List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 1970s explained

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]

Number ones

nth album to top the UK Albums Chart
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	re	Return of an album to number one
bgcolor=#FFFF99 align=center		Best-selling album of the year^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5] ^[6] ^[7] ^[8] ^[9]
bgcolor=lightblue align=center		Best-selling album of the decade

scope=col		scope=col	Artist	scope=col	Album	scope=col	Record label	scope=col	Reached number one (for the week ending)^[10]	scope=col	Weeks at number one
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Abbey Road	Apple		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin II	Atlantic		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Various artists	Motown Chartbusters Volume 3	Tamla Motown		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	CBS		13
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Let It Be	Apple		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	CBS		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Self Portrait			1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	CBS		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"				Threshold		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Creedence Clearwater Revival	Cosmo's Factory	Liberty		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert	Decca		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	CBS		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Black Sabbath	Paranoid	Vertigo		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	CBS		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Pink Floyd	Atom Heart Mother	Harvest		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Various artists	Motown Chartbusters Volume 4	Tamla Motown		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin III	Atlantic		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			New Morning	CBS		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Andy Williams' Greatest Hits	CBS		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin III	Atlantic		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Andy Williams' Greatest Hits	CBS		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	CBS		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			All Things Must Pass	Apple		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Home Lovin' Man	CBS		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Various artists	Motown Chartbusters Volume 5	Tamla Motown		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Sticky Fingers	Rolling Stones		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Ram	Apple		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Sticky Fingers	Rolling Stones		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Emerson, Lake & Palmer	Tarkus	Island		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	CBS		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Various artists	Hot Hits 6	Music for Pleasure		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Every Good Boy Deserves Favour	Threshold		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Various artists	Top of the Pops, Volume 18	Hallmark		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	CBS		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Who's Next	Track		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Deep Purple	Fireball	Harvest		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Every Picture Tells a Story	Mercury		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	100	and The Plastic Ono Band	Imagine	Apple		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Every Picture Tells a Story	Mercury		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	101	Various artists	Top of the Pops, Volume 20	Hallmark		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	102	Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin IV	Atlantic		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	103	T.Rex	Electric Warrior	Fly		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	104	, Bob Dylan and others		Apple		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		T.Rex	Electric Warrior	Fly		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	105		Neil Reid	Decca		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	106		Harvest	Reprise		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	107		Paul Simon	CBS		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	108	Lindisfarne	Fog on the Tyne	Charisma		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	109	Deep Purple	Machine Head	Purple		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	110	T.Rex	/ My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows	Fly Double Back		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Deep Purple	Machine Head	Purple		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	111	T.Rex	Bolan Boogie	Fly		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	112		Exile on Main St.	Rolling Stones		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	113	Various artists	20 Dynamic Hits	K-tel		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	114	Various artists	20 Fantastic Hits	Arcade		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	115		Never a Dull Moment	Philips		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Various artists	20 Fantastic Hits	Arcade		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	116	Various artists	20 All Time Greats of the 50s	K-tel		8
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	117	Various artists	25 Rockin' and Rollin' Greats	K-tel		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Various artists	20 All Time Greats of the 50s	K-tel		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	118	Slade	Slayed?	Polydor		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	119		Back to Front	MAM		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Slade	Slayed?	Polydor		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	120		Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player	DJM		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	121		Billion Dollar Babies	Warner Bros.		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	122	Various artists	20 Flash Back Greats of the Sixties			2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	123	Led Zeppelin	Houses of the Holy	Atlantic		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	124	Faces	Ooh La La	Warner Bros.		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	125		Aladdin Sane	RCA Victor		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	126	Various artists	Pure Gold			3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	127	Original soundtrack	That'll Be the Day	Ronco		7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	128	Peters and Lee	We Can Make It	Philips		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	129		Sing It Again Rod	Mercury		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	130		Goats Head Soup	Rolling Stones		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	131	Slade	Sladest	Polydor		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	132	Status Quo	Hello!	Vertigo		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	133		Pin Ups			5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	134	Roxy Music	Stranded			1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	135		Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes	Bell		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	136		Goodbye Yellow Brick Road	DJM		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	137	Yes	Tales from Topographic Oceans	Atlantic		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Slade	Sladest	Polydor		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	138		And I Love You So	RCA Victor		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	139			A&M		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	140	Slade	Old New Borrowed and Blue	Polydor		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"				A&M		11
