Best albums of the 70s

[thedroid]

According to Paste magazine. Since there's so much love for the 1970s on here, I thought it would be of interest.


http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/05/the-70-best-albums-of-the-1970s.html

I'll break the news up front: no Rush, Kiss, or Van Halen.

A Day at the Races is on there but not A Night at the Opera? Odd.

[cledussnow]

Is Tago Mago on the list? I can't follow the link while at work...

[mbargav]

Is Tago Mago on the list? I can't follow the link while at work...

No but, Ege Bamyasi is. Definitely not my top Can pick.

[iamdavea]

My own personal best would be Queen's Sheer Heart Attack, a triumph on every level.

[cledussnow]

Ege Bamyasi is super, but Tago Mago is epic.

[chervokas]

It's actually a pretty decent list, I mean all the albums on there are great. Of course any one or another person is going to quibble with another person's list, and, you know the order no one is ever going to agree on....but you know somehow I managed to grow up in the 1970s without ever buying a Rush, Kiss or Van Halen album so when it comes to my taste they're not missing much when it comes to rock. Plenty of great jazz albums of the 1970s missing though, Arthur Blythe's Lenox Ave Breakdown, Ornette Coleman's Science Fiction.....tons of great country music missing....no Grateful Dead......etc

[thedroid]

For the record, I too think it's a good list. I could argue with the order, and there are important artists on it that never really did anything for me, personally (Allman Bros., Talking Heads) but it's not bad.

[ianrodia]

Whoa...my first thought was Can also before I entered this thread. ha.

Tago most definitely should be over Bamyasi for me.

[shakeshakeshake]

nice list

[DWB1960]

After starting off their career with five studio albums (I, II, III, IV and Houses of the Holy) that ensured their legacy as one of the decade’s definitive rock acts, Led Zeppelin had no need to prove themselves further. That didn’t stop them from putting out their most ambitious record—a sprawling, 80+ minute double album that encapsulates their earlier blues rock and latter mystical psych-synth sound. On the first half of Physical Graffiti, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham crafted some of their most influential songs, including “In My Time of Dying,” “Houses of the Holy” and “Kashmir.” It’s the record’s latter part, however, that brings it all together with a deep-cutting run featuring the band’s most unheralded songs.

[Baminated]

seems like a list w/no objective intent &/or a very small or narrow population sample

[Tuberoast]

It's not a bad list. I don't agree with the order, and there are many omissions..for me (London Calling for one, Dec 1979 release, unless it was on there and I blew by it). But, there wasn't a record on there that I wouldn't own, most of which I do.
I too am a Can fan! No early Genesis, didn't see Be Bop Deluxe, the Dead were pimped as well, Wire and others.

[ScottB]

That's a pretty reasonable list...

[Jet Age Eric]

Not only is Quadrophenia not number one, it's not even on the list; more proof that Paste just sucks. -E

[dsj]

Whoa...my first thought was Can also before I entered this thread. ha.

Tago most definitely should be over Bamyasi for me.

Future Days is better than 'em both!

[JPF]

It struck me as being quite a good selection. I might have added Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" and Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs", some late Hendrix, Santana III and Jeff Beck's "Blow by Blow", some Steely Dan and Little Feat, but then this lists never seem to match our collective preferences anyhow...

[saijo]

Fire and Water

[coralreefer]

Boston--Boston...should be in top 10....Paste sucks indeed...

[amigo30]

No Aerosmith "Rocks"? It's one of the few albums ever made that absolutely defines it's genre in brilliant perfection.

All other hard rock albums wish they could be as good as Rocks, but it's impossible to surpass. Kind of like how you can't go faster than light.

It probably should be on the list.

[Jet Age Eric]

Future Days is better than 'em both!

I actually prefer Ege Bamyasi to both. A minor, MINOR victory for Paste. -E

[A-Bone]

On the whole it strikes me as a worthwhile list of albums. Not entirely the list I would make, and definitely not ordered like mine would be, but it is a list noticeably devoid of the howlingly bad suggestions that dominate such lists.

[ianrodia]

Future Days is better than 'em both!

Future Days is #2 for me! I dig a ton of the Can stuff though. Big influence on me in my youth..

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

There are some good albums on there, but they sure missed a lot of good ones too. Give me Van Halen or Heart over Joni Mitchell, thanks! :)

[dunara]

Not only is Quadrophenia not number one, it's not even on the list; more proof that Paste just sucks.
This, big-time.
Plus - in too many cases; right artist, wrong album choice.

[dsj]

I actually prefer Ege Bamyasi to both. A minor, MINOR victory for Paste. -E

And I prefer both Ege Bamyasi and Future Days to Tago Mago.

[dsj]

Future Days is #2 for me! I dig a ton of the Can stuff though. Big influence on me in my youth..

Word.

Not sure how you're defining "youth", but I didn't start listening to Krautrock until my 30s. I still remember the first time my friend played me Tago Mago and Neu!. It changed my outlook on everything. Guitar based music that, though "rocking", had little to nothing to do with the blues.

I felt freed.

[VicAjax]

OMG! my first thought was "CAN had better be on there!"

although I could never really pick a favorite among Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi or Future Days. mayyyybe i would pick Future Days, but only because it's the first CAN album i ever heard, so it gets the sentimental pick.

pretty hilarious though, that a thread about the top 100 albums of the 70s would become a conversation about CAN.

i agree that overall, the list is really quite good. one album that i wish were on there is the Soft Boys album, A Can of Bees.

