Who doesn’t love classic rock albums from the 1970s, particularly 1973? It was a fine year for the genre, and a surprising number of still-famous rock albums dropped that very year. Let’s look at just three classic rock albums from 1973 that I think prove how excellent that decade was for music as a whole.
‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ by Pink Floyd
Well, there was no avoiding this one. This might just be the best album that came out in 1973, period. Though, I’ll leave that up to your own personal opinion. Either way, few would argue against The Dark Side Of The Moon being one of the most legendary prog-rock albums of the 20th century. It’s a concept album that explores the pressures that members of Pink Floyd faced with their increasing fame, along with the grief the band experienced with the departure of core member Syd Barrett. Songs like “The Great Gig In The Sky” and “Money” remain rock standards today.
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‘Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.’ by Bruce Springsteen
It may not get as much love as albums like Nebraska or Born In The U.S.A., but Bruce Springsteen’s 1973 debut classic rock record is still an incredible feat for a then-new artist. Some of Springsteen’s most beloved songs can be found on this early-career work, from “Blinded By The Light” to “Spirit In The Night”. And listeners at the time certainly vibed with Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., considering it made it to No. 60 on the Billboard 200.
‘Selling England By The Pound’ by Genesis
An awesome prog record makes it to our list of the best classic rock albums of 1973, this time from prog legends Genesis. At the time, reviews of this record were surprisingly mixed. Some critics praised the album for being a breath of fresh air in a pop scene that had grown stale, while others criticized the lyrical content of the work for… being too British? I’m going to side with the positive reviews on this one.
Selling England By The Pound is a smart examination of how culture evolves and changes, often for the worse. And musically, it’s an excellent piece of work that inspired countless prog-rock bands that would follow in Genesis’ footsteps.
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