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. 2112 by Rush
A sci-fi trip. Take it with headphones on.
9. Rocks by Aerosmith
They take no prisoners with this hard rock classic.
8. Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson Lake and Palmer
Instrumental showoffs? When you're this good it's not showing off.
7. Masters Of Reality by Black Sabbath
Dark, heavy, loud. Genius.
6. Animals by Pink Floyd
Animals before Dark Side Of The Moon? It's that good.
5. Pronounced by Lynyrd Skynyrd
So much more than the album that spawned Freebird.
4. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis
Prog-Rock Masterpiece.
3. Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
Lots of diversity on this album.
2. Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones
Just down and dirty.
1. Quadrophenia by The Who
A better rock opera than Tommy. Wow!

10. Frampton Comes Alive ! by Peter Frampton
That´s what I call 70s live !!
9. Spartacus by Triumvirat
Beatiful record.
8. What Once Were Vices Are Now Habits by Doobie Brothers
Man, just get a little funky.
7. Caress Of Steel by Rush
There you have creative, progressive, spacial rock.
6. Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Simply a perfct album...not one bad song on it. Not one bad note actually.
5. The Lamb Lies Down On Brodway by Genesis
Wow ! Speechless for a few moments.
4. Animals by Pink Floyd
Mentioned before, it´s one of the finest´s Floyds records. For me, the best.
3. Catch Bull At Four by Cat Stevens
Probably Cat´s higher point.
2. Thick As A Brick by Jethro Tull
Just buy it.
1. Minstrel In The Gallery by Jethro Tull
This album has so much sourprises, as always you can expect of Tull, but it`s also Tull´s return to hard simple rock since some years of crazy and complex music ideas.

10. Works by Emerson, Lake And Palmer
9. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
8. Exile On Main Street by Rolling Stones
7. Machine Head by Deep Purple
6. Workingman's Dead by Grateful Dead
5. Who's Next? by The Who
4. Can't Buy A Thrill by Steeley Dan
3. Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack by Various Artists
2. Led Zeppelin 3 by Led Zeppelin
1. Abbey Road by The Beatles

10. TNT by AC/DC
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9. 10 From 6 by Bad Company
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8. Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
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7. The Hotel Of California by The Eagles
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6. The Wall by Pink Floyd
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5. Axis Bold As Love by Jimi Hendrix
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4. The Greatest Hits by The Who
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3. Hell Freezes Over by The Eagles
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2. All Time Greatest Hits by Lynyrd Skynyrd
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1. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
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10. Led Zeppelin Ii by Led Zeppelin
9. Let It Be by The Beatles
the beatles have to be on any best song list
8. Whos Next by The Who
7. Houses Of The Holy by Led Zeppelin
6. Phyiscal Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
5. Boheiman Rhapsody by Queen
4. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by ACDC
3. Paroniod by Black Sabbath
OZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZY
2. Led Zeppelin Iv by Led Zeppelin
1. Drakside Of The Moon by Pink Floyd

10. London Calling by The Clash
Punk lives up to it's potenital at the tail end of the decade.
9. The Cars by The Cars
Perfect Pop-Art New Wave Debut album.
8. Never Mind The Bullocks Here's The by Sex Pistols
The last album I put on the list, over Blood on the Tracks no less! It belongs because of it's influence and groundbreaking as much as anything else.
7. Physical Grafitti by Led Zeppelin
Monumental, and the packaging is georgous. Maybe IV is a hair better cause its tighter, but this is the 70's monster you need to embrace.
6. Good Bye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
Fantastic Production, fantastic songs, really blows away his other releases by a mile.
5. This Years Model by Elvis Costello
Brilliant Concentrated Piss and Vinegar. Pop-Punk-Art. Props to Gang Of Four, Wire, The Ramones, & The Jam but Elvis Trancended mere Punk/New Wave and did it back in '78
4. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
Could easily be #2 on this list depending on my mood, another record that defined the decade. Wish I had room for The Wall as well
3. Who's Next by The Who
Talk about defining the 70's mentality! I have to sneak in here that Quadrophenia is more of a personal favorite.
2. After The Gold Rush by Neil Young
Definitive singer songwriter album and first with a true 70's mentality. edges out Rust never sleeps and Tonites the night
1. Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones
Not their best decade but maybe their best album, sounds better each time I play it, a treasure.

