In our school, you werent anything socially if you didnt have a copy of the Eagle's "Hotel California", Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" and "Frampton Comes Alive".................another nominee was "Saturday Night Fever" but if you had the first three SNF wasnt necessary

Kiss Alive was very big with us too

What you mentioned, plus these...

http://sail.usc.edu/~ssundara/pfdarkside.jpg

http://audiobasics.com/acatalog/Product_ZepIV.gif

http://mitkadem.homestead.com/files/thick_brick_jpeg.jpg


And of course this one (all the really, really cool people had it!  ;D )
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000006XGZ.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

Oh boy, I'm going to love this.  These are MUST-HAVES:


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002J09.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


This is the most important.  If you don't have this, you suck at life.


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002JSN.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


Gotta have this one too.


http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000000W5N.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006AW2K.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ca/ExileMainSt.jpg


3 great Stones albums, even though the best of their catalogue was actually released in the 60s.


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002OX7.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002OVJ.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


The Who representin' on the list.


http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002U82.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a2/Somethinganythingcover.jpg


http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000002JU9.01._SS500_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg


Kinda small.......sorry about that.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/The_Doors_-_L.A._Woman.jpg




I could come up with more if you give me a few hours.  :)

Had I been older in the 70's, I definately would have bought the 1978 album "See Forever Eyes" by Prism.  I listen to it quite a bit 8)

http://www.prism.ca/graphics/prismalbum-sfe.jpg

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AZAUM.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Tubluar Bells and Kraftwerk's Autobahn amd Radio Activity, all three in vinyl and now collector items.

Carole King's Tapestry.

Hotel California-The Eagles
Breakfast in American-Supertramp
Grand Illusion-Styx
Paradise Theatre-Styx
Bat Out of Hell-Meatloaf
The Stranger-Billy Joel
52nd Street-Billy Joel
Too Old to Rock-n-Roll (And Too Young to Die)-Jethro Tull
Songs From the Wood-Jethro Tull
Journey to the Centre of the Earth-Rick Wakeman
Hurricane-Bob Dylan
Rust Live-Neil Young
Live Stories-Harry Chapin
Crimes of Passion-Pat Benatar (not too sure if this was 70s or 80s)



Those are the ones I can think of right now.



Cat

Hotel California-The Eagles
Breakfast in American-Supertramp
Grand Illusion-Styx
Paradise Theatre-Styx
Bat Out of Hell-Meatloaf
The Stranger-Billy Joel
52nd Street-Billy Joel
Too Old to Rock-n-Roll (And Too Young to Die)-Jethro Tull
Songs From the Wood-Jethro Tull
Journey to the Centre of the Earth-Rick Wakeman
Hurricane-Bob Dylan
Rust Live-Neil Young
Live Stories-Harry Chapin
Crimes of Passion-Pat Benatar (not too sure if this was 70s or 80s)

Those are the ones I can think of right now.

Cat


Wow, what a list.  Meatloaf, Bat Out of Hell -- what memories!

How about Springsteen "Born to Run" and
The Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack

Before people jump all over me-I realize that I did make a mistake with the Bob Dylan album. That should be Desire (which has the song Hurricane on it). See, I can admit when I am wrong (which only happens once every 20 years or so.  ;) :D ;D)




Cat

I think some folks have misunderstood the point of this thread............its not about the greatest albums of the 70s, its about the albums you had to own to be considered "cool" at school

I think some folks have misunderstood the point of this thread............its not about the greatest albums of the 70s, its about the albums you had to own to be considered "cool" at school



Those were the albums I HAD to have or I was just going to die.



