The Defining Artists of the 1970s

The following artists released some of the best music of the 1970s. Hall of Famers are highlighted in orange.

Of the 259 artists listed above, 56% have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Defining Albums of the 1970s

Diana Ross - Diana Ross (1970)

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)

James Brown - Sex Machine (1970)

Curtis Mayfield - Curtis (1970)

The Beatles - Let It Be (1970)

Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman (1970)

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

Derek & The Dominos - Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu (1970)

The Velvet Underground - Loaded (1970)

Santana - Abraxas (1970)

James Taylor - Sweet Baby James (1970)

Sly & The Family Stone - Greatest Hits (1970)

George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (1970)

Neil Young - After the Gold Rush (1970)

The Who - Live At Leeds (1970)

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970)

The Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead (1970)

The Carpenters - Close To You (1970)

Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection (1970)

The Grateful Dead - American Beauty (1970)

Randy Newman - 12 Songs (1970)

John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)

The Stooges - Fun House (1970)

Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)

MC5 - Back In the USA (1970)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo's Factory (1970)

Alice Cooper - Love it to Death (1971)

The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971)

Janis Joplin - Pearl (1971)

Paul and Linda McCartney - Ram (1971)

Loretta Lynn - Coal Miner's Daughter (1971)

The Who - Who's Next (1971)

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

Carole King - Tapestry (1971)

Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)

John Lennon - Imagine (1971)

Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On (1971)

Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971)

Joni Mitchell - Blue (1971)

Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality (1971)

Dolly Parton - Coat of Many Colors (1971)

T. Rex - Electric Warrior (1971)

Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Love And Hate (1971)

The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East (1971)

John Prine - John Prine (1971)

Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda (1971)

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain (1971)

David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971)

The Doors - L.A. Woman (1971)

Bill Withers - Just As I Am (1971)

Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson (1971)

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)

Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (1972)

Aretha Franklin - Young, Gifted and Black (1972)

Lou Reed - Transformer (1972)

Dr. John - Dr. John's Gumbo (1972)

Yes - Close To The Edge (1972)

Neil Young - Harvest (1972)

The O'Jays - Back Stabbers (1972)

Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)

Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (1972)

Randy Newman - Sail Away (1972)

Elton John - Honky Chateau (1972)

Stevie Wonder - Music of My Mind (1972)

Big Star - #1 Record (1972)

Al Green - I'm Still In Love With You (1972)

War - The World Is A Ghetto (1972)

David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)

Bonnie Raitt - Give It Up (1972)

Jimmy Cliff & Various Artists - The Harder They Come (1972)

Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill (1972)

Paul Simon - Paul Simon (1972)

Aretha Franklin - Amazing Grace (1972)

Can - Ege Bamyasi (1972)

The Eagles - Eagles (1972)

The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. (1972)

Mott the Hoople - All the Young Dudes (1972)

Curtis Mayfield - Super Fly (1972)

Bill Withers - Still Bill (1972)

Lou Reed - Berlin (1973)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - (Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd) (1973)

The Isley Brothers - 3+3 (1973)

The Who - Quadrophenia (1973)

Sly & The Family Stone - Fresh (1973)

Al Green - Call Me (1973)

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Catch a Fire (1973)

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (1973)

Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters (1973)

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (1973)

The Temptations - Anthology (1973)

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Burnin' (1973)

Toots and the Maytals - Funky Kingston (1973)

The Stooges - Raw Power (1973)

Mott the Hoople - Mott (1973)

Jackson Browne - For Everyman (1973)

Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (1973)

Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (1973)

Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (1973)

New York Dolls - New York Dolls (1973)

ZZ Top - Tres Hombres (1973)

Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel (1974)

Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel (1974)

Richard and Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)

Neil Young - On The Beach (1974)

Labelle - Nightbirds (1974)

Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky (1974)

Sparks - Kimono My House (1974)

Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night (1974)

Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets (1974)

Big Star - Radio City (1974)

Barry White - Can't Get Enough (1974)

Diana Ross and the Supremes - Anthology (1974)

The Meters - Rejuvenation (1974)

Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974)

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Natty Dread (1974)

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (1974)

Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark (1974)

Randy Newman - Good Old Boys (1974)

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic (1975)

Queen - A Night At The Opera (1975)

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (1975)

Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975)

Neil Young - Tonight's The Night (1975)

Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac (1975)

Elton John - Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)

Bob Dylan and the Band - The Basement Tapes (1975)

Roxy Music - Siren (1975)

Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (1975)

Parliament - Mothership Connection (1975)

Earth, Wind & Fire - That's the Way of the World (1975)

Patti Smith - Horses (1975)

