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Best art rock songs of the 1970s

Prog and hard rock spent the middle of the decade getting longer while dub and krautrock quietly assembled the rhythmic machinery that pop is still borrowing. Then punk turned up and told all of them to get to the point.

Songs from the art rock albums of the 1970s, ordered by their own ratings rather than the record's.

Wish You Were Here cover№ 1Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts I–VPink Floyd · Wish You Were Here4.5Weighted score4.9 avg · 6 ratings
  1. 2The Wall coverComfortably NumbPink Floyd · The Wall4.34.5 avg · 3 ratings
  2. 3The Wall coverIn the Flesh?Pink Floyd · The Wall4.24.2 avg · 3 ratings
  3. 4Wish You Were Here coverWelcome to the MachinePink Floyd · Wish You Were Here4.24.2 avg · 10 ratings
  4. 5Wish You Were Here coverWish You Were HerePink Floyd · Wish You Were Here4.24.2 avg · 11 ratings
  5. 6Wish You Were Here coverHave a CigarPink Floyd · Wish You Were Here4.13.9 avg · 9 ratings
  6. 7Transformer coverPerfect DayLou Reed · Transformer2 ratings
  7. 8Animals coverSheepPink Floyd · Animals2 ratings
  8. 9Animals coverPigs (Three Different Ones)Pink Floyd · Animals2 ratings
  9. 10The Wall coverEmpty SpacesPink Floyd · The Wall2 ratings
  10. 11The Wall coverThe Thin IcePink Floyd · The Wall2 ratings
  11. 12The Kick Inside coverWuthering HeightsKate Bush · The Kick Inside1 rating
  12. 13Wish You Were Here coverShine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts VI–IXPink Floyd · Wish You Were Here1 rating
  13. 14Animals coverPigs on the Wing, Part 2Pink Floyd · Animals1 rating
  14. 15Animals coverDogsPink Floyd · Animals1 rating
  15. 16Animals coverPigs on the Wing, Part 1Pink Floyd · Animals1 rating
  16. 17The Wall coverThe TrialPink Floyd · The Wall1 rating
  17. 18The Wall coverThe Show Must Go OnPink Floyd · The Wall1 rating
  18. 19Transformer coverSatellite of LoveLou Reed · Transformer
  19. 20Queen coverKeep Yourself AliveQueen · Queen
  20. 21Exposure coverNy3 (Alternative Take)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  21. 22Exposure coverChicago (Alternative Take)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  22. 23Exposure coverDisengage (Alternative Take)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  23. 24Exposure coverMary (Alternative Take)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  24. 25Exposure coverExposure (Alternative Take)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  25. 26Exposure coverPostscript (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  26. 27Exposure coverWater Music II (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  27. 28Exposure coverHere Comes the Flood (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  28. 29Exposure coverWater Music I (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  29. 30Exposure coverFirst Inaugural Address to the I.A.C.E. Sherborne House (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  30. 31Exposure coverI May Not Have Had Enough of Me, but I've Had Enough of You (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  31. 32Exposure coverUrban Landscape (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  32. 33Exposure coverHāaden Two (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  33. 34Exposure coverExposure (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  34. 35Exposure coverMary (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  35. 36Exposure coverNew York, New York, New York (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  36. 37Exposure coverChicago (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  37. 38Exposure coverNorth Star (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  38. 39Exposure coverDisengage II (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  39. 40Exposure coverBreathless (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  40. 41Exposure coverYou Burn Me up I'm a Cigarette (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  41. 42Exposure coverPreface (Third Edition)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  42. 43Exposure coverPostscript (First Edition: Original 1979 Release)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  43. 44Exposure coverWater Music II (First Edition: Original 1979 Release)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  44. 45Exposure coverHere Comes the Flood (First Edition: Original 1979 Release)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  45. 46Exposure coverWater Music I (First Edition: Original 1979 Release)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  46. 47Exposure coverFirst Inaugural Address to the I.A.C.E. Sherborne House (First Edition: Original 1979 Release)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  47. 48Exposure coverI May Not Have Had Enough of Me but I've Had Enough of You (First Edition: Original 1979 Release)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  48. 49Exposure coverUrban Landscape (First Edition: Original 1979 Release)Robert Fripp · Exposure
  49. 50Exposure coverHāaden Two (First Edition: Original 1979 Release)Robert Fripp · Exposure

One great song, one bad album

Tracks carry their own ratings here, so a record you would never play front to back can still have a song worth defending.

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