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

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.

## Number ones

Key :
| No. | nth album to top the UK Albums Chart |
| re | Return of an album to number one |
| † | Best-selling album of the year |
| ‡ | Best-selling album of the decade |
| No. | Artist | Album | Record label | Reached number one (for the week ending) | Weeks at number one |
| 1970 ||||||
| re | The Beatles | Abbey Road | Apple | 27 December 1969 | 6 |
| 74 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin II | Atlantic | 7 February 1970 | 1 |
| 75 | Various artists | Motown Chartbusters Volume 3 | Tamla Motown | 14 February 1970 | 1 |
| 76 | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ | CBS | 21 February 1970 | 13 |
| 77 | The Beatles | Let It Be | Apple | 23 May 1970 | 3 |
| re | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ | CBS | 13 June 1970 | 4 |
| 78 | Bob Dylan | Self Portrait | CBS | 11 July 1970 | 1 |
| re | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ | CBS | 18 July 1970 | 5 |
| 79 | The Moody Blues | A Question of Balance | Threshold | 22 August 1970 | 3 |
| 80 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Cosmo's Factory | Liberty | 12 September 1970 | 1 |
| 81 | The Rolling Stones | Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert | Decca | 19 September 1970 | 2 |
| re | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ | CBS | 3 October 1970 | 1 |
| 82 | Black Sabbath | Paranoid | Vertigo | 10 October 1970 | 1 |
| re | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ | CBS | 17 October 1970 | 1 |
| 83 | Pink Floyd | Atom Heart Mother | Harvest | 24 October 1970 | 1 |
| 84 | Various artists | Motown Chartbusters Volume 4 | Tamla Motown | 31 October 1970 | 1 |
| 85 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin III | Atlantic | 7 November 1970 | 3 |
| 86 | Bob Dylan | New Morning | CBS | 28 November 1970 | 1 |
| 87 | Andy Williams | Andy Williams' Greatest Hits | CBS | 5 December 1970 | 1 |
| re | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin III | Atlantic | 12 December 1970 | 1 |
| re | Andy Williams | Andy Williams' Greatest Hits | CBS | 19 December 1970 | 4 |
| 1971 ||||||
| re | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ | CBS | 16 January 1971 | 3 |
| 88 | George Harrison | All Things Must Pass | Apple | 6 February 1971 | 8 |
| 89 | Andy Williams | Home Lovin' Man | CBS | 3 April 1971 | 2 |
| 90 | Various artists | Motown Chartbusters Volume 5 | Tamla Motown | 17 April 1971 | 3 |
| 91 | The Rolling Stones | Sticky Fingers | Rolling Stones | 8 May 1971 | 4 |
| 92 | Paul and Linda McCartney | Ram | Apple | 5 June 1971 | 2 |
| re | The Rolling Stones | Sticky Fingers | Rolling Stones | 19 June 1971 | 1 |
| 93 | Emerson, Lake & Palmer | Tarkus | Island | 26 June 1971 | 1 |
| re | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ | CBS | 3 July 1971 | 5 |
| 94 | Various artists | Hot Hits 6 | Music for Pleasure | 7 August 1971 | 1 |
| 95 | The Moody Blues | Every Good Boy Deserves Favour | Threshold | 14 August 1971 | 1 |
| 96 | Various artists | Top of the Pops, Volume 18 | Hallmark | 21 August 1971 | 3 |
| re | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water ‡ | CBS | 11 September 1971 | 1 |
| 97 | The Who | Who's Next | Track | 18 September 1971 | 1 |
| 98 | Deep Purple | Fireball | Harvest | 25 September 1971 | 1 |
| 99 | Rod Stewart | Every Picture Tells a Story | Mercury | 2 October 1971 | 4 |
| 100 | John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band | Imagine | Apple | 30 October 1971 | 2 |
| re | Rod Stewart | Every Picture Tells a Story | Mercury | 13 November 1971 | 2 |
| 101 | Various artists | Top of the Pops, Volume 20 | Hallmark | 27 November 1971 | 1 |
| 102 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin IV | Atlantic | 4 December 1971 | 2 |
