Last Updated on February 19, 2026 by Christian Adams
Progressive rock and art rock dominated the landscape in 1973–1974. Southern rock and reggae were among the up-and-coming genres. The four horsemen of the rock apocalypse were Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Rolling Stones. And don’t forget about glam rock!
Ultimately, I’m here to help you decide if these records are worth your time. I’m armed with a simple directive: Is this a must-hear album? Or not? And suggest alternatives when appropriate.
Let’s get into 1973–’74!
The Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not essay series is an ongoing rebuttal to 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, edited by Robert Dimery. The original essay series was bundled 1969–1971 and 1972–1974, whereas most essays only covered two years (e.g., 1975–76). As a reclaimation project, I rewrote and reorganized the must-hear albums from 1969–1974 in the traditional two-year grouping strategy. It’s a lot less bulky this way. Originally published in 2015. Updated in 2025.
Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not (1973–1974)
Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not (1973)
Note: Suggested alternatives are from the same year as the contested entry unless otherwise indicated.
Must-Hear Albums Rating Key:
- Strikethrough indicates what you probably think it does
- Green indicates highly recommended listening
- Underlined indicates questionable but ultimately acceptable record
- Blue bold italic indicates ABSOLUTELY MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE
- Red indicates a generally hazardous material
Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies (1973)
Last year’s School’s Out (1972) had one good song (the title track) and it still made the cut. Is Billion Dollar Babies a must-hear?
I didn’t catch on to Alice Cooper until I got into Kiss around 1976–’77. Somebody gave me a copy of Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (1976) and I hated it. And then, I saw him on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. It’s a fairly famous segment where Alice comes out and lets Johnny handle one of his snakes. For the musical number, he did “Lace and Whiskey” with two prop actors in chicken suits. Skip ahead to the 12:00 mark. It’s fuckin’ ridiculous.
As a nine-year-old boy staying up past his bedtime, the most interesting part of the clip was the interview with Alice. Around the 6:00 mark, he talks about the stage show and how they’re going for shock value. Suddenly, it clicked. “Oh, he’s just goofing around like Kiss. It’s all an act.”
The show inspired me to buy the 45 of “No More Mr. Nice Guy” backed with “Raped and Freezin’“.
Many years later, I got a hold of Billion Dollar Babies, and honestly, I expected it to suck. I figured there was gonna be a huge drop-off after “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” But surprisingly, the next cut, “Generation Landslide”, is probably the best jam on the album. For my money, it’s the best Alice Cooper record since Easy Action (1970).
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Catch A Fire (1973)
Another unpopular opinion: Bob Marley & the Wailers are a greatest hits band unless you love reggae.
Can – Future Days (1973)
This is not one of those records you put on and wait for something to happen because it won’t. That’s the point.
“Moonshake” is in the ballpark of standard krautrock, but otherwise, Future Days veers into minimalist jazz and ambient soundscapes.
David Bowie – Aladdin Sane (1973)
The last must-hear album from Bowie, Aladdin Sane suffered from comparisons to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972). In some ways, it’s Ziggy Stardust II, aimed at the cheap seats. It’s got a handful of great tracks (“Watch That Man”, “Panic in Detroit”, “The Jean Genie”) and a pair of headscratchers: the 1950s doo-wop of “Drive-In Saturday” falls way flat, and the cover of the Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together” never gets cookin’.
Deep Purple – Made In Japan (1973)
Made In Japan, in terms of its audiophile, actually sounds really damn good. For a live album, it sounds like Deep Purple is right there in your living room. Knowing what I know about 1970s live albums (i.e., they aren’t as “live” as we think), I wondered how much was overdubbed in the studio. Turns out, very little. The band has famously denied any additional recording or editing (and other sources back it up).1
So, even though I hate this band, it wouldn’t kill you to hear what all the hype was about. And be disappointed they aren’t Led Zeppelin.
Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Elton John in the 1970s. He had seven consecutive #1 albums (including a greatest hits collection that has since sold 16 million copies), and charted 20 Billboard Top 40 singles (six songs hit #1) from 1971-1976.
