Pink Floyd released its magnum opus, The Dark Side of the Moon in March 1973, which has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. The British group's eighth studio album logged 736 weeks on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart before finally making an exit in July 1988. But it's continued to make intermittent returns to the chart since then, spending more than 96 weeks in and out of the lineup.
The original Alice Cooper group released one of their most popular albums — and with a second release later that same year, put a surprise wrap on their time together.
Bruce Springsteen, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Queen were among those making their official album debuts in 1973. Meanwhile Elton John, Black Sabbath, Billy Joel and ZZ Top released trailblazing records that would become some of the most important career-defining power moves in each of their individual catalogs.
Here Ultimate Classic Rock ranks the best top 50 records out on 1973.
Bruce Springsteen, 'Greetings From 
, N.J.' (Jan. 5, 1973)
With his debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, Bruce Springsteen gave a hint at his future direction
Elton John, 'Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the 
' (Jan. 26, 1973)
Elton John released two albums in 1973, grabbing his second No. 1 album in the U.S. with the first, Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player. (It was also his first No. 1 LP in the U.K.) The album, boasting a title inspired by Groucho Marx, added "Daniel" and "Crocodile Rock" to John's growing stack of hits.
Pink Floyd, 'Dark Side of the Moon' (Mar. 1, 1973)
With Dark Side of the Moon, there was a sense that Pink Floyd "had done their best work to date," as engineer Alan Parsons told UCR in 2016.
Led Zeppelin, 'Houses of the Holy' (Mar. 28, 1973)
Recording in a mobile studio located on Mick Jagger's property, the members of Led Zeppelin crafted songs for Houses of the Holy such as "No Quarter," "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "The Rain Song." (The album's title track ultimately did not make the final cut.) Though critics were split on their opinions of Houses of the Holy, fans connected with the record, which has sold over 10 million copies.
David Bowie, 'Aladdin Sane' (April 20, 1973)
The songs on Aladdin Sane drew from a cornucopia of influences, including the Rolling Stones and David Bowie’s own experiences touring the U.S. for the first time as a mega-star. Aladdin Sane became his biggest album to that point, boasting now-familiar singles including "The Jean Genie" and "Drive-in Saturday."
Queen, 'Queen' (July 13, 1973)
Queen recorded their eponymous debut during off hours at Trident Studios. They spent nearly half of 1972 recording before they arrived at an album they were happy with, including the landmark "Keep Yourself Alive" and the record's closing track, an instrumental version of "Seven Seas of Rhye," which they later properly finished for Queen II.
Jethro Tull, 'A Passion Play' (July 23, 1973)
On the heels of their successful Thick as a Brick record, Jethro Tull continued to write conceptually for their sixth studio album, A Passion Play. Though A Passion Play faced harsh criticism upon release, the band still secured their second No. 1 album in the U.S
The Rolling Stones, 'Goats Head Soup' (Aug. 31, 1973)
Goats Head Soup marks the Rolling Stones final collaboration with longtime producer Jimmy Miller. The sessions were complicated, with bassist Bill Wyman only appearing on three of the 10 tracks. Though the album received a mixed reception, it features a number of notable Stones tracks, including the lead single, "Angie."
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, 'Over-Nite Sensation' (Sept. 7, 1973)
Elton John, 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' (Oct. 5, 1973)
Neil Young, 'Time Fades Away' (Oct. 15, 1973)
The Who, 'Quadrophenia' (Oct. 26, 1973)
For their third rock opera, Quadrophenia, the Who traced the story of young mod Jimmy's search for self-worth and importance. Guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend admitted during a 2012 interview that he was close to the source for the double album and "could still remember the feeling of struggling to fit in."
Paul McCartney and Wings, 'Band on the Run' (Dec. 5, 1973)
The Nigerian sessions for Paul McCartney’s third album with Wings, Band on the Run, were almost as adventurous as the story depicted by the album's title track. In one incident, assailants stripped McCartney of a bag containing song lyrics and demo tapes.
