Top 100 albums
100) Boston - Boston (1976)
729 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 181
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 153
Fan : Alex D #8
Least likely to listen to it once more : Mindrocker #100, VanillaFire1000 #100, Honorio #99, Henrik #99, RockyRaccoon #98, sonofsamiam #96, SR #73 (/77), netjade #91
Alex D : I wouldn't be surprised if nobody ranked it higher than I did - meticulously crafted, late-70s hard rock is just begging to put down as pandering, commercial nonsense. But Boston were different. Tom Scholz (who basically did everything except sing and play drums) created his own guitar sounds (literally making his own pedals) and weaved all the parts and harmonies together in his basement studio. (Dude had a master's from MIT, and he kept a high standard for himself). The result is a mix of glam solos, great melodies, and some seriously awesome riffs. Everyone knows "More Than a Feeling", but "Rock n' Roll Band" and "Smokin'" are just as good.
99) Eagles, The - Hotel California (1976)
733 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 38
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 86
Fan : Stephan #6
Least likely to listen to it once more : Michel #100, sonofsamiam #100, Brad #100, Jonah #70 (/70), Jackson #52(/52) Otisredding #74(upon 75), Midaso #94 (/95), Alex D #51(/52), netjade #98, Harold Wexler #95, snusmumrik #70 (/76), SR #70 (/77)
Alex D : I think I'm just tired of this album - it's good but no doubt certain tracks are overexposed to me.
98) Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)
758 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 58
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 40
Least Likely to listen to it anymore : BillAdama #91 (/91), SR #77 (/77), sonofsamiam #99, Otisredding #73 (/75), netjade #94, Brad #94
Alex D : I was probably too young to remember the first time I heard this album - it's one of my dad's favorites. Surprisingly enough, I've never gotten tired of the tunes (there's plenty of good ones) but the message of alienation is a little worse for the wear.
97) Rolling Stones, The - Some Girls (1978)
782 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 139
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 185
Least likely to listen to it anymore : Henrik #100, sonofsamiam #98, netjade #96, BillAdama #86 (/91), Mindrocker #92
Alex D : Punk and disco actually suited the Stones really well: it's like they're in their twenties again. Charlie Watts' drumming style and of course Mick are perfect for this sort of thing. I have always liked their more aggressive rockers as opposed to say, country-based songs (with a few exceptions) and they really ramp it up here.
96) Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
785 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 53
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 101
Fan : VanillaFire1000 #5
Least likely to listen to it anymore : Stephan #55 (/55), Mindrocker #99, Michel #99, Alex D #50 (/52), Petri #72 (/75), SR #72 (/77)
Alex D : Elton is a singles guy for sure - while this (his best album) sure has some good songs on it, I found it entirely too long to take in at once when I relistened to it for this poll.
95) Bob Dylan & The Band - The Basement Tapes (1975)
806 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 123
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 135
Least likely to listen to it : Otisredding #75 (/75), Romain #99, Henrik #95
Note : tied with Some Girls and another album for the title of “lowest highest vote”, with its best position in any list being 23rd
94) Jam, The - All Mod Cons (1978)
823 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 85
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 118
Least likely to listen to it : Jonah #66 (/70)
92 (tie) Roxy Music - Country Life (1974)
827 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 278
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 262
Least likely to listen to it : Honorio #98
92(tie) Steely Dan - Katy Lied (1975)
827 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 275
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 225
Fan : Georgie #2
Least likely to listen to it : Mindrocker #98, VanillaFire1000 #97, SR #74 (/77), Honorio #95, Michel #92
91) Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (1973)
833 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 39
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 113
Least likely to listen to it : Alex D #52 (/52), Jonah #64 (/70)
Alex D : It's rubbish, particularly the one about the blow-up doll. I'm deeply offended.
90) Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (1974)
834 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 48
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 104
Least likely to listen to it : Petri #75 (/75), brose #99, Georgie #99, Romain #96, Michel #95, VanillaFire1000 #94
Honorio : Not the most purist but for me Parsons’ music oozes the essence of country style, even more in the substance than in the surface.
89) Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove (1978)
835 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 84
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 137
Least likely to listen to it : brose #98, Brad #98, Mindrocker #97, Miguel #95, Harold Wexler #91
87(tie) Modern Lovers, The - The Modern Lovers (1976)
836 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 69
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 96
Least likely to listen to it : brose #92
87(tie) Parliament - Mothership Connection (1975)
836 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 102
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 140
Fan : VanillaFire1000 #7
Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #96, Miguel #94
Alex D : When the album pronounces it will "do it to you in your ear-hole," George Clinton and crew mean business. Be forewarned: there is liberal usage of delicious wah-wah effects on just about everything, and it is saucy.
86) Steely Dan - The Royal Scam (1976)
845 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 346
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 230
Fan : Georgie #1
Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #100, SR #76(/77), sonofsamiam #95, Mindrocker #94, VanillaFire1000 #92, Michel #91
85) Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle (1973)
850 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 238
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 95
More puzzled than shuffled : Snusmumrik #73 (/76), Romain #95, Otisredding #69 (/75)
Alex D : My least favorite Bruce album of the ones that made this round - he sounds too much like Van Morrison here. But holy crap is "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" a good song!
84) Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
855 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 26
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 51
Fans : RockyRaccoon #6, Georgie #10
Did not find the songs that much assorted : Nassim #55 (/55), Stephan #54 (/54), netjade #97, Henrik #96, Petri #70 (/75)
82(tie) Bob Marley & The Wailers - Natty Dread (1974)
859 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 43
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 81
Fan : RockyRaccoon #4
Not much of a rastaman : Brad #91
82(tie) Specials, The - The Specials (1979)
859 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 73
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 172
Ain’t no rude boy : sonofsamiam #93, Petri #68 (/75)
81) Talking Heads - Talking Heads 77 (1977)
861 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 106
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 108
Would not have bet back then on the future of that band : Mindrocker #95, sonofsamiam #92
80) Big Star - Third Album/Sister Lovers (1978)
862 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 103
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 124
Fans : Brad #9, Jackson #10
Two were enough for : Nassim #54 (/55), Otisredding #71 (/75)
79) Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (1973)
878 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 166
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 75
Fan : Jonah #10
No Quarter : Honorio #100, nicolas #97, SR #71 (/77)
Alex D : I think all in all Houses of the Holy is Led Zeppelin's most underrated album. It's hard to imagine any band following up an album as enormous as IV, and instead of trying to top it, Zep moved in a more subtle, stylistically diverse direction. Best (and most adventurous part): the white-boy reggae on "D'yer Maker".
78) Cars, The - The Cars (1978)
879 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 239
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 131
Fan : Jonah #1
Bad Times Roll : Honorio #97, BillAdama #88 (/91), nicolas #93
Alex D : I never really thought of the Cars as a huge critical success - more of a guilty pop pleasure for me. But if they do halfway decent in this poll, well all the better!
77) Neil Young - Harvest (1972)
882 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 36
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 39
Fans : nicolas #6, Miguel #8
Still looking for their heart of gold : Georgie #100, Jonah #68 (/70), Otisredding #72 (/75), Snusmumrick #71 (/78)
76) Neil Young - On The Beach (1974)
885 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 147
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 69
Fan : BillAdama #7
“I’m more of a Mountain guy” : Stephan #55 (/55), brose #93, Mindrocker #91
75) Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (1977)
898 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 41
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 32
Fan : BillAdama #8
Waiting for the end of the <s>world</s> album : Mindrocker #96
Alex D : He looks like a slightly crippled Buddy Holly - and the songs he writes are just as good. In some ways I feel like this is late-50's rock n' roll dressed up as punk, with the energy of both.
74) Joni Mitchell - Hejira (1976)
899 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 159
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 134
Fan : Miguel #5
Least likely to listen to it : Brad : #99, Harold Wexler #97, Michel #94
73) Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (1974)
900 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 96
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 74
Fans : Georgie #3, Harold Wexler #5
Least likely to listen to it : SR #75 (/77), brose #97, BillAdama #87 (/91), Brad #96, VanillaFire1000 #96
Honorio : The last Steely Dan album as a rock band avoided the lengthy solos focusing in song-writing and gaining in concision.
72) Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Armed Forces (1979)
905 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 119
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 63
No fans, no detractors !
71) B-52's, The - The B-52's (1979)
907 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 162
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 139
Throw this mess away : Jonah #67 (/70), Honorio #96, nicolas #95, Midaso #87 (/95)
70) Bob Dylan - Desire (1976)
914 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 135
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 54
Fans : Snusmumrik #5, Stephan #8, Michel #9
Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #93, Romain #91, sonofsamiam #91
69) Fela Kuti & Africa '70 - Zombie (1976)
923 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 305
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 175
Fan : sonofsamiam #5
Least likely to listen to it : Midaso #93
68) David Bowie - Heroes (1977)
931 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 83
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 78
Fan : Snusmumrik #8
Least likely to listen to it : Stephan #55 (/55), Harold Wexler #94, RockyRaccoon #93, Otisredding #68 (/75)
Alex D : Underrated among Bowie albums - the epic title track and subsequent futuristic jams on Side 1 are very well balanced by the ambient experiments on Side 2.
67) King Crimson - Red (1974)
934 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 201
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 106
Fans : Jackson #2, Petri #7
Least likely to listen to it : RockyRaccoon #100, Midaso #92 (/95), Nassim #51 (/55), Jonah #65 (/70)
Honorio : It was conceived as a last album and a decided step further, noisier, heavier and more experimental than any of the band previous efforts.
66) Big Star - Radio City (1974)
939 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 110
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 93
Fan : Harold Wexler #1
Least likely to listen to it : Stephan #50 (/55)
65) Todd Rundgrenn - Something/Anything (1972)
943 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 94
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 71
Fan : Georgie #4
Something ? Anything ? Nothing ! : brose #100, Brad #97, VanillaFire1000 #95, BillAdama #82 (/91)
Honorio : A one-man double album touched by the magic wand of inspiration, boarding every different style with ease and genius.
64) Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)
944 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 115
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 60
Fan : Petri #9
Turn off the bright lights : Romain #100, Brad #95
63) Roxy Music - Roxy Music (1972)
945 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 75
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 88
Fan : Mindrocker #7
Bitter ends : RockyRaccoon #96, nicolas #92
62) John Cale - Paris 1919 (1973)
947 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 112
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 110
Fan : Snusmumrik #7
Least likely to listen to it : BillAdama #86 (/91), Henrik #93, Harold Wexler #92
Honorio : A dreamy work set in evocative locations (“Andalucía” ), in literary environments (“Macbeth” ) or in hazy childhood memories (“Child’s Christmas in Wales” ) .
61) Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark (1974)
950 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 61
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 47
Fans : Miguel #6, Georgie #8
Least likely to listen to it : VanillaFire1000 #99, Michel #93, Stephan #53 (/55)
59(tie) Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979)
954 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 88
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 49
Fans : Romain #6, Miguel #7
Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #100, Snusmumrik #72 (/76)
59(tie) Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)
954 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 116
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 103
Fan : Jonah #7
Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #94, Snusmumrik #69 (/76), Honorio #91
57(tie) David Bowie - Station To Station (1976)
960 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 97
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 43
Fan : #5 Romain
Least likely to listen to it : Georgie #91, RockyRaccoon #91
Alex D : As musical chameleons go, no one can top David Bowie. How he made an album that is both fully Krautrock and fully plastic soul is beyond me - all I know is it works amazingly well.
57(tie) Gang of Four - Entertainment! (1979)
960 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 60
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 80
Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #99, Miguel #98
56) Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On (1971)
965 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 19
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 38
Fans : sonofsamiam #4, netjade #8
Alex D : Between Sly's depressed, drugged-out lyrics to the sludgy funk, this album is not for the faint of heart. Alas, the troubles of ghetto life won't get any better until you have to hear about them first-hand, and Sly's heroin-addicted self is more than up for the task.
55) Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)
970 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 37
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 41
Fans : Brad #6, Romain #8
Least likely to listen to it : Stephan #51 (/55), Henrik #91, Midaso #89 (/95)
Alex D : The breadth of the album is astonishing - Led Zeppelin cover too many genres and styles of music to count here. Most of them are sure to induce booty-shaking too - on this one the boys sound like they really are getting to it, and grooves better than their other records, especially on one of my favorite Zep songs, "Trampled Under Foot".
54) Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power (1973)
972 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 33
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 70
Fan : Nassim #8
Least likely to listen to it : brose #95, Honorio #92, Miguel #91
Alex D : When the Stooges named the album Raw Power, they meant it. It's hard to think of an album that sounds as loud and massive as this one - it sounds like the front lines in 'Nam (at least in movies). Sometimes it's frantic ("Search and Destroy"), other times it's gloomy ("Gimme Danger"), but it's always unfailingly heavy.
53) Ramones - Ramones (1976)
984 points
Rank in the 1976 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 13
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 35
Least likely to listen to it : Henrik #92
Alex D : Best and worst part: they write the same song 14 times in the course of an album. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. But for the most part I respect it and realize neither their melodies nor their guitars will be denied.
52) Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)
990 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 32
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 76
Fan : sonofsamiam #7
Least likely to listen to it : Henrik #98, Midaso #91 (/95), brose #96, Nassim #50 (/55)
Alex D : Is there really any album with an atmosphere like Bitches Brew? It's no wonder that when Radiohead were looking for something new and weird for inspiration on Kid A that they looked to Miles' incredibly dense freak-outs. You may hate the album while you're listening to it (it's hard to take in all at once), but by the time it's over you will love it.
51) Blondie - Parallel Lines (1978)
993 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 45
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 62
Fan : Harold Wexler #7
Alex D : If this is a disco album, it's head-and-shoulders above any other, and if it's not, well, it's still a really really good new wave album. Either way, nobody can command a band like Debbie Harry can - I think I was smitten about halfway through the first song.
50) Michael Jackson - Off the Wall (1979)
994 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 40
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 52
Fans : Nassim #9, Petri #10
Stop because they got enough : Michel #97, Brad #93
Alex D : Probably the slickest album out of the top 100, which is for the better - it also makes it the best dance album of the decade. The singles are legendary, particularly "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", but some of the album tracks sound like Quincy Jones is just going through the motions.
49) Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets (1973)
1000 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 137
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 111
Fan : Petri #5, Romain #10
Least likely to listen to it : Alex D #48 (/52), Henrik #94, Honorio #93
Alex D : Brian Eno is undoubtedly a genius, and he did pretty good on this one - and while the experiments sometimes go horribly right (the title track), the ones that go bad seem to last far too long.
47(tie) Kraftwerk - Die Mensch Maschine (1978)
1008 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 92
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 77
Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #96, Georgie #95, RockyRaccoon #92
Honorio : Futuristic soundscapes for the modern times, times of neon lights, metropolis, men-machine and also women-machine ("Das Modell").
47(tie) Nick Drake - Bryter Layer (1970)
1008 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 86
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 50
Fans : Petri #1, Georgie #6
Least likely to listen to it : Stephan #52 (/55),RockyRaccoon #95
46) Suicide - Suicide (1977)
1009 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 67
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 92
Fans : netjade #1 , Petri #4
Least likely to listen to it : Miguel #96, Midaso #90 (/95), Georgie #92
44(tie) Big Star - #1 Record (1972)
1015 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 146
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 55
Fans : Midaso #6, Nassim #7
Least likely to listen to it : Henrik #97
Honorio : Not as tortured as second and third, "#1 Record" shines through pop gems and rock tracks, acoustic and electric, sweet harmonies and harsh voices.
