Top 20 Favorite 1970 rock/pop albums?

[Facelift]

I don't think this year has been done yet.

To keep with the original parameters, no prog, no jazz, nothing too "outside."


1. Derek and the Dominoes: Layla
2. Neil Young: After the Gold Rush
3. Led Zeppelin: III
4. Van Morrison: Moondance
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Cosmo's Factory
6. The Stooges: Fun House
7. Randy Newman: 12 Songs
8. Grateful Dead: American Beauty
9. Velvet Underground: Loaded
10. Delaney & Bonnie: Delaney & Bonnie & Friends: On Tour With Eric Clapton
11. Curtis Mayfield: Curtis
12. Joni Mitchell: Ladies of the Canyon
13. Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Sings Newman
14. Grateful Dead: Workingman's Dead
15. The Flying Burrito Brothers: Burrito Deluxe
16. Jimi Hendrix: Band of Gypsies
17. Rod Stewart: Gasoline Alley
18. Allman Brothers: Idlewild South
19. Spirit: 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus
20. John Cale: Vintage Violence

[gregory]

1. King Crimson Lizard
2. King Crimson In The Wake Of Poseidon
3. Pink Floyd Atom Heart Mother
4. Led Zeppelin III
5. Jethro Tull Benefit
6. Procol Harum Home
7. Van Der Graaf Generator H to He
8. Genesis Trespass
9. Free Fire and Water
10.Free Highway
11.ELP same
12.Atomic Rooster debut
13.Focus In and out of Focus
14.Atomic Rooster Death Walks Behind You
15.Cressida same
16.Syd Barrett The Madcap Laughs
17.Syd Barrett Barrett
18.Traffic John Barleycorn Must Die
19.Nick Drake Bryter Layter
20.Yes Time and a Word
--------------
in addition, just more great albums:
Beatles Let It Be
Tyrannosaurus Rex A Beard of Stars
T.Rex T-Rex
Bill Fay Bill Fay
CSN&Y Deja Vu
Spooky Tooth The Last Puff
Joni Mitchell Ladies of the Canyon
Doors Morrison Hotel
Lucifer's Friend same
Black Sabbath Paranoid
TYA Cricklewood Green
Derek and the Dominoes Layla
Gentle Giant same
Mountain Climbing!
Jimmy Campbell Half Baked
Colosseum Daughter of Time
John Lennon Plastic Ono Band
Pretty Things Parachute
Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water
Elton John 2nd album

[gregory]

To keep with the original parameters, no prog, no jazz, nothing too "outside."
How it can be no prog here, dear Facelift, it's early 70s we're talking of, when 'prog' wasn't separated of 'rock'.

[Facelift]

How it can be no prog here, dear Facelift, it's early 70s we're talking of, when 'prog' wasn't separated of 'rock'.

The purpose of these threads, I had thought, had been to see what non-prog, non-jazz albums that people in here are liking, not to list what you think are the best albums overall. Presumably, we can figure out what each other's favorite prog albums/bands are just by looking at the posts in other threads.

It's nice to see favorites lists from a different perspective.

[Oreb]

no prog, no jazz, nothing too "outside."

I'll play! Not in any particular order.

If I had to pick a #1 I think I'd go with Cat Stevens, followed by Diana Ross

Neil Young, After the Goldrush

Van Morrison, Moondance

Nick Drake, Bryter Later

The Kinks, Lola vs. Powerman

Elton John, Tumbleweed Connection

Minnie Ripperton, Come to My Garden

Cat Stevens, Mona Bone Jakon

James Taylor, Sweet Baby James

Shirley & Dolly Collins, Love, Death and the Lady

Laura Nyro, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat

Diana Ross, Diana Ross

[PeterG]

1970 was a great year for all forms of folk music, all of the following had a strong album that year:

Jethro Tull
The Dubliners
Shirley & Dolly Collins
Steeleye Span
Roy Harper
Mr. Fox
Lindisfarne
Fairport Convention
Strawbs
Magna Carta
Traffic
Pentangle
The Humblebums
Nick Drake
Fotheringay
Neil Young
Joni Mitchell
Simon & Garfunkel
CSN&Y

[Trane]

