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. Mountain Climbing by Mountain
9. Machine Head by Deep Purple
8. Lynyrd Skynyrd by Pernouced Lynyrd Skynyrd
7. Van Halen by Van Halen
6. Boston by Boston
5. Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
4. Whos Next by The Who
3. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
2. Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs by Derrick and The Dominos - Eric Clapton
no one has this on there list so far, probably my favorite song of all time Layla, with Bell Bottom Blues
1. Led Zeppelin VI by Led Zeppelin

10. Toys In The Attic by Aerosmith
Power! Power ballads! Funky rock and roll melodies! Well - Walk This Way! You See Me Crying! and Uncle Salty! Check it out. Aerosmith at their best - knee deep in their roots......where unscrupulous advertising commercial execs can't get their grubby little hands on them.
9. A Night At The Opera by Queen
Rock?! With Opera?!Who would've thought? Up until that point - noone - but, then Queen happened to come along and accomplish the unthought of. Sure, others have claimed to be 'rock operas' - but, do they really sound like rock operas to you? I didn't think so. Listen to Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time again. Now that's rock-opera.
8. The Song Remains The Same by Led Zeppelin
One of the greatest live albums ever made! The movie is still mesmerizing. Noone - and I mean noone - has come close to the magic Zeppelin had onstage. OK so maybe I'm just a big Zep fan - but, the live renditions of Stairway and Whole Lotta Love speak for themselves.
7. Destroyer by Kiss
Definetly deserves to be entered as a top album of the 70's. It was one of those 'have to get' albums of all teenagers. If you didn't own it - you were an outcast. At least in my neighborhood. Detroit Rock City and Beth stand out as great tracks.
6. Chameleon by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Another personal favorite of mine. No hits. No big sales. But, this album is full of great melodies and great lyrics. Oh well - I was always a lover of the obscure. One of the hardest Frankie Valli albums to find - to this day.
5. The Wall by Pink Floyd
From the moment it came out - it held fans (and 'non-fans') of Pink Floyd alike. Probably the most commercial(?) of all their work - but, even that is barely true. You can almost feel every song as if you were going through it yourself.
4. Close To The Edge by Yes
Close To The Edge is a personal favorite of mine. Listening to it was like taking a journey to another land - be it imaginary of true - and then coming home again. Too bad it's too short overall.
3. Hotel California by The Eagles
This was the first album I ever purchased. I must have played Hotel California about - oh, I don't know - a million gazillion times! Anyway - the whole album is great. Every track.
2. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
I personally found this album to be the quintessential 'let's get buzzed' soundtrack. I was never a 'stoner' so to speak - but, from the moment I heard Shine On You Crazy Diamond fade into Welcome to Machine - I experienced a high without actually getting high.
1. Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
It's the album that meant more to me and so many others than anyone cares to remember and/or admit. Just listen to Stairway to Heaven and the rest of the tracks with a fresh (un-'adultarated') head. Relive the obvious.

10. Welcome To My Nightmare by Alice Cooper
weird strange but great album even just for vincent price
9. Foriegner by Foriegner
this was the real foriegner before all the ballad rubbish do yourself a favour
8. IV by Led Zeppelin
stairway to heaven the best ever + so many more classics this band rules
7. Alive by Kiss
the best live album ever from the best band ever
6. Atlantic Crossing by Rod Stewart
sailing sells this album to me being scottish and this was the unofficial scottish soccer song
5. The Wall by Pink Floyd
double album containing strange but classic pieces
4. This Years Model by Elvis Costello
before he turned stiff and boring
3. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
the highlight from a great band
2. Hotel California by Eagles
at their best on this title track is a classic
1. Bat Out Of Hell by Meatloaf
ive always had a copy of this in my collection every song a classic

10. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
Would be impossible to have a 10 best of the 70's without this album. A totally original piece of work that does manage to send your mind and spirit on a trip carried by the sound coming from that music machine. Nothing like it to carry you where ptoblems don't follow
9. Hunky Dory by David Bowie
After I'd purchased my 1st Bowie album I went back to this one. I don't like including 2 albums from the same artist on this list, but the music is too original. If you look at Bowie's career it is the one that most closely resembles the Beales' work. Like the Beatles he always strived to change his style. He wasn't content just to copy his previous success. If you compare Hunky and Ziggy, you can see this progression/change. And yes Hunky Dory does contain Changes.
8. Hotel California by Eagles
That one perfect album of original material from an artist. I don't think there are too many North Americans who don't have a copy of this album.
7. Elton John - Your Song by Elton John
A very original album on its release. Obviously contains his signature song, with Border Song, Sixty Years On, Take me to the Pilot
6. Sticky Fingers by Rolling Stones
The best of the Stones. Memorable music in Sister Morphine, Wild Horses, Bitch
5. Tea For The Tillerman by Cat Stevens.
The penultimate singer/songwriter album. Wonderfull melodies like the title cut, and Father and Son.
4. Electric Warrior by T.Rex.
Marc Bolan's masterpiece. Many artists only have the one great album in them. Again beautiful melodies in the well known Bang a Gong, Planet Queen, Life'a a Gas, Mambo Sun.
3. Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie
This is the album that made me a Bowie fan. I saw much of this material performed in his Diamond Dogs tour. With the help of Mick Ronson on guitar you get killer cuts like Suffragette City that would blow you right out of your seat in a live concert. Beatifull melodies with Soul Love, Lady Stardust, Rock 'N' Roll suicide.
2. 10CC - Rubber Bullets by 10 CC
A totally original piece of work that blew me away at the time of its release. I'm not strong on lyrics(melodies make the song) but when someone rhymes Balls and brains with balls and chains, it makes you listen.
1. Darkness On The Edge Of Town by Bruce Springsteen
This albun is only surpassed by some of the Beatles' work for perfection. The music that cemented the Boss's reputation as the future of Rock'N'Roll. Unfortunately his only masterpiece, while the Beatles produced at least 4 or 5 of them. Is a definite top ten album of all time

10. Fragile by Yes
This is a GREAT album...i love roundabout and i love the acoustic guitar played by Steve Howe on Mood For A Day.
9. Deep Purple In Rock by Deep Purple
I am really shocked that I havn't really seen Deep purp mentioned in the top tens on this site. This is an awsome album...Speed King is an all time great song.
8. Close To The Edge by Yes
This album only has 3 songs but they are all graet. Haha theyre all really long..especially "Close To The Edge" which is 18 minutes long but that song has so many little songs inside fo it, great song writing. Siberian Khatru is awsome aswell.
7. III by Led Zeppelin
Every Led Zeppelin fan I talk to say LZ 3 is one of their least favourites. I know its not a very hard rock type of album, but the songwriting on the acoustic songs are great. And dont forget it has my favourite song of all time on there...Immigrant Song:)..AWSOME song.
6. Who's Next by The Who
I see this album alot on these "Top Tens" and yes everyone is right...it is one of the best albums ever.
5. Houses Of The Holy by Led Zeppelin
I love this album...it is the most experimental hard rock album ever. It has hard rock, acoustic songs, raggae, and tonz more.
4. Boston by Boston
Ya this albums been on almost everyone's list too, theyre awsome...Tom Scholtz did a GREAT job on this album, him and Brad Delp are great.
3. Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy
I havnt seen this album either on this site. Great album..GREAT
2. Machine Head by Deep Purple
This is my biggest shock ever....i cant believe no one (well what ive seen) have this album on their list. This is probably the GREATEST hard rock album of all time... all rock...no acoustic...its electrifying.
1. IV by Led Zeppelin
You all knew this was coming lol...it has everything in this album...its simply THE GRET ALBUM OF ALL TIME...simply that!

10. Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack by Various/BeeGees
Revolutionary!!! The beginning of a pop culture revolution with just one movie and one album.
9. I Got A Name by Jim Croce
In my opinion, the greatest singer/songwriter of the decade, maybe in history. Every song tells a wonderful tale.
8. Never Mind The Bullocks, Heres The Sex Pistols by The Sex Pistols
A true original. What the 80s called Punk, and what the 90s called alternative, has its roots in The Sex Pistols.
7. The Yes Album by Yes
Instrumentally and musically, the most gifted band of the decade.
6. Frampton Comes Alive by Peter Frampton
One phrase: The best live album ever recorded!!!
5. Who's Next? by The Who
The best album by one of the top three bands of all time. The hits just keep on coming.
4. The White Album by The Beatles
Not the most critically acclaimed or most popular album the Beatles ever released. But in my opinion, it was the best of the Beatles.
3. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
5 songs, 5 classics. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Not Pink Floyds best album, but definately their best songs.
2. The Wall by Pink Floyd
The most synchronous album ever written. Not spectactular if listened to in fragments, but a masterpiece (the best ever constructed) on a whole.
1. Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
The absolute best album ever!!! And I don't even like Stairway to Heaven.

10. Presence by Led Zeppelin
9. Led Zeppelin 2 by Led Zeppelin
8. Animals by Pink Floyd
7. The Wall by Pink Floyd
6. Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
5. Let There Be Rock by AC/DC
4. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
3. Night At The Opera by Queen
2. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
1. Houses Of The Holy by Led Zeppelin

10. Raw Power by The Stooges
Alone as an isolated body of work, The Stooges' Raw Power isn't a particularly great album. Very strange, yes, but not great. What makes this record worthy of mention, however is the tremendous influence it had on the major punk-rock acts to emerge later in the decade, in addition to the influence it had on artists of subsequent generations (take Nirvana for example).
9. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
One of the best-selling albums of all time, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was Bilboard's Album Charts for a record 714 weeks (14 years!). Dark Side of the Moon is definitely the best progressive rock record to come out of the period.
8. Headhunters by Herbie Hancock
Disregarded by jazz "purists" (moldy figs) as noise, Hancock's Headhunters was the first jazz album to sell over a million copies, and for a long time running was the best selling jazz record ever. The album successfully blended the energy and progressive nature of funk with the sensibilities of jazz. The album is often considered jazz fusion.
7. American Beauty/Workingman's Dead by The Grateful Dead
6. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel
Released in 1970, Bridge Over Troubled Water was Simon and Garfunkel's final studio album. While the duo's last record, Bridge Over Troubled Water is the group's best.
5. Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run was Springsteen's first commercially successful record. He'd been a critical favorite since the release of Greeting from Asbury Park, but he'd never been able to garner much more than a cult following. Born to Run was the record that made Bruce Springsteen commercially.
4. Who's Next by The Who
One of the first rock records to truly integrate synthesizers into the whole of the album, The Who's Who's Next is a vertible masterpiece.
3. Exile On Main St. by The Rolling Stones
In my humble opinion, Exile is The Rolling Stones' best album (or atleast the best album to be released after the untimely demise of guitarist Brian Jones). One of the best double albums of all time.
2. London Calling by The Clash
Many are content to blow punk-rock off as nihilistic and lacking in any musically redeming qualities. These nay-sayers obviously haven't ever listened to The Clahs's London Calling, however. Even more so than the forceful minimalism of the Ramones, London Calling is, in many senses, a return to the sensibilities of pre-British invasion Rock and Roll. Equally as inspired by early rock mythology and the plight of the common man, London Calling is the essential, quintessential, and by far the best punk-rock album of all time.
1. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
This album is personal songwriting at its finest, no question. The maturity and force of Dylan's lyrics is absolutely astounding. While more of a personal statement than a cultural statement, I do believe, however, that the record still has broad based cultural significance.