44(tie) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory (1970)
1015 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 71
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 48
Fans : Michel #6, nicolas #7
Least likely to listen to it : BillAdama #84 (/91), Brad #92
Honorio : Memphis rockabilly, Chicago blues, Detroit soul, Nashville country and also San Francisco psychedelia. The sound of America.
43) Velvet Underground , The - Loaded (1970)
1019 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 78
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 37
Fans : Jonah #3, brose #7
42) Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977)
1021 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 21
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 26
Fans : Henrik #2, VanillaFire1000 #2, Alex D #9
Least likely to listen to it : netjade #100, Jackson #51 (/52), Snusmumrik #75 (/76), Romain #92
Alex D : Of all the albums that were released during the musical revolution that was 1977, I think I picked one of the least revolutionary. And while the sonics may not be avant-garde, I'm pretty sure the emotional sentiments were without precedent. (An entire band getting divorced from each other?) They hung on by a thread, and there's a unique energy that comes from the songs (and the band) trying to barely keep things together even though it all seems destined to fall apart.
41) Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
1025 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 50
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 30
No fans, no detractors
40) Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)
1027 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 7
Rank in the AM 70s list : 100
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 34
Fans : Nassim #6, Jackson #7, sonfosamiam #10
Least likely to listen to it : RockyRaccon #94
39) Clash, The - The Clash (1977)
1033 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 20
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 27
Fans : RockyRaccoon #9, Brad #10
Least likely to listen to it : Miguel #99
Honorio : Combat rock. The sounds of hate and war, of police and thieves, of white riots and burning London, the sounds of Garageland.
Alex D : The Clash are probably the most powerful-sounding band that ever was. I just started getting into this album 'round the '77 poll, and I think it will climb the ranks of my favorite albums like London Calling has.
38) Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom (1974)
1038 points
Rank in the 1974 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 70
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 45
Fans : nicolas #2, netjade #5
Least likely to listen to it : Midaso #95 (/95), RockyRaccoon #99, Jonah #69 (/70), brose #94
37) Funkadelic - Maggot Brain (1971)
1043 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 8
Rank in the AM 70s list : 133
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 64
Fans : sonofsamiam #2, netjade #2, SR #8
Least likely to listen to it : VanillaFire1000 #98, Miguel #92
36) Eno - Another Green World (1975)
1045 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 80
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 58
Fans : Petri #2, Jackson #4, sonofsamiam #6
Least likely to listen to it : Midaso #86 (/95), Nicolas #91
Notes from myself : I'm glad to see Maggot Brain stay in the top 40 despite few high places on the second half of the voters. I first thought the album did not really live up to its amazing title track, but I really like as a whole now (even though nothing comes close to Maggot Brain... incredible song, really, should have made the top 10 of its year)
35) Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
1047 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 47
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 29
Fans : Miguel #2, Stephan #4, Nassim #10
Less likely to listen to it : Mindrocker #93
Alex D : Sure, it's a little soft-rocky, but when Paul Simon is writing the songs, you know it's good. Tunes as good as "The Boxer" don't come around that often.
34) Neil Young - Tonight's the Night (1975)
1049 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 55
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 53
Fans : Jonah #4, BillAdama #10
33) Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
1054 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 9
Rank in the AM 70s list : 132
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 68
Fans : Nassim #5, Jackson #8, VanillaFire1000 #8, Miguel #9
Least likely to listen to it : brose #91
32) Wire - Pink Flag (1977)
1066 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 87
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 57
Fans : Brad #1, Nassim #4, Jackson #6, netjade #10
Least likely to listen to it : Georgie #98, Miguel #97, Honorio #94
Note : for me the biggest surprise of the poll, I feared it would be around #75 ; not really an easy album. There is still an album which ranked 10th of its year left, but it’s much less a surprise I think given the density of acclaimed album that given year
31) Lou Reed - Berlin (1973)
1071 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 68
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 42
Fans : Romain #2, Mindrocker #2, Henrik #9
Least likely to listen to it : Jackson #50 (/52), Georgie #97, Rocky Raccoon #97
Honorio : The morbid, bleak and sordid story of Caroline and Jim told by Lou Reed for the most uncomfortable and desolate masterpiece ever.
30) Sex Pistols, The - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols (1977)
1089 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 4
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 23
Fans : mindrocker #4, Michel #5, Brad #8
Least likely to listen to it : Miguel #100, BillAdama #89 (/91), Alex D #49 (/52), Georgie #94, Romain #93, VanillaFire1000 #93
Honorio : A great set of songs played furiously but with an undeniable gift and sung with impoliteness, vitriol and sarcasm by Johnny Rotten.
Alex D : Most polarizing album on the list, no doubt. I'm not particularly fond of it, but it has a few good monents.
Notes : There are 2 really polarizing albums in the top 30, here is the first and the one for which the dislike lead to the biggest gap between the poll result and the AM ranking.
29) Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
1097 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 44
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 21
Fans : nicolas #1, Snusmumrik #2, Harold Wexler #9
Least likely to listen to it : Romain #98, Petri #73 (/75), Georgie #93
Alex D : I believe it was nicolas (who will no doubt have this at #1, unless Robert Wyatt has something to say about it) who said this is Springsteen's angriest album, and there's definitely a rawness to the E Street sound you don't hear on other records. However, the best moments are the most tender ones - check out the lovers on "Racing in the Street" and the loving "Candy's Room".