| 103 | T.Rex | Electric Warrior | Fly | 18 December 1971 | 6 |
| 1972 ||||||
| 104 | George Harrison, Bob Dylan and others | The Concert for Bangladesh | Apple | 29 January 1972 | 1 |
| re | T.Rex | Electric Warrior | Fly | 5 February 1972 | 2 |
| 105 | Neil Reid | Neil Reid | Decca | 19 February 1972 | 3 |
| 106 | Neil Young | Harvest | Reprise | 11 March 1972 | 1 |
| 107 | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | CBS | 18 March 1972 | 1 |
| 108 | Lindisfarne | Fog on the Tyne | Charisma | 25 March 1972 | 4 |
| 109 | Deep Purple | Machine Head | Purple | 22 April 1972 | 2 |
| 110 | T.Rex | Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages / My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows | Fly Double Back | 6 May 1972 | 1 |
| re | Deep Purple | Machine Head | Purple | 13 May 1972 | 1 |
| 111 | T.Rex | Bolan Boogie | Fly | 20 May 1972 | 3 |
| 112 | The Rolling Stones | Exile on Main St. | Rolling Stones | 10 June 1972 | 1 |
| 113 | Various artists | 20 Dynamic Hits † | K-tel | 17 June 1972 | 8 |
| 114 | Various artists | 20 Fantastic Hits | Arcade | 12 August 1972 | 5 |
| 115 | Rod Stewart | Never a Dull Moment | Philips | 16 September 1972 | 2 |
| re | Various artists | 20 Fantastic Hits | Arcade | 30 September 1972 | 1 |
| 116 | Various artists | 20 All Time Greats of the 50s | K-tel | 7 October 1972 | 8 |
| 117 | Various artists | 25 Rockin' and Rollin' Greats | K-tel | 2 December 1972 | 3 |
| re | Various artists | 20 All Time Greats of the 50s | K-tel | 23 December 1972 | 3 |
| 1973 ||||||
| 118 | Slade | Slayed? | Polydor | 13 January 1973 | 1 |
| 119 | Gilbert O'Sullivan | Back to Front | MAM | 20 January 1973 | 1 |
| re | Slade | Slayed? | Polydor | 27 January 1973 | 2 |
| 120 | Elton John | Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player † | DJM | 10 February 1973 | 6 |
| 121 | Alice Cooper | Billion Dollar Babies | Warner Bros. | 24 March 1973 | 1 |
| 122 | Various artists | 20 Flash Back Greats of the Sixties | K-tel | 31 March 1973 | 2 |
| 123 | Led Zeppelin | Houses of the Holy | Atlantic | 14 April 1973 | 2 |
| 124 | Faces | Ooh La La | Warner Bros. | 28 April 1973 | 1 |
| 125 | David Bowie | Aladdin Sane | RCA Victor | 5 May 1973 | 5 |
| 126 | Various artists | Pure Gold | EMI | 9 June 1973 | 3 |
| 127 | Original soundtrack | That'll Be the Day | Ronco | 30 June 1973 | 7 |
| 128 | Peters and Lee | We Can Make It | Philips | 18 August 1973 | 2 |
| 129 | Rod Stewart | Sing It Again Rod | Mercury | 1 September 1973 | 3 |
| 130 | The Rolling Stones | Goats Head Soup | Rolling Stones | 22 September 1973 | 2 |
| 131 | Slade | Sladest | Polydor | 6 October 1973 | 3 |
| 132 | Status Quo | Hello! | Vertigo | 27 October 1973 | 1 |
| 133 | David Bowie | Pin Ups | RCA Victor | 3 November 1973 | 5 |
| 134 | Roxy Music | Stranded | Island | 8 December 1973 | 1 |
| 135 | David Cassidy | Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes | Bell | 15 December 1973 | 1 |
| 136 | Elton John | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | DJM | 22 December 1973 | 2 |
| 1974 ||||||
| 137 | Yes | Tales from Topographic Oceans | Atlantic | 5 January 1974 | 2 |
| re | Slade | Sladest | Polydor | 19 January 1974 | 1 |
| 138 | Perry Como | And I Love You So | RCA Victor | 26 January 1974 | 1 |
| 139 | The Carpenters | The Singles: 1969–1973 † | A&M | 2 February 1974 | 4 |
| 140 | Slade | Old New Borrowed and Blue | Polydor | 2 March 1974 | 1 |
| re | The Carpenters | The Singles: 1969–1973 † | A&M | 9 March 1974 | 11 |
| 141 | Rick Wakeman | Journey to the Centre of the Earth | A&M | 25 May 1974 | 1 |
| re | The Carpenters | The Singles: 1969–1973 † | A&M | 1 June 1974 | 1 |
| 142 | David Bowie | Diamond Dogs | RCA Victor | 8 June 1974 | 4 |
| re | The Carpenters | The Singles: 1969–1973 † | A&M | 6 July 1974 | 1 |
