The year 70s is a good time for the music industry. So many artists and bands we love and know today were created back then. In this list, you will find that year’s best albums of all time. The 70 albums on this list are top-selling records and some of them have been certified Platinum or multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. These albums include timeless classics 70s music from rock, soul, jazz, funk, and country as well as a few new discoveries thrown in for good measure!
The list Includes Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock,” Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon,” Nirvana’s “Nevermind” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” There are so many great artists that made their mark with these amazing albums. You should definitely check out these albums to see what all the hype is about!
The best 70s music album
Led Zeppelin IV – 1971
Rock music emerged in the 1960s with groups like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. The sound of rock music is primarily characterized by electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboard instruments, and sometimes vocals.
This genre from the 70s music collection is one of the most popular forms of music in the U.S. Led Zeppelin IV was released in 1971 and is considered to be one of their key musical statements. It was recorded over a period of 18 months at several studios before it was released on 8 November 1970.
It is a double album and features some of their best songs like Black Dog, Rock And Roll, Stairway To Heaven, and When The Levee Breaks. It has been certified 23x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America which makes it one of the top-selling albums in U.S. history.
Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track – 1977
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 American musical drama film directed by John Badham. It stars John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry Miller, and Joseph Cali. The soundtrack was released in December of the same year along with the single “Staying Alive” performed by Bee Gees which topped the charts for more than two consecutive weeks.
This 70s album is one of the most popular and best-selling soundtracks of all time with an estimated 30 million copies sold worldwide. It has been added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress for being culturally significant.
Abbey Road – 1969
Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by English rock band The Beatles and the last recorded before the band’s dissolution in 1970. It was released on 26 September 1969 in the United Kingdom, and 1 October 1969 in the United States.
It is often seen as one of The Beatles’ most famous albums along with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beatles (a.k.a. the White Album). It reached number one in several countries and was ranked number one in critics’ lists of the greatest albums of all time, including Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time where it is placed at number 17.
Abbey Road sold more than 7 million copies within its first month of release and as of 2011 has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums.
Abbey Road is a rock album that contains some of The Beatle’s most famous songs like Come Together, Something, and Here Comes the Sun.
Thriller – 1984
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, as his fourth studio album with Epic Records. The follow-up to Jackson’s fifth solo album, Off the Wall (1979), it was the first album to be produced by Quincy Jones.
The best songs on this 70s album are Billie Jean, Beat It, The Girl is Mine, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing), Human Nature, Thriller the singles which topped the charts all over the world.
Dark Side Of The Moon – 1973
Dark Side of the Moon is a rock album by Pink Floyd that was released on March 16, 1973. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, and mastered at The Mastering Lab in Los Angeles. In 2003, the album was ranked number 319 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time as well as being placed at number 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time.
This epic 70s album includes some great songs like Money, Us and Them, Brain Damage, Eclipse, etc.
Back In Black – 1980
Back in Black is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC released on 25 July 1980. It was produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange and recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas.
The album has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide to date, making it the second-highest-selling album worldwide and the highest-selling album by any band ever, making it AC/DC’s best-selling album. The opening track of the album, “Hells Bells”, is rung to signify the start of a wedding ceremony in Australia and New Zealand.
The first single from the album was “You Shook Me All Night Long”, which became their first U.S. top-ten hit which peaked at #4 for three consecutive weeks.
2112 – 1976
2112 is a concept album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1976. Focusing on individual freedom vs. collectivism, the story incorporates elements of science fiction and follows a young man who discovers an object left by aliens known as “The Red Star”.
The vessel eventually takes him to the solar system’s distant future where he witnesses the downfall of the Solar Federation and the death of mankind’s spirit.
2112 is Rush’s most successful 70s album in Canada (where it was certified triple platinum) and produced a hit single, “Closer to the Heart”. The title track is also their most popular song on both FM and AM radio, with its famous guitar riff often used in classic, old-time rock and roll songs.
The best songs on the album 2112 include I – Overture, II – The Temples of Syrinx, III – Discovery, IV – Presentation, V – Oracle: The Dream, and XII: Grand Finale (the whole album is a masterpiece)
Led Zeppelin II – 1969
Led Zeppelin II is the second studio album by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released on 22 October 1969 in the United States and on 31 October 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in both the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969.
The best songs on Led Zeppelin II are Whole Lotta Love, What Is and What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, Bring It On Home.
Brothers In Arms – 1985
Brothers in Arms is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Dire Straits, released on 13 May 1985 by Vertigo Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. This 70s music collection has received widespread critical acclaim and was the band’s most commercially successful release, achieving sales of over 30 million copies worldwide (6 million in the United States alone).
Every song on this 70s album is great. The standout songs are So Far Away, Money for Nothing (the famous video clip with Sting), Walk of Life, Brothers in Arms, Your Latest Trick.
Rumours – 1977
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American band Fleetwood Mac. Released on 4 February 1977, it was the first album to feature Buckingham and Nicks. The album was recorded primarily in Sausalito’s Record Plant, where the band had all of their equipment set up in an adjoining lot (which belonged to the neighboring record company, which had objected to the band’s all-night sessions).
The best songs on this album are Go Your Own Way, The Chain (famous video clip with Nicks), Dreams, Don’t Stop, and Songbird.
Hotel California – 1976
Hotel California is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Eagles and is one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album became their best-selling studio album, with over 16 million copies sold in the U.S. alone, and has sold 32 million copies worldwide.
The first single from this album was New Kid in Town which became their first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single was Hotel California, an iconic song with its famous guitar intro by Joe Walsh (a famous video clip with the Eagles playing in a room full of mirrors).
The best songs are Hotel California, New Kid in Town, Life In The Fast Lane, Wasted Time (the best guitar solo ever by Joe Walsh), Wasted Time, Victim of Love.
Why these albums are so great
These 70s music collections are authoritative, insightful, and engaging record reviews of the best-selling music albums throughout history, from such seminal bands as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Nirvana to modern artists such as Beyonce and Adele, written by top pop critics.
These 70s albums are so great that several artists have made these albums go double platinum. They all went number one or at least top 10 in several countries around the world (and many top tens).
These 70s albums all received critical acclaim (with very few of them receiving mixed reviews by critics). And they were all successful in sales, with many of them selling more than 20 million copies.
These albums are musical masterpieces that shaped rock and roll, blues, jazz, funk, soul, country, and pop music. They’ve introduced us to new genres of music, inspired musicians and fans alike to strive for excellence in their craft, and brought joy to many listeners.
These 70s music collections are all well worth listening to because they are timeless classics that have stood the test of time. Many of these 70s albums are still listened to today by devoted fans who love these music collections just as much now as they did back then.
