in the 70s - Top Ten Albums of the Seventies

Top Ten Albums of the Seventies

What are your top ten favorite albums from the 70s?

We also have pages on this topic devoted to the 80s and 90s

10. Meatloaf by Bat Out Of Hell
You've listened to it so many times you could probably sing every word, still, you can't help but love it.
9. From The Inside by Alice Cooper
Reputedly written with Bernie Taupin after he came out of rehab. Nevertheless, his last great album and in my view, his best.
8. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
There's probably nothing I could write about this that people haven't already read, so I'll just summise by saying that this was the soundrack to my college life !
7. S/T by Van Halen
The guy took the guitar, turned it on it's head, stuck in a blender with about 1,000,000 watt's of power and a big lump of Kryptonite and what you got was a technique that was unheard of, unthought of and probably unimaginable to anyone else previously. Fresh, energetic and exciting, Eddie Van Halen revolutionised guitar rock, taking what Hendrix did to the next level. No-one, as yet, has taken it further. Add to that the inimitable passion, looks and vaudeville style of the great David Lee Roth and you had an album to rival any other at the time. Simply put, Scorching !
6. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
I don't care what anyone else says, this was the first real "Metal" album and deserves more than being remembered as such.
5. Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen
Any album with that title track deserve's to be in everyone's list. Bursting with energy this is The Boss at his heartache/storytelling best, painting still life caricatures of what it was like living in New Jersey.
4. Something Anything by Todd Rundgren
"Hello It's Me" is still one of my all time favourite tracks, but this album has much much more that this. "I Saw The Light" was my intro to the technical genius.
3. IV by Led Zeppelin
Gatefold sleeve with what looks like Gandalf standing at the top of the Mountain, was probably my earliest memory of my favourite Zep' opus. Every song is a classic, bar none ! Essential for any self respecting music fan.
2. S/T by Boston
Mid-'80's Schlitz ad'. Until then I'd never even heard of them, but when my bother bought this on vinyl, I couldn't get enough.
1. Breakfast In America by Supertramp
Didn't get into this till my late 20's ( '97+ ) But it just get's better with every play. A true classic !

10. Glorified Magnified by Manfred Manns Earth Band
9. Teaze by Teaze
8. Space Rangers by Neil Merryweather
7. Look At Yourself by Uriah Heep
6. First Base by Babe Ruth
5. Triumph by Triumph
4. Rush by Rush
3. Warm Slash by Tucky Buzzard
2. Saturday Morning Pictures by Stray
1. Sad Wings Of Destiny by Judas Priest

10. American Beauty by Grateful Dead
9. Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
8. Let It Bleed by Rolling Stones
7. Abbey Road by The Beatles
6. Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash, And Young
5. Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
4. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
3. Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
2. Harvest by Neil young
1. Darkside Of The Moon by Pink Floyd

10. American Beauty by Grateful Dead
9. Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
8. Let It Bleed by Rolling Stones
7. Abbey Road by The Beatles
6. Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash, And Young
5. Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
4. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
3. Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
2. Harvest by Neil young
1. Darkside Of The Moon by Pink Floyd

10. Candy-O by The Cars
Most will disagree that this is their best LP, because there is not as many hits on this LP, but the music is much tighter on this LP.
9. A Question Of Balance by The Moody Blues
Probably the best album from the Moodies during their early 70's run.
8. Armed Forces by Elvis Costello
Feature's "Oliver's Army" and "Accidents Will Happen", probably his two greatest songs.
7. Jesus Of Cool by Nick Lowe
Producer for mostly all of Elvis Costello's LP's, this LP is Nick Lowe's first solo LP (before Cruel to Be Kind), and has so many wonderful songs on it!
6. Message From The Country by The Move
Probably the most creative effort during the Jeff Lynne/Roy Wood relationship, this LP features "Do Ya" (later brought back by ELO), and several other gems.
5. Despite It All by Brinsley Schwarz
Innovaters of the great pub-rock movement in England during the early 70's, this LP is the greatest work from this short lived band (featuring Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz).
4. Animals by Pink Floyd
Their forgotten LP, which I think is their greatest LP (Meddle a close second!)
3. Self-Titled by T-Rex
Just before T-Rextasy began in England during the early 70's, Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn released this gem of an album. The first album in which Marc really starts to fool around with an electric guitar.
2. Boulders by Roy Wood
Founder of the Move, and ELO (along with Jeff Lynne), this underappreciated genius's first solo LP was way ahead of its time. Especially check out "Wake Up", and "Songs of Praise".
1. A New World Record by ELO
How many hit songs came from this album? Telephone Line, Livin Thing, Do Ya, etc....Enough Said! Jeff Lynne at his very best!

