3 One-Word Classic Rock Albums From 1970 That We Still Stan

As we look back through history, we can attribute personalities or styles to various decades. It’s a fun thing to do. But that is a perspective we can only achieve with hindsight thanks to the gift of time. In reality, a decade’s culture is determined by real-time decisions—like album releases.

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Here below, we wanted to examine the past. We wanted to highlight how a few albums released in the beginning of the 1970s helped to influence the rest of the decade. Indeed, these are three one-word classic rock albums from 1970 we still stan.

‘Paranoid’ by Black Sabbath (1970)

Where would heavy metal music be without Black Sabbath? The band’s brand of eerie, hefty, dark, brooding music changed the way audiences thought about rock. It also created lane after lane for bands to try different sounds and approaches in their wake. Paranoid marks Black Sabbath’s second studio LP release and the album includes seminal tunes like “War Pigs”, “Iron Man”, and, of course, the hard-hitting title track. If you want to know heavy metal and want to dive into the past, check out this LP now.

‘Moondance’ by Van Morrison (1970)

Van Morrison is a bit of a polarizing figure. Musically, he’s a superb songwriter and a unique performer. Although some critics say you can’t always understand his lyrics, they often remain profound. Just check out his 1970 LP, Moondance, which includes important classic rock offerings like “And It Stoned Me”, “Caravan”, and the title track. Morrison transports you back to the turn of the 1970s with this record.

‘Woodstock’ by Various Artists (1970)

If you were to list the best concerts of all time, the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Festival would have to be at the top. In many ways, it set the standard for future festivals. And one of the ways it did that was by creating a long list of performers the world wanted to see, from Joan Baez to Jefferson Airplane to Jimi Hendrix. And all of those artists are on the soundtrack album from the fest, which was released in 1970. Check out Baez singing above.

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