The 1970s was a tumultuous time, full of upheaval on many fronts, from the end of the Vietnam War to the dawn of personal computers. It makes sense that its music had a similar helter-skelter feel.

(Illustrated by Mara Ocejo; Photos: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images; Robin Harper; John Jay; Norman Wong; ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) As we mentioned in our midyear albums list, one of the biggest ...