Notes : nicolas’ favourite does a little worse than on the All Time Poll but still stand well above its AM ranking
28) Beach Boys, The - Surf's Up (1971)
1104 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 10
Rank in the AM 70s list : 173
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 67
Fans : Miguel #1, Jonah #6
Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #99, Michel #98
Notes : Miguel’s favourite proves that with a bit less support but a little bit less hatred too, you can win a few steps. Big improvement versus the All Time Poll and 145 places above the AM rank. The #10 of 1971 is the highest #10 in this final list, 1971 being the year with the best results with still 6 albums left.
ver, and I doubt any could top it. Every song was practically a hit, and famous or not they're all equally memorable. It's funky as shit, catchy as any as Beatles' tune, ambitious as the most challenging symphony and all-in-all just spectacular. Hell, even Kanye West puts it on a level above himself, which stands for something.
Note : that's the 2nd album which ended #1 to appear on our list, making 1976 the second year to have no albums left (after 1974).
Lucky Honorio, he's the only one to have his 10 favourite albums left... but something makes me thing that it won't last any longer (and by "something" I mean the fact that I know the results)
24) Lou Reed - Transformer (1972)
1121 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 27
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 25
Fans : Otisredding #7, Honorio #10, Miguel #10
Honorio : Lou Reed travelled from New York to London with his baggage filled with stories from the wild side of life. David Bowie, Mick Ronson and himself applied tons of make-up and lipstick to these stories and together created the most definitive statement of glam-rock. It could seem odd coming from an outsider within this movement but he was his main influence.
So now nobody has its full top 10 left (and Miguel only have 2 of his left). Transformer is only the 3rd album so far to appear in everybody’s ballot (with My Aim is True and, quite unexpectedly, There’s a Riot Going On)
23) Neil Young - After the Goldrush (1970)
1122 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 17
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 10
Fans : nicolas #5, Snusmumrik #6, Honorio #9, Harold Wexler #10, brose #10, Midaso #10
Honorio : Neil masterpiece managed to be a cohesive work showcasing simultaneously all past, present and future faces of Neil Young: Buffalo Springfield pop ("Only Love Can Break Your Heart"), C,S,N&Y harmonies ("Tell Me Why"), aching piano-ballads ("After the Gold Rush"), spectral country ("Oh Lonesome Me") and furious rock with lengthy solos ("Southern Man").
Alex D : Neil and Nils (Lofgren, who played the piano) go really well together here - Young's voice suits the instrument really well, and it balances out the rockers for a more subdued tone. Not to mention the album has Neil's best writing, like the title track, which is one heckuva ballad.
And Neil Young is out ! No top 20 for Canada. Despite winning the 1970’s poll, he only ends 4th of his year in the final round.
4th album to appear in every ballots.
22) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
1134 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 64
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 17
Fans : Michel #4, Henrik #5, Midaso #8
Least likely to listen to it : Harold Wexler #98, sonfosamiam #97, netjade #95
Alex D : A good example of an album that is greater than the sum of its parts. While I don't care for hearing any of it on classic rock radio (because most it, especially the title track, is well beyond "overplayed" status) all the songs work much better in the context of the other songs around them than on their own.
Honorio : Many of your childhood albums lose the spark within a few years, that’s not the case with WYWH, I still play air drums every time I listen to it.
5th album everybody has an opinion on.
Despite some heavy dislike, especially from netjade and sonofsamiam, the most polarizing band of the poll still has an album left… will it reach the top 20 or will it fall short ?
21) Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)
1137 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 25
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 31
Fans : Romain #3, Petri #8, Michel #8, SR #10
Least likely to listen to it : nicolas #98, Georgie #96
Alex D : This one was a discovery for me - I hadn't listened to it prior to the '79 poll. But man, did it stick! Amidst the robotic drumming and Ian Curtis' droning baritone, there's certainly a uniquely human quality to it, sort of like an OK Computer-type atmosphere. And any album where you can make that comparison is few and far between.
Joy Division stays at the doors of the top 20 because of a relative lack of strong support ; too many votes in the middle of list for Ian and his pals (with an average position of 41)
20) Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)
1157 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 8
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 8
Fans : Michel #3, Alex D #5, Georgie #5, RockyRaccoon #10
Least likely to listen to it : Otisredding #70 (/75), sonofsamiam #94, netjade #93, BillAdama #83 (/91)
Alex D : Yeah, it's the butt of a lot of jokes, mostly about weed, laser shows and The Wizard of Oz, but that by no means degrades the album from its "classic-rock classic" status. I've never really thought of it as prog - it's more like psychedelic ambient. It's not an album about melody or hits (though "Money" and "Brain Damage" do succeed in both departments) but rather atmosphere and texture, which is sort of a rarity among the decade's albums. Assuming you aren't pretentious about your tastes in music, there isn't much better than listening to Pink Floyd take a great organ riff and just jam on it while Clare Torry (yeah, she's just the chick singing in the background) just wails with all she's got, like on "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Any Colour You Like".