Produced by Gus Dudgeon, Yellow Brick Road was a defining record of 1973, but that still doesn’t mean we need to sit through yet another double album. People had more time on their hands back then. They could afford the luxury.
Faust – Faust IV (1973)
Maybe you’ve heard the term ‘krautrock’ tossed around and you’re curious what it means. Faust has you covered. Faust IV opens with an 11-minute jam called “Krautrock”.
See Future Days for a preview of what to expect.
Genesis – Selling England By The Pound (1973)
See, progressive rock bands can release single LPs and still make an enduring statement. But I should be careful, because Genesis is about to release a double album next year.
Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel (1973)
Emmylou Harris is the only reason anybody should listen to (some) of this grueling country rock LP. The songwriting just isn’t there.
Suggested alternative:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
Here’s a guy who could string a few sentences together.
Hawkwind – Space Ritual (1973)
Methamphetamine and hallucinogens get along quite well.
Space Ritual is probably the definitive document of space rock’s aesthetic and philosophical peak. Recorded during the Doremi Fasol Latido (1972) tour, it captures the band—including Lemmy Kilmister on bass and poet Robert Calvert—at their most formidable. While Pink Floyd were moving toward polished, melodic prog, Hawkwind was descending into a hypnotic and abrasive abyss that redefined what “space” sounded like in music.
The album pioneered the “audio-visual” immersive experience we take for granted today. Hawkwind didn’t just show up in a van with some amps and a case of beer. Accompanied by Stacia’s interpretative dancing and Liquid Len’s psychedelic light shows, the music featured repetitive, driving “motorik” rhythms (borrowed from krautrock) and swirling VCS3 synthesizers to create a sense of interstellar travel. It eschewed traditional song structures for a continuous suite of sound, punctuated by Calvert’s dystopian spoken-word interludes about the exhaustion of time and space.
By blending the grit of proto-punk with the experimentalism of electronic music, Space Ritual laid the groundwork for genres ranging from stoner rock to industrial and techno.
Iggy & The Stooges – Raw Power (1973)
Granted, this is caveman-type shit. I believe at one point, I called it “knuckle-dragging.” Over time, Raw Power has grown on me.
John Cale – Paris 1919 (1973)
A surprisingly un-avant-garde affair from the guy who kept things interesting in the Velvet Underground.
John Martyn – Solid Air (1973)
John Martyn was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist in the soulful vein of Tim Buckley. Over a 40-year career, he released 21 studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, and Phil Collins. He was described by The Times as “an electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock, and blues.” Zzzz. Zzzz.
The title track of Solid Air is supposedly dedicated to his friend Nick Drake, who died 18 months later in 1974. Martyn passed away in 2009 following a battle with double pneumonia.
You’ll hear shades of Dave Matthews Band, guaranteed.
Suggested Alternative:
Little Feat – Dixie Chicken
King Crimson – Lark’s Tongues In Aspic (1973)
Starless and Bible Black (1974) is a much more accessible record.
Lou Reed – Berlin (1973)
A sloppy rock opera about a drug-addicted couple in Berlin. Yuck.
At this point in Reed’s career, you’re either onboard with his schtick or you’ve moved on to Queen or Joni Mitchell or somebody who’s gonna give you some bang for the buck. Reed might have an album or two worth of songs left in the tank, but they aren’t on this one.
Suggested Alternative:
Tom Waits – Closing Time
Tom Waits’ debut album. Six of 12 songs have been covered by big-time artists, most notably “Ol’ 55” by the Eagles.
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (1973)
One of the five best debut rock albums ever, and a grand announcement that Southern rock is a force to be reckoned with.
Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On (1973)
Marvin Gaye already made this record in 1971. What’s Going On is essentially the (musical) blueprint for Let’s Get It On. Where the former had socially conscious lyrics and a vaguely political agenda, the latter addresses (in a way) a different type of movement, the sexual revolution, for lack of a better term. So what’s going on is that we’re going to get it on.
