Top 50 Albums of the Seventies

So, finally, I can draw this whole Seventies top five thing to a close with the full Top 50. I have to admit that having originally compiled this at the end of last year for Twitter, running through the individual top fives has had me pondering a few changes but, experience tells me, that way leads to madness. There is one small change from my original Twitter Top 50 but I won't bore you with the details. If this is you're bag you can also check out my Top 50 Albums of the Nineties. I'm already working on the same sort of list for the Eighties but don't panic, it will be a while before I kick that off here.

Here's the full fifty and if you missed any of the individual top fives you can find them here > 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979.

1. Ramones - Ramones (1976) - I love the first four or five Ramones albums a lot but their debut remains my absolute favourite. It was the first I heard, has killer tunes from start to finish and set the template for a career blending Johnny's psycho guitar thrashing with Joey's love of great pop tunes.

2. Television - Marquee Moon (1977) - The twin guitar sounds of Verlaine & Lloyd are spectacular and captivating. A superb album from start to finish, one of the few I might consider perfect.

3. Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)- A beautiful album made poignant knowing Nick took his own life a year or so later and had been too depressed to do any more arrangements after the piano on the title track. I love his earlier albums now as well but Pink Moon is astonishing and a record I don't think I could ever tire of.

4. Status Quo - Live! (1976) - - "Is there anybody out there who wants to rock? ... Is there anybody out there who wants to roll? ... Is there anybody out there who wants to boogie?". That intro to Quo's Live! album by Jackie Lynton still sends tingles down my spine. Francis Rossi might not agree but to my mind this is Status Quo's greatest LP.

5. Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material (1979) - The debut album from a brilliant yet under appreciated band. It's full of excellent song writing, taking punk to it's catchiest limits and featuring two of my absolute favourite songs.

6. The Specials - The Specials (1979)
7. Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971)
8. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)
9. The Undertones - The Undertones (1979)
10. Aretha Franklin - Spirit In The Dark (1970)
11. The Stooges - Funhouse (1970)
12. Genesis - Foxtrot (1972)
13. Genesis - Nursery Cryme (1971)
14. The Damned - Damned, Damned, Damned (1977)
15. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
16. Jethro Tull - Benefit (1970)
17. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)
18. Motorhead - Overkill (1979)
19. Rush - A Farewell To Kings (1977)
20. The Clash - The Clash (1977)
21. Yes - The Yes Album (1971)
22. Status Quo - Hello! (1973)
23. Patti Smith - Horses (1975)
24. Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972)
25. AC/DC - High Voltage (1976)
26. Wire - Chair Missing (1978)
27. Tom Waits - Small Change (1976)
28. X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents (1978)
29. David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971)
30. David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars (1972)
31. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. (1972)
32. Blondie - Parallel Lines (1977)
33. Caravan - In The Land Of Grey & Pink (1971)
34. Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (1974)
35. Magazine - Real Life (1978)
36. ZZ Top - Tres Hombres (1972)
37. Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin On (1971)
38. Lou Reed - Transformer (1972)
39. Johnny Thunders - So Alone (1978)
40. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside (1978)
41. Hawkwind - Hall Of The Mountain Grill (1974)
42. Led Zeppelin - III (1970)
43. John Cale - Paris, 1919 (1973)
44. Ian Dury - New Boots & Panties (1977)
45. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
46. New York Dolls - New York Dolls (1973)
47. Dr. Feelgood - Down By The Jetty (1975)
48. The Fall - Live At The Witch Trials (1979)
49. Camel - Mirage (1974)
50. AC/DC - Highway To Hell (1979)

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