The Great Albums of the 1970’s
This list is all of the great albums I have heard in rock, in the ten year span of 1970-1979.
No limit on number.
2009 edition – 118 entries
2013 edition – 181 entries
2016 edition – 256 entries
new! = new addition
up – moved up the list since last time
down – moved down the list since last time
italics – 5 star albums
regular font – 4 ½ star albums
1.The Modern Dance – Pere Ubu
2.Exile on Main Street – The Rolling Stones
3.Into the Music – Van Morrison
4.The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers
5.Hissing of Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell
6.154 – Wire
7.More Songs About Buildings and Food – Talking Heads
8.Quadrophenia – The Who
9.Red – King Crimson
10.Tonight’s the Night – Neil Young
11.Legalize it – Peter Tosh
12.IV – Faust
13.Starsailor – Tim Buckley
14.Sail Away – Randy Newman up
15.Sticky Fingers – The Rolling Stones
16.Not Available – The Residents
17.The Clash – The Clash
18.Another Green World – Brain Eno
19.Future Days – Can
20.Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
21.Tanz der Lemminge – Amon Dull 2
22.Meet The Residents – The Residents
23.Sundown – Gordon Lightfoot down
24.Radio City – Big Star
25.Warren Zevon – s/t
26.Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder
27.Blue – Joni Mitchell
28.Flying Shoes – Townes Van Zant new!
29.Chairs Missing – Wire
30.Moondance – Van Morrison
31.Maggot Brain – Funkadelic
32.Doremi Fasola Tido – Hawkwind down
33.Rocket to Russia – The Ramones
34.Lark’s Tounges in Aspic – King Crimson
35.Secret Treaties – Blue Oyster Cult
36.The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle – Bruce Springsteen
37.Rocks – Aerosmith
38.Who’s Next – The Who
39.Radio Ethiopia – Patti Smith
40.Call Me – Al Green
41.Late For the Sky – Jackson Browne
42.Zoso – Led Zeppelin
43.Barrett – Syd Barrett new!
44.Pink Moon – Nick Drake
45.London Calling – The Clash
46.The Rise of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie
47.Fear of Music – Talking Heads
48.Neu! – Neu!
49.America – John Fahey new!
50.X – Klaus Shultze new!
51.Yeti – Amon Dull II
52.Close to the Edge – Yes
53.Dub Housing – Pere Ubu
54.Y – Pop Group
55.Go – Stomu Yamashta new!
56.I Want to see the Bright Lights Tonight – Richard Thompson
57.Desert Shore – Nico
58.Faust – s/t
59.Heaven Tonight – Cheap Trick
60.Funkentelechy vs the Placebo Syndrome – Parliament
61.Music from the PCO – Penguin Cafe Orchestra
62.Taking Tiger Mountain – Brian Eno
63.Ege Bamyasi – Can
64.Slider – T. Rex new!
65.Fare Forward Voyagers – John Fahey
66.Tusk – Fleetwood Mack up
67.Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton John
68.Marquee Moon – Television
69.The Specials – The Specials
70.Shooting at the Moon – Kevin Ayers and the Whole World
71.Suicide – Suicide
72.Desire – Bob Dylan
73.The Ramones – The Ramones
74.Wavelength – Van Morrison
75.Drums and Wires – XTC
76.Equal Rights – Peter Tosh new!
77.Zuma – Neil Young down
78.666 – Aphrodite’s Child
79.Good Old Boys – Randy Newman new!
80.Rock Bottom – Robert Wyatt up
81.The Pretender – Jackson Browne new!
82.Slug Line – John Hiatt
83.Funhouse – The Stooges
84.Muswell Hillbillies – The Kinks
85.Music for 18 Musicians – Steve Reich new!
86.Second Annual Report – Throbbing Gristle
87.Half Machine Lip Moves – Chrome up
88.For your Pleasure – Roxy Music
89.Teaser and the Firecat – Cat Stevens new!
90.New York Dolls – New York Dolls
91.Neu ’75 – Neu new!
92.Rickie Lee Jones – Rickie Lee Jones
93.Oh La La – Faces new!
94.One Nation Under A Groove – Funkadelic new!
95.If I Could Only Remember My Name – David Crosby
96.Pour Down Like Silver – Richard Thompson
97.Highway to Hell – AC/DC up
98.The Undertones – The Undertones
99.Tago Mago – Can
100.White Music – XTC
101.Time Fades Away – Neil Young new!
102.Pink Flag – Wire
103.12 Songs – Randy Newman new!
104.For the Roses – Joni Mitchell down
105.Entertainment! – Gang of Four
106.Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
107.Arrival – ABBA new!
108.Cosmo’s Factory – Creedence Clearwater
109.B52’s – s/t
110.Hejira – Joni Mitchell
111.Hosianna Mantra – Popul Vuh
112.Excitable Boy – Warren Zevon
113.Fearless – Family new!
114.Electric Warrior – T. Rex
115.Weasles Ripped My Flesh – Frank Zappa new!
116.Q:Are we not Men? A:We are Devo! – Devo
117.Songs of Love and Hate – Leonard Cohen
118.Eternally Yours – Saints new!
119.New Picnic Time – Pere Ubu
120.2112 – Rush new!
