Best albums of 1979
Hip-hop got pressed to vinyl for the first time, by a group assembled for the session rather than by anyone who had been doing it in the parks. Post-punk found its bleakest register and its most danceable one in the same twelve months. Often in the same city.
According to Riffiter listeners, the best album of 1979 is Unknown Pleasures (2019 Digital Master) by Joy Division, rated 4.5/5 by 12 listeners.
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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 1979 by genre
The genres that carried the period here, each with what listeners rate highest inside it.
Best Rock albums of 1979
276 albums from 1979
Best Pop albums of 1979
158 albums from 1979
Best Jazz albums of 1979
144 albums from 1979
Best Disco albums of 1979
128 albums from 1979
Best Soul albums of 1979
93 albums from 1979
The artists of 1979
Everyone who put a record out then, ordered by how listeners rate their catalog rather than by that one release.
1979, 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
June
August
September
FAQ
- What are the best albums of 1979?
- On Riffiter, the highest-rated album of 1979 is Unknown Pleasures (2019 Digital Master) by Joy Division (4.5/5). The ranking below orders the year's releases by community rating.
- How is the 1979 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-1979 list change?
- Yes. It's built from live community ratings, so the order updates as people rate 1979 releases. The page refreshes a few times a day.