The 1970s were flush with excellent—truly excellent—rock albums that icons have to be left off this list—say it ain’t so, George Harrison! Not only that but while we highlight groups like the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, they have multiple albums that could be on this list. But there is only room for one apiece.
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Below are the 10 best rock albums of the 1970s. Albums everyone must not only listen to but listen to on repeat. Albums that should be owned on vinyl as well as digitally.
1. Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin released eight of their nine LPs from 1969 to 1979. So, this decade has a lot to choose from for the quintessential classic rock band. But IV, released in 1971, includes songs like “Black Dog” and “Going to California.” It also includes the cover “When the Levee Breaks” and the band’s most famous song of all time, “Stairway to Heaven.”
2. Sticky Fingers, The Rolling Stones
These British-born blues rockers also released several albums in the 1970s—six, to be exact—and while their catalog has a lot to choose from, it seemed that Sticky Fingers, released in 1971, stood out best, both for its iconic album cover and its track list, which includes classics like “Wild Horses,” “Dead Flowers” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.”
3. The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd
Perhaps the quintessential album of all time, this LP is famous for its music and infamous for its coincidental though lovely relationship with The Wizard of Oz. Start the record on the first roar of the lion in the opening credits and a world of synesthetic wonder will unfold. That aside, this 1973 LP includes all-time songs like “Time,” “The Great Gig in the Sky” and “Money.” It’s a veritable greatest hits list as much as a regular studio record.
4. London Calling, the Clash
Released in December of 1979, this album is beloved far and wide for its influence on new wave music. The punk rock band began to grow with its record releases and this one, the British-born band’s third, showed them perhaps at the top of their powers. Today, it’s thought of as one of the greatest albums of all time.
5. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac
Released in 1977, this album includes hits like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way.” And of course, the British-born band was famous for its music. But it was also famous for, well, the literal rumors swirling around it regarding its members and their love triangles. Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham are still involved in those rumors today, evidenced by headlines generated during Buckingham’s latest solo release. It’s a soap opera wrapped in an LP.
6. Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
Released in 1975, Born to Run was the New Jersey-born Bruce Springsteen’s breakout album. It includes songs like “Thunder Road,” “Born to Run” and “Jungleland.” With it, the world fell in love with the gravelly-voiced beach town rocker from down the shore. And he’s continuing to run today, playing some of the longest-running concerts still.
7. Horses, Patti Smith
Also released in 1975, Horses was the New Jersey-via-Chicago-born artist Patti Smith’s breakout. She would become one of the darlings of the New York City art scene, a poet, activist and musician wrapped in one rebellious package. Known in the underground scene, Horses made Smith a household name. Today, the artist and best-selling author continues with a big following.
8. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, David Bowie
Not only did this 1972 record generate a number of classic songs, but it also helped create the legend of one of the greatest fictional characters in rock history, the titular Ziggy Stardust. From outer space, Ziggy has come to Earth to rock and offer a message of hope before a cataclysmic event. Whether that message was received or not, we’ll see. In the meantime, songs like “Moonage Daydream” and “Starman” remain timeless.
9. Blue, Joni Mitchell
This 1971 record got a bit of a rejuvenation recently when Brandi Carlile played it in full during a performance at Carnegie Hall. Indeed, Joni Mitchell herself has been enjoying a bit of a renaissance, in part thanks to Carlile and her Joni Jams. But this record needs no real assist, it’s as timeless as the color, as water, as air.
10. Abraxas, Santana
Released in 1970, just months after his breakout performance at the original Woodstock in 1969, this record includes uber-classics like Santana’s renditions of “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Cómo Va.” A guitar god, this record from the Bay Area’s Carlos Santana is a must-own.
Bonus: Let It Be, the Beatles
While most people consider the Beatles to be a band of the 1960s—the group got together in the early ’60s and disbanded at the end of the decade in 1969—the former Mop Tops did release their last LP, Let It Be, in early 1970 and we’d be remiss to not mention it here. If you haven’t seen it, check out the Disney+ documentary series The Beatles: Get Back about the making of the record. It’s captivating, like the music that inspired it.
Photo by Dick Barnatt/Redferns