121.I’m Still in Love With You – Al Green
122.Inflammible Material – Stiff Little Fingers
123.Fragile – Yes
124.Soon Over Babaluma – Can
125.Islands – King Crimson new!
126.Reggata de Blanc – The Police
127.Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
128.Shiny Beast – Captain Beefheart new!
129.Talking Book – Stevie Wonder
130.Too Much, Too Soon – The New York Dolls
141Give ’em Enough Rope – The Clash up
142.Fingerprince – Residents
143.If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot
144.LAMF – Heartbreakers new!
145.Further Adventures of – Bruce Cockburn new!
146.Let There be Rock – AC/DC
147Jesus of Cool – Nick Lowe up
148.Tyranny and Mutation – Blue Oyster Cult
149.Ram – Paul McCartney
150.Trans Europe Express – Kraftwerk up
151.Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen
152.Déjà vu – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
153.Some Girls – Rolling Stones up
154.Heroes – David Bowie
155.Roxy Music – s/t
156.Music To Eat – Hampton Grease Band new!
157.Mix Up – Cabaret Voltiare new!
158.Damn the Torpedoes – Tom Petty new!
159.The Kick Inside – Kate Bush new!
160.In the Falling Dark – Bruce Cockburn new!
161.Rust Never Sleeps – Neil Young down
162.Talking Heads: 77 – Talking Heads
163.Mona Bone Jakon – Cat Stevens new!
164.Steppenwolf 7 – Steppenwolf
165.Roxy and Elsewhere – Frank Zappa new!
166.Sailin Shoes – Little Feat new!
167.Metal Machine Music – Lou Reed new!
168.Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
169.Cheap Trick – Cheap Trick
170.Honky Tonk Masquerade – Joe Ely new!
171.Ladies of the Canyon – Joni Mitchell down
172.Outlandous D’amour – The Police
173.Vendon Fleece – Van Morrison
174.For Everyman – Jackson Browne
175.Stranded – The Saints
176.Before and after Science – Brian Eno
177.Little Criminals – Randy Newman new!
178.This Year’s Model – Elvis Costello
179.Lorca – Tim Buckley
180.Madcap Laughs – Syd Barrett new!
181.Imagine – John Lennon up
182.Third/Sister Lovers – Big Star
183.Agents of Fortune – Blue Oyster Cult
184.Country Life – Roxy Music
185.Diamond Dogs – David Bowie
186.Parallel Lines – Blondie
187.Harvest – Neil Young
188.What If – Dixie Dregs new!
189.Machine Head – Deep Purple
190.St. Dominic’s Preview – Van Morrison
191.Rumors – Fleetwood Mac
192.Night at the Opera – Queen
193.Metal Box (Second Edition) – Public Image Limited new!
194.The Pavillion of Dreams – Harold Budd new!
195.Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin down
196.Mirror Man – Captain Beefheart new!
197.Court and Spark – Joni Mitchell
198.Red Hash – Gary Higgins
199.Eat a Peach – Allman Brothers new!
200.Equinox – Jean Michel Jarree new!
201.Burrito Deluxe – The Flying Burrito Bros.
202.Layla and other Assorted Love Songs – Derek and the Dominoes
203.Stranded – Roxy Music new!
204.Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround Part One – The Kinks
205.Ain’t Living Long Like This – Rodney Crowell
206.The Rutles – s/t new!
207.Jailbreak – Thin Lizzy new!
208.151.All Mod Cons – The Jam
209.The Man Machine – Kraftwerk new!
- Cords – Synergy new!
211.Fulham Fallout – The Lurkers new!
212.Blank Generation – Richard Hell
213.Powerage – AC/DC new!
214.Mott – Mott the Hopple
215.Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
216.Mothership Connection – Parliament
217.Labor of Lust – Nick Lowe
218.The Captain and Me – The Doobie Brothers
219.The Yes Album – Yes
220.Berlin – Lou Reed new!
221.Honky Chateau – Elton John
222.Sunfighter – Paul Kantner new!
223.Crossing the Red Sea – Adverts new!
224.Here Come the Warm Jets – Brian Eno up
225.Alien Soundtracks – Chrome
226.So Alone – Johnny Thunders new!
227.Pendulum – Creedence Clearwater Revival
228.Something/Anything – Todd Rundgren
229.Raw Power – The Stooges
230.Aqualung – Jethro Tull
231.Live at Fillmore East – The Allman Bros. new!
232.Horses – Patti Smith
233.Paranoid – Black Sabbath
234.U.K. – s/t new!
235.Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
236.Blue Valentine – Tom Waits new!
237.Leave Home – Ramones
238.Natty Dread – The Wailers
239.Tea for the Tillerman – Cat Stevens new!
240.Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – s/t new!
241.#1 Record – Big Star
242.In the Garden of the Pharos – Popul Vuh new!
243.Bryter Layter – Nick Drake
244.The Stranger – Billy Joel
245.A Nod is as Good as a Wink – The Faces new!
246.Jackson Browne – Jackson Browne
247.Dire Straights – s/t new!
248.Toys in the Attic – Aerosmith
249.Eskimo – The Residents
250.David Gilmour – s/t new!
251.Nantucket Sleighride – Mountain new!
252.Catch a Fire -The Waliers
253.Led Zeppelin 3 – Led Zeppelin down
254.Joan Armatrading – s/t new!
255.The Roches – s/t new!
256.Stained Glass – Judas Priest new!
