Top 100 Albums of the 1970s (Pitchfork Staff Lists #02)

From Pitchfork (june 2004):

As the psychedelic 60s gave way to hippie backlash and high ambitions, one thing was clear: there was something damn funny about peace, love and understanding. Shaking off naturalism, daisy chains and acid tabs came easier than expected, and what resulted was a paradox of both striking diversity and remarkable coherence: from high-concept prog-nerds and high-octane guitar solo to high-heeled glam-rockers and high-ass punks, the 70s saw the rise and dominance of the album-as-unified-statement. Pitchfork now takes the opportunity to present this list of its favorite albums of that decade.

From original Spotirama post (june 2010):

I compiled three Spotify playlists with this Top 100. In the mammoth, you'll get the complete albums I found on Spotify (original editions, no legacies or deluxes...). In the graduated, I put 2 songs for albums from position 81 to 100, 3 songs for 61-80, 4 songs for 41-60, 5 songs for 21-40 and 6 songs for 1-20 (few jazz exceptions: Miles Davis albums usually have just few extralong tunes). The lite one, instead, features only one song each album: it's kind of a nonsense, because this is a long-playing charts, you should listen to the full work, not the singles. But I love to shuffle and I think this can be a good short cut to taste the general flavour of the decade (and of the chart).

Published by Pitchfork: June 23, 2004.
Spotify playlist updated April 18, 2014.
The Complete Pitchfork Staff Lists Series. 

THE TOP 100 ALBUMS OF THE 1970s

(Pitchfork, 2004)

(mammoth, full albums)

(graduated, few songs each album)

(lite, one song each album)

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Full list

Strikethrough albums (8/100' are not available on Spotify. Some albums may be not available in all countries.

1. David Bowie – Low (1977 / RCA)
2. The Clash – London Calling (1979 / CBS)
3. Television – Marquee Moon (1977 / Elektra)
4. Sly & The Family Stone – There's a Riot Goin' On (1971 / Epic)
5. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks (1975 / Columbia)
6. Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express (1977 / Capitol)
7. Led Zeppelin – IV (1971 / Atlantic)
8. Gang Of Four – Entertainment! (1979 / Warner Bros.)
9. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures (1979 / Factory)
10. Brian Eno – Another Green World (1975 / Island Records)
11. The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main St. (1972 / Rolling Stones Records)
12. The Stooges – Funhouse (1970 / Elektra)
13. Nick Drake – Pink Moon (1972 / Island Records)
14. The Velvet Underground – Loaded (1971 / Cotillion/Atlantic)
15. The Who – Who's Next (1971 / Decca)
16. Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady (1979 / IRS)
17. Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (1971 / Westbound)
18. Miles Davis – Bitches Brew (1970 / Columbia)
19. Can – Ege Bamyasi (1972 / United Artists)
20. T.Rex – Electric Warrior (1971 / Reprise Records)
21. Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971 / Philips)
22. Wire – Pink Flag (1977 / Harvest)
23. The Ramones – Ramones (1976 / Sire)
24. Eno – Here Come the Warm Jets (1974 / Island)
25. Neu! – Neu! (1972 / Brain)
26. Stevie Wonder – Innervisions (1973 / Tamla-Motown)
27. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III (1970 / Atlantic)
28. The Beatles – Let It Be (1970 / Apple)
29. Can – Tago Mago (1971 / United Artists)
30. Miles Davis – On the Corner (1972 / Columbia)
31. Talking Heads – Fear of Music (1979 / Sire)
32. Pink Floyd – The Wall (1979 / Columbia)
33. Wire – Chairs Missing (1978 / Harvest)
34. Various Artists (Soundtrack) – Saturday Night Fever (1978 / Polydor)
35. The Pop Group – Y (1979 / Radar)
36. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975 / Columbia)
37. Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True (1977 / Columbia)
38. XTC – Drums And Wires (1979 / Virgin)
39. Suicide – Suicide (1977 / Red Star)
40. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1976 / Beserkley)
41. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977 / Reprise Records)
42. The Specials – The Specials (1979 / 2-Tone)
43. Michael Jackson – Off the Wall (1979 / Epic)
44. The Clash – The Clash (1977 / CBS)
45. Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978 / Sire)
46. The Congos – Heart of the Congos (1977 / Black Art)
47. Al Green – Call Me (1973 / Hi)
48. Miles Davis – Live-Evil (1972 / Columbia)
49. Marvin Gaye – What's Going On (1971 / Motown)
50. Tim Buckley – Starsailor (1970 / Warner Bros.)
51. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks (1977 / Warner Bros.)
52. Elvis Costello – This Year's Model (1978 / Columbia)
53. Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians (1978 / ECM)
54. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo's Factory (1970 / Fantasy)
55. Nick Drake – Bryter Layter (1970 / Island Records)
56. Can – Future Days (1973 / United Artists)
57. Paul Simon – Paul Simon (1972 / CBS)
58. Miles Davis – A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1971 / Columbia)
59. Ramones – Rocket to Russia (1977 / Sire)
60. John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band (1970 / Apple)
61. Beach Boys – Surf's Up (1971 / Brother)
62. The Cars – The Cars (1978 / Elektra)
63. Cluster – Zuckerzeit (1974 / Spalax)
64. Iggy Pop – Lust for Life (1977 / RCA)
65. Neil Young – On the Beach (1974 / Warner Bros.)
66. Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers (1978 / PVC)
67. Pink Floyd – Meddle (1971 / Harvest)
68. Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters (1973 / Columbia)
69. Faust – IV (1973 / Virgin)
70. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon (1973 / Harvest)
71. James Brown – The Payback (1973 / Polydor)
72. King Crimson – Red (1974 / Atlantic)
73. Van Halen – Van Halen (1978 / Warner Bros.)
74. Leonard Cohen – Songs of Love and Hate (1971 / Columbia)
75. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy (1973 / Atlantic)
76. Blondie – Parallel Lines (1978 / Chrysalis)
77. David Bowie – Aladdin Sane (1973 / RCA)
78. Fela Anikulapo Futi & Africa '70 – Expensive Shit (1975 / Editions Makossa)
79. Randy Newman – Sail Away (1972 / Reprise Records)
80. David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971 / RCA)
81. David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars (1972 / RCA)
82. George Harrison – All Things Must Pass (1970 / Apple)
83. Iggy & The Stooges – Raw Power (1973 / Columbia)
84. Nilsson – Nilsson Schmilsson (1971 / RCA)
85. Wire – 154 (1979 / Warner Bros.)
86. Joni Mitchell – Blue (1971 / Reprise Records)
87. Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure (1973 / Warner Bros.)
88. Giorgio Moroder – From Here to Eternity (1977 / Casablanca)
89. Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978 / Warner Bros.)
90. Fela Anikulapo Kuti & Africa '70 – Zombie (1977 / Celluloid/MIL)
91. Throbbing Gristle – 20 Jazz Funk Greats (1979 / Industrial)
92. Kraftwerk – The Man-Machine (1978 / Capitol)
93. Jimi Hendrix – Band of Gypsys (1970 / Capitol)
94. King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black (1974 / Atlantic)
95. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975 / Swan Song)
96. Iggy Pop – The Idiot (1977 / RCA)
97. Various Artists (Soundtrack) – The Harder They Come (1972 / Mango)
98. Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom (1974 / Virgin)
99. Neil Young – After the Gold Rush (1970 / Reprise Records)
100. Brian Eno – Before and After Science (1977 / Island Records)