Cat

Hotel California-The Eagles
Breakfast in American-Supertramp
Grand Illusion-Styx
Paradise Theatre-Styx
Bat Out of Hell-Meatloaf
The Stranger-Billy Joel
52nd Street-Billy Joel
Too Old to Rock-n-Roll (And Too Young to Die)-Jethro Tull
Songs From the Wood-Jethro Tull
Journey to the Centre of the Earth-Rick Wakeman
Hurricane-Bob Dylan
Rust Live-Neil Young
Live Stories-Harry Chapin
Crimes of Passion-Pat Benatar (not too sure if this was 70s or 80s)



Those are the ones I can think of right now.



Cat


Crimes of Passion was 1980.
Paradise Theatre-Styx was 1981 :)

I think some folks have misunderstood the point of this thread............its not about the greatest albums of the 70s, its about the albums you had to own to be considered "cool" at school



I own all those albums, if not on vinyl then on CD. 

Hotel California-The Eagles
Breakfast in American-Supertramp
Grand Illusion-Styx
Paradise Theatre-Styx
Bat Out of Hell-Meatloaf
The Stranger-Billy Joel
52nd Street-Billy Joel
Too Old to Rock-n-Roll (And Too Young to Die)-Jethro Tull
Songs From the Wood-Jethro Tull
Journey to the Centre of the Earth-Rick Wakeman
Hurricane-Bob Dylan
Rust Live-Neil Young
Live Stories-Harry Chapin
Crimes of Passion-Pat Benatar (not too sure if this was 70s or 80s)



Those are the ones I can think of right now.



Cat



I think Crimes of Passion was 1980 or so.

Living in the 70s - the Skyhooks

No props for Stevie Wonder?  :o  We just HAD to have Songs In The Key Of Life, at that time in particular.  :)

How's about Frampton Comes Alive?  Band On The Run?  I think these were must haves at the time, if not now  ::)

I listed Frampton Comes Alive as a must have in the initial post and I personally think that "Band On The Run" is the greatest album EVER.  Not just of the 70s but it really wasnt a socially "must have" like the aforementioned, "Rumours", "Hotel California" "Frampton" or "SNF Soundtrack"

GOODBY YELLOW BRICK ROAD
WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE
BILLION DOLLAR BABIES

Rumors..Fleetwood Mac

I didn't buy my first LP 'til 1981. But my favorite 70s vinyl was my dad's Black Sabbath collection.

GOODBY YELLOW BRICK ROAD
WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE
BILLION DOLLAR BABIES



How could I forget Welcome to my Nightmare.




Cat

Ok these were the top ten albums each year from 1970 to 1979, according to Cash Box magazine:

1970
1 CHICAGO (Columbia)
2 DEJA VU - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Atlantic)
3 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER - Simon & Garfunkel (Columbia)
4 WOODSTOCK - Original Soundtrack/Various Artists (Cotillion)
5 ABBEY ROAD - The Beatles (Apple)
6 SANTANA (Columbia)
7 LED ZEPPELIN II (Atlantic)
8 JOE COCKER! (A&M)
9 McCARTNEY - Paul McCartney (Apple)
10 EASY RIDER - Original Soundtrack (Dunhill)

1971
1 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR - Various Artists (Decca)
2 TAPESTRY - Carole King (Ode)
3 TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN - Cat Stevens (A&M)
4 MUD SLIDE SLIM AND THE BLUE HORIZON - James Taylor (Warner Bros.)
5 STICKY FINGERS - The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)
6 PEARL - Janis Joplin (Columbia)
7 ABRAXAS - Santana (Columbia)
8 CARPENTERS (A&M)
9 RAM - Paul & Linda McCartney (Apple)
10 GOLDEN BISQUITS - Three Dog Night (Dunhill)

1972
1 TAPESTRY - Carole King (Ode)
2 MUSIC - Carole King (Ode)
3 HARVEST - Neil Young (Reprise)
4 AMERICAN PIE - Don McLean (United Artists)
5 TEASER AND THE FIRECAT - Cat Stevens (A&M)
6 LET’S STAY TOGETHER - Al Green (Hi)
7 THE CONCERT FOR BANGLA DESH - George Harrison/Various Artists (Apple)
8 FRAGILE - Yes (Atlantic)
9 AMERICA (Warner Bros.)
10 LED ZEPPELIN IV (Atlantic)

1973
1 THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON - Pink Floyd (Harvest)
2 HOUSES OF THE HOLY - Led Zeppelin (Atlantic)
3 DIAMOND GIRL - Seals & Crofts (Warner Bros.)
4 THE WORLD IS A GHETTO - War (United Artists)
5 SEVENTH SOJOURN - The Moody Blues (Threshold)
6 THE CAPTAIN AND ME - The Doobie Brothers (Warner Bros.)
7 LIFE AND TIMES - Jim Croce (ABC)
8 TALKING BOOK - Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
9 ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH - John Denver (RCA Victor)
10 CHICAGO VI - Chicago (Columbia)

1974
1 GREATEST HITS - John Denver (RCA Victor)
2 BAND ON THE RUN - Paul McCartney & Wings (Apple)
3 GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - Elton John (MCA)
4 THE SINGLES 1969-1973 - Carpenters (A&M)
5 BACKMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE II (Mercury)
6 YOU DON’T MESS AROUND WITH JIM - Jim Croce (ABC)
7 THE STING - Original Soundtrack (MCA)
8 CHICAGO VII - Chicago (Columbia)
9 INNERVISIONS - Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
10 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS - Charlie Rich (Epic)

1975
1 GREATEST HITS - Elton John
2 CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY - Elton John
3 THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD - Earth, Wind And Fire
4 HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN MELLOW - Olivia Newton-John
5 ROCK OF THE WESTIES - Elton John
6 ONE OF THESE NIGHTS - The Eagles
7 AWB - The Average White Band
8 WINDSONG - John Denver
9 NOT FRAGILE - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
10 RED OCTOPUS - Jefferson Starship

1976
1 FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE! - Peter Frampton
2 THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971-1975 - The Eagles
3 FLEETWOOD MAC
4 SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE - Stevie Wonder
5 HISTORY/AMERICA’S GREATEST HITS
6 AT THE SPEED OF SOUND - Wings
7 GRATITUDE - Earth, Wind And Fire
8 BREEZIN’ - George Benson
9 A NIGHT AT THE OPERA - Queen
10 THE DREAM WEAVER - Gary Wright

1977
1 RUMOURS - Fleetwood Mac (Warner Bros.)
2 HOTEL CALIFORNIA - The Eagles (Asylum)
3 BOSTON (Epic)
4 SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE - Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
5 FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE! - Peter Frampton (A&M)
6 STAR WARS - Original Soundtrack (20th Century)
7 A STAR IS BORN - Original Soundtrack/Barbra Streisand (Columbia)
8 COMMODORES - The Commodores (Motown)
9 FLY LIKE AN EAGLE - The Steve Miller Band (Capitol)
10 FOREIGNER (Atlantic)

1978
1 SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - Original Soundtrack/The Bee Gees
2 THE STRANGER - Billy Joel
3 GREASE - Original Soundtrack
4 SOME GIRLS - The Rolling Stones
5 DOUBLE VISION - Foreigner
6 RUNNING ON EMPTY - Jackson Browne
7 POINT OF KNOW RETURN - Kansas
8 SLOWHAND - Eric Clapton
9 RUMOURS - Fleetwood Mac
10 NATURAL HIGH - The Commodores

1979
1 BREAKFAST IN AMERICA - Supertramp (A&M)
2 BAD GIRLS - Donna Summer (Casablanca)
3 MINUTE BY MINUTE - The Doobie Brothers (Warner Bros.)
4 52ND STREET - Billy Joel (Columbia)
5 CHEAP TRICK AT BUDOKAN (Epic)
6 SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN - The Bee Gees (RSO)
7 BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN - Rod Stewart (Warner Bros.)
8 GET THE KNACK - The Knack (Capitol)
9 CANDY-O - The Cars (Elektra)
10 IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR - Led Zeppelin (Swan Song)

http://www.cjnetworks.com/~leis/album/boston/boston1.jpg

What about this one ?

