Blues Rock 1970s Albums

Highway to Hell turns AC/DC’s stripped-down rock-and-roll language into a statement with global scale.

Night in the Ruts puts Aerosmith’s blues-rooted grit, street-level swagger and raw nervous energy in the foreground.

In Through the Out Door, Led Zeppelin's eighth album, turns from guitar-led hard rock to a broader palette of keyboards and deep grooves.

Lovehunter, WHITESNAKE's second album, centers on the blues, David Coverdale's soulful voice and the twin guitars of Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden.

Powerage captures AC/DC at its most direct and concentrated. Angus and Malcolm Young do not need elaborate ornament to create momentum; the riffs are short…

Trouble by WHITESNAKE: track list, album artwork and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Let There Be Rock captures AC/DC valuing the heat of a band playing together over studio decoration.

Draw the Line sets Aerosmith’s dirty blues instinct against the urgent push of hard rock.

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap uses AC/DC’s thick riffs and brazen humor to their fullest through Bon Scott’s conversational delivery.

High Voltage presents AC/DC’s early material to an international audience through the band’s most direct rock-and-roll language.

Rocks keeps Aerosmith’s dirty blues roots but sharpens the playing and dangerous tension to an extreme.

Presence strips away much of Led Zeppelin’s decoration and centers its force on Jimmy Page’s guitar and John Bonham’s drumming.

High Voltage (Australian) captures AC/DC at a point where the later image is not yet fully fixed.

T.N.T. is an extremely important early work that shot AC/DC to stardom in Australia.

Toys in the Attic joins Aerosmith’s blues-rooted roughness to sharper riffs and more immediate melodies.

Physical Graffiti lets Led Zeppelin move freely through heavy riffs, blues, funk and acoustic shadow across a double album.

Get Your Wings finds Aerosmith keeping the raw charge of its debut while taking a major step forward in songwriting, playing, and sound.

Aerosmith begins with the rough feel of blues rock, yet it already reveals the streetwise instinct and vocal power that would support the band’s later success.

Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin's fifth album, moves easily beyond heavy blues rock with varied rhythms, layered arrangements and a sense of play.

Led Zeppelin IV is the band's fourth album and its signature work, joining hard rock, blues and British folk on a grand scale.

Led Zeppelin III preserves the electric force of Led Zeppelin’s first two albums while moving much further into acoustic instruments, folk texture, and quiet space.