Hard 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.

Head Games finds Foreigner preserving its gift for polished melody while pushing further into hard, muscular arena rock.

Dynasty keeps the central pleasures of Kiss intact—big hooks, solid rhythm, memorable guitar figures and a taste for theatrical release—while letting disco…

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.

Bomber, released by Bronze in October 1979, was the band's second album of that year and reached No. 12 in the UK. Official videos exist for the title track, "Dead Men Tell No Tales" and "Poison".

Recorded in 1975 and 1976, On Parole should have been Motörhead's first album. The label shelved it, and it did not appear until November 1979, by which time the band were established.

Motörhead's second album, released by Bronze in March 1979 and a UK No. 24. Lars Ulrich of Metallica has named the double bass drums on its title track as what made him want to play that way.

Down to Earth channels Rainbow’s sharp hard-rock attack and dramatic instincts into songs that arrive more directly and immediately.

Street Machine finds Sammy Hagar with guitar in hand, joining direct rock-and-roll drive to his high, open vocal power.

Lovedrive brings Scorpions’ cutting riffs, wistful melodic sense and dramatic vocal character into an especially focused hard-rock statement.

Black Rose: A Rock Legend joins Thin Lizzy’s hard-rock power, Irish feeling and narrative gift with unusual naturalness.

Van Halen II keeps the explosive charge of the debut while placing more open melodies, lighter hooks and a buoyant party spirit at the center.

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…

Double Vision sharpens FOREIGNER’s identity as an arena-scale hard-rock band by joining durable riffs, Lou Gramm’s powerful voice and meticulously shaped…

Dog & Butterfly sets a harder first half against a more lyrical second side, carefully drawing out Heart’s two contrasting strengths.

Ace Frehley works as part of Kiss’s 1978 solo-album project, stepping away from the full band’s spectacle to foreground an individual personality.

Gene Simmons works as part of Kiss’s 1978 solo-album project, stepping away from the full band’s spectacle to foreground an individual personality.

Paul Stanley works as part of Kiss’s 1978 solo-album project, stepping away from the full band’s spectacle to foreground an individual personality.

Peter Criss works as part of Kiss’s 1978 solo-album project, stepping away from the full band’s spectacle to foreground an individual personality.

Queen's seventh album, released in November 1978: their first made outside Britain, with Roy Thomas Baker back as co-producer, across 13 songs.

Long Live Rock ’N’ Roll brings Ritchie Blackmore’s incisive guitar playing and Ronnie James Dio’s dramatic vocal storytelling together at a particularly high…

Hemispheres is a 1978 RUSH album that ventures deeply into progressive rock without losing the memorable riffs and forward motion that keep its large-scale…

Obsession, recorded in Los Angeles and released by Chrysalis in June 1978, was Michael Schenker's last UFO studio album until his 1993 return.

Van Halen is a debut from 1978 that already presents the group with near-finished force.

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

Struck Down captures the band, still billed as Yesterday & Today, pushing a direct hard-rock attack.

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.

Foreigner’s debut shapes Mick Jones’s firm guitar riffs and Lou Gramm’s powerful, soulful voice into songs with immediate impact.

Little Queen joins heavy guitar riffing and bold melody through Ann Wilson’s overwhelming vocal force.

Magazine preserves the heat of early Heart while carrying the complicated history of an unfinished initial release during a contract dispute.

Love Gun joins KISS’s theatrical scale to songs strong enough to stand without any extra framing.

Motörhead's debut album, released by Chiswick in August 1977 as WIK 2 and a UK No. 43. Eight tracks, and the first record by the three-piece of Lemmy, Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor.

Queen's sixth album, released in October 1977: made in about ten weeks, it opens with "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions".

A Farewell to Kings keeps Rush’s hard-rock momentum while opening the music to a larger sense of story and space.

Musical Chairs by SAMMY HAGAR: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Sammy Hagar centers on thick guitar, straight-ahead beat and Hagar’s powerful voice to make unadorned hard rock.

Taken by Force finds Scorpions pursuing both hard-rock sharpness and more dramatic melody.

Bad Reputation condenses Thin Lizzy’s short, forceful riffs, springing rhythm and Phil Lynott’s distinctive storytelling.

UFO's sixth album, released in May 1977, their first with producer Ron Nevison and Paul Raymond, reached No. 54 in the UK and No. 23 in the US.

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.

Destroyer keeps KISS’s raw rock-and-roll energy but pushes it into more dramatic arrangements and a stronger sense of story.

Rock and Roll Over follows the dramatic construction of Destroyer by returning KISS to more direct, physical rock and roll.

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

Queen's fifth album, released in December 1976: their first self-produced record, closing with a song sung partly in Japanese for their fans there.