)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,153	208,645	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	21,572	2,211,403

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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21.

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

1,577 charts

Rank Score:

17,018

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

83 (1,944 votes)

Comments:

132

22.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,543 charts

Rank Score:

15,933

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

86 (1,760 votes)

Comments:

129

23.

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

1,254 charts

Rank Score:

15,912

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

85 (1,334 votes)

Comments:

24.

Close To The Edge

Yes

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,165 charts

Rank Score:

14,645

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

25.

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

1,180 charts

Rank Score:

13,159

Rank in 1973:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

86 (1,296 votes)

Comments:

26.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,187 charts

Rank Score:

13,025

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

27.

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

1,076 charts

Rank Score:

12,993

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

85 (1,525 votes)

Comments:

28.

Harvest

Neil Young

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,347 charts

Rank Score:

12,928

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

104

Average Rating:

85 (1,687 votes)

Comments:

29.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

1,251 charts

Rank Score:

12,759

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

105

Average Rating:

84 (1,504 votes)

Comments:

30.

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

1,330 charts

Rank Score:

12,696

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

106

Average Rating:

85 (2,022 votes)

Comments:

135

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 3 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	107	11%
1971	97	10%
1972	102	10%
1973	109	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%
Elton John	8	1%
AC/DC	8	1%
The Rolling Stones	8	1%
Miles Davis	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	977	98%
Yes	24	2%

Live?	Albums	%
No	941	94%
Yes	60	6%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	989	99%
Yes	12	1%

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

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