Hardrock Haven’s Top 10 Hard Rock & Metal Albums of the 1970s

HRH Top 10 70s

The 1970s … Ah – It was the decade of giants. Following in the footsteps of the great bands of the ’60s, including The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Who. etc. The bands of the ’70s took Hard Rock and Metal to an entirely different level. Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, KISS, Aerosmith – the list of great ’70s bands is endless. These were the bands in which musicians’ personas took on a mystical role that was mysterious and larger than life. They followed the psychedelic, free love era with dark heavy riffs, combined with powerful vocalists and a steady line of guitar gods who set standards for the next generation of rockers to carry into the ’80s.

Without further ado, here are Hardrock Haven’s staff columnists and photojournalists top 10 Hard Rock and Metal albums of the 1970s:

Alexanda’s Top 10

Kiss Destroyer01. KISS – Destroyer
02. Deep Purple – Burn
03. UFO – Phenomenon
04. Uriah Heep – Demons & Wizards
05. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Second Helping
06. Rainbow – Long Live Rock’N’Roll
07. Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
08. Slade – Slayed?
09. The Sweet – Desolation Boulevard
10. Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies


Alissa’s Top 10

Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin IV01. Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin IV
02. Pink Floyd — The Wall
03. Yes — Close to the Edge
04. The Doors — LA Woman
05. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band — Angel Station
06. Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
07. T. Rex — Electric Warrior
08. The Rolling Stones — Goat’s Head Soup
09. Nazareth — Loud’n’Proud
10. Deep Purple — Machinehead


Deb’s Top 10

Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic0l. Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic
02. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
03. Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
04. Jethro Tull – Aqualung
05. ZZ Top – Tres Hombres
06. AC/DC – Highway To Hell
07. Queen – Jazz
08. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
09. Deep Purple – Machine Head
10. Van Halen – Van Halen


Derric’s Top 10

Ramones - Road to Ruin01. Ramones – Road to Ruin
02. Led Zeppelin – IV
03. Kansas – Leftoverture
04. Foreigner – Double Vision
05. Van Halen – Van Halen
06. Boston – Don’t Look Back
07. Rainbow – Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll
08. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
09. Ramones – Rocket to Russia
10. Pink Floyd – The Wall


John’s Top 10

Kiss – Double Platinum01. Kiss – Double Platinum
02. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
03. Scorpions – Taken by Force
04. UFO – Lights Out
05. Led Zeppelin – House of Holy
06. Paul Stanley – Paul Stanley
07. Van Halen – Van Halen
08. Boston – Boston
09. Pink Floyd – The Wall
10. Bad Company – Bad Company


Justin G.’s Top 10

Black Sabbath01. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
02. Rainbow – Rising
03. Uriah Heep – Demons and Wizards
04. Judas Priest – Sad Wings of Destiny
05. Rush – 2112
06. Yes – Fragile
07. Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
08. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
09. Riot – Narita
10. Kansas – Masque


Kathy’s Top 10

Rush 211201. Rush – 2112
02. Rush – Fly By Night
03. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
04. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
05. Pink Floyd – The Wall
06. Lynyrd Skynyrd – (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd)
07. Montrose – Montrose
08. Led Zeppelin – In Through the Out Door
09. UFO – Lights Out
10. Black Sabbath – Paranoid


Marija’s Top 10

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy01. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
02. Foreigner – Double Vision
03. Van Halen – Van Halen
04. Rainbow – Rising
05. Deep Purple – Machine Head
06. AC/DC – Highway To Hell
07. Alice Cooper – School’s Out
08. Deep Purple – Burn
09. Uriah Heep – Demons and Wizards
10. Rush – Rush


Mark’s Top 10

ACDC Highway01. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
02. KISS – Destroyer
03. Alice Cooper – School’s Out
04. Whitesnake – Love Hunter
05. Helix – Breaking Loose
06. April Wine – Harder…Faster
07. Deep Purple – Machine Head
08. Starz – Coliseum Rock
09. Boston – Boston
10. Blue Oyster Cult – Agents of Misfortune


Matt’s Top 10

Kiss- Love Gun01. Kiss – Love Gun
02. Van Halen – Van Halen
03. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols
04. Kiss – Destroyer
05. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
06. Pink Floyd – The Wall
07. AC/DC – Highway To Hell
08. Led Zeppelin – IV
09. Deep Purple – In Rock
10. Queen – Sheer Heart Attack


Ron & Don’s Top 10

KISS-AliveII01. KISS – Alive II
02. Van Halen – Van Halen
03. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
04. Rush – 2112
05. Yes – Fragile
06. Cheap Trick – Cheap Trick at Budokan
07. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
08. Boston – Boston
09. Judas Priest – Unleashed in the East
10. Montrose – Montrose


3 Comments

  1. Awesome lists! What a tremendous decade of rock albums. In no particular order, my Top 10:

    Montrose – Montrose
    Ted Nugent – Cat Scratch Fever or Double Live Gonzo
    Led Zeppelin – IV or Houses of the Holy
    AC/DC – Highway to Hell (although Powerage is right up there)
    Van Halen – Van Halen
    Boston – Boston
    Rush – 2112
    Aerosmith – Rocks
    KISS – Alive
    Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town or Born to Run (hey if Lynyrd Skynyrd can make the list above so can Bruce :)

  2. If I had to choose just 10 albums, I would select those that became classics or marked difference in bands or performers and music industry. It is difficult, but my 10 would
    1.Black Sabbath — Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. The concept of Sabbath changed without departing from its original sound, evolve musically Your search is reflected in this album, best album of OZZIE
    2.Rush – 2112 This album trademark style that would define his current sound
    3.The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway conseptual album, is the end of the era of Peter Gabriel and remoteness group prog sound for a more commercial sound.
    4. UFO- Lights Out. The best album of UFO from beginning to end, Schenker’s guitar sounds awesome, this is the last studio album
    5. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon. The album that changed the conceto of music, incorporating sounds and effects, great work of Alan Parsons, is one of the most sold albums of all time
    6. Scorpions -In Trance. the best album of the Roth era, before the group switched to a sound NWOBHM
    7. Kansas – Point Of Know Return. It is a classic album, great album, together with the Leftoverture and Monolit albums, three greatest works
    8. Van Halen – Van Hale. The beginning of an era, and the emergence of a guitar hero
    9. Boston – Boston. The guitar sound Scholz and Delp’s voice, injected a fresh sound to rock, classic album that can not miss in a collection
    10.Rainbow – Rainbow Ritchie achieved its own brand, it brings together great musicians and emerges one of the influential vocesmas of Rock, DIO

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