KISS - Alive! (1975)

Al Green - Al Green's Greatest Hits (1975)

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)

Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975)

Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger (1975)

Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Expensive Shit (1975)

Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle (1976)

Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

Aerosmith - Rocks (1976)

Joni Mitchell - Hejira (1976)

David Bowie - Station To Station (1976)

Bob Dylan - Desire (1976)

Blondie - Blondie (1976)

Jackson Browne - The Pretender (1976)

KISS - Destroyer (1976)

The Eagles - Hotel California (1976)

Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions (1976)

Ramones - Ramones (1976)

The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers (1976)

Ramones - Rocket To Russia (1977)

Suicide - Suicide (1977)

Eric Clapton - Slowhand (1977)

Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols (1977)

Steely Dan - Aja (1977)

Bee Gees & Various Artists - Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Television - Marquee Moon (1977)

The Clash - The Clash (1977)

Rufus - Ask Rufus (1977)

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977)

David Bowie - Low (1977)

Billy Joel - The Stranger (1977)

Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express (1977)

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Exodus (1977)

Talking Heads - Talking Heads: 77 (1977)

Wire - Pink Flag (1977)

Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (1977)

Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell (1977)

Cheap Trick - In Color (1977)

Van Halen - Van Halen (1978)

Willie Nelson - Stardust (1978)

Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)

Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits (1978)

Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978)

X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents (1978)

Buddy Holly - 20 Golden Greats (1978)

Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings And Food (1978)

The Cars - The Cars (1978)

Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove (1978)

Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear (1978)

The Police - Outlandos d'Amour (1978)

Billy Joel - 52nd Street (1978)

Blondie - Parallel Lines (1978)

Big Star - Third/Sister Lovers (1978)

The Rolling Stones - Some Girls (1978)

Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick At Budokan (1978)

Elvis Costello - This Year's Model (1978)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces (1979)

The Police - Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

Public Image Ltd. - Metal Box (1979)

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes (1979)

The Raincoats - The Raincoats (1979)

Chic - Risqué (1979)

Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)

Donna Summer - Bad Girls (1979)

Graham Parker and The Rumour - Squeezing Out Sparks (1979)

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps (1979)

Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady (1979)

The Slits - Cut (1979)

AC/DC - Highway to Hell (1979)

The B-52's - The B-52's (1979)

The Clash - London Calling (1979)

Gang of Four - Entertainment! (1979)

Michael Jackson - Off the Wall (1979)

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)

The Defining Songs of the 1970s

Edwin Starr - War (1970)

The Beatles - Let It Be (1970)

The Grateful Dead - Ripple (1970)

Toots & the Maytals - Pressure Drop (1970)

Elton John - Your Song (1970)

Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up (1970)

Neil Young - After The Gold Rush (1970)

Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1970)

Black Sabbath - Iron Man (1970)

Eric Clapton - After Midnight (1970)

The Kinks - Lola (1970)

Santana - Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen (1970)

Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

Free - All Right Now (1970)

Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed (1970)

Santana - Oye Como Va (1970)

James Taylor - Fire And Rain (1970)

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Ohio (1970)

Van Morrison - Into the Mystic (1970)

James Brown - Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine (1970)

Jackson 5 - ABC (1970)

Cat Stevens - Father and Son (1970)

The Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane (1970)

Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)

Grateful Dead - Box of Rain (1970)

Derek & The Dominos - Layla (1970)

Led Zeppelin - Rock And Roll (1971)

Joni Mitchell - River (1971)

Alice Cooper - I'm Eighteen (1971)

Harry Nilsson - Without You (1971)

The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her (1971)

Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven (1971)

John Lennon - Imagine (1971)

David Bowie - Changes (1971)

Joni Mitchell - A Case of You (1971)

Dolly Parton - Coat of Many Colors (1971)

David Bowie - Life on Mars? (1971)

Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft (1971)

The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses (1971)

War - Slippin' Into Darkness (1971)

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)

Sly & The Family Stone - Family Affair (1971)

The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself (1971)

Al Green - Let's Stay Together (1971)

Yes - Roundabout (1971)

Rod Stewart - Maggie May (1971)

T. Rex - Cosmic Dancer (1971)

Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971)

T. Rex - Bang A Gong (Get It On) (1971)

Elton John - Tiny Dancer (1971)

The Who - Baba O'Riley (1971)

Carole King - You've Got a Friend (1971)

Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water (1972)

Al Green - Love And Happiness (1972)

Bill Withers - Lean On Me (1972)

Lyn Collins - Think (About It) (1972)

Stevie Wonder - You Are The Sunshine Of My Life (1972)

