Quadrophenia (1979)

Picking our list of the Top 100 '70s Rock Albums was no easy task, if only because that period boasted such sheer diversity. The decade saw rock branch into a series of intriguing new subgenres, beginning, at the dawn of the '70s, with heavy metal. Singer-songwriters came into their own; country-rock flourished. The era ended with the revitalizing energy of punk and New Wave. No list would be complete without climbing onto every one of those limbs. Here are the Top 100 '70s Rock Albums, presented chronologically from the start of the decade.

Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who, released on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is a double album and the group's second rock opera. The story follows a young mod named Jimmy and his search for self-worth and importance, set in London and Brighton in 1965. It is the only Who album to be entirely composed by group leader Pete Townshend. The group started work on the album in 1972, trying to follow up Tommy and Who's Next, which had both achieved substantial critical and commercial success. Recording was delayed due to bassist John Entwistle and singer Roger Daltrey working on solo albums, while drummer Keith Moon worked on films, and because a new studio was not finished in time, the group had to use Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio.

Four exceptional hours of music that defines British pop at the end of a tumultuous decade. Continuing Cherry Red’s yearly overview of the late ‘70s UK “new music” scene.