10. Anything By Steely Dan by Steely Dan
I tried to pick just one Steely Dan album to put on the list, but it was impossible to pick one over the others. My favorite artist of the 70's or any decade, even though I didn't start listening to their albums until the 80's. I had a lot of catching up to do!
9. Innervisions by Stevie Wonder
What happened afterward?
8. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
This album was the one with which I graduated from 45's to listening to albums; the first time I ever grasped the concept of the whole album and not just the single. Favorites: "I've Seen That Movie Too", "Grey Seal", "Roy Rogers", "Ballad of Danny Bailey". I can still remember the first time I heard "Bennie and the Jets". I'd never heard anything like it. Remember the inside of the cover of GBYBR? The art & lyrics? Try squeezing something like that into the dinky little books they slide into CD cases these days...shrinking all that into a CD pamphlet---it just loses something in the translation.
7. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
I'd never been a fan of Bob Dylan but boy did I make up for it with this one.
6. Silk Degrees by Boz Scaggs
Sort of surprised this hasn't popped up on anyone else's list yet...reminds me of Sacramento in the 70's, and of course it's summertime...
5. Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie
My love of this album has a story that goes along with it that would make a good novel...or a good record album.
4. Face The Music by ELO
"The music...is reversible...go back...go back...go back..." Remember turning the record backward on the turntable to decipher the words at the beginning of "Fire On High" ? As good as the album is, it's not one I listen to now, it's too much a part of just one certain time in my life.
3. Candy-O by The Cars
"Dangerous Type", "Candy-O", "Nightspots" "Let's Go", among my favorites on this album, all songs on it are great though. I loved their first album, but it didn't take long before this became my favorite Cars album and one of my all-time favorites.
2. I Robot by The Alan Parsons Project
What was it about albums in the 70's? Today you're lucky to get two or maybe three good songs on a CD. In the 70's you got an album and many times you'd fall in love with every song on it. Today it seems even with the best artists & songs so much of the CD just doesn't click. I don't think it's because I'm getting older, because I like the songs I hear on the radio enough to buy the CD, but end up liking only one or two songs on it almost all the time. Hmmmm....maybe it is an age thing, i don't know.
1. Year Of The Cat by Al Stewart
I literally wore this record out. "On the Border", "Broadway Hotel", "Lord Grenville", every song on this album was and still is incredible.

10. High Class And Borrowed Shoes by Max Webster
little known canadian band, way ahead of their time.
9. London Calling by The Clash
release '79 truley marked the end of the 70's
8. Blue Oyster Cult by Agents Of Fortune
good solid 70's performer
7. Demonds And Wizards by Uriah Heep
classic
6. Desolation Boulevard by Sweet
great rocking album, this is the 70's
5. Police's First Album by Police
1977 can you believe it.
4. Band On The Run by Wings
simply a classic
3. Night At The Opera by Queen
who didn't have this album?
2. Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie
30 years later it's still great.
1. The Last Waltz by The Band
the best bunch of musician that played like they lived in the heart land for eons

10. Toys In The Attic by Aerosmith
9. See Forever Eyes by Prism
8. Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
7. Pieces Of Eight by Styx
6. Straight Shooter by Bad Company
5. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
4. Hotel California by Eagles
3. Point Of Known Return by Kansas
2. Boston by Boston
1. IV by Led Zeppelin

10. Boys Don't Cry by The Cure (1979)
9. Fear Of Music by Talking Heads (1979)
8. The Man Machine (Die Mensch-Maschine) by Kraftwerk (1978)
7. Red by King Crimson (1974)
6. Oxyg讥 by Jean-Michel Jarre (c.1976)
5. Q. Are We Not Men? A. We Are Devo by Devo (1978)
4. Drums And Wires by XTC (1979)
3. Paris 1919 by John Cale (1973)
2. Bryter Layter by Nick Drake (1970)
1. Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) by Brian Eno (1974)

10. Sticky Fingers by Rolling Stones
"Can't You Hear Me Knocking", "Brown Sugar", and "Bitch"
9. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
"Iron Man", "Paranoid", and my favorite "War Pigs/Luke's Wall."
8. Quadrophenia by Who
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts...there is no standout individual song here.
7. Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd by Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Free Bird", "Tuesday's Gone", and "Simple Man" are dyanmite. "Gimme Three Steps" is actually quite average.
6. The Cars by Cars
One of the great debut albums, better than the debuts of Hendrix, Boston, or Led Zeppelin
5. Untitled by Led Zeppelin
"When the Levee Breaks" is one of the most undeplayed songs, "Stairway to Heaven" and "Black Dog" make it one of the best.
4. Aqualung by Jethro Tull
The title track is legendary, but the whole album has a flow that few records achieve.
3. Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
"Kashmir", "The Rover", "Trampled Under Foot", "In the Light", "Ten Years Gone"
2. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
Perhaps the most underrated album ever.
1. Who's Next by Who
Simply the best album of all time.