Best albums of 1971
Records got quieter and more personal at exactly the moment rock was getting louder, and both sides made some of their best work without noticing the other. Singer-songwriters could sell out arenas by then, which is the part that reads oddest now.
According to Riffiter listeners, the best album of 1971 is What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, rated 4.7/5 by 17 listeners.
- 2
Who's NextThe Who · 19714.2 score · 4.5 avg · 13 ratings4.24.5 avg · 13 ratings
- 3
Master of RealityBlack Sabbath · 19714.2 score · 4.3 avg · 21 ratings4.24.3 avg · 21 ratings
- 4
Led Zeppelin IVLed Zeppelin · 19714.2 score · 4.2 avg · 308 ratings4.24.2 avg · 308 ratings
- 5
L.A. WomanThe Doors · 19714.1 score · 4.1 avg · 32 ratings4.14.1 avg · 32 ratings
- 6
Maggot BrainFunkadelic · 19714.1 score · 4.1 avg · 19 ratings4.14.1 avg · 19 ratings
- 7
ImagineJohn Lennon · 19714.0 score · 4.0 avg · 41 ratings4.04.0 avg · 41 ratings
- 8
BlueJoni Mitchell · 19714.0 score · 4.0 avg · 13 ratings4.04.0 avg · 13 ratings
- 9
MeddlePink Floyd · 19713.9 score · 3.9 avg · 13 ratings3.93.9 avg · 13 ratings
- 10
Sticky FingersThe Rolling Stones · 19719 ratings9 ratings
- 11
All Day MusicWAR · 19717 ratings7 ratings
- 12
Hot Rocks 1964-1971The Rolling Stones · 19716 ratings6 ratings
- 13
Stand by Your ManCandi Staton · 19716 ratings6 ratings
- 14
Just As I AmBill Withers · 19715 ratings5 ratings
- 15
RamPaul McCartney · 19715 ratings5 ratings
- 16
Hunky DoryDavid Bowie · 19715 ratings5 ratings
- 17
Tago MagoCAN · 19714 ratings4 ratings
- 18
StonesNeil Diamond · 19714 ratings4 ratings
- 19
I Wrote a Simple SongBilly Preston · 19714 ratings4 ratings
- 20
Black MosesIsaac Hayes · 19714 ratings4 ratings
- 21
PearlJanis Joplin · 19713 ratings3 ratings
- 22
Electric WarriorT. Rex · 19713 ratings3 ratings
- 23
IslandsKing Crimson · 19713 ratings3 ratings
- 24
Surf's UpThe Beach Boys · 19713 ratings3 ratings
- 25
The Morning AfterThe J. Geils Band · 19713 ratings3 ratings
- 26
Something ElseShirley Bassey · 19713 ratings3 ratings
- 27
Sho Is Funky Down HereJames Brown · 19713 ratings3 ratings
- 28
Histoire de Melody NelsonSerge Gainsbourg · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 29
Madman Across the WaterElton John · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 30
John PrineJohn Prine · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 31
American PieDon McLean · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 32
Coat of Many ColorsDolly Parton · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 33
There's a Riot Goin' OnSly & The Family Stone · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 34
Judee SillJudee Sill · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 35
The Undisputed TruthThe Undisputed Truth · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 36
In LondonB.B. King · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 37
Barbra Joan StreisandBarbra Streisand · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 38
First UtteranceComus · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 39
Hot PantsJames Brown · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 40
FragileYes · 19712 ratings2 ratings
- 41
ConstruçãoChico Buarque · 19711 rating1 rating
- 42
AmericaAmerica · 19711 rating1 rating
- 43
Freedom FlightShuggie Otis · 19711 rating1 rating
- 44
A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... To a Blind HorseFaces · 19711 rating1 rating
- 45
CarpentersCarpenters · 19711 rating1 rating
- 46
At Fillmore EastThe Allman Brothers Band · 19711 rating1 rating
- 47
ElaElis Regina · 19711 rating1 rating
- 48
Gypsys, Tramps & ThievesCher · 19711 rating1 rating
- 49
Workin' TogetherIke & Tina Turner · 19711 rating1 rating
- 50
Acquiring the TasteGentle Giant · 19711 rating1 rating
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 1971 by genre
The genres that carried the period here, each with what listeners rate highest inside it.
Best Rock albums of 1971
230 albums from 1971
Best Jazz albums of 1971
137 albums from 1971
Best Pop albums of 1971
128 albums from 1971
Best Soul albums of 1971
83 albums from 1971
Best Country albums of 1971
67 albums from 1971
The artists of 1971
Everyone who put a record out then, ordered by how listeners rate their catalog rather than by that one release.
1971, 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.
February
April
June
November
FAQ
- What are the best albums of 1971?
- On Riffiter, the highest-rated album of 1971 is What's Going On by Marvin Gaye (4.7/5). The ranking below orders the year's releases by community rating.
- How is the 1971 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-1971 list change?
- Yes. It's built from live community ratings, so the order updates as people rate 1971 releases. The page refreshes a few times a day.



