14 Spirit The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus USA 1970
13 Amon Düül II Yeti Ger 1970
13 Black Sabbath Paranoid Eng 1970
13 Buckley, Tim Starsailor USA 1970
13 Cale, John & Terry Riley Church of Anthrax Var 1970
13 Caravan If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You Eng 1970
13 Coltrane, Alice Ptah, the El Daoud USA 1970
13 Davis, Miles Bitches Brew USA 1970
13 King Crimson Lizard Eng 1970
13 Nucleus Elastic Rock Eng 1970
13 Savoy Brown Raw Sienna Eng 1970
13 Tyner, McCoy Asante USA 1970
12 Audience Friend's Friend's Friend Eng 1970
12 Deep Purple In Rock Eng 1970
12 Garrick, Michael The Heart Is A Lotus Eng 1970
12 Genesis Trespass Eng 1970
12 Lowther, Henry Child Song Eng 1970
12 McLaughlin, John Devotion Eng 1970
12 Murphy Blend First Loss Ger 1970
12 Out of Focus Wake Up Ger 1970
12 Pearls Before Swine The Use of Ashes USA 1970
12 Santana Abraxas USA 1970
12 Savoy Brown Looking In Eng 1970
12 Soft Machine Third Eng 1970
12 Supertramp Supertramp Eng 1970
12 Sweet Smoke Just a Poke USA 1970
12 Tangerine Dream Electronic Meditation Ger 1970
12 Ten Years After Cricklewood Green Eng 1970
12 Traffic John Barleycorn Must Die Eng 1970
12 Trees On the Shore Eng 1970
12 Trees The Garden of Jane Delawney Eng 1970
12 Tyner, McCoy Extensions USA 1970
12 Van der Graaf Generator The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other Eng 1970
11 Accolade Accolade Eng 1970
11 Ache De Homine Urbano Den 1970
11 Annexus Quam Osmose Ger 1970
11 Atomic Rooster Atomic Rooster Eng 1970
11 Atomic Rooster Death Walks Behind You Eng 1970
11 Auger, Brian / Oblivion Express Brian Auger's Oblivion Express Eng 1970
11 Auger, Brian / The Trinity Befour Eng 1970
11 Ayers, Kevin Shooting at the Moon Eng 1970
11 Beatles, The Let it Be Eng 1970
11 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath Eng 1970
11 Blodwyn Pig Getting to This Eng 1970
11 Byrd, Donald Electric Byrd USA 1970
11 Chicago Chicago III USA 1970
11 Continuum Continuum Eng 1970
11 Coryell, Larry Spaces USA 1970
11 Demon Fuzz Afreaka! Eng 1970
11 Downes, Bob Electric City Eng 1970
11 Drake, Nick Bryter Layter Eng 1970
11 East of Eden Snafu Eng 1970
11 Embryo Opal Ger 1970
11 Emerson, Lake and Palmer Emerson, Lake and Palmer Eng 1970
11 Every Which Way (Brian Davison) Every Which Way Eng 1970
11 Galliard New Dawn Eng 1970
11 Golden Earring Golden Earring Net 1970
11 Guru Guru UFO Ger 1970
11 Hendrix, Jimi The Rainbow Bridge Concert USA 1970
11 High Tide High Tide Eng 1970
11 Jan Dukes de Grey Sorcerers Eng 1970
11 Kantner, Paul & Grace Slick Blows Against The Empire USA 1970
11 King Crimson In the Wake of Poseidon Eng 1970
11 Led Zeppelin III Eng 1970
11 McDonald and Giles McDonald and Giles Eng 1970
11 Pentangle Cruel Sister Eng 1970
11 Pink Floyd Atom Heart Mother Eng 1970
11 Renaissance Illusion Eng 1970
11 Rufus Zuphall Weiss der Teufel Ger 1970
11 Strawbs Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios Eng 1970
11 Tea & Symphony Jo Sago Eng 1970
11 Tippett, Keith You Are Here, I Am There Eng 1970
11 Van der Graaf Generator H to HE Who Am the Only One Eng 1970
11 Williams Lifetime, Tony Turn It Over USA 1970
11 Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash Eng 1970
11 Wyatt, Robert The End of an Ear Eng 1970

That should make 19, right???? ;)

Would you like me to add a "bubbling somewhere under" 20th album??? :D

[PeterG]

That should make 19, right???? ;)

Would you like me to add a "bubbling somewhere under" 20th album??? :D

Seriously Trane, it's not funny anymore. It was funny once or twice, but now it's just irritating.

Not only have you posted, what, 50 albums? You've also totally ignored the creator's request not to include prog or jazz or stuff that is too "outside" (i.e.avantgarde and RIO etc).

What point are you trying to make by posting such a long list of such obvious albums that we all know all about?

It tells us nothing about your listening habits o/s of prog.

[Trane]

Seriously Trane, it's not funny anymore. It was funny once or twice, but now it's just irritating.

Not only have you posted, what, 50 albums? You've also totally ignored the creator's request not to include prog or jazz or stuff that is too "outside" (i.e.avantgarde and RIO etc).

What point are you trying to make by posting such a long list of such obvious albums that we all know all about?

It tells us nothing about your listening habits o/s of prog.

