The 25 best albums of 1973

17 November 2023, 10:00 | Updated: 7 December 2023, 15:06

Take a trip back half a century to the year of Aladdin Sane, Tubular Bells, Dark Side Of The Moon Goat's Head Soup and the arrival of Queen.

Turn up Radio X Classic Rock on Global Player here- dedicated to the greatest classic rock music of all time

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1. Bruce Springsteen – Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ: release date 5th January 1973

   The Boss's debut album didn't even chart in the UK at the time and was only a minor hit in the States, but it was the start of a great career. It included It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City and Blinded By The Light, later a hit for Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

   

2. Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power: release date 7th February 1973

   At the time, this was seen as the last chance saloon for the Michigan rockers, but they confounded expectations by following it up 34 years later with The Weirdness. Tracks like the title song, Search & Destroy and Gimme Danger are credited with being one of the early influences on punk.

   

3. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon: release date 1st March 1973

   One of the biggest-selling albums of all time and a classic that finds new fans even half a century later, Floyd reinvented the rock album with this masterpiece. The album as a whole is pretty much faultless, but highlights include Time, Money and Us And Them.

   

4. Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure: release date 23rd March 1973

   The second album from the art rock collective was their final outing to feature founding member Brian Eno. The album included the hit Do The Strand and the epic In Every Dream Home A Heartache.

   

5. Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy: release date 28th March 1973

   The follow-up to the million-selling Led Zep IV included Over The Hills And Far Away, No Quarter and the punsome reggae tribute D'yer Mak'er.

   

6. Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies: release date March 1973

   The US shock rock band's sixth album included the hits Elected and No More Mr Nice Guy.

   

7. David Bowie - Aladdin Sane: release date 13th April 1973

   Ziggy Stardust was still a going concern when Bowie released the follow-up to his classic album, and Aladdin Sane was another huge hit. Singles included The Jean Genie, Drive-In Saturday and his cover of the Stones's Let's Spend The Night Together.

   

8. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells: release date 25th May 1973

   Rock prodigy Oldfield had just turned 20 when he released this progressive rock which saw him play most of the instruments. Richard Branson was so impressed, he used Tubular Bells to launch his label Virgin Records - luckily, the album stayed on the charts for a full year. A section of Part One of Tubular Bells was used on the soundtrack to generation-defining horror The Exorcist later in the year, ensuring even more copies were sold.

   

9. George Harrison - Living In The Material World: release date 30th May 1973

   George followed up his historic Concert For Bangladesh charity project with this more sedate entry in the solo Beatles catalogue. The single was Give Me Love, Give Me Peace On Earth and the spiritual track Be Here Now gave some Manchester lads a good title for an LP twenty years later.

   

10. Queen - Queen: release date 13th July 1973

    The band's debut album only made it to No 32 in the UK charts, but it included the singles Liar and Keep Yourself Alive, setting Queen on the road to superstardom. The album ends with a short instrumental version of Seven Seas Of Rye, leading the way into Queen II, which arrived the following year.

    

11. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions: release date 3rd August 1973

    "Little Stevie" became an artist to be reckoned with on the release of this album, which gave birth to some monster hits: He's Misstra Know-It-All, Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing, Higher Ground and Living For The City.

    

12. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd: release date 13th August 1973

    The Southern rockers' debut album included Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man, Tuesday's Gone, and their signature song Free Bird.

    

13. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On: release date 28th August 1973

    Gaye's thirteenth solo album and its title track made the singer one of the leading lights of the soul and R&B world.

    

14. The Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup: release date 31st August 1973

    The follow-up to the mammoth Exile On Main Street was a more scaled-down affair and included Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) and the faultless Stones ballad Angie.

    

15. Bryan Ferry - These Foolish Things: release date 5th October 1973

    Ferry's debut solo album came out while Roxy Music were still at the height of their powers and is a collection of covers. The singer picked tracks by The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, the Beach Boys and The Beatles - and David Bowie released his similar covers project Pin-Ups a couple of weeks later.

    

16. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: release date 5th October 1973

    Elton's seventh album is one of his all time classics, including the evergreen title track, Bennie And The Jets, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting and the ever-popular Candle In The Wind.

    

17. Lou Reed - Berlin: release date 5th October 1973

    The third solo album from the former Velvet Underground frontman was received by mixed reviews, but is now considered a classic. The album includes Caroline Says I and II and Lady Day.

    

18. Genesis - Selling England By The Pound: release date 12th October 1973

    The British prog band's fifth album featured their first chart hit, I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe).

    

19. The Wailers – Burnin’: release date 19th October 1973

    The sixth album from Bob Marley's peerless reggae group included the classics Get Up Stand Up and I Shot The Sheriff, later covered by Eric Clapton.

    

20. The Who - Quadrophenia: release date 26th October 1973

    Pete Townshend's tribute to mod culture was another hit concept album from The Who and spawned the singles 5.15, The Real Me and Love Reign O'er Me.

    

21. John Lennon - Mind Games: release date 29th October 1973

    Lennon's follow-up to the politically-charged Some Time In New York City was a more accessible affair, spawning a hit in the title track and Richard Ashcroft's favourite Bring On The Lucie (Freeda People).

    

22. Ringo Starr - Ringo: release date 2nd November 1973

    Richie Starkey's third solo album was a star-studded occasion, with contributions from his former Beatle mates John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, plus Marc Bolan, Billy Preston and many more. George wrote the excellent Photograph, Lennon wrote I'm The Greatest and Paul & Linda penned Six O'Clock.

    

23. Billy Joel – Piano Man: release date 9th November 1973

    The singer-songwriter had a breakthrough hit with this album and its title track. Also included are Worse Comes To Worst and The Ballad Of Billy The Kid.

    

24. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: release date November 1973

    The fifth album from the Birmingham rockers was another stepping stone in the development of heavy metal, particularly on the title track.

    

25. Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run: release date 5th December 1973

    Macca's second album of '73 after May's Red Rose Speedway, this was the highpoint of his career with Wings. The title track is a rock classic and the album also included the epic Jet.