Amazing Grace
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Community Score: 10.00

Aretha Franklin disproved the notion that once you leave the church, you can't go back. She returned in triumph on this 1972 double album, making what might be her greatest release ever in any style. Her voice was chilling, making it seem as if God and the angels were conducting a service alongside Franklin, Rev. James Cleveland, the Southern... Read More

The World Is a Ghetto
Artist: War
Community Score: 9.67

War's third album as an act separate from Eric Burdon was also far and away their most popular, the group's only long-player to top the pop charts. The culmination of everything they'd been shooting for creatively on their two prior albums, it featured work in both succinct pop-accessible idioms ("The Cisco Kid," etc.) as well as challenging... Read More

Back to Oakland
Artist: Tower of Power
Brother, Brother, Brother
Artist: The Isley Brothers
The Black-Man's Burdon
Artist: Eric Burdon & War

Former Animals lead singer Eric Burdon resurfaced in 1970 fronting a mostly black group named War. Their debut album actually cracked the pop Top 20, but by the time this follow-up was issued seven months later, the novelty had worn thin, and Burdon and the group would soon part company. It was a two-record set, with the most distinguishing... Read More

Music of My Mind
Artist: Stevie Wonder
Community Score: 9.60

With a new contract from Motown in his hand, Stevie Wonder released Music of My Mind, his first truly unified record and, with the exception of a single part on two songs, the work of a one-man-band. Everything he had learned about musicianship, engineering, and production during his long apprenticeship in the Snakepit at Motown Studios came... Read More

Tower of Power
Artist: Tower of Power
Community Score: 7.38

The Tower of Power finally found their ideal lead singer on this album. Lenny Williams came aboard and gave them both the up-tempo belter and convincing balladeer they had previously lacked. They landed their biggest single hit, "So Very Hard to Go," and also had two other top tunes in "What Is Hip" and "This Time It's Real." The arrangements... Read More

Back to Oakland
Artist: Tower of Power
Community Score: 10.00

Tower of Power followed their self-titled gold album with an even better album that didn't enjoy similar sales success. Back to Oakland had tougher, funkier and better-produced cuts, stronger vocals from Lenny Williams (who was more comfortable as their lead singer), and included an excellent ballad in "Time Will Tell," and a rousing tempo in... Read More

There's a Riot Goin' On
Artist: Sly & the Family Stone
Community Score: 4.50

It's easy to write off There's a Riot Goin' On as one of two things -- Sly Stone's disgusted social commentary or the beginning of his slow descent into addiction. It's both of these things, of course, but pigeonholing it as either winds up dismissing the album as a whole, since it is so bloody hard to categorize. What's certain is that Riot is... Read More

Rufusized
Artist: Rufus
Community Score: 8.00

In the early '70s, Rufus was one of the most popular and interesting bands in R&B and rock. Of course, the reason was Chaka Khan, who possessed an amazing voice that was well versed in rock and jazz every bit as much as R&B. Their debut went nowhere, Rags to Rufus offered two instant classics, and Rufusized displayed their skill as album... Read More

Wilson Pickett in Philadelphia
Artist: Wilson Pickett

After cutting most of his hits in the laid-back but gritty environs of the Deep South (most notably Memphis and Muscle Shoals), in 1970 Wilson Pickett decided to move with the times and headed to Philadelphia, where his raw, bigger-than-life vocals were paired with the higher-gloss funk of songwriters and producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It... Read More

Up for the Down Stroke
Artist: Parliament
Community Score: 6.38

Kicking off with one of prime funk's purest distillations -- the outrageously great title track, with a perfect party chorus line and uncredited horns (presumably the Horny Horns were involved somehow) adding to the monster beat and bass -- Up for the Down Stroke finds Parliament in rude good health. As was more or less the case through the... Read More

Shaft
Artist: Isaac Hayes
Community Score: 9.25

Of the many wonderful blaxpoitation soundtracks to emerge during the early '70s, Shaft certainly deserves mention as not only one of the most lasting but also one of the most successful. Isaac Hayes was undoubtedly one of the era's most accomplished soul artists, having helped elevate Stax to its esteemed status; therefore, his being chosen to... Read More

The Black Moses of Soul
Artist: Isaac Hayes
Community Score: 10.00