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My Favourite Album From Each Year (1970-1979)

Swinging seventies

By Chloe GilholyPublished 4 years ago 6 min read
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I feel like I'm starting from scratch here with this list because I started with the 80s and made my way through to the present decade with my favourite albums from each year from each decade. A lot of my favourite bands started in the 80s, 90s and later. But the more I got into researching and picking up recommendations and scavaging through my music collections, the more I found that I do like a lot of 70s music. I may not have been born in the 70s, but I felt really nostalgic listening to a lot of the 70s music because I know it was the music that my parents liked and music that I was exposed to when I was younger.

A lot of the best 70s music doesn't really feel like 70s music. They feel timeless as if they could still be released today and it would still be trendy. Cause the 2020s seems to be the year for diversity and inclusion. In the 70s punk rock and disco was really in fashion but the records that really stood the test of time were not always albums that fit into those two genres.

Since I've been doing these lists I've had people ask me to do the 70s and the 60s so I thought why not. It's been fun to do. It's going to take me a while to do the 60s one because there's a whole lot more that I need to discover.

One thing I'm noticing in these much older albums that they're a lot shorter and only have between 6-10 tracks on them. Most albums nowadays have between the range of 12-20 and even more, if it's a compilation album. I can understand why the albums are shorters being on tapes and vinyl, there's not much space on them. However, I don't think shorter albums are a bad thing. It means no filler and it means that each song has a chance to stand out more. I've had a great trip to the 70s during the lockdown.

1970: Paranoid - Black Sabbath

Favourite song: War Pigs

Black Sabbath released two fantastic albums this year. I love their debut album a lot for its atmosphere and killer riffs but I love Paranoid even more. My favourite song War Pigs shows the killer riffs and fantastic musicianship from the original and classic line up from the band. The album also features Paranoid, their signature song.

1971: Untitled aka Led Zeppelin VI - Led Zeppelin

Favourite song: Battle of Evermore

A very important album which is considered one of the best albums from the decade. It's easy to see why when you listen to Stairway to Heaven. All the songs on this album are great and I love Battle of Evermore the most, it feels progressive, epic and when I hear it I feel like I've been warped into an epic world.

1972: The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie

Favourite song: Rock 'N' Roll Suicide

This is a really moving album. David Bowie is missed by everyone and we'll always remember him through his amazing albums. Five Years is still relevant. The metaphors in Moonage Dream reminds me of all the conventions I've been to where I've seen loads of epic cosplays. All the songs are good but Rock 'N' Roll Suicide hits a real chord with me.

1973: Queen - Queen

Favourite song: My Fairy King

I love Queen, especially for their stuff in the 90s and a couple of their popular hits. Their 70s stuff sounds a lot more epic and progressive, especially to my ears. This album and their sophomore album is criminally underrated. I love the imagination that went into Fairy King. Great King Rat is a great song to dedicate your enemies too. Freddie Mercury is still one of the great singers ever.

1974: Queen II - Queen

Favourite song: March of the Black Queen

This is a great concept album. I'm annoyed that the Queen movie barely mentioned this album because it's my favourite Queen album. I love how the album tells a story and how each song overrides to the next song. White Queen (as it began) is haunting and March of the Black Queen is one of the most complex songs ever recorded. So complex that the band only managed to perform a fraction of it live. I wonder if Freddie was still alive today how he would sound performing some of these songs from this album? I bet it would sound heavenly.

1975: Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack

Favourite song: Sweet Transvestite by Tim Curry

I am grateful for Tim Curry for making my childhood awesome. A lot of films I saw when I was a child had featured Tim Curry playing a colourful character, mainly a villain. I didn't watch Rocky Horry Picture Show till I was into my teens, but it's a great movie with a great soundtrack. Let's do the time warp again.

1976: Songs In The Key of Life - Stevie Wonder

Favourite song: Pastime Paradise

I love the joyful sounds and positivity it has. I haven't listened to this album in a long time but it still sounds as fresh as it did over forty years ago. The melodies are timeless. Fun fact, Stevie Wonder also shares the same birthday as me.

1977: Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

Favourite song: Dreams

This is one of those albums that I knew more than I thought I did. When I first listened to the album in full, I felt like I had listened to some of the tracks before so was pleasantly surprised by being so familiar to some of the tracks. I understand now. This album made a big impact and continues to do so to this day.

1978: The Kick Inside - Kate Bush

Favourite song: Man With The Child In His Eyes

When I wrote the draft to this, I mistakenly listed this as an album from 1979 because that's the year my iTunes put it down there but when I researched it it did say 1978. I love her debut album and I knew I had to include it into the 70s list somehow. As soon as I was requested to do include this album on the list. Kate's vocals are soaring and on top form. Songs like Man With The Child In His Eyes, Wuthering Heights and Them Heavy People will always have a spot on my playlist.

1979: The Wall - Pink Floyd

Favourite song: Another Brick In The Wall

I remember at school we were introduced to Another Brick In The Wall in music class. At the time it was like nothing that I had heard before and when I say Another Brick In The Wall is my favourite song on the album, I'm referring to parts 1 and 2. I love the songs and the themes on this album and especially the vocals. The Wall reminds me of many great dystopian novels like 1984, Battle Royale, Lord of the Flies and Hunger Games.

70s music
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About the Creator

Chloe Gilholy

Former healthcare worker and lab worker from Oxfordshire. Author of ten books including Drinking Poetry and Game of Mass Destruction. Travelled to over 20 countries.

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