What is the best classic 1970s soul album?

The 1970s were a golden era for soul music, when artists pushed the boundaries of what the genre could say and sound like. Which classic soul record from the decade stands tallest?

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye's 1971 conceptual masterpiece addressed Vietnam, ecology, and urban poverty with orchestral soul beauty — the most important soul album of the decade.

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Songs in the Key of Life

Stevie Wonder's sprawling 1976 double album is a joyful, philosophical, and technically astonishing achievement — the pinnacle of his extended run of genius.

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Innervisions

Stevie Wonder's 1973 album blends sharp social commentary with innovative synthesizer textures and some of his most melodically perfect songs.

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Let's Stay Together

Al Green's 1972 Memphis soul masterpiece combines his honeyed tenor, lush arrangements by Willie Mitchell, and deeply felt emotion in the most romantic soul album of the era.

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Talking Book

Stevie Wonder's 1972 album announced his total artistic independence, fusing funk, rock, and soul with synthesizers in a bold new sound that defined the decade.

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Superfly

Curtis Mayfield's 1972 blaxploitation soundtrack transcended its film origins to become a profound soul statement on ghetto life, addiction, and survival.

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Donny Hathaway

Donny Hathaway's 1971 self-titled debut is a stunning display of vocal depth and musical sophistication, featuring 'Giving Up' and 'The Ghetto' among the decade's finest soul performances.

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Still Bill

Bill Withers' 1972 album contains 'Lean on Me' and 'Use Me' — simple, honest, profoundly human soul music that has never gone out of style.

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Ship Ahoy

The O'Jays' 1973 Philadelphia International album features the orchestrated Philly sound at its grandest, with socially conscious lyrics matched to lush, sophisticated arrangements.

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Call Me

Al Green's 1973 follow-up to 'Let's Stay Together' maintains his extraordinary streak of deep Memphis soul, with spare, gospel-drenched arrangements and tender vocal performances.

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Shaft

Isaac Hayes' 1971 Oscar-winning soundtrack is a landmark of orchestrated soul and funk — the title theme alone rewrote the rules of what soul music could sound like.

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Young, Gifted and Black

Aretha Franklin's 1972 album captures her at the height of her Atlantic Records peak, combining gospel fire with the most sophisticated soul production of the era.

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Extension of a Man

Donny Hathaway's 1973 final studio album is a profound exploration of love, spirituality, and social justice — one of the most beautifully arranged soul records of its decade.

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There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield's 1975 album is a heartbreaking document of post-civil-rights disillusionment, featuring some of his most starkly beautiful and politically charged writing.

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