1973’s Best Classic Rock Albums

Photo credits at the end of the article.

1973’s Best Classic Rock Albums list looks at what may be the greatest year in Classic Rock History. Many come close, especially 1971 and 1969, but no year before or after had the battle between The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd like 1973 did. The year also saw the album release that had the longest run on the Billboard album charts in history. It also defined the debut albums by artists such a Aerosmith Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, The Eagles, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band and Queen. 1973’s rock album releases also presented rock fans with solo albums from all four Beatles. Fans also celebrated multiple album releases from such great artists as Yes, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and David Bowie.

As staff members argued over which albums to include in the top 10, it became apparent that there was no way we could list just 10. There were just too many groundbreaking albums that have become all-time classic rock records. So, for this year only, we expanded the top 10 to the top 40. Of course, we have also included an additional list of all the great rock albums released in 1973 in chronological order.

Classic rock is defined by many different genres of rock and roll music, such as country, southern, hard, pop, progressive, and all the other subgenres in between. All those different styles represent the top 50 list below. The diversity in musical tastes and the willingness of music fans to accept, celebrate, enjoy, and purchase albums from all these different artists fueled the greatest decade of rock and roll music of all time.

# 50 – Tattoo – Rory Gallagher

# 49 – Montrose – Montrose

# 48 – Chicago VI – Chicago

# 47 – Rock and Roll – Foghat

# 46 – Tres Hombres –  ZZ Top

# 45 – For Everyman – Jackson Browne

# 44 – The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get – Joe Walsh

# 43 – Tyranny and Mutation – Blue Öyster Cult

# 42 – Muscle of Love – Alice Cooper

# 41 – Tales from Topographic Oceans – Yes

# 40 – Wake of the Flood – Grateful Dead

# 39 – New York Dolls – New York Dolls

# 38 – Berlin – Lou Reed

# 37 – Selling England by the Pound – Genesis

# 36 – A Passion Play – Jethro Tull

# 35 – Red Rose Speedway – Paul McCartney and Wings

# 34 – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon – Paul Simon

# 33 – For Your Pleasure – Roxy Music

# 32 – Larks’ Tongues in Aspic – King Crimson

# 31 – Holland – The Beach Boys

# 30 – The Captain and Me – The Doobie Brothers

# 29 – Desperado – The Eagles

# 28 – Yessongs – Yes

# 27 – Burnin’ – Bob Marley & The Wailers

# 26 – Innervisions – Stevie Wonder

# 25 – Closing Time – Tom Waits

# 24 – Bachman–Turner Overdrive II – Bachman–Turner Overdrive

# 23 – Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player – Elton John

# 22 – The Wild Innocent & The E Street Shuffle – Bruce Springsteen

# 21 – Queen – Queen

# 20 – Aladdin Sane  – David Bowie

# 19 – Living in the Material World – George Harrison

# 18 – (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) – Lynyrd Skynyrd

# 17 – Billy Joel  – Billy Joel

# 16 – Raw Power – The Stooges

# 15 – Countdown to Ecstasy  – Steely Dan

# 14 – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – Black Sabbath

# 13 – Ringo – Ringo Starr

# 12 – Goats Head Soup – The Rolling Stones

# 11 – Mind Games – John Lennon

# 10 – Aerosmith  – Aerosmith

Aerosmith’s great debut album was not much of a hit when it was first released. It was only after the success of Toys in the Attic that the public discovered this great record with the release of the single “Dream On.”

#  9 – Brain Salad Surgery – Emerson Lake & Palmer

Welcome back my friends to one of the most smoking progressive rock albums ever released. Emerson Lake & Palmer tore it up on this classic record.

#  8 – We’re an American Band – Grand Funk Railroad

There was a time when Grand Funk was the biggest band in the world. This album played a huge part in their popularity. Todd Rundgren’s brilliant production skills combined with the talents of this great band made for an album that became part of our daily lives in the 70s.

#  7 – Over-Nite Sensation – Frank Zappa

Put on the headphones and listen to this one. Frank Zappa’s brilliant album was a masterpiece in originality and genius. Just like almost any other Frank Zappa album.

