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 55,000 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	2,100	252,981	Paranoid (51st)by Black Sabbath
1971	2,197	320,798	Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) (11th)by Led Zeppelin
1972	2,265	250,962	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stard... (8th)by David Bowie
1973	2,146	256,890	The Dark Side Of The Moon (2nd)by Pink Floyd
1974	2,052	137,087	Red (141st)by King Crimson
1975	2,181	217,622	Wish You Were Here (6th)by Pink Floyd
1976	2,204	147,629	Songs In The Key Of Life (80th)by Stevie Wonder
1977	2,193	247,995	Rumours (21st)by Fleetwood Mac
1978	2,252	143,311	Darkness On The Edge Of Town (214th)by Bruce Springsteen
1979	2,173	204,958	London Calling (20th)by The Clash
Total	21,763	2,180,232

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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991.

A Space In Time

Ten Years After

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

70 charts

Rank Score:

212

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

991

Overall Rank:

6,175

Average Rating:

78 (96 votes)

Comments:

992.

Greetings From L.A.

Tim Buckley

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

81 charts

Rank Score:

212

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

992

Overall Rank:

6,187

Average Rating:

74 (112 votes)

Comments:

993.

Tim Maia (1971)

Tim Maia

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

22 charts

Rank Score:

211

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

993

Overall Rank:

6,198

Average Rating:

77 (37 votes)

Comments:

994.

Paêbirú

Lula Côrtes & Zé Ramalho

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

39 charts

Rank Score:

211

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

995.

Timeless

John Abercrombie

Year of Release:

1975

Appears in:

39 charts

Rank Score:

210

Rank in 1975:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

996.

Swaddling Songs

Mellow Candle

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

41 charts

Rank Score:

210

Rank in 1972:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

997.

Christmas And The Beads Of Sweat

Laura Nyro

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

51 charts

Rank Score:

210

Rank in 1970:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

998.

Anima Latina

Lucio Battisti

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

209

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,245

Average Rating:

77 (62 votes)

Comments:

999.

Luxury Liner

Emmylou Harris

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

61 charts

Rank Score:

209

Rank in 1977:

Rank in 1970s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,256

Average Rating:

74 (78 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Stratosfear

Tangerine Dream

Year of Release:

1976

Appears in:

80 charts

Rank Score:

209

Rank in 1976:

Rank in 1970s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,263

Average Rating:

80 (113 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1970s composition

Year	Albums	%

1970	109	11%
1971	99	10%
1972	100	10%
1973	107	11%
1974	98	10%
1975	101	10%
1976	85	9%
1977	94	9%
1978	108	11%
1979	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

David Bowie	12	1%
Genesis	10	1%
Electric Light Orchestra	8	1%
The Rolling Stones	8	1%
AC/DC	8	1%
Miles Davis	8	1%
Joni Mitchell	8	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	381	38%
	377	38%
	42	4%
	37	4%
	35	4%
	24	2%
	20	2%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	974	97%
Yes	26	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	941	94%
Yes	59	6%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	987	99%
Yes	13	1%

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

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Best Albums of 1952
1. Bird & Diz by Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie
2. Moanin' The Blues by Hank Williams
3. Billie Holiday Sings by Billie Holiday
4. The Amazing Bud Powell by Bud Powell
5. Genius Of Modern Music, Vol. 2 by Thelonious Monk
6. La Vie En Rose by Édith Piaf
7. Unforgettable by Nat King Cole
8. Satchmo Serenades by Louis Armstrong
9. Singin' In The Rain (Recorded Directly From The Sound Track Of The M-G-M Technicolor Musical) by Various Artists
10. A Second Album Of Bahamian Songs by Blind Blake And His Royal Victoria Calypsos
11. Dancers Of Bali by Anak Agung Gde Mandera / Gamelan Orchestra From The Village Of Pliatan, Bali, Indonesia
12. Penthouse Serenade by Nat King Cole
13. Legend Of The Sun Virgin by Yma Sumac
14. La Mauvaise Réputation by Georges Brassens
15. Blazing Ballads by Dinah Washington
16. Vol. 1 by Charlie Parker
17. Harmony Encores by The Chordettes
18. Country Classics by Hank Snow The Singing Ranger & The Rainbow Ranch Boys
19. Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring by Igor Markevitch / Vienna Philharmonic
20. Listen To Lefty by Lefty Frizzell