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	141		Journey to the Centre of the Earth	A&M		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"				A&M		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	142		Diamond Dogs	RCA Victor		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"				A&M		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	143		Caribou	DJM		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	144		Band on the Run	Apple		7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	145		Hergest Ridge	Virgin		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	146		Tubular Bells	Virgin		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	147	Bay City Rollers	Rollin'	Bell		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	148		Smiler	Mercury		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Bay City Rollers	Rollin'	Bell		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Smiler	Mercury		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Bay City Rollers	Rollin'	Bell		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	149		Elton John's Greatest Hits	DJM		11
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	150		His Greatest Hits	Decca		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	151	Status Quo	On the Level	Vertigo		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	152	Led Zeppelin	Physical Graffiti	Swan Song		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	153		20 Greatest Hits	Decca		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	154			Avco		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	155	Bay City Rollers	Once Upon a Star	Bell		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"				Avco		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	156	Wings	Venus and Mars	Apple		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	157		Horizon	A&M		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Wings	Venus and Mars	Apple		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Horizon	A&M		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"				Avco		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	158		Atlantic Crossing	Warner Bros.		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	159	Pink Floyd	Wish You Were Here	Harvest		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			Atlantic Crossing	Warner Bros.		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	160		40 Golden Greats	Arcade		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	161		We All Had Doctors' Papers	EMI		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	162		40 Greatest Hits	K-tel		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	163	Queen		EMI		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"			40 Greatest Hits	K-tel		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Queen		EMI		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	164		The Best of Roy Orbison	Arcade		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	165		The Very Best of Slim Whitman	United Artists		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	166	Status Quo	Blue for You	Vertigo		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	167	Rock Follies	Rock Follies	Island		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	168	Led Zeppelin	Presence	Swan Song		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Rock Follies	Rock Follies	Island		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	169	ABBA	Greatest Hits	Epic		9
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	170			Riva		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	171		20 Golden Greats	Capitol		10
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	172			H&L		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	173	Dr. Feelgood	Stupidity	United Artists		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		ABBA	Greatest Hits	Epic		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	174	Various artists	Soul Motion	K-tel		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	175	Led Zeppelin		Swan Song		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	176		22 Golden Guitar Greats	Warwick		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	177		Glen Campbell's Twenty Golden Greats	Capitol		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	178	Queen		EMI		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	179	ABBA	Arrival	Epic		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	180		Red River Valley	United Artists		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	181		20 Golden Greats	EMI		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	182		Portrait of Sinatra – Forty Songs from the Life of a Man	Reprise		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		ABBA	Arrival	Epic		9
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	183			Parlophone		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	184			Pye		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	185	& Kris Kristofferson		CBS		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	186			CBS		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	187	Yes	Going for the One	Atlantic		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	188		20 All Time Greats	Polydor		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	189		Elvis' 40 Greatest	Arcade		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	190		20 Golden Greats	Motown		7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	191	& The Shadows	40 Golden Greats	EMI		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	192	Sex Pistols	Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols	Virgin		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	193	Bread		Elektra		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	194	Various artists	Disco Fever	K-tel		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"		Bread		Elektra		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	195	Fleetwood Mac	Rumours	Warner Bros.		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	196	ABBA		Epic		7
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	197	& The Crickets	20 Golden Greats	EMI		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	198		20 Golden Greats	Capitol		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	199	Original soundtrack	Saturday Night Fever	RSO		18
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	200	Boney M.	Nightflight to Venus	Atlantic		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	201	Original soundtrack	Grease	RSO		13
scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	202	Showaddywaddy	Greatest Hits 1976-1978	Arista		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	203	Various artists	Don't Walk – Boogie			3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	204	Various artists	Action Replay			1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	205	Blondie	Parallel Lines	Chrysalis		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	206	Bee Gees	Spirits Having Flown			2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	207		Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol. 2	CBS		4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	208			Chrysalis		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	209	ABBA	Voulez-Vous			4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	210	Electric Light Orchestra	Discovery	Jet		5
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	211	Tubeway Army	Replicas	Beggars Banquet		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	212	Various artists		WEA		6
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	213	Led Zeppelin	In Through the Out Door	Swan Song		2
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	214			Beggars Banquet		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	215	Boney M	Oceans of Fantasy	Atlantic		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"				Beggars Banquet		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	216	Blondie	Eat to the Beat	Chrysalis		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	217		Reggatta de Blanc	A&M	^[11]	4
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	218	Fleetwood Mac	Tusk	Warner Bros.		1
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	219	ABBA	Greatest Hits Vol. 2	Epic		3
scope=row style="text-align:center;"	220		Greatest Hits, Vol. 1	Riva		5

