Best albums of 1970
The Beatles ended and the vacuum filled within months. Black Sabbath put out two albums inside twelve months and handed metal most of the vocabulary it still uses. Jazz musicians were plugging in at the same time, which took longer to be forgiven.
According to Riffiter listeners, the best album of 1970 is Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin, rated 4.3/5 by 25 listeners.
- 2
ParanoidBlack Sabbath · 19704.2 score · 4.3 avg · 28 ratings4.24.3 avg · 28 ratings
- 3
Cosmo's FactoryCreedence Clearwater Revival · 19704.0 score · 4.2 avg · 10 ratings4.04.2 avg · 10 ratings
- 4
Let It BeThe Beatles · 19704.0 score · 4.0 avg · 28 ratings4.04.0 avg · 28 ratings
- 5
Atom Heart MotherPink Floyd · 19703.8 score · 3.6 avg · 14 ratings3.83.6 avg · 14 ratings
- 6
Déjà vuCrosby, Stills, Nash & Young · 19708 ratings8 ratings
- 7
All Things Must PassGeorge Harrison · 19708 ratings8 ratings
- 8
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath · 19708 ratings8 ratings
- 9
Bridge Over Troubled WaterSimon & Garfunkel · 19707 ratings7 ratings
- 10
Bryter LayterNick Drake · 19707 ratings7 ratings
- 11
That's the Way Love IsMarvin Gaye · 19707 ratings7 ratings
- 12
AbraxasSantana · 19706 ratings6 ratings
- 13
CurtisCurtis Mayfield · 19706 ratings6 ratings
- 14
The Rubaiyat of Dorothy AshbyDorothy Ashby · 19705 ratings5 ratings
- 15
On the WatersBread · 19705 ratings5 ratings
- 16
I'll Never Fall in Love AgainDionne Warwick · 19705 ratings5 ratings
- 17
Live At Talk Of The TownStevie Wonder · 19705 ratings5 ratings
- 18
Everything Is EverythingDiana Ross · 19705 ratings5 ratings
- 19
After the Gold RushNeil Young · 19705 ratings5 ratings
- 20
Tap Root ManuscriptNeil Diamond · 19704 ratings4 ratings
- 21
MoondanceVan Morrison · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 22
Fun HouseThe Stooges · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 23
SunflowerThe Beach Boys · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 24
Songs of Love and HateLeonard Cohen · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 25
Idlewild SouthThe Allman Brothers Band · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 26
RedboneRedbone · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 27
Ebony WomanBilly Paul · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 28
Part Time LoveAnn Peebles · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 29
Deep Purple in RockDeep Purple · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 30
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 31
LoadedThe Velvet Underground · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 32
Bitches BrewMiles Davis · 19703 ratings3 ratings
- 33
Ladies of the CanyonJoni Mitchell · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 34
Força brutaJorge Ben Jor · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 35
LizardKing Crimson · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 36
Just Another Diamond DayVashti Bunyan · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 37
Live at LeedsThe Who · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 38
Stephen StillsStephen Stills · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 39
StarsailorTim Buckley · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 40
Red ClayFreddie Hubbard · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 41
Odetta SingsOdetta · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 42
T. RexT. Rex · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 43
Come TogetherIke & Tina Turner · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 44
The Temptations Christmas CardThe Temptations · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 45
Climbing!Mountain · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 46
Morrison HotelThe Doors · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 47
Layla and Other Assorted Love SongsDerek and the Dominos · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 48
Cold FactSixto Rodriguez · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 49
DesertshoreNico · 19702 ratings2 ratings
- 50
American BeautyGrateful Dead · 19702 ratings2 ratings
Disagree with the ranking?
Rate these albums and the chart reshuffles around the community. Or collect your own pick of them into a list or tier.
Build a list or tier of your ownBest albums of 1970 by genre
The genres that carried the period here, each with what listeners rate highest inside it.
Best Rock albums of 1970
219 albums from 1970
Best Jazz albums of 1970
153 albums from 1970
Best Pop albums of 1970
118 albums from 1970
Best Soul albums of 1970
109 albums from 1970
Best Country albums of 1970
82 albums from 1970
The artists of 1970
Everyone who put a record out then, ordered by how listeners rate their catalog rather than by that one release.
1970, month by month
Not everything that came out, just where the weight fell. Some months carried a year; some were quiet and worth knowing about.
January
July
October
November
FAQ
- What are the best albums of 1970?
- On Riffiter, the highest-rated album of 1970 is Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin (4.3/5). The ranking below orders the year's releases by community rating.
- How is the 1970 ranking decided?
- By Riffiter listeners. Each album's community rating sets its place. Until a release has enough ratings, its popularity stands in, and the order shifts as more people rate.
- Does the best-of-1970 list change?
- Yes. It's built from live community ratings, so the order updates as people rate 1970 releases. The page refreshes a few times a day.




























