3 High-Minded Concept Albums From the 1970s We Love To Sing Along To

In the 1970s, rockers wore their concept albums like masks. For so many songwriters of the day, it wasn’t enough to just compose a number of solid tracks and put them on an album set for sale.

No, they wanted to do all that and showcase a long, in-depth story with rich characters. It was quite ambitious. And that’s what we wanted to highlight below. Indeed, these are three high-minded concept albums from the 1970s we love to sing along to.

‘The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’ by David Bowie (1972)

There is likely no individual in the history of music who understood the assignment of a concept album better than David Bowie. In many ways, the British-born Bowie was like a walking, talking museum. At any moment, he could display different garb, different styles. His life was like a movie, and he was one million main characters. For evidence of this, look no further than his 1972 LP, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. The entire album is an excuse to play a character—this rocker from outer space. Now, if that isn’t a great concept for a record, we don’t know what is!

‘2112’ by Rush (1976)

This 1976 record from Rush was the band’s first commercial success. That just goes to show—people care about the future. The first-half of the LP sets the stage and fits into the concept record theme. It’s almost like a film. It tells the story of a futuristic, at times dire dystopian story. Rush fans can enjoy all the band’s talents while following along with their narrative of what the world might be like if everything went to the dogs. The second half of the LP, though, does not follow the same dystopian story. It’s a collection of more commercial tracks. It would seem possible to have your cake and eat it too.

‘The Wall’ by Pink Floyd (1979)

In many ways, Pink Floyd was the rock band of the 1970s. The number of incandescent albums the group produced during the decade was incredible. But perhaps the group’s crowning achievement from the decade is the concept record The Wall. The rock opera tells the story of a fictional musician named Pink. Want to know more? Well, you’ll just have to dive into the astonishing work and find out more for yourself!

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