25 Essential Rock + Metal Albums of the ’70s to Pass on To Your Children

What rock and metal albums of the 1970s would you pass down to your kids?

As a kid myself in the 1970s, I'm thankful for my parents having a wide array of music tastes and have fond memories of throwing albums on the turntable or listening to 8-tracks in the car.

In many ways, their tastes influenced my tastes and part of where I went in picking the 25 albums that make up this list. By the late '70s, I was already a music consumer, building up my collection of 45s en route to a more formative period in the '80s where I was able to go back and pick up some of the things I missed.

From the brash and muscular riffs of Aerosmith to the epic journeys and musical soundscapes provided by Zeppelin, there's a little something for everyone on this list. And these are albums I'd want to make sure that every generation got their hands on when forming their musical tastes.

As with the past lists on this theme, a count of only 25 albums forces some tough decisions on what makes the cut. Which albums would you choose? What would and would not make the cut in what you share with your kids? It's a fun exercise and I invite you to try to make your list and welcome your comments on what from the 1970s that you feel should be passed on through the generations.

READ MORE: Top 70 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of the '70s

If you want to go down the rabbit hole, we also have suggestions to pass on to your children from the '80s and '90s as well.