What’s the best rock album of the ’70s? You possibly can assist resolve with UCR’s 2026 March Insanity bracket.
Final yr we obtained an important response to our Finest ’80s Album bracket, which ended with AC/DC’s Again in Black defeating Van Halen’s 1984. Each of these bands are again with their hottest ’70s information, competing in opposition to 30 extra of essentially the most well-known albums of the ’70s.
The 32 contenders have been seeded into our bracket alphabetically, then paired off into 16 first spherical battles. You possibly can vote under to your favourite albums – as soon as an hour between now and Sunday, March 15 at 11:59PM EST.
The 16 winners will transfer on to the second spherical starting Monday, March 16.
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
AC/DC’s Freeway to Hell vs. ZZ High’s Deguello
As talked about above, AC/DC gained final yr’s contest with 1980’s Again in Black. We’re going again only one yr for our ’70s bracket, to their huge 1979 Bon Scott-fronted business breakthrough Freeway to Hell.
They’re up in opposition to ZZ High’s Deguello, which was launched the identical yr and marked the start of the improvements and explorations with which the Texas trio would high-quality multi-platinum success within the early ’80s.
Aerosmith’s Toys within the Attic vs. Sure’ Fragile
Aerosmith’s 1975 masterpiece Toys within the Attic, dwelling to “Candy Emotion,” “Stroll This Means” and far rather more, goes up in opposition to Sure’ 1971 breakthrough Fragile, dwelling to “Roundabout” and “Lengthy Distance Runaround,” amongst others.
The Beatles’ Let It Be vs. The Who’s Who’s Subsequent
1970’s Let It Be, the final album launched by the Beatles, and residential to the title observe and “Get Again,” faces off in opposition to the Who’s best-ever studio album, 1971’s Who’s Subsequent, well-known for songs equivalent to “Baba O’Riley” and “Behind Blue Eyes.”
Black Sabbath’s Paranoid vs. Van Halen’s Van Halen
Uh-oh, some fool paired off two genre-defining albums within the first spherical. Black Sabbath’s 1971 masterwork Paranoid and Van Halen’s world-changing 1978 debut may each simply be finals contenders. As a substitute, you need to resolve which considered one of them goes dwelling means too early. My unhealthy!
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks vs. Tom Petty’s Rattling the Torpedoes
Two Touring Wilburys stars are pressured to struggle one another for the precise to maneuver onto the second spherical. Will you vote for Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks (most well-known for “Tangled Up in Blue”) or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Rattling the Torpedoes, which options “Do not Do Me Like That” and plenty of others?
Bob Seger’s Stranger in City or Ted Nugent’s Ted Nugent
Two of Detroit’s most interesting sq. off on this battle. Ted Nugent hit it out of the park together with his self-titled 1975 debut, which incorporates “Stranglehold” and “Motor Metropolis Madhouse,” an ode to his hometown. He is up in opposition to Bob Seger and his hit-packed (“Hollywood Nights,” Outdated Time Rock and Roll”) 1978 album Stranger in City.
Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run or Styx’s The Grand Phantasm
Two career-making albums face off on this battle. The third time was the allure for Bruce Springsteen, whose 1975 album Born to Run made him well-known sufficient to be on the covers of Time and Newsweek the identical week. Two years later Styx had their very own breakthrough with The Grand Phantasm, which featured the long run radio classics “Come Sail Away” and “Fooling Your self.”
Low-cost Trick’s At Budokan or Rush’s 2112
The ultimate first spherical area two battle is a examine of opposites. Rush broke by way of with studio wizardry and an album side-long music suite on 1976’s 2112, whereas Low-cost Trick used quick, catchy pop-friendly rock songs and the ability of their stay present to make the entire world fall in love with them for the primary time with 1978’s At Budokan.
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
The Conflict’s London Calling or The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers
It is fairly wild to suppose that these two albums got here out in the identical decade. Each got here from bands born in London, too. In 1971 the Rolling Stones launched Sticky Fingers – dwelling to “Brown Sugar,” “Wild Horses” and extra – in the course of one of the vital spectacular album sizzling streaks in rock historical past.
Eight years later, the Conflict peaked with their sprawling however by no means lagging double album London Calling, dwelling to the title observe, “Clampdown” and rock’s most well-known last-minute addition, “Prepare in Useless.”
(We nearly selected Exile on Major St. for the Stones, wherein case we might have double albums going face to face too..)
CSNY’s Deja Vu or Queen’s A Evening on the Opera
Listed here are two albums that show there is not any such factor as overdoing it – when you have nice style. Crosby, Stills and Nash took a threat by including Neil Younger to their already profitable system, nevertheless it paid off big-time with Seventies Deja Vu.
Within the different nook, it is onerous to discover a higher instance of profitable extra than Queen, who reportedly packed 180 overdubs into the climactic part of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the centerpiece of their 1975 basic A Evening on the Opera.
David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy... vs. Pink Floyd’s The Darkish Facet of the Moon
In a battle of legendary idea albums with lengthy titles, David Bowie’s 1972 basic The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is matched up in opposition to Pink Floyd’s 1973 landmark The Darkish Facet of the Moon. It is a good factor there is not a lot left to say about both of those albums as a result of we have run out of room.
The Doorways’ L.A. Lady vs. Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run
1971’s L.A. Lady was Jim Morrison’s final stand, as he helped the Doorways ship yet another basic album – this one significantly and prophetically darkish and stormy – simply three months earlier than his premature loss of life.
On the flip aspect, after failing to set the world on hearth with the primary two albums that includes his post-Beatles band Wings, Paul McCartney lastly broke by way of big-time with 1973’s Band on the Run.
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Eagles’ Lodge California vs. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Pronounced ‘Leh-Nerd Pores and skin-Nerd’
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1973 debut packed a profession’s value of basic songs – together with “Free Chook,” “Tuesday’s Gone” and “Gimme Three Stpes” – into one album.
Three years later, the Eagles made their grandest album-length assertion up to now with Lodge California, which surrounded the epic title observe with classics equivalent to “New Child in City” and “Life within the Quick Lane.”
Elton John’s Goodbye Yelllow Brick Street vs. Led Zeppelin’s IV
How is it that music’s best stars appear to know precisely the precise time to launch a double album? Elton John actually did not waste anyone’s time with 1973’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Street, which covers a staggering quantity of inventive floor and incorporates too many hits to listing right here.
Led Zeppelin stored issues a bit extra targeted on their untitled 1971 fourth album, boiling down and enhancing every part that was nice about their first three albums into one concise and masterful assertion.
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours vs. Kiss’ Alive!
After practically a decade of shifting lineups and sounds, Fleetwood Mac hit the jackpot with 1977’s Rumours, an impeccable album that chronicles the spiders net of real-life romantic entanglements the band members had gotten themselves into.
With their label on the verge of chapter, Kiss had their very own very a lot wanted business breakthrough in 1975 with the double-live album Alive!, which captured the power and pleasure that had been lacking from their first three studio albums.
Foreigner’s Double Imaginative and prescient vs. John Lennon’s Think about
A battle of sophomore albums concludes our first spherical. Foreigner proved the success of their 1977 debut album was no fluke with the next yr’s Double Imaginative and prescient, which included the hit title observe and “Scorching Blooded.”
With 1971’s Think about, his second post-Beatles effort, John Lennon reclaimed by leaving the uncooked and primal sounds the earlier yr’s John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band behind in favor of extra expansive and pop-friendly songs.
High 100 ’70s Rock Albums
From AC/DC to ZZ High, from ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ to ‘London Calling,’ they’re all right here.
Gallery Credit score: UCR Workers