These are my top albums from Gnosis (hence the rating ahead of each entry: 11 is still a four star album >> the only "flaw" is that they're listed alphabetically).... and none are really "out there" (and I was careful enough to to exclude the pure-jazz albums or the pure folk albums)...
even McCoy Tyner, Mike Garrick, Henry Lowther, Alice Coltrane or Don Byrd albums... they're all pretty well JR/F albums (well more or less)... OPutside Church Of Anthrax, I don't see many avant-rock albums in my list... if you include minimalism as avant-garde



And in that list I posted, I'd say that all of these albums are somewhat related to wider form of prog (which it wasn't asked for, since the title says rock-pop), but that includes the "normal rock", like TYA, Savoy Brown for ex...

if you want to know if I include any Bowie or Slade albums in my list of tastes?? well you git your answer in my list (nope ;))

So if you want only 20, take either the first twenty or cut at the 12 rating... I just have a problem limiting a list to a top 10 or 20, because I don't want to eliminate the 12th or the 23rd album on my list...

[Facelift]

Seriously Trane, it's not funny anymore. It was funny once or twice, but now it's just irritating.

No problem - here's Trane's list:

14 Spirit The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus USA 1970
13 Black Sabbath Paranoid Eng 1970
13 Buckley, Tim Starsailor USA 1970
13 Savoy Brown Raw Sienna Eng 1970
12 Deep Purple In Rock Eng 1970
12 Pearls Before Swine The Use of Ashes USA 1970
12 Santana Abraxas USA 1970
12 Savoy Brown Looking In Eng 1970
12 Supertramp Supertramp Eng 1970
12 Ten Years After Cricklewood Green Eng 1970
12 Traffic John Barleycorn Must Die Eng 1970

And here's Gregory's:

1. Led Zeppelin III
2. Jethro Tull Benefit
3. Procol Harum Home
4. Free Fire and Water
5. Free Highway
6. Atomic Rooster debut
7. Atomic Rooster Death Walks Behind You
8. Syd Barrett The Madcap Laughs
9. Syd Barrett Barrett
10 .Traffic John Barleycorn Must Die
11. Nick Drake Bryter Layter
12. Beatles Let It Be
13. Tyrannosaurus Rex A Beard of Stars
14. T.Rex T-Rex
15, Bill Fay Bill Fay
16. CSN&Y Deja Vu
17. Spooky Tooth The Last Puff
18. Joni Mitchell Ladies of the Canyon
19. Doors Morrison Hotel
20. Lucifer's Friend same

[Progmatic]

Lennon, John Plastic Ono Band
Beatles, The Let it Be
Bunyan, Vashti Just Another Diamond Day
Finn, Simon Pass the Distance
Harper, Roy Flat Baroque & Berserk
High Tide High Tide
Wishbone Ash Wishbone Ash
Armaggedon Armaggedon
Auger's Oblivion Express, Brian Brian Auger's Oblivion Express
Barclay James Harvest Barclay James Harvest
Barrett, Syd The Madcap Laughs
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath
Blonde on Blonde Rebirth
Family A Song For Me
Greatest Show on Earth Horizons
Gypsy Gypsy
Incredible String Band I Looked Up
McCartney, Paul McCartney
Quatermass Quatermass
Skin Alley To Pagham & Beyond

[Facelift]

You guys are killing me with these recs :)

I thought I had 1970 pretty well surveyed, but now I see there's at least a dozen more albums I need to check out.

Headed for Youtube...and then most likely to Amazon.

[Trane]

No problem - here's Trane's list:





OK, I see where you want to go with your handpicks in my list... you're speaking of mainstream rock that most everyone has heard or is familiar with (but I'm not the only one mentionning obscure stuff in their lists)

But in that case why stop at 12... you might want to go up to 20 and add:
11 Atomic Rooster Atomic Rooster Eng 1970
11 Auger, Brian / Oblivion Express Brian Auger's Oblivion Express Eng 1970
11 Chicago Chicago III USA 1970
11 Kantner, Paul & Grace Slick Blows Against The Empire USA 1970
11 Auger, Brian / The Trinity Befour Eng 1970
11 Ayers, Kevin Shooting at the Moon Eng 1970
11 Beatles, The Let it Be Eng 1970
11 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath Eng 1970

[Facelift]

OK, I see where you want to go with your handpicks in my list... you're speaking of mainstream rock that most everyone has heard or is familiar with (but I'm not the only one mentionning obscure stuff in their lists)



I stopped where I did because your lists are compiled alphabetically within each numerical rating and I did not know how you would rank your 11s, of which there were many. Also, I figured that albums ranked 11/15 - while certainly a positive grade - were not of great noteworthiness, from the perspective of the rater/reviewer

[yogibear]

spirit -12 dreams dr sardonicus
derek and the dominoes-layla
led zeppelin -III
santana -abraxas
jimi hendrix- band of gypsy's
black sabbath- paranoid
crosby still nash young- s/t
simon garfunkle - bridge over troubled waters
led zeppelin- II
joe cocker-s/t
rare earth - get ready
beatles - abbey road
van morrison - moondance
creedence clearwater revival - cosmo's factory
stooges- funhouse
janis joplin- pearl
james gang- rides again
mountain - climbing
stephen stills -s/t
deep purple- in rock