10 Best Rock Albums Of The 1970s

When the British blues boom was still in full swing, Led Zeppelin came about at the end of the decade to turn the rock world on its head. The band's first effort in 1968 was a concentrated amalgam of all the bluesy potential of hard rock mixed with off-the-wall blends of folk and Eastern music.

Once the band went on tour, they worked diligently between shows to produce what is arguably the greatest rock album of all time. Across this record's track listing, each of the band's members shows their full range of strength, from Robert Plant's lovelorn howls to Jimmy Page's knack for coming up with the greatest guitar riffs performed by man. Lest we forget, the true secret weapon behind the band is John Bonham, whose groove and power on every track laid the blueprint for hard rock drummers to study.

Though this album came out at the very tail end of 1969, the songs on here are a forward-looking glimpse of what the 70's was going to sound like. By throwing out the traditional rules, Led Zeppelin taught every band what rock and roll was all about. After hearing Led Zeppelin II, the 70's were officially underway.