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Towers/7260/blood_live.jpg

::)

In our school, you werent anything socially if you didnt have a copy of the Eagle's "Hotel California", Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" and "Frampton Comes Alive".................another nominee was "Saturday Night Fever" but if you had the first three SNF wasnt necessary

Kiss Alive was very big with us too


These were must have albums, but I must admit, I have never owned, nor will I ever own,
any of these albums.

Queen's "News Of The World" was also a must have. This one I do own.

These were must have albums, but I must admit, I have never owned, nor will I ever own,
any of these albums.

Queen's "News Of The World" was also a must have. This one I do own.


The Eagles were kind of overrated...I was never a fan of radio-friendly rock like Boston either.

http://www.cjnetworks.com/~leis/album/boston/boston1.jpg



Oh that's a kick-ass album/CD that I still need to get. 

Oh that's a kick-ass album/CD that I still need to get. 


Yes, very pulp-sci-fi/Amazing Stories

Queen's "News Of The World" was also a must have. This one I do own.



Another one I forgot on my list.



Cat

If you were a 'social-outcast student' type...Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'...

If you hated 'social-outcast student' types...anything by Status Quo...

If you hated everybody...'Never Mind The Bollocks' - Sex Pistols...

If everybody hated you...anything by ELO (but never ever mention it!)  ;)

At least Paul understood the gist of the topic --it was not the best album of the 70s

Didn't have many albums in the 70s but one we had to have was Grease.  I clubbed together with one of my brothers to buy this!

Oh boy, I'm going to love this.  These are MUST-HAVES:

This is the most important.  If you don't have this, you suck at life.

Gotta have this one too.

3 great Stones albums, even though the best of their catalogue was actually released in the 60s.

The Who representin' on the list.

I could come up with more if you give me a few hours.   :)


   LOL!  You weren't even around in the 70's, Sister...what gives..? :P

   KISS Alive definately.  Everyone and their brother had a copy...

  Oh, Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton...even moreso than KISS Alive...

If everybody hated you...anything by ELO (but never ever mention it!)  ;)




  Really?  You think so?  ELO was insanely popular then...I mean bigger than big!  Can't say the same for their 80's incarnation...

  LOL!  You weren't even around in the 70's, Sister...what gives..? :P

  KISS Alive definately.  Everyone and their brother had a copy...

  Oh, Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton...even moreso than KISS Alive...



So?  I grew up with all this music.  Just because I was born in 1982 doesn't mean I can't know my sh*t.

So?  I grew up with all this music.  Just because I was born in 1982 doesn't mean I can't know my sh*t.


  I know you know your music...I was just saying that MidTennHitman was asking what albums were *ahem* essential to a successful social life back in the 70's.

  Davester was a mere tyke back then but even he knew what the ladies liked... :D

  ...er, umm...yeah...

Would Andy Gibb's Shadow Dancing be essential to a teenage girls life back in the late 70s? I'd like to think so...

http://www.beegees.dk/shadow.jpg

  LOL!  You weren't even around in the 70's, Sister...what gives..? :P

  KISS Alive definately.  Everyone and their brother had a copy...

  Oh, Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton...even moreso than KISS Alive...



I didn't have either one of these-but then again, I'm nobody's brother.  ;) :D ;D ;D




Cat

At least Paul understood the gist of the topic --it was not the best album of the 70s


It does often turn out, though, that the albums we had to have were also the best albums of the decade....because everyone had to have them.

Someone mentioned "Kiss Alive" -- definitely.  LOL!  I forgot about that.

I still listen to it...and this is the only picture I could find of it! LOL
http://invisiblethreads.com/potd_i/2004_07/20040729.jpg

E L P  "Brain Salad Surgery"