Top 30 Albums of 1975

By 1975, the dust had completely settled on the ’60s, and the ’70s were in full swing. At the mid-decade mark, genres had carved out their places; pop, country-rock, soft-rock, hard rock, singer-songwriters, country and soul all claimed a stake in radio stations.

Another thing happened in 1975: Classic rock found its voice by the decade’s midpoint, as you’ll see in the list below of the Top 30 Albums of 1975. Parameters were set, signposts were marked and the genre, though not yet named, began to take shape.

As artists from the previous decade continued to release excellent work – Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Neil Young‘s 1975 offerings were just as essential as their earlier records – newer voices started to make themselves heard: Aerosmith, Queen and Bruce Springsteen issued milestone albums that year.

READ MORE: Top 50 Hard Rock Songs of the ’70s

The best albums of 1975, chosen by UCR’s staff, follow a shared path, regardless of genre. Works became more defined, more personal and more aware of their place in history. Popular music had grown up over the past 10 years, and in 1975 it no longer felt it had something to prove. There’s the slightest pretense or little-brother syndrome to the records on the list.

More than anything, 1975 was the year rock music settled into its groove. After this year, artists and records started to disrupt the system and offer new perspectives on aging styles. The best albums from 1975 were about enforcing established foundations.