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100 Greatest Albums of 1970

Criteria: These albums were chosen for their initial and lasting popularity and their influence and impact on rock music in general. Also considered is critical acclaim. The list includes rock and roll and related genres that were influential on rock music.
Top 100 Albums by Year:
Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'.
Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.
  1. Paranoid - Black Sabbath
  2. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
  3. After The Gold Rush - Neil Young
  4. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
  5. Moondance - Van Morrison
  6. Cosmo's Factory - Creedence Clearwater Revival
  7. Live At Leeds - The Who
  8. Déjà Vu - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
  9. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
10. Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek & The Dominos
11. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
12. Abraxas - Santana
13. Curtis - Curtis Mayfield
14. Fun House - The Stooges
15. Led Zeppelin III - Led Zeppelin
16. Deep Purple In Rock - Deep Purple
17. American Beauty - The Grateful Dead
18. Tea For The Tillerman - Cat Stevens
19. Sex Machine - James Brown
20. Woodstock - Various Artists
21. John Barleycorn Must Die - Traffic
22. Workingman's Dead - The Grateful Dead
23. Tumbleweed Connection - Elton John
24. Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!': The Rolling Stones in Concert - The Rolling Stones
25. Band Of Gypsys - Jimi Hendrix
26. Let It Be - The Beatles
27. Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
28. Lola versus Powerman and The Moneygoround, Part One - The Kinks
29. Bryter Layter - Nick Drake
30. Funkadelic - Funkadelic
31. 12 Songs - Randy Newman
32. Morrison Hotel - The Doors
33. Loaded - The Velvet Underground
34. Mad Dogs And Englishmen - Joe Cocker
35. Ladies Of The Canyon - Joni Mitchell
36. Spirit In The Dark - Aretha Franklin
37. Fire And Water - Free
38. Third - The Soft Machine
39. Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus - Spirit
40. Idlewild South - The Allman Brothers Band
41. Starsailor - Tim Buckley
42. Sunflower - The Beach Boys
43. His Band And The Street Choir - Van Morrison
44. Historic Performances Recorded At The Monterey International Pop Festival
     - Otis Redding/The Jimi Hendrix Experience
45. Lick My Decals Off, Baby - Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
46. Elton John - Elton John
47. Back In The USA - The MC5
48. Look-Ka Py Py - The Meters
49. The Madcap Laughs - Syd Barrett
50. In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas - Elvis Presley
51. Stephen Stills - Stephen Stills
52. Absolutely Live - The Doors
53. Yeti - Amon Düül II
54. Stage Fright - The Band
55. Psychedelic Shack - The Temptations
56. Shazam - The Move
57. James Gang Rides Again - The James Gang
58. H To He Who Am The Only One - Van der Graaf Generator
59. Climbing! - Mountain
60. Everything Is Everything - Donny Hathaway
61. Monkey Man - The Maytals
62. ...To Be Continued - Isaac Hayes
63. I'm Just A Prisoner - Candi Staton
64. Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow - Funkadelic
65. Chicago II - Chicago
66. Closer To Home - Grand Funk
67. Diana Ross - Diana Ross
68. American Woman - The Guess Who
69. Yes We Can - Lee Dorsey
70. Burnt Weeny Sandwich - The Mothers of Invention
71. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
72. John Phillips (John the Wolfking of L.A.) - John Phillips
73. Gasoline Alley - Rod Stewart
74. Version Galore - U-Roy
75. Total Destruction To Your Mind - Swamp Dogg
76. The Man Who Sold The World - David Bowie
77. The Delfonics - The Delfonics
78. Workin' Together - Ike & Tina Turner
79. ABC - The Jackson 5
80. Benefit - Jethro Tull
81. In The Wake Of Poseidon - King Crimson
82. A Question Of Balance - The Moody Blues
83. (Untitled) - The Byrds
84. Parachute - The Pretty Things
85. Emitt Rhodes - Emitt Rhodes
86. T. Rex - T. Rex
87. The Isaac Hayes Movement - Isaac Hayes
88. Burrito Deluxe - The Flying Burrito Bros
89. Turn Back The Hands Of Time - Tyrone Davis
90. Signed, Sealed & Delivered - Stevie Wonder
91. Express Yourself - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
92. No Dice - Badfinger
93. Cold Fact - Rodriguez
94. Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
95. Kool And the Gang - Kool And The Gang
96. Only For The Lonely - Mavis Staples
97. The Black Gladiator - Bo Diddley
98. Future Blues - Canned Heat
99. Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairmen Of The Board
100. The Gene Chandler Situation - Gene Chandler
Paranoid album cover

Bridge Over Troubled Water album cover

After The Gold Rush album cover

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album cover

Moondance album cover

Cosmo's Factory album cover

Live at Leeds album cover
 DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1970
  Bruce's choice - An unheralded great album from 1970
 •  Boppin' The Blues - Carl Perkins and NRBQ
  Adam's choice:
 •  Ton-Ton Macoute! - Johnny Jenkins
  Brett's choice:
 •  Doris Troy - Doris Troy
  Lew's choice:
 •  Alone Together - Dave Mason




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