#  6 – Brothers and Sisters – The Allman Brothers Band

The first Allman Brothers Band album in the post Duane Allman period showcases Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts writing skills. The two men stepped up to the plate hitting how runs. Standout tracks included “Jessica, Rambling Man, Southbound and Wasted Words,”

#  5 – Houses Of The Holy – Led Zeppelin

It’s tough not to list a Led Zeppelin album at number one, but a Dark Side of the Moon album only happens once in a lifetime. Nonetheless, Houses of the Holy has always been one of our favorite Led Zeppelin albums. You just don’t get tired of this one with songs like “Dancing Days, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, The Ocean, Over the Hills and Far Away, D’yer Mak’er and The Crunge.”

#  4 – Band On The Run – Paul McCartney & Wings

Paul McCartney’s greatest solo album was released in a year with fierce competition. Still, this one was almost never off our turntable in the 1970s.

#  3 – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John

It’s hard to describe this Elton John album because it is so unbelievably good. This magical two record set was filled with huge hits and deep album tracks. Songs like “Bennie and the Jets, Candle In The Wind, Funeral For A Friend, Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting, Harmony, Grey Seal, Danny Bailey.”Unbelievable!

#  2 – Quadrophenia – The Who

This two record set stands as one of the best Who albums of all time. In our book its second to Who’s Next. The original album packaging with the huge booklet defined what the record buying experience was all about in the 1970s.

#  1 – Dark Side Of The Moon – Pink Floyd

There was no doubt about this one. Pink Floyd’s legendary album Dark Side Of The Moon which stayed on the Billboard Top 100 album charts for fifteen straight years from 1973 to 1988. That’s a record that will never be broken.

More Fantastic Classic Rock Albums Released in 1973

These are listed in chronological order in which they came out throughout the year

Best Rock Albums – January 1973

Vagabonds of the Western World – Thin Lizzy

Fantasy – Carole King

The Six Wives of Henry VIII – Rick Wakeman

GP – Gram Parsons

In Concert – Derek and the Dominos

Aquashow – Elliott Murphy

Best Rock Albums – February 1973

Blueprint – Rory Gallagher

For Real! – Ruben and the Jets

In the Right Place – Dr John

Camel – Camel

Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory – Traffic

Best Rock Albums – March 1973

A Wizard, a True Star – Todd Rundgren

Beck, Bogert & Appice – Beck, Bogert & Appice

Ooh La La – Faces

Looking Back – Leon Russell

Penguin – Fleetwood Mac

Raunch ‘N’ Roll Live – Black Oak Arkansas

Rock On – David Essex

Still Alive and Well – Johnny Winter

Best Rock Albums – April 1973

The Marshall Tucker Band – The Marshall Tucker Band

Diamond Girl – Seals and Crofts

Best Rock Albums – May 1973

Space Ritual – Hawkwind

Bachman–Turner Overdrive – Bachman Turner Overdrive

Flying Teapot – Gong

Razamanaz – Nazareth

You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw – Spooky Tooth

Best Rock Albums – July 1973

Life and Times  – Jim Croce

Love Devotion Surrender – Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin

Berlin – Lou Reed

10cc – 10cc

Whatever Turns You On –  – West, Bruce and Laing

Best Rock Albums – August 197

Sing It Again Rod – Rod Stewart

Future Days – Can

Maria Muldaur – Maria Muldaur

Yeah! – Brownsville Station

Best Rock Albums – September 1973

Eric Clapton’s Rainbow Concert – Eric Clapton

High on the Hog – Black Oak Arkansas

Don’t Cry Now – Linda Ronstadt

Ten Years Are Gone – John Mayall

Best Rock Albums – October 1973

For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night – Caravan

Moondog Matinee – The Band

Mystery to Me – Fleetwood Mac

Hat Trick – America

Frampton’s Camel – Peter Frampton

The Adventures of Panama Red – New Riders of the Purple Sage

All American Boy – Rick Derringer

Ashes Are Burning – Renaissance

Full Sail – Loggins and Messina

The Joker – Steve Miller Band

Takin’ My Time – Bonnie Raitt

Best Rock Albums – November 1973

Stranded – Roxy Music

Abandoned Luncheonette – Hall & Oates

Welcome  – Santana

Best Rock Albums – December 1973

I Got a Name – Jim Croce

Short Stories – Harry Chapin

Ridin’ the Storm Out – REO Speedwagon

Fantasy – Carole King

PHOTO CREDITS for feature photo

The Who – Jean-Luc [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]
Jimmy Page – Heinrich Klaffs [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]
Pink Floyd Members – Capitol Records [Public domain] Via Creative Commons

Updated August 9, 2024

1973’s Best Classic Rock Albums  article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024

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