| 143 | Elton John | Caribou | DJM | 13 July 1974 | 2 |
| 144 | Paul McCartney & Wings | Band on the Run | Apple | 27 July 1974 | 7 |
| 145 | Mike Oldfield | Hergest Ridge | Virgin | 14 September 1974 | 3 |
| 146 | Mike Oldfield | Tubular Bells | Virgin | 5 October 1974 | 1 |
| 147 | Bay City Rollers | Rollin' | Bell | 12 October 1974 | 1 |
| 148 | Rod Stewart | Smiler | Mercury | 19 October 1974 | 1 |
| re | Bay City Rollers | Rollin' | Bell | 26 October 1974 | 1 |
| re | Rod Stewart | Smiler | Mercury | 2 November 1974 | 1 |
| re | Bay City Rollers | Rollin' | Bell | 9 November 1974 | 2 |
| 149 | Elton John | Elton John's Greatest Hits | DJM | 23 November 1974 | 11 |
| 1975 ||||||
| 150 | Engelbert Humperdinck | His Greatest Hits | Decca | 8 February 1975 | 3 |
| 151 | Status Quo | On the Level | Vertigo | 1 March 1975 | 2 |
| 152 | Led Zeppelin | Physical Graffiti | Swan Song | 15 March 1975 | 1 |
| 153 | Tom Jones | 20 Greatest Hits | Decca | 22 March 1975 | 4 |
| 154 | The Stylistics | The Best of the Stylistics † | Avco | 19 April 1975 | 2 |
| 155 | Bay City Rollers | Once Upon a Star | Bell | 3 May 1975 | 3 |
| re | The Stylistics | The Best of the Stylistics † | Avco | 24 May 1975 | 5 |
| 156 | Wings | Venus and Mars | Apple | 28 June 1975 | 1 |
| 157 | The Carpenters | Horizon | A&M | 5 July 1975 | 2 |
| re | Wings | Venus and Mars | Apple | 19 July 1975 | 1 |
| re | The Carpenters | Horizon | A&M | 26 July 1975 | 3 |
| re | The Stylistics | The Best of the Stylistics † | Avco | 16 August 1975 | 2 |
| 158 | Rod Stewart | Atlantic Crossing | Warner Bros. | 30 August 1975 | 5 |
| 159 | Pink Floyd | Wish You Were Here | Harvest | 4 October 1975 | 1 |
| re | Rod Stewart | Atlantic Crossing | Warner Bros. | 11 October 1975 | 2 |
| 160 | Jim Reeves | 40 Golden Greats | Arcade | 25 October 1975 | 3 |
| 161 | Max Boyce | We All Had Doctors' Papers | EMI | 15 November 1975 | 1 |
| 162 | Perry Como | 40 Greatest Hits | K-tel | 22 November 1975 | 5 |
| 163 | Queen | A Night at the Opera | EMI | 27 December 1975 | 2 |
| 1976 ||||||
| re | Perry Como | 40 Greatest Hits | K-tel | 10 January 1976 | 1 |
| re | Queen | A Night at the Opera | EMI | 17 January 1976 | 2 |
| 164 | Roy Orbison | The Best of Roy Orbison | Arcade | 31 January 1976 | 1 |
| 165 | Slim Whitman | The Very Best of Slim Whitman | United Artists | 7 February 1976 | 6 |
| 166 | Status Quo | Blue for You | Vertigo | 20 March 1976 | 3 |
| 167 | Rock Follies | Rock Follies | Island | 10 April 1976 | 2 |
| 168 | Led Zeppelin | Presence | Swan Song | 24 April 1976 | 1 |
| re | Rock Follies | Rock Follies | Island | 1 May 1976 | 1 |
| 169 | ABBA | Greatest Hits † | Epic | 8 May 1976 | 9 |
| 170 | Rod Stewart | A Night on the Town | Riva | 10 July 1976 | 2 |
| 171 | The Beach Boys | 20 Golden Greats | Capitol | 24 July 1976 | 10 |
| 172 | The Stylistics | The Best of the Stylistics Volume II | H&L | 2 October 1976 | 1 |
| 173 | Dr. Feelgood | Stupidity | United Artists | 9 October 1976 | 1 |
| re | ABBA | Greatest Hits † | Epic | 16 October 1976 | 2 |
| 174 | Various artists | Soul Motion | K-tel | 30 October 1976 | 2 |
| 175 | Led Zeppelin | The Song Remains the Same | Swan Song | 13 November 1976 | 1 |
| 176 | Bert Weedon | 22 Golden Guitar Greats | Warwick | 20 November 1976 | 1 |
| 177 | Glen Campbell | Glen Campbell's Twenty Golden Greats | Capitol | 27 November 1976 | 6 |
| 1977 ||||||
| 178 | Queen | A Day at the Races | EMI | 8 January 1977 | 1 |
| 179 | ABBA | Arrival † | Epic | 15 January 1977 | 1 |
| 180 | Slim Whitman | Red River Valley | United Artists | 22 January 1977 | 4 |
| 181 | The Shadows | 20 Golden Greats | EMI | 19 February 1977 | 6 |
| 182 | Frank Sinatra | Portrait of Sinatra – Forty Songs from the Life of a Man | Reprise | 2 April 1977 | 2 |
| re | ABBA | Arrival † | Epic | 16 April 1977 | 9 |
