Rev Roundtable: Best albums of the ’70, from Pink Floyd to Fleetwood Mac

With so many albums to choose from, it’s hard to pick the album of the year. It’s even harder to pick the album of the decade.

Don’t worry though, we narrowed down the list for you. Reveille staff members picked their favorite album of each decade from 1960 through 2010. From The Beatles to Harry Styles, we covered every era of music.

Today is ’70s day. 

Will Nickel

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd 

“Wish You Were Here” is the best album from one of the most iconic bands of all time. What more could you need?

“The Dark Side of the Moon” might be a more recognizable album cover, but “Wish You Were Here” contains the group’s most iconic songs. The album is only five songs long, but two of those songs are over 12 minutes. From start to finish the entire album is an experience. 

Nyx Crooks

“Paranoid” by Black Sabbath 

“Paranoid” is Black Sabbath’s magnum opus. This was the moment metal was truly born and revolutionized for the first time.

Tony Iommi creates huge, heavy riffs that come to define metal and inspire future artists for decades. When combined with Ozzy Osbourne’s shrill, eerie vocals, an entirely new genre of music unlike anything before is born.

“Fairies Wear Boots” is my favorite track because of its heavy blues influence and the amazing solos, but the lyrics are interesting as well. The story of Osbourne smoking cannabis and hallucinating fairies wearing boots then deciding to write a song about it is a perfect description of Ozzy’s character.

Ava Francis 

“Rumors” by Fleetwood Mac 

Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors” is a perfect blend of upbeat tracks  like “Go Your Own Way,” and “The Chain,” while Stevie Nicks’ haunting vocals on tracks like “Dreams,” “Gold Dust Woman”and “Songbird,” fill our heads with melancholy melodies. 

This album made waves in 1977 selling ten million copies within the first month of its release and would go on to sell forty million copies worldwide. 

“Rumors” remains relevant due to artists like Harry Styles covering the band’s hits. 

In 2017 Styles performed a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” on BBC Radio One introducing the ’70s classic to a new generation. 

In 2018 I saw Styles on his first solo tour with my mom who grew up listening to Fleetwood. 

Two generations experiencing the 1977 gem, “The Chain”, live in 2018 was magical. 

Aris Williams 

“I Want You” by Marvin Gaye 

Between the album’s iconic cover art (“Sugar Shack” by Ernie Barnes) and trademark Motown influences, Marvin Gaye’s fourteenth album left a lasting impact on the jazz-funk world.

Popular tracks such as “After the Dance” and “Come Live with Me Angel” indicated a new chapter in Gaye’s artistry, as his usual erotic undertones were there with rock-and-roll sprinkled in. Prominent artists who took inspiration from “I Want You” include Madonna, Robert Palmer and Tood Rundgren.

Madison Heydari

“Blue” by Joni Mitchell

“Blue” is a coming-of-age masterpiece. Joni Mitchell embarked on a journey of self-discovery and from her experiences, “Blue” was born. She is honest in her storytelling, skilled with the dulcimer and her lyrics depict a young woman trying to navigate loss and heartbreak.

The song “California” perfectly captures the thrill of being on your own and traveling while also missing the things you leave behind, which is something many college students can probably relate to. I think some of the best songs are born out of heartbreak.

I’m thinking of writing a song about the worst heartbreak I ever experienced: the day Joni Mitchell took her music off of Spotify. 

John Buzbee

“The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” by David Bowie

This one’s an adventure. At the height of glam rock, Bowie introduced a sound that was completely unique.

Alison Agena

“Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits” by Credence Clearwater Revival

Whether you are familiar with this band or not, you have definitely heard its music.

In 1976, the band compiled its top hits into one album titled “Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits” which includes songs like “Bad Moon Rising”, “Run Through the Jungle” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”. 

These songs are catchy and make anyone listening want to sing along. The bass line is sure to get stuck in your head, and not in a bad way. This album may not have songs that all came from the seventies, but the album itself is definitely my favorite from this decade.