By artist

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

scope=col	Artist	scope=col	Number-one albums	scope=col	Weeks at number one
scope=row	ABBA	5	35
scope=row	Simon & Garfunkel	1	33
scope=row		7	27
scope=row		2	22
scope=row		4	21

By record label

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

scope=col	Record label	scope=col	Number-one albums	scope=col	Weeks at number one
scope=row	CBS Records	9	53
scope=row	K-tel	8	39
scope=row	Epic Records	5	35
scope=row	RSO Records	3	33
scope=row	Apple Records	8	29
scope=row	A&M Records	4	27
scope=row	EMI Records	8	22
scope=row	DJM Records	4	21

External links

• Archive of all UK Number One Albums of the 1970s with images of original packaging
• Official UK Albums Top 100 at the Official Charts Company

Notes and References

1. Web site: Oasis Score 900th Number 1 for Official Albums Chart . Amy . Howard . 20 June 2010 . . . https://web.archive.org/web/20110430004320/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/chart-news/oasis-score-900th-number-1-for-official-albums-chart/ . 30 April 2011 . live . 30 January 2012 .
2. Web site: Album Chart History: 1970. Sharon. Mawer. The Official UK Charts Company. 24 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071217020426/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_history_1970.php . 17 December 2007 .
3. Web site: Album Chart History: 1971. Sharon. Mawer. The Official UK Charts Company. 24 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071217020432/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_history_1971.php . 17 December 2007 .
4. Web site: Album Chart History: 1972. Sharon. Mawer. The Official UK Charts Company. 24 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20070729031056/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_history_1972.php. 29 July 2007 .
5. Web site: Album Chart History: 1973. Sharon. Mawer. The Official UK Charts Company. 24 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071217020442/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_history_1973.php . 17 December 2007 .
6. Web site: Album Chart History: 1974. Sharon. Mawer. The Official UK Charts Company. 24 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071217020447/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_history_1974.php . 17 December 2007 .
7. Web site: Album Chart History: 1975. Sharon. Mawer. The Official UK Charts Company. 24 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071216084346/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_history_1975.php . 16 December 2007 .
8. Web site: Album Chart History: 1976. Sharon. Mawer. The Official UK Charts Company. 24 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071217020406/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_history_1976.php. 17 December 2007.
9. Web site: Album Chart History: 1977. Sharon. Mawer. The Official UK Charts Company. 24 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20071217020411/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/album_chart_history_1977.php. 17 December 2007.
10. Web site: All the Official Albums Chart Number 1s.
11. Web site: Blogabillyboogie: October 13th: On this Day in Music History. 2011.