20 Albums Turning 50 in 2025

The ’70s were a wild time for popular music. This eventful 10-year span saw the proliferation of disco, funk, punk, hard rock, and mellow singer-songwriter fare. All of these sounds were thriving by the decade’s midpoint, 1975, as evidenced by the diverse list of classic albums turning 50 in 2025.

Read on to learn about 20 of the timeless albums that hit shelves in 1975, the year that gave us the birth of Microsoft, the end of the Vietnam War, and the debut of Wheel of Fortune.

1. Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks // Released January 20, 1975
2. Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey // Released February 12, 1975 
3. Rush’s Fly By Night // Released February 15, 1975 
4. Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti // Released February 24, 1975 
5. David Bowie’s Young Americans // Released March 7, 1975
6. The Dictators’ Go Girl Crazy! // Released March 1975
7. Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic // April 8, 1975
8. Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy // Released May 19, 1975 
9. Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger // Released May 1, 1975
10. War’s Why Can’t We Be Friends // Released June 16, 1975 
11. Fleetwood Mac’s Fleetwood Mac // Released July 11, 1975
12. Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music // July 1975
13. Ohio Players’ Honey // Released August 16, 1975
14. Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run // Released August 25, 1975
15. Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby // Released August 27, 1975 
16. Kiss’s Alive! // Released September 10, 1975 
17. Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years // Released October 25, 1975 
18. Joni Mitchell’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns // Released November 1, 1975 
19. Patti Smith’s Horses // Released November 10, 1975 
20. Queen’s A Night at the Opera // Released November 21, 1975 

Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks // Released January 20, 1975

Often described as Dylan’s “divorce album,” since it arrived while he was estranged from his then-wife, Sara Lownds, Blood on the Tracks is a dark, thorny collection of songs that ranks among Bob’s best-loved works. Dylan has denied the autobiographical interpretation, but he acknowledges the LP’s heavy vibes. “A lot of people tell me they enjoy that album,” he told Mary Travers in 1975. “It’s hard for me to relate to that. I mean … people enjoying that type of pain, you know.”

Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey // Released February 12, 1975 

A shining example of the politically charged ’70s roots reggae sound, Marcus Garvey is named for the Jamaican activist whose teachings heavily influenced the creation of Rastafarianism—though Garvey never actually practiced the religion. The original Jamaican version of the album wasn’t the one that earned global acclaim, as Island Records boss Chris Blackwell issued a sped-up version to appeal to mainstream audiences, much to the chagrin of Burning Spear leader Winston Rodney.

Rush’s Fly By Night // Released February 15, 1975 

This is where it all came together for Canadian prog-rock heroes Rush. Fly By Night was their second album, following 1974’s self-titled effort, but their first to feature drummer Neil Peart, who would thrill fans with his intricate playing and become the band’s lyricist.

Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti // Released February 24, 1975 

Led Zep’s sonically varied sixth studio album features the thudding fan favorite “Kashmir,” a song that has nothing to do with the titular region of India. Instead, the lyrics were inspired by singer Robert Plant’s experiences driving through the desert in southern Morocco. 

David Bowie’s Young Americans // Released March 7, 1975

Known for the hit singles “Fame” and “Young Americans,” Bowie’s soul-inflected ninth studio album features backing vocals from future R&B superstar Luther Vandross, who played a crucial role in the sessions. The song “Fascination” grew out of an original Vandross composition, and Luther is credited as a co-writer. 

The Dictators’ Go Girl Crazy! // Released March 1975

Predating the self-titled 1976 debut by Ramones by more than a year, Go Girl Crazy! is regarded as one of the first-ever punk albums. It includes covers of Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” and Joe Jones’s “California Sun,” which Ramones would tackle on their 1977 album Leave Home.

Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic // April 8, 1975

The so-called “Bad Boys from Boston” notched their first Top 20 album with Toys In the Attic, featuring the hits “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.” The latter’s title comes from a gag in the 1974 Mel Brooks film Young Frankenstein, and the single reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. A 1986 remake by the rap group Run-DMC (featuring Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry) went all the way to No. 4, helping to take hip-hop mainstream.

Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy // Released May 19, 1975 

This concept album about Elton John’s early days writing songs with frequent collaborator Bernie Taupin became the first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Elton has called it his “finest” LP, and in 2006, he released a sequel, The Captain & The Kid.

Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger // Released May 1, 1975

To craft this beloved country concept album, Willie Nelson started with the 1954 Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith song “Red Headed Stranger” and built an extended story around the main character, a guy who kills his wife and her lover. According to Rolling Stone, it’s the 237th best album of all time.

