The 25 best heavy metal albums from the 1970's (and late 1960's) are shown below. The list represents the combined opinion of numerous heavy metal fans: the points used to develop the rankings are derived from more than 70 heavy metal lists shown here.
When the points for two or more albums are equal, the tie breakers in order are (1) the number of lists that the album appeared on (higher is better); (2) highest position achieved on any list; and (3) earliest release date.
The list of 50 All-Time Best Heavy Metal Albums compiles the results from all decades.
Separate Top 25 lists are also provided by decade, for the Eighties, Nineties, and Noughties.
The 25 Best Heavy Metal Albums of the 1970's
Rank 25
Sex Pistols
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols (1977)
33 points
Rank 24
Blue Oyster Cult
Secret Treaties (1974)
33 points
Rank 23
Montrose
Montrose (1973)
39 points
Rank 22
Rush
2112 (1976)
39 points
Rank 21
Judas Priest
Stained Class (1978)
40 points
Rank 20
Deep Purple
Made In Japan (1972)
43 points
Rank 19
Alice Cooper
Billion Dollar Babies (1973)
49 points
Rank 18
Kiss
Alive! (1975)
55 points
Rank 17
Kiss
Destroyer (1976)
61 points
Rank 16
Thin Lizzy
Jailbreak (1976)
61 points
Rank 15
Black Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
69 points
Rank 14
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin (1969)
73 points
Rank 13
Rainbow
Rising (1976)
79 points
Rank 12
Judas Priest
Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976)
86 points
Rank 11
Aerosmith
Rocks (1976)
94 points
Rank 10
AC/DC
Highway To Hell (1979)
101 points
Rank 9
Deep Purple
In Rock (1970)
113 points
Rank 8
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin II (1969)
124 points
Rank 7
Led Zeppelin
Physical Graffiti (1975)
133 points
Rank 6
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
133 points
Rank 5
Deep Purple
Machine Head (1972)
143 points
Rank 4
Black Sabbath
Master Of Reality (1971)
184 points
Rank 3
Van Halen
Van Halen (1978)
195 points
Rank 2
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath (1970)
231 points
Rank 1
Black Sabbath
Paranoid (1970)
535 points