Suggested Alternative:
Barry White – I’ve Got So Much to Give (1973)
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells (1973)
This fucking record appears on every Best Albums list. The use of the opening theme in the film The Exorcist gained considerable publicity and introduced the work to a broader audience.
Tubular Bells is the most maddening, hateful, irredeemable piece of music released in 1973, including the stuff I haven’t had to sit through.
Suggested Alternative:
The Meters – Rejuvination (1974)
It’s a travesty that the original 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list didn’t have a single record from the Meters. Let’s fix that.
Mott the Hoople – Mott (1973)
The last album to feature guitarist Mick Ralphs, Mott helped establish glam rock in the U.K. mainstream, but aside from “All the Way From Memphis” and “The Ballad of Mott the Hoople”, it’s kinda generic and pedestrian. All the Young Dudes (1972) is the album that should have made the 1001 Albums list, but 1972 was a competitive year. I understand the omission. But Mott isn’t that great.
New York Dolls – New York Dolls (1973)
Lance Bass and the Folsom Street Band. “Vietnamese Baby” is probably the most unsavory song in existence. This is one of those records that makes me say, “Wow. Just wow. These fucking guys are out of their minds.”
Paul McCartney & Wings – Band On The Run (1973)
This is it, the end of the Beatles. Band On The Run is a eulogy. Lennon’s solo career is essentially over. Harrison would continue to make unremarkable records. Ringo Starr was more of a sideshow than a solo artist, and now, McCartney is officially out of good ideas and a member of Wings. RIP.
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)
Yeah, you gotta.
Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure (1973)
Art rock can be sexy, too.
Steely Dan – Countdown To Ecstasy (1973)
It gets off to a great start with “Bodhisattva” and doesn’t let up through “King of the World”.
Stephen Stills – Manassas (1973)
Goddamn, I’m sorry. Stephen Stills did not have such an influence on popular music that we have to keep getting jammed with his solo albums. It’s irritating. The guy was a great guitarist and wrote some good jams. And that’s it. His work with Manassas is lackluster at best.
Stevie Wonder – Innervisions (1973)
The Incredible Bongo Band – Bongo Rock (1973)
There can never be a must-hear album from a band with bongo in its name, unless it’s former President of Gabon, Omar Bongo, and even then, he’d have to essentially remake Led Zeppelin IV in his own likeness for it to be essential listening. That’s a whole bunch of contingencies piled up in one spot, kids. Omar died in 2009.
Suggested Alternative:
Sun Ra – Space is the Place
Another glaring omission from 1001 Albums You Must Hear.
The Isley Brothers – 3+3 (1973)
Oh man, I hate this fucking album. It was on the jukebox at my steady local pub for five long years. Every single night, someone would play “That Lady” or “Listen to the Music”. Maybe a year into my residence at the bar, we discovered the cover of “Summer Breeze” (Track 8), and all of a sudden, 3+3 was my favorite record in the jukebox.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Next… (1973)
Man, I can’t get over how much fun this Slade record is. There’s a serious party atmosphere at BSM HQ. After all, glam rock is one of the more light-hearted types of fare available. I suppose nobody wants to be thinking about existential angst when shaking their ass. If “Cum On Feel The Noize” was on this record, I might call it one of the best of all-time.
Todd Rundgren – A Wizard, A True Star(1973)
I’ll take this over Something/Anything (1972) any day of the week.
Waylon Jennings – Honky Tonk Heroes (1973)
Honky Tonk Heroes is considered a seminal touchstone in the development of the outlaw subgenre in country music, as it helped resuscitate the Nashville honky tonk sound by injecting a rock and roll attitude. In other words, fuck the Byrds and Gram Parsons. Jennings was making true country rock. He wasn’t playing dress up. And so we must listen.
ZZ Top – Tres Hombres (1973)
Anyway, Tres Hombres is your only must-hear ZZ Top album, so don’t keep your eyes peeled for anything else down the line. Blues rock doesn’t get much better than this.
Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not (1974)
Note: Suggested alternatives are from the same year as the contested entry unless otherwise indicated.
10cc – Sheet Music (1974)
10cc is terribly underrated and sadly pigeonholed by the soft rock stylings of their biggest hit “I’m Not in Love”, which is not on Sheet Music, a delightfully adventurous work of pop genius, and one of the records that makes 1974 such a unique year in music.
Bad Company – Bad Company (1974)
Bad Company had a couple of solid jams. They were a good-to-very good band that stayed within the narrow confines of underachieving hard rock. Some people say Paul Rodgers is one of the all-time great rock vocalists.
Having made several long-distance road trips with exactly three cassettes in the car and a tape deck that didn’t have auto-reverse, I can think of a bunch of circumstances where Bad Company might be one of the only albums you have on hand, and thus, you’d almost be forced to listen to it all the way through.
Otherwise, just tune into the local classic rock radio station and wait for “Can’t Get Enough” to come on, and keep stuffing that Carl’s Jr. double cheeseburger into your face.
Suggested alternative:
Sweet – Desolation Boulevard (1974)
Desolation Boulevard is a fantastic and delightful slice of hard-ass rock and power pop layer cake, which I would recommend based on the drums—both in terms of performance and production. Now, you have to be careful: there are two separate releases (U.K. and U.S.—the latter didn’t hit the shelves until 1975), and four different reissue packages, the latest coming in 2005. That’s the one you want, since it contains bonus tracks including one of the greatest songs nobody ever heard for some unknown reason, “Teenage Rampage”. Seriously, every time I listen to it, I think, “How was this not bigger than ‘Ballroom Blitz‘?”
Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks (1974)
Blood on the Tracks was released in January 1975, but you’ve already heard the best of what this cat has to offer. To my ears, BOTT is one tedious, 51-minute song. Enjoy the first two or three choruses of “Tangled Up in Blue” and get this fucker off the turntable.
Brian Eno – Here Come the Warm Jets (1974)
I’m not one of those cats who think Brian Eno is King Midas. He has produced both U2 and Coldplay. He has flaws and questionable judgment. But Eno’s first three solo records are albums you must hear before you die if there’s ever been such a thing. Run, don’t walk to iTunes and download Here Come the Warm Jets, now.
Wait a minute, you know what else was released in 1974 but didn’t make the list? Eno’s second solo LP, Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), is regarded by some critics and enthusiasts as the superior effort.
Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Blvd (1974)
Did you know that Clapton’s cover of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “I Shot the Sheriff” is his only #1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100? Nearly a decade later, “Tears in Heaven” went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, but stalled at #2 on the Hot 100. Anyway, “Sheriff” and “Motherless Children” are the only two jams on 461 worth repeated spins. Clapton never should have quit heroin, not that he was anything special as junkie.
Suggested Alternative:
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Second Helping (1974)
Gene Clark – No Other (1974)
Gene Clark was probably the best songwriter in the Byrds (“I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” and “Eight Miles High”), but his solo stuff is tiresome, especially this cardboard pastiche of country, gospel, and half-hearted boogie. Therefore, I’ve listened to No Other so you don’t have to.
According to Pitchfork, in 2013, the album was performed live, note-for-note by a “supergroup” featuring Beach House, plus members of Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, and the Walkmen.
Suggested Alternative:
Brian Eno – Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
Genesis – Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)
I love this album and Genesis with Peter Gabriel, but I’ve been brutally honest about every other double album on the list. To make things more complicated, it’s also a concept album about a New York Puerto Rican graffiti artist on a Pilgrim’s Progress-type of spiritual journey. The plot of Gabriel’s story is obtuse and without resolution, but the band’s performance is spellbinding. Who cares about the story?
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a must-hear album if you want to hear superb British progressive rock performed at the highest standard, and you’re invested in the concept. You must be ready and willing to sit through some filler. And Lamb has filler (“Ravine”, “The Light Dies Down on Broadway”, “Riding the Scree”, etc.). If you’re committed to the cause, roughly 16 of 23 tracks are richly rewarding.
