List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 1970s

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The UK Albums Chart is a record chart based on weekly album sales in the United Kingdom; during the 1970s, a total of 148 albums reached number one. In October 1971, Imagine by John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band became the 100th album to top the UK chart; seven years later, Nightflight to Venus by Boney M. became the 200th album to do so.[1]

Swedish group ABBA spent 35 weeks at the top of the UK Album Chart during the 1970s, longer than any other artist.

Number ones

More information No., re ...
Key
No. nth album to top the UK Albums Chart
re Return of an album to number one
† Best-selling album of the year[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
‡ Best-selling album of the decade
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← 1960s • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980s →
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More information No., Artist ...
No. Artist[a] Album[a] Record label[b] Reached number one
(for the week ending)[a][21]		 Weeks at
number one[a]
1970
re The Beatles Abbey Road Apple 27 December 1969 6
74 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II Atlantic 7 February 1970 1
75 Various artists Motown Chartbusters Volume 3 Tamla Motown 14 February 1970 1
76 Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ CBS 21 February 1970 13
77 The Beatles Let It Be Apple 23 May 1970 3
re Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ CBS 13 June 1970 4
78 Bob Dylan Self Portrait CBS 11 July 1970 1
re Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ CBS 18 July 1970 5
79 The Moody Blues A Question of Balance Threshold 22 August 1970 3
80 Creedence Clearwater Revival Cosmo's Factory Liberty 12 September 1970 1
81 The Rolling Stones Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert Decca 19 September 1970 2
re Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ CBS 3 October 1970 1
82 Black Sabbath Paranoid Vertigo 10 October 1970 1
re Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ CBS 17 October 1970 1
83 Pink Floyd Atom Heart Mother Harvest 24 October 1970 1
84 Various artists Motown Chartbusters Volume 4 Tamla Motown 31 October 1970 1
85 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III Atlantic 7 November 1970 3
86 Bob Dylan New Morning CBS 28 November 1970 1
87 Andy Williams Andy Williams' Greatest Hits CBS 5 December 1970 1
re Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III Atlantic 12 December 1970 1
re Andy Williams Andy Williams' Greatest Hits CBS 19 December 1970 4
1971
re Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ CBS 16 January 1971 3
88 George Harrison All Things Must Pass Apple 6 February 1971 8
89 Andy Williams Home Lovin' Man CBS 3 April 1971 2
90 Various artists Motown Chartbusters Volume 5 Tamla Motown 17 April 1971 3
91 The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers Rolling Stones 8 May 1971 4
92 Paul and Linda McCartney Ram Apple 5 June 1971 2
re The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers Rolling Stones 19 June 1971 1
93 Emerson, Lake & Palmer Tarkus Island 26 June 1971 1
re Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ CBS 3 July 1971 5
94 Various artists Hot Hits 6 Music for Pleasure 7 August 1971 1
95 The Moody Blues Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Threshold 14 August 1971 1
96 Various artists Top of the Pops, Volume 18 Hallmark 21 August 1971 3
re Simon & Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ CBS 11 September 1971 1
97 The Who Who's Next Track 18 September 1971 1
98 Deep Purple Fireball Harvest 25 September 1971 1
99 Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells a Story Mercury 2 October 1971 4
100 John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band Imagine Apple 30 October 1971 2
re Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells a Story Mercury 13 November 1971 2
101 Various artists Top of the Pops, Volume 20 Hallmark 27 November 1971 1
102 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV Atlantic 4 December 1971 2
103 T.Rex Electric Warrior Fly 18 December 1971 6
1972
104 George Harrison, Bob Dylan and others The Concert for Bangladesh Apple 29 January 1972 1
re T.Rex Electric Warrior Fly 5 February 1972 2
105 Neil Reid Neil Reid Decca 19 February 1972 3
106 Neil Young Harvest Reprise 11 March 1972 1
107 Paul Simon Paul Simon CBS 18 March 1972 1
108 Lindisfarne Fog on the Tyne Charisma 25 March 1972 4
109 Deep Purple Machine Head Purple 22 April 1972 2
110 T.Rex Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages / My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows Fly Double Back 6 May 1972 1
re Deep Purple Machine Head Purple 13 May 1972 1
111 T.Rex Bolan Boogie Fly 20 May 1972 3
112 The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. Rolling Stones 10 June 1972 1
113 Various artists 20 Dynamic Hits † K-tel 17 June 1972 8
114 Various artists 20 Fantastic Hits Arcade 12 August 1972 5
115 Rod Stewart Never a Dull Moment Philips 16 September 1972 2
re Various artists 20 Fantastic Hits Arcade 30 September 1972 1
116 Various artists 20 All Time Greats of the 50s K-tel 7 October 1972 8
117 Various artists 25 Rockin' and Rollin' Greats K-tel 2 December 1972 3
re Various artists 20 All Time Greats of the 50s K-tel 23 December 1972 3
1973
118 Slade Slayed? Polydor 13 January 1973 1
119 Gilbert O'Sullivan Back to Front MAM 20 January 1973 1
re Slade Slayed? Polydor 27 January 1973 2
120 Elton John Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player † DJM 10 February 1973 6
121 Alice Cooper Billion Dollar Babies Warner Bros. 24 March 1973 1
122 Various artists 20 Flash Back Greats of the Sixties K-tel 31 March 1973 2
123 Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy Atlantic 14 April 1973 2
124 Faces Ooh La La Warner Bros. 28 April 1973 1
125 David Bowie Aladdin Sane RCA Victor 5 May 1973 5
126 Various artists Pure Gold EMI 9 June 1973 3
127 Original soundtrack That'll Be the Day Ronco 30 June 1973 7
128 Peters and Lee We Can Make It Philips 18 August 1973 2
129 Rod Stewart Sing It Again Rod Mercury 1 September 1973 3
130 The Rolling Stones Goats Head Soup Rolling Stones 22 September 1973 2
131 Slade Sladest Polydor 6 October 1973 3
132 Status Quo Hello! Vertigo 27 October 1973 1
133 David Bowie Pin Ups RCA Victor 3 November 1973 5
134 Roxy Music Stranded Island 8 December 1973 1
135 David Cassidy Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes Bell 15 December 1973 1