Curtis Mayfield - Superfly (1972)

Stevie Wonder - Superstition (1972)

The Eagles - Take It Easy (1972)

Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes (1972)

Neil Young - Heart Of Gold (1972)

Randy Newman - Sail Away (1972)

Steely Dan - Reelin' In The Years (1972)

Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)

Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side (1972)

Roxy Music - Virginia Plain (1972)

The Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice (1972)

Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman (1972)

The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There (1972)

The O'Jays - Love Train (1972)

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust (1972)

Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come (1972)

The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (1972)

New York Dolls - Personality Crisis (1973)

Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song (1973)

The Wailers - I Shot The Sheriff (1973)

Dolly Parton - Jolene (1973)

Pink Floyd - Money (1973)

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken (1973)

The Faces - Ooh La La (1973)

Stevie Wonder - Living for the City (1973)

Grand Funk Railroad - We're An American Band (1973)

Hall & Oates - She's Gone (1973)

Iggy And The Stooges - Search And Destroy (1973)

The Wailers - Get Up, Stand Up (1973)

Billy Joel - Piano Man (1973)

Elton John - Bennie And The Jets (1973)

Bruce Springsteen - Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (1973)

Dr. John - Right Place Wrong Time (1973)

Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia (1973)

Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground (1973)

Aerosmith - Dream On (1973)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird (1973)

ZZ Top - La Grange (1973)

Frank Zappa - Montana (1973)

The Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man (1973)

Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky (1974)

Big Star - September Gurls (1974)

Joni Mitchell - Help Me (1974)

Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces (1974)

Kraftwerk - Autobahn (1974)

Kiss - Rock And Roll All Nite (1974)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (1974)

Bob Marley - No Woman No Cry (1974)

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (1975)

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (1975)

Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug (1975)

David Bowie - Fame (1975)

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road (1975)

David Bowie - Young Americans (1975)

Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue (1975)

War - Low Rider (1975)

Patti Smith - Gloria (1975)

Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby (1975)

Earth Wind and Fire - Shining Star (1975)

Fleetwood Mac - Landslide (1975)

Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic (1975)

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (1975)

Willie Nelson - Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain (1975)

Bruce Springsteen - Jungleland (1975)

Parliament - Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) (1975)

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle (1976)

Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (1976)

Boston - More Than A Feeling (1976)

Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The U.K. (1976)

The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner (1976)

Bob Seger - Night Moves (1976)

The Trammps - Disco Inferno (1976)

The Eagles - Hotel California (1976)

The Damned - New Rose (1976)

Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town (1976)

Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way (1976)

Tom Petty - American Girl (1976)

The Runaways - Cherry Bomb (1976)

ABBA - Dancing Queen (1976)

Peter Tosh - Legalize It (1976)

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Three Little Birds (1977)

Elvis Costello - Alison (1977)

Parliament - Flash Light (1977)

Bill Withers - Lovely Day (1977)

Iggy Pop - Lust For Life (1977)

Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (1977)

Queen - We Will Rock You (1977)

Ramones - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (1977)

Heart - Barracuda (1977)

Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill (1977)

Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen (1977)

The Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (1977)

The Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer (1977)

Billy Joel - Just The Way You Are (1977)

Steely Dan - Deacon Blues (1977)

David Bowie - Heroes (1977)

Donna Summer - I Feel Love (1977)

The Jam - In The City (1977)

Talking Heads - Psycho Killer (1977)

Television - Marquee Moon (1977)

Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express (1977)

Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen in Love (1977)

Billy Joel - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (1977)

Van Halen - Runnin' With The Devil (1978)

The Rolling Stones - Miss You (1978)

Blondie - Heart Of Glass (1978)

Patti Smith - Because The Night (1978)

Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) (1978)

The Cars - Just What I Needed (1978)

Cheap Trick - Surrender (1978)

The Clash - (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais (1978)

Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove (1978)

Elvis Costello - Pump It Up (1978)

Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing (1978)

Chic - Le Freak (1978)

The B-52's - Rock Lobster (1978)

Earth, Wind & Fire - September (1978)

The Undertones - Teenage Kicks (1978)

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive (1978)

The Police - Roxanne (1978)

The Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes (1978)

Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 (1979)

Neil Young - My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue) (1979)

The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight (1979)

Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead (1979)

AC/DC - Highway To Hell (1979)

Sister Sledge - We Are Family (1979)

The Slits - Typical Girls (1979)

Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot (1979)

Chic - Good Times (1979)

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (1979)

Talking Heads - Life During Wartime (1979)

The Clash - London Calling (1979)

Michael Jackson - Rock With You (1979)

Blondie - Dreaming (1979)