Our quest to crown the best album of the ’70s has reached round three, as the original field of 32 albums has been whittled down to just eight of the decade’s most famous titles.
It’s up to you who moves onto the final four.
You can vote one per hour in each of the third round brackets, which you will find below. Voting for this round concludes at 11:59PM EST on Wednesday, March 25. The next round will begin the following morning, and the winner will be crowned on April 1.
AC/DC’s Highway to Hell vs. The Who’s Who’s Next
After defeating ZZ Top’s Deguello 78% to 22% in round one, AC/DC‘s Highway to Hell rather solidly sent Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic packing in round two, by a margin of 60% to 40%.
The Who‘s Who’s Next defeated the Beatles’ Let it Be in round one, then outlasted Van Halen’s debut album in a closer 54% to 46% race.
Tom Petty’s Damn the Torpedoes vs. Rush’s 2112
After defeating Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks (71% to 29%) in round one and Bob Seger’s Stranger in Town (59% to 41%) in round two, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Damn the Torpedoes is ready for another fight.
They’ll get it with Rush‘s 2112. The Canadian trio overcame Cheap Trick’s At Budokan (60% to 40%) in round one and then beat Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run 56% to 44% in round two.
The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers vs. Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon
After putting the Clash’s London Calling in a hurt locker with a 75% to 25% round one victory, the Rolling Stones‘ Sticky Fingers bested Queen’s A Night at the Opera by a narrower 54% to 46% margin.
Next up? Pink Floyd‘s The Dark Side of the Moon, which had a similarly easy round one win (75% to 25%) against David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and then an even more lopsided victory (81% to 19%) over Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run in round two.
Led Zeppelin’s IV vs. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours
After mercilessly beating down both Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (79% to 21%) and the Eagles’ Hotel California (74% to 26%) Led Zeppelin‘s fourth album is ready for another heavyweight battle.
It arrives in the form of Fleetwood Mac‘s Rumours, which routed Kiss’ Alive! (70% to 30%) and then Foreigner’s Double Vision (79% to 21%).
Read More: The Story Behind Every Song on ‘Led Zeppelin IV’
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Adrian Borromeo, UCR
Dead Ends: 15 ’80s Albums That Stopped Rock’s Biggest Stars in Their Tracks
In many cases, the artists were forced to make major changes to get their careers back on track.
