50 Best Albums of the Early '70s 🎸 | Prog Rock's Absolute Peak

🎵 Music is my special friend. This is my personal Top 50 of the early '70s — a five-year stretch from 1970 to 1974 when progressive rock hit its absolute peak, hard rock got heavier, jazz fusion exploded, and classic albums arrived almost every month. Think of it as a summary of my earlier year-by-year rankings from this era, brought together into one countdown: the records that still define those years, from close-up favourites to a few that deserve more love. No long essays this time — just a fast run through fifty essential albums. Next up on the channel: the full Top 100 of these same early-'70s years. For now — here's the Top 50. Do you agree with the ranking? What would YOUR #1 of the early '70s be? Tell me in the comments! 👇 ───────────────────────────── 🏆 THE RANKING: 1 - 🇬🇧 Yes - Close to the Edge (1972) 2 - 🇬🇧 Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 3 - 🇬🇧 Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick (1972) 4 - 🇬🇧 King Crimson - Red (1974) 5 - 🇬🇧 Yes - Relayer (1974) 6 - 🇬🇧 King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic (1973) 7 - 🇬🇧 Genesis - Selling England by the Pound (1973) 8 - 🇬🇧 Genesis - Foxtrot (1972) 9 - 🇬🇧 Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Tarkus (1971) 10 - 🇬🇧 Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother (1970) 11 - 🇬🇧 Gentle Giant - Three Friends (1972) 12 - 🇬🇧 Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972) 13 - 🇬🇧 Genesis - Nursery Cryme (1971) 14 - 🇬🇧 Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970) 15 - 🇬🇧 Wishbone Ash - Argus (1972) 16 - 🇬🇧 Genesis - Trespass (1970) 17 - 🇬🇧 Jethro Tull - Aqualung (1971) 18 - 🇬🇧 Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970) 19 - 🇬🇧 Gentle Giant - Octopus (1972) 20 - 🇬🇧 Deep Purple - Deep Purple in Rock (1970) 21 - 🇬🇧 Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Center of the Earth (1974) 22 - 🇬🇧 Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (1973) 23 - 🇬🇧 Pink Floyd - Meddle (1971) 24 - 🇬🇧 Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) 25 - 🇬🇧 Camel - Mirage (1974) 26 - 🇬🇧 King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black (1974) 27 - 🇬🇧 King Crimson - Lizard (1970) 28 - 🇬🇧 Derek and The Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) 29 - 🇬🇧 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (1971) 30 - 🇬🇧 Jethro Tull - Benefit (1970) 31 - 🇬🇧 T2 - It'll All Work Out in Boomland (1970) 32 - 🇬🇧 Black Sabbath - Master of Reality (1971) 33 - 🇬🇧 Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Ash (1970) 34 - 🇺🇸 Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame (1971) 35 - 🇬🇧 Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1970) 36 - 🇬🇧 The Who - Quadrophenia (1973) 37 - 🇬🇧 Gentle Giant - In a Glass House (1973) 38 - 🇺🇸 Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire (1973) 39 - 🇬🇧 Budgie - Never Turn Your Back on a Friend (1973) 40 - 🇬🇧 Gentle Giant - Acquiring the Taste (1971) 41 - 🇬🇧 Camel - Camel (1973) 42 - 🇬🇧 Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery (1973) 43 - 🇬🇧 Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Trilogy (1972) 44 - 🇬🇧 Gentle Giant - Gentle Giant (1970) 45 - 🇬🇧 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) 46 - 🇮🇹 Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra (1973) 47 - 🇬🇧 Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself (1971) 48 - 🇬🇧 Van der Graaf Generator - H to He Who Am the Only One (1970) 49 - 🇬🇧 Yes - Fragile (1971) 50 - 🇬🇧 King Crimson - Islands (1971) ───────────────────────────── 🎸 Do you agree with the ranking? Leave your own early-'70s Top 10 in the comments! 👍 If you enjoyed this video, leave a like and subscribe to Music is my special friend — and turn on notifications so you never miss a new ranking! 🔔 Hit the bell so you never miss a new upload! ───────────────────────────── Music is my special friend 🎵 ───────────────────────────── #Early70s #BestAlbums #ProgressiveRock #ClassicRock #ProgRock #1970s #MusicRanking #Vinyl #Yes #PinkFloyd #KingCrimson #Genesis