The 10 best-selling albums of the 1970s ranked

This meant that subgenres of subgenres were created, while other styles of music such as disco and funk also became incredibly important and started to top the charts. With so much variety, the top ten best-selling albums of the decade are quite a mixed bag, and it’s exciting to see the lack of genre that today’s music champions slowly began to take effect a few decades ago.

Of course, while the top ten best-selling albums might be a mixed bag, that doesn’t mean they can’t all be rated. These are the best-selling records of the 1970s, ranked from worst to best.

Top 10 best-selling albums of the 1970s:

10. Grease – The soundtrack

When Grease the movie came out, it took the world by storm. The upbeat musical about hopeless romantics and forgotten dreams was catchy, so much so that everyone who watched it immediately wanted to learn the songs and dances that come with it. As a result, Grease the soundtrack was one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s.

While there’s no denying songs like “Grease Lightning,” “You’re the One That I Want” and “Summer Nights” are classics, they weren’t revolutionary when it came to the music as a whole. They deserve their place in history, but when it comes to this list, some albums deserve a place higher.

9. Their Greatest Hits 1971 – 1975 – Eagles

Many people call Eagles America’s version of The Beatles, and when you think about their impact, it’s easy to see why. The way the band managed to blend country music with rock was completely revolutionary. People were so in love with the band that Their greatest hits the compilation was one of the best-selling albums of an entire decade.

Similar to Grease soundtrack, while the Eagles influence cannot be denied, ranking a compilation higher than number nine would also feel unfair. The Eagles’ individual albums are far more important, and who knows, they might be one further down on this list.

8. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John

of Elton John the influence on music was relentless. Every song he wrote had the potential to be a hit because his music straddled the line between fun and emotion. An album that best represents his wide range was his 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

This was John’s seventh studio album and remains one of his most successful. At 17 tracks long, it’s not a quick listen; the album features hits like “Bennie and the Jets,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Candle in the Wind,” all of which are now renowned as some of the singer’s classics.

7. The bat from hell – Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a relatively divisive figure in rock music. While many people were enamored with his operatic vocal style, others found it lacking in substance. Regardless of your opinion of him, given the success of his debut album, Bat from Hellit cannot be escaped that he had a significant impact on the music world.

Released in 1977, Bat from Hell it is still seen by many as a legendary rock album. Tribute bands have gone on to tour the world performing some of the iconic hits contained on this album, and that legacy cannot be overlooked.

6. Saturday night fever – The Bee Gees

Forget the 70s; when it came out Saturday night fever was one of the best-selling albums in music history. He saw Bee Gees to embrace a new direction, one that had disco and funk at its core and completely captured the nation in moments.

While this song was also a soundtrack for a film, the originality of the record and the fact that it acts as a high point for one of the biggest genres of the 70s means that it’s hard to ignore the influence of this record, given how disco is great. it was in the 70’s and how alive and well so many of these songs still resonate with listeners around the world.

5. wall – Pink Floyd

time Pink Floyd stopped trying to write hits and was willing to dive headfirst into the realm of concept albums, slow builds, and big bucks was a pivotal moment not just for the band, but for the music industry as a whole. Pink Floyd built their own world within the confines of their recordings and wall is a fantastic example of this kind of music coming together.

While many people thought the album was a bit long and failed to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, The dark side of the moonit is yet another triumphant piece of music. wall it still remains one of the greatest rock albums ever made and it’s impossible not to get on the right side.

4. rumors – Fleetwood Mac

Chaos and music are often synonymous. In many workplaces, if there are arguments and tensions, the product of that work group is often disappointing. However, in music, sometimes that chaos can create something exceptional. rumors it is an example of a volatile environment that produces something otherworldly.

Band relationships, substance abuse and general hostility gave people the intense emotions needed to create a masterpiece. rumors might as well be called “The Rise and Fall of Fleetwood Mac” because it represented the band at its best and gave us a glimpse of what would tear them apart. It was a commercial success and seems as culturally relevant today as it did when it first came out.

3. Hotel California – Eagles

While a compilation album gives people a good insight into what a band can do as a whole, there’s something about the sacred nature of an album that continues to prevail. Hotel California showed Eagles in the best way. There were elements of rock and country, as people expected, but they were dialed up to 11, creating some of the greatest ballads the band ever made that still hold up today.

Described by Slash as a “Killer riff”, by the time opener ‘Life In The Fast Lane’ kicks in, it’s clear the band have no intention of messing around. From there, the Eagles refused to let up. The classic song on the album is “Hotel California” which has one of the best guitar solos ever written and is an ambitious track.

2. The dark side of the moon – Pink Floyd

It takes a great album to make people question the validity of a masterpiece like wallbut exactly that The dark side of the moon he did. The band has always been psychedelic, but that hasn’t always resonated with rock purists. As Jimi Hendrix said, “Here’s one thing I hate, man. When these cats say, “Look at the band. Play psychedelic music! All they do is turn their lights on and play ‘Johnny B Goode’ with the wrong chords.”

With The dark side of the moon, Pink Floyd it showed how much power psychedelic music was. It wasn’t just a more trippy version of rock; it was layered and complex and allowed bands to break rules that other rock groups might be limited by. Psychedelic music suddenly had to be taken much more seriously, and Pink Floyd pioneered this mentality.

1. Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin

The 70’s welcomed a period of experimentation for many bands. The straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll of the 60s was a thing of the past, and while bands still drew inspiration from it, musical styles merged, genre boundaries were crossed and artists were suddenly encouraged to break the rules . No artist is a better example of this mentality than Led Zeppelinand their iconic record Led Zeppelin IV is one of the best albums released in the 70s.

A combination of acoustic music, classical music, rock, blues and big, heavy choruses, Led Zeppelin IV it’s not just a great sounding album; it’s an album that reflects the avant-garde nature of the artists of that generation. It’s one of Zeppelin’s best and reflects what people were thinking at an interesting time in music.

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