Pink Floyd succeeds in putting an album in the top 20 with a very polarizing album, but fails in reaching its rank in the AM3000 or in our all time poll
19) John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band (1970)
1160 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 24
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 22
Fans :
Henrik #1, Mindrocker #5, RockyRaccoon #8, SR #9
Alex D : Unfortunately for him, John Lennon was a little moody after the Beatles broke up. Fortunately for us he channelled it into a great record, not only examining the emotions of bitterness and childhood trauma in a very deep but introspective way, but also flat-out singing his ass off in the process. Some people call "God" the best-sung rock record ever, and I'm not inclined to disagree all that much.
Following Survivor and some others thread on the poll, I expected some people to put this album at the very bottom of their list, however nobody voted it below the 69th position, a performance only our winning album has topped.
18) David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971)
1162 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 23
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 18
Fans : Michel #2, Honorio #5, brose #9, Romain #9
Honorio : David Bowie not only described perfectly his perpetual reinvention behaviour on this album ("I turned myself to face me / but I never caught a glimpse") but even prove it. Instead of the hard-rock of his previous effort (with some traces in “Queen Bitch”) he offered elegant songs that showcased his craft as a songwriter and his astonishing abilities as a modern crooner.
Alex D : David Bowie's easy-listening period is not the best - he gets a little schmaltzy in spots. "Life on Mars?" is flawless though, and there are several good choruses throughout. And it's still DAVID BOWIE, for cryin' out loud.
17) Stooges, The - Fun House (1970)
1176 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 29
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 28
Fans : Petri #3, netjade #6, Mindrocker #8, Otisredding #9
Least likely to listen to it : Nassim #52 (/55), Miguel #93
Honorio : Rock & roll should always be like that: wild, dirty, loud, energetic, furious, sweaty, raw and dangerous. Just like Iggy Pop himself.
16) Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)
1182 points
Rank in the 1970 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 34
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 19
Fans :
Otisredding #1, Miguel #3, RockyRaccoon #5, Honorio #6, Mindrocker #10
Least likely to listen to it : Romain #97, Petri #71
Honorio : Just like way back to the days of old, the gypsies caravan on its way, the moon dancing to a swing rhythm, the mystery of ancient Celtic fables, the intimacy of the falsetto on "Crazy Love", the ethereal and suggestive sound of flutes and clavinets but also the earthy and bluesy sound of drums and saxophones. Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic.
And 1970 is out
15) Curtis Mayfield - Superfly (1972)
1190 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 4
Rank in the AM 70s list : 57
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 33
Fans : Mindrocker #1, sonofsamiam #3, Henrik #6, Stephan #9, Georgie #9
Least likely to listen to it : Alex D #47 (/52)
Alex D : It's a good state-of-the-hood address, but I think it would be better without the instrumentals. Hell, the best part is Curtis's falsetto anyway!
Probably the most surprising album in the top 20, far above its AM rank and much better than its place in the all-time poll
14) Joni Mitchell - Blue (1971)
1193 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 6
Rank in the AM 70s list : 18
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 16
Fans : VanillaFire1000 #3, Petri #6, BillAdama #9, Henrik #10
13) Elvis Costello - This Year's Model (1978)
1215 points
Rank in the 1978 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 28
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 20
Fans : Brad #4, Otisredding #5, VanillaFire1000 #6, Harold Wexler #8
Honorio : The best definition of late 70s power-pop: wry lyrics, modernity (in a good sense), smart song-writing and powerful playing.
Alex D : Costello refined his sound for This Year's Model - a move I don't entirely approve of, because while the songs are certainly tighter, he seems to be a little more focused on the singles here (they're excellent) at the expense of the rest of the album.
We are now left with 12 albums.
Among them, the less-acclaimed is Low which only ranks 30rd of the decade in the AM list.
In the all-time poll, the lowest ranked of them was Sticky Fingers which ended 14th of the decade. (it is also the only one who did not end on the top 3 of its year poll).
So, are they the 2 albums who will miss the top 10 ? If not, which albums will fall short ? I leave you few hours to bet.
12) Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (1975)
1261 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 9
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 6
Fans : Snusmumrik #1, Stephan #3, Otisredding #4, Harold Wexler #6, nicolas #8
Least likely to listen to it : Romain #94
Alex D : For a while in the earlier half of the decade Bob seemed to have lost his way - but boy when he got his mojo back, did he ever. It's a little less angry than most Dylan, but his more mature outlook allows him to write some more poignant stuff.
Relatively bad results for Blood On The Tracks, below its AM rank and its result on the Albums Poll. Dylan is still too polarizing for the kind of poll where you rank everything, not just the albums you like
11) Rolling Stones, The - Exile On Main Street (1972)
1300 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 2
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 4
Fans : brose #3, Stephan #5, BillAdama #6, SR #7, RockyRaccoon #7, sonofsamiam #8
Least likely to listen to it : Petri #74 (/75)
Alex D : I don't fully get the acclaim for Exile on Main St.; it feels a little all-over-the-place to me. But I'd be shocked if I ever heard a better roots-rock album, even if I don't like the style enough to hang on for all 60-odd minutes.
I did not see that one coming, really expected it to end on the top 5… we are an unpredictable bunch of people !
10) David Bowie - Low (1977)
1312 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 30
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 13
Fans : Jackson #3, Midaso #4, Mindrocker #6
Low, indeed : Nassim #53 (/55)
Alex D : Overrated - everyone loves it, and I feel like everytime I listen to it it will just click one day and it will become this amazing work of art - but for now it's a middle-of-the-pack Bowie album (though there's no shame in that).
