Data collector – Biggest CSPC Albums of the 1970s
One week ago, Simon & Garfunkel‘s CSPC analysis has been published. Although they had a big impact on the music of the 60s, their peak was reached with Bridge Over Troubled Water, released in 1970, the most successful album up to that point. However, several albums did ever better later on in the decade. Among all mythical albums from the 70s, which ones rank the highest? You will find the answer in this new Data Collector list!
The albums ranked here have been released from January 1, 1970 to December 31, 1979. All figures are given in EAS (equivalent album sales).
Please keep in mind that some albums haven’t been studied so far, e.g. Meat Loaf‘s Bat Out Of Hell, Boston‘s eponymous album and Carole King‘s Tapestry. All figures reflect the value as collected at the time of the artist’s respective articles.
A lot of lists like this one are available in the Data Collector, so feel free to read them to gauge how your favorite artist charts on them.
ALBUMS RANKING – CSPC – 70s
1. 1976 – Eagles – Hotel California – 70,575,000
2. 1977 – Bee Gees & Various Artists – Saturday Night Fever – 67,150,000
3. 1977 – Fleetwood Mac – Rumours – 61,258,000
4. 1971 – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV – 57,016,000
5. 1973 – Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon – 55,796,000
6. 1978 – Various Artists – Grease – 52,216,000
7. 1979 – Pink Floyd – The Wall – 50,309,000
8. 1970 – Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water – 45,148,000
9. 1975 – Queen – A Night at the Opera – 35,718,000
10. 1976 – ABBA – Arrival – 35,098,000
11. 1970 – Beatles – Let It Be – 32,924,000
12. 1975 – Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – 32,462,000
13. 1977 – Bob Marley – Exodus – 31,498,000
14. 1973 – Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – 31,353,000
15. 1979 – Michael Jackson – Off the Wall – 30,954,000
16. 1977 – Queen – News of the World – 28,746,000
17. 1972 – Eagles – Eagles – 26,209,000
18. 1975 – Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic – 25,255,000
19. 1977 – Billy Joel – The Stranger – 25,111,000
20. 1978 – Bob Marley – Kaya – 24,791,000
21. 1975 – ABBA – ABBA – 24,694,000
22. 1978 – Dire Straits – Dire Straits – 23,152,000
23. 1975 – Eagles – One Of These Nights – 23,051,000
24. 1973 – Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy – 22,488,000
25. 1979 – AC/DC – Highway to Hell – 22,008,000
26. 1971 – Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers – 21,767,000
27. 1979 – ABBA – Voulez-Vous – 20,659,000
28. 1970 – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III – 20,201,000
29. 1970 – Elton John – Elton John – 20,023,000
30. 1975 – Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run – 19,903,000
31. 1978 – Queen – Jazz – 18,643,000
32. 1977 – ABBA – The Album – 18,426,000
33. 1973 – Billy Joel – Piano Man – 18,359,000
34. 1978 – Rolling Stones – Some Girls – 18,345,000
35. 1979 – Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown – 18,241,000
36. 1979 – Eagles – The Long Run – 17,715,000
37. 1975 – Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti – 17,625,000
38. 1975 – Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac – 17,241,000
39. 1973 – Eagles – Desperado – 16,699,000
40. 1978 – Billy Joel – 52nd Street – 16,670,000
41. 1972 – Elton John – Honky Château – 15,995,000
42. 1972 – David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – 15,212,000
43. 1976 – Barbra Streisand – A Star Is Born – 15,006,000
44. 1974 – Barbra Streisand – The Way We Were – 14,774,000
45. 1976 – Queen – A Day at the Races – 14,400,000
46. 1974 – Bob Marley – Natty Dread – 13,639,000
47. 1976 – AC/DC – High Voltage – 13,532,000
48. 1976 – AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – 13,508,000
49. 1979 – Led Zeppelin – In Through The Out Door – 13,023,000
50. 1977 – Pink Floyd – Animals – 13,000,000
51. 1974 – ABBA – Waterloo – 12,878,000
52. 1973 – Rolling Stones – Goats Head Soup – 12,130,000
53. 1973 – Elton John – Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player – 11,944,000
54. 1977 – AC/DC – Let There Be Rock – 11,736,000
55. 1973 – Bob Marley – Burnin’ – 11,090,000
56. 1972 – Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St – 10,988,000
57. 1974 – Elton John – Caribou – 10,627,000
58. 1971 – Pink Floyd – Meddle – 10,273,000
59. 1971 – David Bowie – Hunky Dory – 10,262,000
60. 1976 – Bob Dylan – Desire – 10,185,000
61. 1979 – Fleetwood Mac – Tusk – 9,687,000
62. 1975 – Elton John – Rock of the Westies – 9,674,000
63. 1975 – Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks – 8,921,000
64. 1970 – Jackson 5 – ABC – 8,854,000
65. 1974 – Queen – Sheer Heart Attack – 8,778,000
66. 1974 – Eagles – On The Border – 8,709,000
67. 1972 – Paul Simon – Paul Simon – 8,623,000
68. 1975 – Elton John – Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy – 8,530,000
69. 1976 – Bee Gees – Children of the World – 8,518,000
70. 1976 – Led Zeppelin – Presence – 8,386,000
71. 1978 – Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town – 8,320,000
72. 1977 – David Bowie – Heroes – 8,109,000
73. 1973 – Bob Marley – Catch a Fire – 7,842,000
74. 1979 – Dire Straits – Communiqué – 7,492,000
75. 1975 – Bee Gees – Main Course – 6,917,000
76. 1972 – Michael Jackson – Got to Be There – 6,861,000
77. 1978 – Barbra Streisand – Songbird – 6,856,000
78. 1974 – David Bowie – Diamond Dogs – 6,847,000
79. 1973 – Bob Dylan – Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid – 6,757,000
80. 1975 – Paul Simon – Still Crazy After All These Years – 6,456,000
81. 1976 – Billy Joel – Turnstiles – 6,413,000
82. 1973 – David Bowie – Aladdin Sane – 6,372,000
83. 1976 – Elton John – Blue Moves – 6,225,000
84. 1971 – Elton John – Madman Across the Water – 6,224,000
85. 1976 – Bob Marley – Rastaman Vibration – 6,022,000
86. 1978 – AC/DC – Powerage – 5,973,000
87. 1970 – Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother – 5,922,000
88. 1975 – David Bowie – Young Americans – 5,920,000
89. 1979 – Bob Marley – Survival – 5,718,000
90. 1979 – Barbra Streisand – Wet – 5,467,000
91. 1978 – The Jacksons – Destiny – 5,208,000
92. 1970 – Jackson 5 – Third Album – 5,083,000
93. 1973 – Bruce Springsteen – Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. – 5,064,000
94. 1972 – Michael Jackson – Ben – 5,034,000
95. 1976 – Rolling Stones – Black and Blue – 4,840,000
96. 1973 – Paul Simon – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon – 4,704,000
97. 1974 – Rolling Stones – It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll – 4,665,000
98. 1976 – David Bowie – Station to Station – 4,500,000
99. 1973 – Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle – 4,278,000
100. 1979 – Bob Dylan – Slow Train Coming – 4,171,000