10. Imagine by John Lennon
I just had to put John in this list. I would stick all his songs here if i could. No one compares to him. Peace and Love and Revolution. What a time. Guess a change aint gonna come for some time...
9. 'Tea For The Tillerman' & 'Teaser & The Firecat' by Cat Stevens
Mona Bone, Tiller and Teaser were all written about the same time. but as the were released the albums became more and more uplifting. mona was dark and tiller had hope etc. There was a time when 1 in every 4 Australians owned a Cat record. Wow.
8. Tim Buckley by Greetings From LA
I swear i thought it was a black man singing this when i first heard it. Amazing. His voice changed so much to when he first started out.
7. Tim Hardin by Tim Hardin
All Tims work were genius. Bob Dylan once said he was the best singer songwriter around at the time. Robert Plant and many others covered his songs later. Another one who never achived success.
6. There Goes Rhymin' Simon by Paul Simon
Another uplifting album. could play it from start to end and feel great.
5. George Harrison by George Harrison
Great album. So uplifting and trippy to an extent. Lovely guitar work.
4. Time Of The Last Persecution by Bill Fay
So sad that he only released two full albums. People keep going on about Nick Drake and how he was amazing and never achived success. well Bill Fay is another genius who never got there.
3. Mona Bone Jakon by Cat Stevens
A real raw album. much darker than the follow ups Tillerman & Teaser. great from begining to end. takes you there and back again.
2. After The Goldrush by Neil Young
Such a brilliant flow. The track order and length are perfect. I think the limitations of 12' records helped artists focus on the quality and feel of the songs as apposed to giving you 60 mins of crap.
1. Foreigner by Cat Stevens
18 min opening track blows me away. the ups and downs and then the ending...thats the closest you could get to knowing him.

10. Imagine by John Lennon
You can't imagine I'd forget this!
9. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
Some of the Mac's best.
8. Hotel California by The Eagles
This album is the Eagles at their peak.
7. Reggatta De Blanc by The Police
Experimental, smoother than Outlandos. Great album!
6. Highway To Hell by AC/DC
Last and best Bon Scott album.
5. Van Halen by Van Halen
This changed the face of music for the upcoming decade...wow.
4. III by Led Zeppelin
Several classic acoustic songs, and the pounding rocker "Immigrant Song".
3. Animals by Pink Floyd
An underrated, superb concept album
2. Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
A cornucopia of Zeppelin classics.
1. The Wall by Pink Floyd
My favorite album of all-time.

10. Tumbleweed Connection by Elton John
A great collection.
9. A Night A The Opera by Queen
Bohemian Rhapsody is a classic. This album is great, and Queen's finest.
8. A Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon And Garfunkel
The Boxer, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Song For The Asking...these songs are amazing.
7. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
Also many great Elton hits.
6. Madman Across The Water by Elton John
The song Tiny Dancer holds the album here by itself.
5. Buddha And The Chocolate Box by Cat Stevens
Oh Very Young, Sun/C79, Home In The Sky, A Bad Penny, Ready, King Of Trees...this album was brilliant and showed piano at its best.
4. Foreigner by Cat Stevens
100 I Dream, The Hurt, Foreigner Suite, How Many Times...this album had fewer tracks but the quality of each one was outstanding. The 18 minute Foreigner Suite is something which cannot be dismissed, the lyrics are so insightful and wise. The lyrics for 100 I Dream are even better.
3. Mona Bone Jakon by Cat Stevens
Maybe You're Right, Lilywhite, Lady D'arbanville, Fill My Eyes, Trouble, Katmandu...this album was so personal and it felt so raw, there was no commercialism or anything. Very genuine, and an awesome album.
2. Tea For The Tillerman by Cat Stevens
Wild World, Hard Headed Woman, Sad Lisa, Father And Son, Miles From Nowhere, Where Do The Children Play...this album is brilliant!
1. Teaser And The Firecat by Cat Stevens
Peace Train, Morning Has Broken, Tuesday's Dead, How Can I Tell You, Moonshadow, The Wind...what's not to love?!?!?