Rock and Reel

100 Favorite Albums of the 1970s: The Top 20

Previous: 40-21

20. Aretha Franklin- Young, Gifted and Black

Paste and Pitchfork: excluded

19. Jackson Browne- Late for the Sky

Paste and Pitchfork: excluded

18. Neil Young- Tonight’s the Night

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: excluded

17. Michael Jackson- Off the Wall

Paste: -15

Pitchfork: -15

16. The Who- Live at Leeds

Paste and Pitchfork: excluded

15. Bruce Springsteen- Darkness on the Edge of Town

Paste: -15

Pitchfork: excluded

14. The Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: excluded

13. Sex Pistols- Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols

Paste: +2

Pitchfork: -24

12. Elvis Costello- This Year’s Model

Paste: -22

Pitchfork: -26

11. Stevie Wonder- Innervisions

Paste: -4

Pitchfork: -10

10. The Stooges- Raw Power

Paste: -27

Pitchfork: -47

9. Al Green- Call Me

Paste: excluded

Pitchfork: -26

8. Neil Young- Rust Never Sleeps

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: excluded

7. Elvis Costello- My Aim is True

Paste: -14

Pitchfork: -21

6. David Bowie- Hunky Dory

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: -48

5. Joni Mitchell- Blue

Paste: -17

Pitchfork: -54

4. The Clash- London Calling

Paste: included in 80 Best Albums of the 1980s list

Pitchfork: +2

3. The Rolling Stones- Exile on Main St.

Paste: tie

Pitchfork: -8

2. Bob Dylan- Blood on the Tracks

Paste: +1

Pitchfork: -3

1. Bruce Springsteen- Born to Run

Paste: -4

Pitchfork: excluded

Top 10 Tracks of 1976

Previous: 1975

Punk is a wonderful thing, or at least it used to be. I recently saw Blondie live, and it would have been nice if they had played “X Offender.” (They didn’t.) I can’t think of “Long May You Run” these days without thinking about Conan O’Brien’s last week on NBC. ABBA is best known these days for an upbeat dance tune (and a horrible movie musical), but their best material is their break-up music. Though to be fair, even their break-up songs are upbeat dance tunes. The single release of “Anarchy in the U.K.” in 1976 allows me to include two songs off of Never Mind the Bollocks for this project, the second for 1977’s list.

10. The Damned- New Rose (Listen)

9. David Bowie- Station to Station (Listen)

8. Blondie- X Offender (Listen)

7. Neil Young- Long May You Run

6. The Modern Lovers- Roadrunner (Listen)

5. Ramones- Judy is a Punk (Listen)

4. ABBA- Knowing Me, Knowing You (Listen)

3. Jackson Browne- The Pretender (Listen)

2. Sex Pistols- Anarchy in the U.K. (Listen)

1. Stevie Wonder- Love’s In Need of Love Today (Listen)

Next: 1977

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1973

Top 10 Tracks of 1972

Previous: 1971

Looking at this list, I seem to love what Barry calls “old sad bastard music” in High Fidelity. I mean, Jackson Browne AND Rod Stewart? Still, no shame because these are incredible songs. I rediscovered “Mother and Child Reunion” recently when I was prepping to see Paul Simon live in October. The Temptations and other Motown acts are making more appearances in this series than I would have anticipated. And again, the Rolling Stones top the list: “The sunshine bores the daylights out of me.”

10. Paul Simon- Mother and Child Reunion (Listen)

9. Roxy Music- Virginia Plain (Listen)

8. Aretha Franklin- Oh Me Oh My (I’m A Fool For You Baby) (Listen)

7. Al Green- I’m Still In Love With You (Listen)

6. The Temptations- Papa Was a Rolling Stone (Listen)

5. Big Star- Thirteen (Listen)

4. Neil Young- Heart of Gold (Listen)

3. Jackson Browne- Doctor My Eyes (Listen)

2. Rod Stewart- Mama You Been On My Mind (Listen)

1. The Rolling Stones- Rocks Off (Listen)

Next: 1973