Alex D seems more hopeful than I am ! Anyway, Low easily improves both its AM Rank and his all time pall rank but lacks some more top 10 votes to make it higher than #10
9) Rolling Stones, The - Sticky Fingers (1971)
1318 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 5
Rank in the AM 70s list : 15
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 14
Fans : Honorio #3, Brad #3, BillAdama #4, brose #6, Snusmumrik #10, Stephan #10
Least likely to listen to it : Petri #69 (/75)
Alex D : The Stones are all about dirty, riffy, blues-rockers, and nowhere else did they nail their own signature style better than Sticky Fingers. And while I don't think that they are at their absolute best on it, the album is pretty much everything you could expect from the world's greatest rock n' roll band, which is 45 minutes of Mick and Keith rocking out like nobody else can.
Honorio : The first album for Rolling Stones Records, the new label that allowed the band to release polemic cover arts (like the Warhol one) and songs previously banned (like "Sister Morphine") and, even more important, allowed their creative development and the crystallization of the particular Stones sound, a distillation of dirty blues, ragged country and raw rock & roll.
Sticky Fingers is the only album on the top that 3 people did not rank (actually only one other album has not been ranked by everybody)
8) Who, The - Who's Next (1971)
1398 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 12
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 9
Fans : RockyRaccoon #1, Stephan #1, Jonah #2, Harold Wexler #2, Snusmumrik #3, Alex D #6, VanillaFire1000 #10, Michel #10
Won’t get fooled again : netjade #92
Alex D : The Who are just one ridiculously good band, and Who's Next is powerful stuff. Not only are there enough power-chord crashes to hold the music world over until 1977, there's a different perspective from Pete Townshend, who before making this album got into all sorts of transcendental meditation, Meher Baba-ish kind of stuff. As such, stuff like "Bargain" and "Behind Blue Eyes" translate on a much deeper level than just being loud. Not to mention "Baba O' Riley" is the greatest use of synthesiser since the darn thing was invented.
The album containing Horacio Caine anthem beats its AM ranking and, by the slightest margin, its results in the All-time poll. However, despite its victory on first round, it is now topped by 2 albums released the same year
7) Led Zeppelin - IV (1971)
1411 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 3
Rank in the AM 70s list : 11
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 12
Fans : Alex D #2, Nassim #3, RockyRaccoon #3, BillAdama #5, Brad #7, Mindrocker #9, nicolas #9
Black dog : netjade #99
Honorio : The pinnacle of heavy metal and, for good or bad, probably the most influential album ever, creating a style that is here to stay.
Alex D : Every single song on IV is a classic. It is monstrously heavy. It is wrapped in shrouds of light reverb and possibly occultic Celtic mythology. What's really not to love? From the booty-shaking riff of "Black Dog" to the pounding rhythm of "When the Levee Breaks" and everything in-between, it is jam-packed with amazing performances. You can rock out, make love, air-drum, wallow in denial, be amazed, be mystified, or pretty much do anything you want to it. It grooves and it shakes, but it also lies in its bed and stares at the ceiling in wonder. There's pretty much every emotion you could want somewhere on the record, and the musical elements are arranged spectacularly. Led Zep were equally at home crafting folky tunes like "The Battle of Evermore" or bringing the heavier stuff on "Rock and Roll" and you get the feeling that the band were really hitting their stride and showing what they were fully capable of when in their element. And I didn't even mention "Stairway to Heaven".
Another mastodon of the 70s, doing pretty well considering its AM Rank and its usual positions in our polls
6) Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)
1448 points
Rank in the 1971 poll : 2
Rank in the AM 70s list : 1
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 5
Fans : Alex D #3, VanillaFire1000 #4, SR #4, Georgie #7, Honorio #7, Henrik #8, sonofsamiam #9, netjade #9
Father Father, everybody thinks he’s wrong : Michel #96
Honorio : Marvin struggled hard to gain his own creative control inside the iron fist of Motown but doing that he expanded notably the horizons of soul music. The social issues were no longer forbidden for black artists, white-rock artefacts like concept albums were allowed and the production handled by the artist himself rendered a highly sophisticated jazz-funk sound.
Alex D : I can't understand why anyone wouldn't like this, except for if they were celibate maybe. Do you not feel the power of his voice? It would be over-the-top for anybody else, but it works for Marvin, and whoever the session guy that played the guitar licks is, he is just ballin' on this one.
This could seem like a counter-performance for AM3000 best album on the 70s, however it is only 1 place behind its rank on the all-time poll.
Next 2 albums are only separated by 2 points, and I will some people to blame since I really enjoy #5 much more than #4 !
5) Television - Marquee Moon (1977)
1499 points
Rank in the 1977 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 10
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 11
Fans :
Midaso #1, brose #2, Nassim #2, netjade #3, Harold Wexler #4, Jackson #5, SR #6, Jonah #8, Otisredding #8
Does not stand neath the Marquee Moon : VanillaFire1000 #91
4) Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)
1501 points
Rank in the 1975 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 6
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 3
Fans :
Alex D #1, VanillaFire1000 #1, Stephan #2, Otisredding #2, Midaso #3, nicolas #3, brose #5, Brad #5, Honorio #8
Born to walk ? : Jackson #49
Honorio : Springsteen wanted his album to sound like “Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan produced by Phil Spector”. And he succeeded, the wall of sound was there thanks to Jon Landau and a renewed E-Street Band, the lyrics were as rich as the Dylan ones and the dramatic deliverance owed some debt to Roy Orbison. But no mistakes here, the final result were 100% Springsteen.