| 183 | The Beatles | The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl | Parlophone | 18 June 1977 | 1 |
| 184 | The Muppets | The Muppet Show | Pye | 25 June 1977 | 1 |
| 185 | Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson | A Star Is Born | CBS | 2 July 1977 | 2 |
| 186 | Johnny Mathis | The Mathis Collection | CBS | 16 July 1977 | 4 |
| 187 | Yes | Going for the One | Atlantic | 13 August 1977 | 2 |
| 188 | Connie Francis | 20 All Time Greats | Polydor | 27 August 1977 | 2 |
| 189 | Elvis Presley | Elvis' 40 Greatest | Arcade | 10 September 1977 | 1 |
| 190 | Diana Ross & the Supremes | 20 Golden Greats | Motown | 17 September 1977 | 7 |
| 191 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows | 40 Golden Greats | EMI | 5 November 1977 | 1 |
| 192 | Sex Pistols | Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols | Virgin | 12 November 1977 | 2 |
| 193 | Bread | The Sound of Bread | Elektra | 26 November 1977 | 2 |
| 194 | Various artists | Disco Fever | K-tel | 10 December 1977 | 6 |
| 1978 ||||||
| re | Bread | The Sound of Bread | Elektra | 21 January 1978 | 1 |
| 195 | Fleetwood Mac | Rumours | Warner Bros. | 28 January 1978 | 1 |
| 196 | ABBA | The Album | Epic | 4 February 1978 | 7 |
| 197 | Buddy Holly & The Crickets | 20 Golden Greats | EMI | 25 March 1978 | 3 |
| 198 | Nat King Cole | 20 Golden Greats | Capitol | 15 April 1978 | 3 |
| 199 | Original soundtrack | Saturday Night Fever † | RSO | 6 May 1978 | 18 |
| 200 | Boney M. | Nightflight to Venus | Atlantic | 9 September 1978 | 4 |
| 201 | Original soundtrack | Grease | RSO | 7 October 1978 | 13 |
| 1979 ||||||
| 202 | Showaddywaddy | Greatest Hits 1976-1978 | Arista | 6 January 1979 | 2 |
| 203 | Various artists | Don't Walk – Boogie | EMI | 20 January 1979 | 3 |
| 204 | Various artists | Action Replay | K-tel | 10 February 1979 | 1 |
| 205 | Blondie | Parallel Lines † | Chrysalis | 17 February 1979 | 4 |
| 206 | Bee Gees | Spirits Having Flown | RSO | 17 March 1979 | 2 |
| 207 | Barbra Streisand | Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | CBS | 31 March 1979 | 4 |
| 208 | Leo Sayer | The Very Best of Leo Sayer | Chrysalis | 28 April 1979 | 3 |
| 209 | ABBA | Voulez-Vous | Epic | 19 May 1979 | 4 |
| 210 | Electric Light Orchestra | Discovery | Jet | 16 June 1979 | 5 |
| 211 | Tubeway Army | Replicas | Beggars Banquet | 21 July 1979 | 1 |
| 212 | Various artists | The Best Disco Album in the World | WEA | 28 July 1979 | 6 |
| 213 | Led Zeppelin | In Through the Out Door | Swan Song | 8 September 1979 | 2 |
| 214 | Gary Numan | The Pleasure Principle | Beggars Banquet | 22 September 1979 | 1 |
| 215 | Boney M | Oceans of Fantasy | Atlantic | 29 September 1979 | 1 |
| re | Gary Numan | The Pleasure Principle | Beggars Banquet | 6 October 1979 | 1 |
| 216 | Blondie | Eat to the Beat | Chrysalis | 13 October 1979 | 1 |
| 217 | The Police | Reggatta de Blanc | A&M | 13 October 1979 | 4 |
| 218 | Fleetwood Mac | Tusk | Warner Bros. | 10 November 1979 | 1 |
| 219 | ABBA | Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | Epic | 17 November 1979 | 3 |
| 220 | Rod Stewart | Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 | Riva | 8 December 1979 | 5 |

### By artist

Five artists spent 20 weeks or more at number one on the albums chart during the 1970s.
| Artist | Number-one albums | Weeks at number one |
| ABBA | 5 | 35 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 1 | 33 |
| Rod Stewart | 7 | 27 |
| The Carpenters | 2 | 22 |
| Elton John | 4 | 21 |

### By record label

Eight record labels spent 20 weeks or more at number one on the albums chart during the 1970s.
| Record label | Number-one albums | Weeks at number one |
| CBS Records | 9 | 53 |
| K-tel | 8 | 39 |
| Epic Records | 5 | 35 |
| RSO Records | 3 | 33 |
| Apple Records | 8 | 29 |
| A&M Records | 4 | 27 |
| EMI Records | 8 | 22 |
| DJM Records | 4 | 21 |