Albums of 1975
The records from 1975 that made our lists.
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1Toys in the AtticAerosmith
Toys in the Attic
The album that defined Aerosmith's swaggering blues-rock, home to 'Walk This Way' and 'Sweet Emotion'. Tight and raunchy. Their peak.
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2SabotageBlack Sabbath
Sabotage
A heavy, varied peak of the original line-up. Powerful and underrated. A fan favourite.
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3Blood on the TracksBob Dylan
Blood on the Tracks
Often called the great break-up album, its songs of love gone wrong are among the most affecting Dylan ever wrote. The arrangements are spare and the storytelling extraordinary, especially 'Tangled Up in Blue'. Mature, wounded and beautiful.
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4Live!Bob Marley and the Wailers
Live!
A landmark live album, home to a definitive 'No Woman, No Cry'. Electric and beloved. A high point.
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5Another Green WorldBrian Eno
Another Green World
A delicate balance of song and instrumental texture, gentle and exploratory. A pivot toward ambient. Quietly influential.
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6Born to RunBruce Springsteen
Born to Run
The make-or-break record where Springsteen poured everything into a widescreen, Spector-sized vision of escape and longing. Every track strains for transcendence and mostly reaches it, from the title song to the closing 'Jungleland'. Romantic, exhausting and thrilling.
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7Marcus GarveyBurning Spear
Marcus Garvey
Hypnotic, deeply spiritual roots reggae built on Winston Rodney's incantatory vocals and heavy rhythm. Meditative and powerful. A roots cornerstone.
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8Young AmericansDavid Bowie
Young Americans
Bowie's 'plastic soul' record, embracing Philly soul and funk. Slick and surprising. The album that broke him in America.
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9One of These NightsEagles
One of These Nights
A polished peak that bridged country-rock and pop. Tuneful and huge. A commercial high.
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10That's the Way of the WorldEarth, Wind & Fire
That's the Way of the World
A peak of lush, uplifting funk-soul, home to 'Shining Star'. Polished and joyful. Their best.
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11Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt CowboyElton John
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
An autobiographical concept peak of intricate songcraft. Ambitious and acclaimed. A high point.
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12Pieces of the SkyEmmylou Harris
Pieces of the Sky
A graceful country peak of pristine voice. Warm and acclaimed. A genre highlight.
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13Diamonds & RustJoan Baez
Diamonds & Rust
A mature peak, home to its autobiographical title song. Beautiful and acclaimed. Her finest.
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14The Hissing of Summer LawnsJoni Mitchell
The Hissing of Summer Lawns
An ambitious, jazz-and-world-leaning peak of suburban critique. Bold and acclaimed. A grower among fans.
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15The Koln ConcertKeith Jarrett
The Koln Concert
A wholly improvised solo piano concert that became the best-selling of its kind. Flowing, melodic and transcendent. A singular live document.
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16Radio-ActivityKraftwerk
Radio-Activity
A concept record on radio and radioactivity, sparse and eerie. Pioneering and influential. A transitional landmark.
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17Physical GraffitiLed Zeppelin
Physical Graffiti
A double album with room to roam, from the towering 'Kashmir' to acoustic excursions and pure blues-rock muscle. It shows the full breadth of the band's powers in one set. The deep cuts reward repeat listens as much as the famous tracks.
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18Tonight's the NightNeil Young
Tonight's the Night
A raw, grief-soaked record of loss and ragged beauty. Harrowing and beloved. A cult favourite.
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19ZumaNeil Young
Zuma
A loose, electric Crazy Horse peak, home to 'Cortez the Killer'. Raw and beloved. A high point.
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20Mothership ConnectionParliament
Mothership Connection
A cosmic, horn-driven P-Funk landmark of sci-fi groove. Funky and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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21HorsesPatti Smith
Horses
A visionary fusion of poetry and punk, raw and incantatory from the opening line. Fearless and influential. One of the great debut albums.
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22Still Crazy After All These YearsPaul Simon
Still Crazy After All These Years
A polished, jazzy peak of mature songcraft. Tuneful and acclaimed. A Grammy-winning high.
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23Wish You Were HerePink Floyd
Wish You Were Here
A grieving, beautiful record shaped by absent friend Syd Barrett and disillusion with the music business, anchored by the sprawling 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond'. Warmer and more human than Dark Side, it rewards patience and a good pair of speakers. One of the great headphone albums.
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24A Night at the OperaQueen
A Night at the Opera
Queen's lavish, everything-at-once masterpiece, home to 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and a riot of music-hall, hard rock and balladry. Expensive, ambitious and irresistible. Their defining statement.
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25RubyconTangerine Dream
Rubycon
A hypnotic, sequencer-driven ambient-electronic peak. Immersive and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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26Dreaming My DreamsWaylon Jennings
Dreaming My Dreams
A relaxed, outlaw-country peak of warm craft. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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27Red Headed StrangerWillie Nelson
Red Headed Stranger
A spare, cinematic concept album that defied Nashville convention and became a landmark of outlaw country. Quiet and haunting. Proof less can be more.