Alex D : Listen to it. I can't describe the effect it has adequately. And visit the Jersey shore sometime - walk down the boardwalk in Atlantic City or Seaside Heights or Cape May around sunset sometime when it's not too busy. You'll understand.
Damn you Alex D, had you listened to Marquee Moon, it might have overtook Born to Run. The boss had a tough time anyway, at more than halfway of the votes it wasn't even on the top 10, but got much support from the last third of the voters, gaining places on almost all the ballots received. VanillaFire1000 sealed the fate, giving Born to Run 81 more points than Marquee Moon (so damn you too ! )
The 3 remaining albums are pretty far ahead and distant from each other... so who will win, punk, glam or soul ?
3) Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)
1594 points
Rank in the 1973 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 14
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 7
Fans :
BillAdama #1, sonofsamiam #1, SR #2, Honorio #4, brose #4, Midaso #5, Otisredding #6, netjade #7, Henrik #7, Jonah #9
Honorio : A landmark album for many reasons: the well-known prodigious music talent of Stevie Wonder met here with his best set of lyrics, portraying accurately the confusion of the early 70s not hiding political and social concerns, and the innovative arrangements relying on the pioneering use of ARP synthesizers on a funk and pop context that opened many doors.
Alex D : Stevie's most political album isn't his best, but it contains several masterpieces and sets up the multitude of styles that would later come to light on Songs in the Key of Life. Though Stevie couldn't see the world around him, he knew it was crumbling, and he "reads" the early-70s better than any sighted person did. Of course, there's also his musical talent - hearing the album, you would never believe that one person could accomplish 90% of the sounds on such a well-arranged album, in his head no less.
Great success for Stevie, finishing way higher than its AM rank or its All time poll rank. Missed a handful more top 10 votes to win the poll anyway !
2) Clash, The - London Calling (1979)
1719 points
Rank in the 1979 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 3
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 1
Fans :
Jackson #1, SR #1, Michel #1, brose #1, RockyRaccoon #2, Midaso #2, Honorio #2, BillAdama #3, Harold Wexler #3, Romain #4, Stephan #7, Alex D #7, VanillaFire1000 #9, Otisredding #10
Honorio : Punk attitude. Or, why not, rock & roll attitude. The prodigiously vast array of music styles that The Clash displayed on their magnum opus, including pop, rock and reggae but even rockabilly, ragtime, ska, funk or soul (and that was going to be even wider with “Sandinista”) got tied together by the rage, the fury, the pride and the combativeness of punk.
Alex D : It's hard to make an album with almost 20 songs and still keep all the loose ends tied up, but if anyone could do it, it's The Clash. They cover a zillion and one styles, from rockabilly to tu-tone ska, but you never really feel like they lose focus - they make all the songs sound like their own. Instead of being a band that can't decide what it wants to do, they sound like a band that can succeed at whatever they want - and they do, from "London Calling" all the way to the much lighter and just as good "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)"
1) David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)
1849 points
Rank in the 1972 poll : 1
Rank in the AM 70s list : 5
Rank in the AM Albums Poll : 2
Fans :
Romain #1, Honorio #1, Nassim #1, Brad #2, SR #3, Mindrocker #3, Miguel #4, Henrik #4, Alex D #4, Snusmumrik #4, Jonah #5, brose #8, Jackson #9, Midaso #9
Honorio : Bowie’s theatrical impersonation of the ultimate rock star, an androgynous extraterrestrial coming from Mars to Earth with a message of hope in an apocalyptical scenario (“we had five years left to cry in”) falling finally victim of his own sex-drug excesses and the mad worship of his fans (“the kids have killed the man”), showed the tricks and the traps underneath messianic rock and foreshadowed the end of classic rock stardom that came with punk.
Alex D : Ziggy played guitar, jammed good with weird and Gilly (not to mention the oft-underrated Mick Ronson) and introduced us to the spiders and Mars. And he had a helluva time doing it. Nobody could ever be as glam as David Bowie, nobody was weirder-looking and nobody had a stronger force of personality than Bowie in '72. There was also no one who could write better melodies and no one who could completely muddle the concept of his own album and make it sound better than it did before. He was just on fire with this one. Every track is not just solid, they're superb. He covers so much ground too: soul ("Soul Love"), '50s style rock ("Suffragette City"), pop ("Starman"), and others, but he adds his own crazy flair to all of them. It's memorable, it's virtually flawless, and it's when Bowie showed the first glimpse of the enormous imprint he would leave on the decade.
While compiling the results, there never has been much suspense, Bowie took an early lead and never lost it.
So, with the same number of top 10 votes and less #1 votes, how did Ziggy take the win ? Well it seems that it had the biggest consensus, with only one vote on the second half of any ballot (being at #59) while London Calling was on the second half of 4 ballots (with its worst position being #90). With about the same amount of high praise, that made the difference