Albums of 1973
The records from 1973 that made our lists.
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1Call MeAl Green
Call Me
A peak of Hi Records soul, smooth and warm with country touches. Sensual and beautifully produced. One of his best.
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2Betty DavisBetty Davis
Betty Davis
A raw, fearless funk debut that was years ahead of its time. Bold and reappraised. A cult landmark.
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3Sabbath Bloody SabbathBlack Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
A more sophisticated peak balancing heaviness with melody and strings. Ambitious and beloved. A high point.
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4Catch a FireBob Marley and the Wailers
Catch a Fire
The album that took reggae worldwide, polishing the Wailers' roots sound for an international audience without losing its message. 'Stir It Up' and 'Concrete Jungle' lead the way. A landmark of crossover without compromise.
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5Burnin'Bob Marley and the Wailers
Burnin'
A fiery roots peak, home to 'Get Up, Stand Up' and 'I Shot the Sheriff'. Militant and tuneful. An essential early record.
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6The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street ShuffleBruce Springsteen
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
A sprawling, jazzy early peak of street-poetry songcraft. Ambitious and beloved. A cult favourite.
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7Future DaysCan
Future Days
A serene, ambient-leaning krautrock peak of hypnotic flow. Beautiful and influential. A high point.
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8Light as a FeatherChick Corea
Light as a Feather
A bright, Latin-tinged fusion peak, home to 'Spain'. Warm and beloved. A genre favourite.
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9Aladdin SaneDavid Bowie
Aladdin Sane
Ziggy goes to America, harder and more fractured, with Mike Garson's wild piano on the title track. Glam at its most adventurous. A thrilling follow-up.
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10My Tennessee Mountain HomeDolly Parton
My Tennessee Mountain Home
A warm, autobiographical concept peak. Tender and beloved. A high point.
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11Extension of a ManDonny Hathaway
Extension of a Man
A lush, orchestral peak of soulful depth. Beautiful and beloved. A high point.
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12DesperadoEagles
Desperado
An Old West concept album of harmony-rich country-rock. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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13Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadElton John
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
A sprawling double album of Elton's peak songcraft, from 'Bennie and the Jets' to the title ballad. Lavish and tuneful. His masterpiece.
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14Selling England by the PoundGenesis
Selling England by the Pound
The peak of the Gabriel era, theatrical and intricate English prog. Witty and elaborate. A genre high point.
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15GPGram Parsons
GP
A tender solo debut of cosmic country, with Emmylou Harris's harmonies. Warm and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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16Head HuntersHerbie Hancock
Head Hunters
The album that fused jazz with funk and sold in huge numbers, anchored by the slinky 'Chameleon'. Groove-led and irresistible. A fusion landmark.
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17Solid AirJohn Martyn
Solid Air
A warm, jazzy folk landmark of slurred vocals and atmosphere. Singular and beloved. His masterpiece.
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18Sweet RevengeJohn Prine
Sweet Revenge
A wry, warm peak of perfect songwriting. Funny and beloved. A high point.
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19Larks' Tongues in AspicKing Crimson
Larks' Tongues in Aspic
A bold, improvisational prog peak of tension and texture. Adventurous and acclaimed. A high point.
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20Wild and PeacefulKool & the Gang
Wild and Peaceful
A loose, jam-heavy peak, home to 'Jungle Boogie' and 'Funky Stuff'. Joyful and beloved. A genre classic.
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21Houses of the HolyLed Zeppelin
Houses of the Holy
More varied and playful than its predecessors, stretching into funk, reggae pastiche and lush balladry. A confident band exploring its range. An underrated peak.
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22BerlinLou Reed
Berlin
A bleak, theatrical song-cycle of addiction and despair. Harrowing and acclaimed. A cult masterpiece.
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23(Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd)Lynyrd Skynyrd
(Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd)
A landmark Southern-rock debut, home to 'Free Bird' and 'Simple Man'. Tough and tuneful. A genre cornerstone.