[John Thigpen]

Who the f*** is Can???

[GulfportBound]

Who the f*** is Can???

This the f@ck is Can . . .

8tAZrWylIAI

[GulfportBound]

Future Days is better than 'em both!

I wish I had room for a Can album on my earlier list (I kept it to 25), but here's their most underrated album of that decade . . .

DHCNgT-QCDE

[John Thigpen]

This the f@ck is Can . . .

8tAZrWylIAI

Thanks. I literally had never heard of them prior to this thread, so I was pretty surprised when a thread on best albums of the 70's turned into a Can lovefest. I listened to this, and it was ok, but didn't do anything for me. Reading about them on Wikipedia, I realize I also know next to nothing about any of the artists mentioned as influences or influenced by them. i guess it's not my cup of tea.

[Ocelot]

Not only is Quadrophenia not number one, it's not even on the list; more proof that Paste just sucks. -E

Which renders the list a joke, as most 'magazine' lists are. I have a hard time thinking of even three or four albums from the 70s that were even as good as Quadrophenia, let alone better.

[The Last Rebel]

Three pages and not one mention of the Ramones? Of course, I forget that this is the one place where you can find people that actually hate the Ramones.

[Wedgie]

Good list but Rumours is Sh-ite!!! And the Wall is HORRIBLE! I love 7,8 and 9 though!!!

[duckbunny]

List are always good for (hell, they're made to start) arguments, but this is one of the better ones I've seen.

If I have any criticisms, it might be that it ignored the rise of some ubiquitous genres - the advent ofcountry-rock (Eagles, Burritos, etc.) for example; or he glorious amalgam that is Steely Dan (especially Aja), and perhaps Eno's Music For Airports.



-db

[Scooter Burbank]

Three pages and not one mention of the Ramones? Of course, I forget that this is the one place where you can find people that actually hate the Ramones.

Their first four albums would have made my list, my favorite being probably Leave Home.

[chervokas]

Which renders the list a joke, as most 'magazine' lists are. I have a hard time thinking of even three or four albums from the 70s that were even as good as Quadrophenia, let alone better.

See, and it's been at least a decade, and probably longer since I've thought about spinning Quadrophenia. I just have kind of lost my taste for The Who entirely. So, there you have it, it's all taste, there's nothing objective about it.

[CharAznable]

Not a horrible list.

Not perfect, order is a bit wonky, but I have no quarrel with it.

[cledussnow]

Thanks. I literally had never heard of them prior to this thread, so I was pretty surprised when a thread on best albums of the 70's turned into a Can lovefest. I listened to this, and it was ok, but didn't do anything for me. Reading about them on Wikipedia, I realize I also know next to nothing about any of the artists mentioned as influences or influenced by them. i guess it's not my cup of tea.


9a1NhRbNJ_Y

I much prefer the groove laid down on this track to introduce someone to the band. Only 3 1/2 minutes too.

[m1911]

Although The Velvet Underground made it in with "Loaded"....however NO Rock-n-Roll Animal??

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/RocknRollAnimal.jpg

[VicAjax]

Although The Velvet Underground made it in with "Loaded"....however NO Rock-n-Roll Animal??

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/90/RocknRollAnimal.jpg

or Transformer. i agree at least one of these should have made it on.

[A-Bone]

Not a horrible list.

Not perfect, order is a bit wonky, but I have no quarrel with it.

This is pretty much my take, as well. Some obvious omissions, my personal list would order things differently, but a list composed primarily of real quality releases, as opposed to the typical 70s rock behemoths than tend to predominate lists of 70s albums.

[zookroo1]

I would have to say Hotel California should be in there. Not bad though.

[wrong_note_rod]

Which renders the list a joke, as most 'magazine' lists are. I have a hard time thinking of even three or four albums from the 70s that were even as good as Quadrophenia, let alone better.

I wore my Quadrophenia tshirt to the grocery store last night.

Hey, I'm just sayin.

the Who are possibly THE epic band from the 60s-70s (either them or Zeppelin), theres at least 4 Who albums, two of the double, that I'd say are requirements for any "rock" album collection:

Live at Leeds
Quadrophenia
Tommy
Who's Next

but even that leaves off all their brilliant early work, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy would fill some of that, but its a compilation

I can only think of a handful of bands that could get 4 albums on a "must have" list

[in_sherman]

the inner mounting flame

[cledussnow]

the inner mounting flame
Indeed!

[thedroid]

Three pages and not one mention of the Ramones? Of course, I forget that this is the one place where you can find people that actually hate the Ramones.

Their first album is #8 on the list. Are you disappointed they didn't make it in more than once?

[m1911]

or Transformer. i agree at least one of these should have made it on.

Finally a little more love for Uncle Lou !

I see you are a "New York City Man" too....
Did you ever get the chance to see either Lou and/or The Velvets LIVE in the 60's or 70's?

[VicAjax]

Finally a little more love for Uncle Lou !

I see you are a "New York City Man" too....
Did you ever get the chance to see either Lou and/or The Velvets LIVE in the 60's or 70's?

i would have loved to, but Transformer was released one month after i turned 2.

i have seen Lou in concert a couple of times, but i don't know how they'd compare to his 70s shows.

you know, there's a guy on this board, aram, who has been playing guitar for Lou on his most recent tours.

[greeny]

There's plenty that I think should be on the list. But lets face it there's very few on that list that you could argue shouldn't be on the list somewhere.