George Jones – The Grand Tour (1974)
This record was a strikethrough back in 2015, but I’ve had a chance to hear more George Jones. And country music is vaguely represented in 1974. “The Grand Tour” is fuckin’ tear-jerkin’.
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Winter in America (1974)
Progressive jazz soul with a spoken word vibe and occasional moments of free jazz. How much of this album you’re going to hear depends on how much you like flute solos.
Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters (1974)
Hancock’s Head Hunters marks the spot where jazz-funk fusion bands started recognizing themselves in the mirror, and didn’t like what they saw.
Suggested Alternative:
Frank Zappa – Apostrophe (‘)
One of many amazing things about Frank Zappa was his fearless approach to the fine line between progressive art rock satire and comedy rock.
Joni Mitchell – Court And Spark (1974)
Kraftwerk – Autobahn (1974)
Neil Young – On the Beach (1974)
On the Beach has three songs with “Blues” in the title. Uh-oh.
Queen – Queen II (1974)
Queen – Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
Queen was among several artists who released two studio albums in 1974: Brian Eno, King Crimson, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Sweet, Miles Davis, and Harry Nilsson all doubled-up, and several others (Elton John, David Bowie, etc.) released one studio album and one live and/or best of collection.
Fortunately, Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack are great albums, so it’s a toss-up. I prefer the latter because it’s got “Killer Queen”, one of the greatest art pop songs ever conceived.
Randy Newman – Good Old Boys (1974)
For Randy Newman fans only.
Richard & Linda Thompson – I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (1974)
Critics adore Richard & Linda Thompson’s records, but I don’t hear it very often. The title track is neat.
Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom (1974)
Wyatt’s Rock Bottom has a fairly interesting backstory. While in preparation for recording the album, an inebriated Wyatt fell from a third-floor window and was paralyzed from the waist down. Nevertheless, within six months, Wyatt was back in the recording studio, making Rock Bottom one of the first known rock records primarily recorded by an artist in a wheelchair.
Roxy Music – Country Life (1974)
They kick art rock to a new level on “The Thrill Of It All”.
Sparks – Kimono My House (1974)
I stand corrected about kicking art rock to a new level? Excuse me. Here’s Sparks.
Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic (1974)
For Steely Dan fans, their albums are like our children. Theoretically, we can’t say out loud that we have a favorite child. But we do.
This is my favorite child of Steely Dan.
Stevie Wonder – Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974)
Stevie Wonder‘s second consecutive Album of the Year at the 17th Grammy Awards.
Supertramp – Crime of the Century (1974)
Another greatest hits artist. Three great songs on here. “Bloody Well Right”, “Dreamer”, the title track.
Tangerine Dream – Phaedra (1974)
Tangerine Dream playing around with synthesizers. An embarassment to music. However, Phaedra is considered massively influential and a stepping stone between prog and electronic music.
Suggested alternative(s):
King Crimson – Red
“Red” is heavier than any heavy metal guitar riff, and for my money, the best King Crimson album.
Van Morrison – It’s Too Late to Stop Now (1974)
It’s Too Late to Stop Now is frequently named one of the “best live albums ever recorded,” and I’m here to tell you that’s complete nonsense. If Morrison was at the so-called height of his powers as a live performer, I’d have hated to see him on an “off” night. In reality, It’s Too Late is the sound of a guy who was done.
Suggested Alternative:
Big Star – Radio City
Big Star is at least partially responsible for any band that falls within a mile radius of power pop. Cheap Trick, R.E.M., Wilco, The Replacements, and Afghan Whigs collectively owe a massive debt of gratitude to Big Star.
Radio City is chock full of moments where I say to myself, “Oh, so that’s where _________ got that riff. He swiped it from Alex Chilton.”
What do you think of our reviews? Did you find any must-hear albums? Let us know in the comments!