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24Birds of FireMahavishnu Orchestra
Birds of Fire
A blazing fusion peak of complex, electric intensity. Virtuosic and acclaimed. A genre high point.
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25Let's Get It OnMarvin Gaye
Let's Get It On
A landmark of sensual soul, lush and intimate, home to its iconic title track. Warm and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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26New York DollsNew York Dolls
New York Dolls
A trashy, glam-punk debut that bridged the Stones and punk. Raw and influential. A proto-punk landmark.
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27The Dark Side of the MoonPink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon
A seamless suite on time, money, madness and mortality, built from sighing synths, saxophone, heartbeat pulses and tape collage. It spent years on the charts for good reason: the production still sounds vast and the sequencing flows as one continuous piece. The benchmark for hi-fi demonstration and a cornerstone of any collection.
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28For Your PleasureRoxy Music
For Your Pleasure
A darker, more experimental art-rock peak before Eno's exit. Bold and acclaimed. A high point.
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29FreshSly and the Family Stone
Fresh
A loose, funky post-Riot record of reinvented grooves. Influential and warm. A genre favourite.
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30Countdown to EcstasySteely Dan
Countdown to Ecstasy
A sharp, jazzy early peak. Sophisticated and beloved. A high point.
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31InnervisionsStevie Wonder
Innervisions
Tight, visionary and politically charged, blending synth-funk with social realism on tracks like 'Living for the City'. Wonder plays much of it himself. A peak of the singer-songwriter-as-one-man-band ideal.
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32Space Is the PlaceSun Ra
Space Is the Place
A cosmic, big-band Afrofuturist landmark of free jazz and ritual. Wild and visionary. A singular record.
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33Brothers and SistersThe Allman Brothers Band
Brothers and Sisters
A warm, country-leaning peak, home to 'Ramblin' Man'. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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343+3The Isley Brothers
3+3
A peak of funky soul and rock guitar, home to 'That Lady'. Smooth and influential. A 70s classic.
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35Ship AhoyThe O'Jays
Ship Ahoy
A lush, socially conscious Philly-soul peak. Powerful and beloved. A high point.
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36Goats Head SoupThe Rolling Stones
Goats Head Soup
A loose, sultry follow-up to Exile, home to 'Angie'. Mellow and beloved. A solid peak-era record.
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37Raw PowerThe Stooges
Raw Power
A snarling, Bowie-mixed proto-punk classic, home to 'Search and Destroy'. Loud and dangerous. A punk blueprint.
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38Blackboard Jungle DubThe Upsetters
Blackboard Jungle Dub
An early, pioneering dub landmark from Lee Perry. Inventive and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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39QuadropheniaThe Who
Quadrophenia
A double-album rock opera about a conflicted mod, grander and more cohesive than Tommy. Townshend's synths and Daltrey's voice power it. A high point of 70s concept records.
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40Closing TimeTom Waits
Closing Time
A tender, piano-led debut of late-night ballads, home to 'Ol' 55'. Warm and understated. A quiet classic.
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41Funky KingstonToots and the Maytals
Funky Kingston
Joyful, soul-soaked reggae powered by Toots Hibbert's gospel-strength voice. Warm and irresistible. One of the great feel-good records of the genre.
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42Honky Tonk HeroesWaylon Jennings
Honky Tonk Heroes
A landmark of outlaw country, rough and rebellious, mostly written by Billy Joe Shaver. Loose and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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43Shotgun WillieWillie Nelson
Shotgun Willie
The loose, liberated record where Willie found his outlaw voice. Warm and acclaimed. A turning point.
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44Band on the RunWings
Band on the Run
McCartney's triumphant return to form, inventive and tuneful from its title suite on. Polished and warm. His best post-Beatles album.
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45Tres HombresZZ Top
Tres Hombres
A peak of gritty Texas boogie, home to 'La Grange'. Tough and beloved. A high point.