Best Albums of the 1970s

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
YearAlbums 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.
19702,091256,094
19712,185324,820
19722,249255,732
19732,133261,514
19742,037138,503
Red (139th)by King Crimson
19752,167220,835
19762,180149,115
19772,182251,626
19782,236145,085
19792,158208,478
Total21,6182,211,801

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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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
215
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
215
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
214
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
214
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1978
Appears in:
Rank Score:
214
Rank in 1978:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
996.
Live 
Live
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1973
Appears in:
Rank Score:
214
Rank in 1973:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
213
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
213
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
213
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1972
Appears in:
Rank Score:
213
Rank in 1972:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year Albums %


1970 107 11%
1971 98 10%
1972 102 10%
1973 108 11%
1974 99 10%
1975 100 10%
1976 87 9%
1977 91 9%
1978 109 11%
1979 99 10%
Country Albums %


United Kingdom 387 39%
United States 369 37%
Canada 42 4%
Germany 37 4%
Mixed Nationality 36 4%
Brazil 24 2%
Jamaica 20 2%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 975 98%
Yes 25 3%
Live? Albums %
No 941 94%
Yes 59 6%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 988 99%
Yes 12 1%
Best Albums of 1980
1. Remain In Light by Talking Heads
2. Closer by Joy Division
3. Back In Black by AC/DC
4. Scary Monsters by David Bowie
5. Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys
6. Peter Gabriel III by Peter Gabriel
7. The River by Bruce Springsteen
8. Permanent Waves by Rush
9. Pretenders by Pretenders
10. Making Movies by Dire Straits
11. Seventeen Seconds by The Cure
12. Crazy Rhythms by The Feelies
13. Sandinista! by The Clash
14. Heaven And Hell by Black Sabbath
15. Boy by U2
16. Ace Of Spades by Motörhead
17. Gaucho by Steely Dan
18. Get Happy!! by Elvis Costello And The Attractions
19. Duke by Genesis
20. Dirty Mind by Prince
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