100 Greatest Albums of 1971

1971 record album covers for What's Going On, Led Zeppelin IV, Who's Next, and Blue
Criteria: These albums were chosen for their initial and lasting popularity and their influence and impact on rock music in general. Also considered is critical acclaim. The list includes rock and roll and related genres that were influential on rock music.

Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'.
Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.
  1. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
  2. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
  3. Who's Next - The Who
  4. Blue - Joni Mitchell
  5. There's A Riot Goin' On - Sly And The Family Stone
  6. Tapestry - Carole King
  7. Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones
  8. L.A. Woman - The Doors
  9. At Fillmore East - The Allman Brothers Band
10. Imagine - John Lennon
11. Hunky Dory - David Bowie
12. Aqualung - Jethro Tull
13. Fragile - Yes
14. Electric Warrior - T-Rex
15. Pearl - Janis Joplin
16. Every Picture Tells A Story - Rod Stewart
17. Maggot Brain - Funkadelic
18. Master Of Reality - Black Sabbath
19. Ram - Paul and Linda McCartney
20. Meddle - Pink Floyd
21. Teaser and the Firecat - Cat Stevens
22. Surf's Up - The Beach Boys
23. The Yes Album - Yes
24. Al Green Gets Next to You - Al Green
25. Pieces of a Man - Gil Scott-Heron
26. Just as I Am - Bill Withers
27. Curtis/Live! - Curtis Mayfield
28. Killer - Alice Cooper
29. Tago Mago - Can
30. Nilsson Schmilsson - Nilsson
31. Soul Revolution - Bob Marley and The Wailers
32. The Stylistics - The Stylistics
33. Shaft - Isaac Hayes
34. If I Could Only Remember My Name - David Crosby
35. A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...to a Blind Horse - Faces
36. Santana III - Santana
37. Love It to Death - Alice Cooper
38. Pawn Hearts - Van der Graaf Generator
39. Nursery Cryme - Genesis
40. Roots - Curtis Mayfield
41. The Concert for Bangla Desh - Various Artists
42. Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
43. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys - Traffic
44. 4 Way Street - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
45. Madman Across the Water - Elton John
46. Muswell Hillbillies - The Kinks
47. Teenage Head - The Flamin' Groovies
48. In the Land of Grey and Pink - Caravan
49. Stormcock - Roy Harper
50. Aretha Live at Fillmore West - Aretha Franklin
51. Faust - Faust
52. Tarkus - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
53. Gonna Take a Miracle - Laura Nyro and Labelle
54. American Pie - Don McLean
55. Fireball - Deep Purple
56. White Light - Gene Clark
57. Revolution of the Mind (Live at the Apollo, Vol. 3) - James Brown
58. The Cry of Love - Jimi Hendrix
59. Focus II / Moving Waves - Focus
60. All Day Music - War
61. Crazy Horse - Crazy Horse
62. Islands - King Crimson
63. Straight Up - Badfinger
64. Mirror Man - Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
65. First Utterance - Comus
66. Straight from the Heart - Ann Peebles
67. Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren - Todd Rundgren
68. Deuce - Rory Gallagher
69. Black Moses - Isaac Hayes
70. In Search of Space - Hawkwind
71. (For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People - The Chi-Lites
72. Where I'm Coming From - Stevie Wonder
73. The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend - Baby Huey
74. Nantucket Sleighride - Mountain
75. Sky's the Limit - The Temptations
76. Hot Pants - James Brown
77. Melting Pot - Booker T. & The MG's
78. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour - The Moody Blues
79. John Prine - John Prine
80. Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) - Elvis Presley
81. Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon - James Taylor
82. A Nickel and a Nail and Ace of Spades - O.V. Wright
83. Givin' It Back - The Isley Brothers
84. Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse - Eugene McDaniels
85. Rory Gallagher - Rory Gallagher
86. Look at Yourself - Uriah Heep
87. Acquiring the Taste - Gentle Giant
88. Message from the Country - The Move
89. Don't Knock My Love - Wilson Pickett
90. Link Wray - Link Wray
91. Satori - The Flower Travellin' Band
92. America - America
93. Salisbury - Uriah Heep
94. One Year - Colin Blunstone
95. High Time - The MC5
96. Split - The Groundhogs
97. Harmony - Three Dog Night
98. Songs For Beginners - Graham Nash
99. The Staple Swingers - The Staple Singers
100. Time and Place - Lee Moses

Marvin Gaye What's Going On album cover
Led Zeppelin IV album cover
Who's Next album cover
Joni Mitchell Blue album cover
Sly And The Family Stone There's A Riot Goin' On album cover
Carole King Tapestry album cover
 DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1971
  Bruce's choice - An unheralded great album from 1971
 •  Soulful Tapestry - The Honey Cone
  Adam's choice:
 •  Rat On! - Swamp Dogg
  Brett's choice:
 •  Gettin' Over The Hump - Simtec & Wylie
  Lew's choice:
 •  Watcha Gonna Do - Denny Doherty


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