136 Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road DJM 22 December 1973 2
1974
137 Yes Tales from Topographic Oceans Atlantic 5 January 1974 2
re Slade Sladest Polydor 19 January 1974 1
138 Perry Como And I Love You So RCA Victor 26 January 1974 1
139 The Carpenters The Singles: 1969–1973 † A&M 2 February 1974 4
140 Slade Old New Borrowed and Blue Polydor 2 March 1974 1
re The Carpenters The Singles: 1969–1973 † A&M 9 March 1974 11
141 Rick Wakeman Journey to the Centre of the Earth A&M 25 May 1974 1
re The Carpenters The Singles: 1969–1973 † A&M 1 June 1974 1
142 David Bowie Diamond Dogs RCA Victor 8 June 1974 4
re The Carpenters The Singles: 1969–1973 † A&M 6 July 1974 1
143 Elton John Caribou DJM 13 July 1974 2
144 Paul McCartney & Wings Band on the Run Apple 27 July 1974 7
145 Mike Oldfield Hergest Ridge Virgin 14 September 1974 3
146 Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells Virgin 5 October 1974 1
147 Bay City Rollers Rollin' Bell 12 October 1974 1
148 Rod Stewart Smiler Mercury 19 October 1974 1
re Bay City Rollers Rollin' Bell 26 October 1974 1
re Rod Stewart Smiler Mercury 2 November 1974 1
re Bay City Rollers Rollin' Bell 9 November 1974 2
149 Elton John Elton John's Greatest Hits DJM 23 November 1974 11
1975
150 Engelbert Humperdinck His Greatest Hits Decca 8 February 1975 3
151 Status Quo On the Level Vertigo 1 March 1975 2
152 Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti Swan Song 15 March 1975 1
153 Tom Jones 20 Greatest Hits Decca 22 March 1975 4
154 The Stylistics The Best of the Stylistics † Avco 19 April 1975 2
155 Bay City Rollers Once Upon a Star Bell 3 May 1975 3
re The Stylistics The Best of the Stylistics † Avco 24 May 1975 5
156 Wings Venus and Mars Apple 28 June 1975 1
157 The Carpenters Horizon A&M 5 July 1975 2
re Wings Venus and Mars Apple 19 July 1975 1
re The Carpenters Horizon A&M 26 July 1975 3
re The Stylistics The Best of the Stylistics † Avco 16 August 1975 2
158 Rod Stewart Atlantic Crossing Warner Bros. 30 August 1975 5
159 Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here Harvest 4 October 1975 1
re Rod Stewart Atlantic Crossing Warner Bros. 11 October 1975 2
160 Jim Reeves 40 Golden Greats Arcade 25 October 1975 3
161 Max Boyce We All Had Doctors' Papers EMI 15 November 1975 1
162 Perry Como 40 Greatest Hits K-tel 22 November 1975 5
163 Queen A Night at the Opera EMI 27 December 1975 2
1976
re Perry Como 40 Greatest Hits K-tel 10 January 1976 1
re Queen A Night at the Opera EMI 17 January 1976 2
164 Roy Orbison The Best of Roy Orbison Arcade 31 January 1976 1
165 Slim Whitman The Very Best of Slim Whitman United Artists 7 February 1976 6
166 Status Quo Blue for You Vertigo 20 March 1976 3
167 Rock Follies Rock Follies Island 10 April 1976 2
168 Led Zeppelin Presence Swan Song 24 April 1976 1
re Rock Follies Rock Follies Island 1 May 1976 1
169 ABBA Greatest Hits † Epic 8 May 1976 9
170 Rod Stewart A Night on the Town Riva 10 July 1976 2
171 The Beach Boys 20 Golden Greats Capitol 24 July 1976 10
172 The Stylistics The Best of the Stylistics Volume II H&L 2 October 1976 1
173 Dr. Feelgood Stupidity United Artists 9 October 1976 1
re ABBA Greatest Hits † Epic 16 October 1976 2
174 Various artists Soul Motion K-tel 30 October 1976 2
175 Led Zeppelin The Song Remains the Same Swan Song 13 November 1976 1
176 Bert Weedon 22 Golden Guitar Greats Warwick 20 November 1976 1
177 Glen Campbell Glen Campbell's Twenty Golden Greats Capitol 27 November 1976 6
1977
178 Queen A Day at the Races EMI 8 January 1977 1
179 ABBA Arrival † Epic 15 January 1977 1
180 Slim Whitman Red River Valley United Artists 22 January 1977 4
181 The Shadows 20 Golden Greats EMI 19 February 1977 6
182 Frank Sinatra Portrait of Sinatra – Forty Songs from the Life of a Man Reprise 2 April 1977 2
re ABBA Arrival † Epic 16 April 1977 9
183 The Beatles The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl Parlophone 18 June 1977 1
184 The Muppets The Muppet Show Pye 25 June 1977 1
185 Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson A Star Is Born CBS 2 July 1977 2
186 Johnny Mathis The Mathis Collection CBS 16 July 1977 4
187 Yes Going for the One Atlantic 13 August 1977 2
188 Connie Francis 20 All Time Greats Polydor 27 August 1977 2
189 Elvis Presley Elvis' 40 Greatest Arcade 10 September 1977 1
190 Diana Ross & the Supremes 20 Golden Greats Motown 17 September 1977 7
191 Cliff Richard & The Shadows 40 Golden Greats EMI 5 November 1977 1
192 Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols Virgin 12 November 1977 2
193 Bread The Sound of Bread Elektra 26 November 1977 2
194 Various artists Disco Fever K-tel 10 December 1977 6
1978
re Bread The Sound of Bread Elektra 21 January 1978 1
195 Fleetwood Mac Rumours Warner Bros. 28 January 1978 1
196 ABBA The Album Epic 4 February 1978 7
197 Buddy Holly & The Crickets 20 Golden Greats EMI 25 March 1978 3
198 Nat King Cole 20 Golden Greats Capitol 15 April 1978 3
199 Original soundtrack Saturday Night Fever † RSO 6 May 1978 18
200 Boney M. Nightflight to Venus Atlantic 9 September 1978 4
201 Original soundtrack Grease RSO 7 October 1978 13
1979
202 Showaddywaddy Greatest Hits 1976-1978 Arista 6 January 1979 2
203 Various artists Don't Walk – Boogie EMI 20 January 1979 3
204 Various artists Action Replay K-tel 10 February 1979 1
205 Blondie Parallel Lines † Chrysalis 17 February 1979 4
206 Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown RSO 17 March 1979 2
207 Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 CBS 31 March 1979 4
208 Leo Sayer The Very Best of Leo Sayer Chrysalis 28 April 1979 3
209 ABBA Voulez-Vous Epic 19 May 1979 4
210 Electric Light Orchestra Discovery Jet 16 June 1979 5
211 Tubeway Army Replicas Beggars Banquet 21 July 1979 1
212 Various artists The Best Disco Album in the World WEA 28 July 1979 6
213 Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door Swan Song 8 September 1979 2
214 Gary Numan The Pleasure Principle Beggars Banquet 22 September 1979 1
215 Boney M Oceans of Fantasy Atlantic 29 September 1979 1
re Gary Numan The Pleasure Principle Beggars Banquet 6 October 1979 1
216 Blondie Eat to the Beat Chrysalis 13 October 1979[c] 1
217 The Police Reggatta de Blanc A&M 13 October 1979[23] 4
218 Fleetwood Mac Tusk Warner Bros. 10 November 1979 1
219 ABBA Greatest Hits Vol. 2 Epic 17 November 1979 3
220 Rod Stewart Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Riva 8 December 1979 5
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By artist

Simon & Garfunkel's album Bridge Over Troubled Water topped the albums chart for 33 weeks during the 1970s, and was the decade's biggest-seller.
Rod Stewart (right) released seven number-one albums during this decade.

Five artists spent 20 weeks or more at number one on the albums chart during the 1970s.

More information Artist, Number-one albums ...
Artist Number-one albums Weeks at number one
ABBA 5 35
Simon & Garfunkel 1 33
Rod Stewart 7 27
The Carpenters 2 22
Elton John 4 21
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By record label

Eight record labels spent 20 weeks or more at number one on the albums chart during the 1970s.

More information Record label, Number-one albums ...
Record label Number-one albums Weeks at number one
CBS Records 9 53
K-tel 8 39
Epic Records 5 35
RSO Records 3 33
Apple Records 8 29
A&M Records 4 27
EMI Records 8 22
DJM Records 4 21
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Notes

  1. [a]
    The artist, album, date of reaching number one and number of weeks at number one are those given by the OCC.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
  2. [b]
    The record labels are those given by the OCC.[20]
  3. [c]
    [22]"During October 1979, a change in the publication date of the album chart meant that two rundowns were published in one week, which results (naturally) in two number 1 albums – Blondie’s Eat to the Beat and The Police’s Regatta De Blanc. Contrary to some databases, we take the view that both charts are valid – so Eat to the Beat WAS a number 1, despite the fact that some histories indicate that it peaked at 2."

References

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