War’s Why Can’t We Be Friends // Released June 16, 1975 

The seventh studio album by these L.A. funk-rock fusion kings produced two Top 10 singles: the reggae-indebted title track, covered by Smash Mouth in 1998, and “Low Rider,” the eternally popular ode to Chicano car culture whose lead riff is simultaneously played on harmonica and alto sax. 

Fleetwood Mac’s Fleetwood Mac // Released July 11, 1975

The Mac’s 10th LP was the first to feature American newcomers Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, musical and romantic partners who joined the UK-born band following the departure of guitarist Bob Welch. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (33 spots higher than their previous best) and yielded three Top 20 hits: “Over My Head,” “Say You Love Me,” and the Nicks-penned “Rhiannon.” 

Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music // July 1975

There are “challenging albums,” and then there’s Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music, the infamous double LP that’s basically 63 minutes of screeching, grinding, tuneless feedback. Ever the iconoclast, Reed claimed that the atonal, borderline-unlistenable tracks contain subtle nods to Beethoven, and that he originally tried to get the album released on RCA’s classical label. 

Ohio Players’ Honey // Released August 16, 1975

This smash funk-soul album is famous for its cover image—a woman dripping honey into her mouth—and the urban legend it spawned. Somehow, a story began circulating that the model burned herself with the honey, and that when she threatened to sue, the band’s manager stabbed her to death—hence the scream heard on the single “Love Rollercoaster.” None of that is true, but the album, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, is plenty memorable in its own right. 

Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run // Released August 25, 1975

It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when Bruce Springsteen wasn’t a major superstar. His first two albums, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., and The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, both released in 1973, peaked at No. 60 and 59, respectively, on the Billboard 200. But then came 1975’s Born to Run, the Top 5 hit that made Bruce a household name. For this classic record, Bruce wrote almost exclusively on piano in a rented house in Long Branch, New Jersey. The instrument he used has gone missing, but treasure hunters hope it may one day surface. 

Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby // Released August 27, 1975 

The entire first side of this LP comprises just one song: the title track, a sensual disco jam that features Summer simulating 23 orgasms, according to the BBC censors who banned it. Nevertheless, “Love to Love You Baby” went Top 5 on both sides of the pond, giving Summer her international breakthrough and setting the stage for decades of hits. 

Kiss’s Alive! // Released September 10, 1975 

Like Bruce Springsteen, hard rockers Kiss flopped out of the gate. Their first three albums were commercial duds, but they were building a buzz with their live show, which featured all four members in Kabuki-style makeup and outlandish outfits and bassist Gene Simmons spitting fire and fake blood. So Neil Bogart, head of the band’s label, Casablancas, decided Kiss should make a live album. The result, Alive!, reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, sold millions of copies, established Kiss as one of the biggest bands of the decade, and saved Casablancas from financial ruin. 

Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years // Released October 25, 1975 

Paul Simon’s fourth solo album produced four Top 40 hits: the title track, “Gone At Last,” “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” and “My Little Town,” a duet with his longtime bandmate Art Garfunkel. “My Little Town” marked the pair’s first time on record together since 1970, and it also appeared on Garfunkel’s 1975 LP Breakaway. 

Joni Mitchell’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns // Released November 1, 1975 

Deemed by Rolling Stone (and others) to be one of the greatest albums of all time, Joni Mitchell’s The Hissing of Summer Lawns features heady jazz explorations and one of the earliest examples of sampling. The track “The Jungle Line” is built on a field recording of the Drummers of Burundi. 

Patti Smith’s Horses // Released November 10, 1975 

The debut album from singer-songwriter Patti Smith blended poetry and punk aesthetics in a way that critics found irresistible, and despite its unusual sound, it reached No. 47 on the Billboard 200. Horses features production from Velvet Underground member John Cale; a cover photo by Smith’s good friend Robert Mapplethorpe; and reworkings of two rock ‘n’ roll classics: Them’s “Gloria” (written by Van Morrison) and “Land of a Thousand Dances,” made famous by Cannibal & The Headhunters and Wilson Pickett. 

Queen’s A Night at the Opera // Released November 21, 1975 

Recorded in seven studios, Queen’s fourth LP was, at the time, the most expensive album ever made. But it was totally worth it: A Night at the Opera became Queen’s first No. 1 album in the UK and their first platinum seller in the U.S. The lead single was a little song called “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which reached No. 9 in America in 1975 and soared all the way to No. 2 in 1992, following the release of Wayne’s World.

Read More Stories About Music: