10 Greatest Albums Turning 50 in 2026, Ranked

1 week ago 17

Lloyd 'Happy Trails' Farley: the man, the myth, the legend. What can be said about this amazing - and humble - man that hasn't been said before? Or, more accurately, what can be said in public? Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Lloyd is a master of puns and a humorist, who has authored one pun book to date - Pun and Grimeish Mint - and is working on a second. His time with Collider has allowed Lloyd's passion for writing to explode, with nearly 1,000 articles to his name that have been published on the site, with his favorite articles being the ones that allow for his sense of humor to shine. Lloyd also holds fast to the belief that all of life's problems can be answered by The Simpsons, Star Wars, and/or The Lion King. You can read more about Lloyd on his website, or follow his Facebook page and join the Llama Llegion. Happy trails!

The likes of Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos and Rosalía's LUX are among a handful of contenders to land on multiple top 10 album lists for 2025, but will they be remembered in 2075? It's hard to say. Albums that reached the top of the charts 50 years ago aren't always remembered, or even relevant, after that passage of time, existing more as a snapshot of the zeitgeist then. On the other hand, albums that didn't achieve commercial or critical success then are often reevaluated more favorably over time. Then there are the albums that succeeded on all levels, timeless classics that captivated critics and listeners alike. Entering 2026 provides an opportunity to look 50 years in the past and see which albums, ones that fans have purchased on as many as 6 different formats, have emerged as the top of the class of 1976.

Honorable Mentions

Wings – Wings at the Speed of Sound: Fifth studio album with "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'Em In."

ABBA – Arrival: Fourth studio album with "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You."

The Rolling Stones – Black and Blue: Thirteenth studio album with "Hot Stuff" and "Fool to Cry."

AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap: Third studio album with "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" and "Jailbreak."

Rose Royce – Car Wash: Soundtrack double album with "Car Wash" and "I Wanna Get Next to You."

Boston – Boston: Debut album with "More Than a Feeling" and "Peace of Mind."

Queen – A Day at the Races: Fifth studio album with "Tie Your Mother Down" and "Somebody to Love."

Blondie – Blondie: Debut album with "In the Flesh" and "Rip Her to Shreds."

Led Zeppelin – Presence: Seventh studio album with "Achilles Last Stand" and "Nobody's Fault but Mine."

Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak: Sixth studio album with "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town."

10. Bob Dylan – 'Desire'

Bob Dylan is a master storyteller, weaving narratives and bringing vivid characters to life with his penchant for prose, and on 1976's Desire, he is at the top of his game. Dylan, as protester, starts the album off with "Hurricane," a controversial eight-minute condemnation of the arrest of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, wrongfully convicted of a gruesome 1966 triple-homicide, that grows angrier as the song progresses. Then, on the other end, he tells the tale of gangster "Crazy Joe" Gallo, a ballad clocking in at eleven minutes that claims that he, too, was wrongfully persecuted. Justified in the former, highly questionable with the latter, yet both are simply great songs crafted by Dylan and co-writer Jacques Levy. The other songs on the album feature stories told in both the third- and first-person, and one achingly painful, and surprisingly personal, closer in "Sara," a desperate plea to his then-wife Sara Lownds not to leave (she did, however, with the couple divorcing in 1977). Bolstered by appearances from the likes of Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, and, most notably, violinist Scarlet Rivera, Desire is a must-have for fans and for those that have long been dismissive of Dylan as overrated.

9. The Eagles — 'Hotel California'

The Eagles' Hotel California is, simply put, a brilliantly crafted balancing act. It's a concept album that explores themes of lost innocence, temptation, the dark side of fame and excess, but loosely enough that it isn't held hostage to the concept, allowing each track to breathe on its own. It honors the band's roots in country-rock ("New Kid in Town") and lush harmonies while exploring a more aggressive rock sound ("Life in the Fast Lane"), courtesy of new band member Joe Walsh. It's a group of musicians excelling at what they do, bolstered by flawless production, best evidenced by the 2-minute-12-second-long two guitar outro of the iconic title track. And to paraphrase the same, you can check in to the Hotel California album, but you can never leave. Not that you'd want to.

8. Heart – 'Dreamboat Annie'

Technically, Heart's Dreamboat Annie was first released in 1975 in Canada, but didn't make its way to the U.S. until February 1976, which means two things: it counts as an entry on this list, and Americans missed out for months on the powerhouse Wilson sisters. The album, the band's debut, is one of a handful of 1976 releases from female-led bands, but unlike the debut albums of Blondie and The Runaways, Dreamboat Annie feels seasoned, with little to suggest that it's Heart's first crack at the bat. Ann Wilson's powerful vocals and Nancy Wilson's masterful work on both acoustic and electric guitar (her acoustic intro on "Crazy on You" is among the best you will ever hear) are key, of course, but it's Heart's unique sound – a mix of hard rock and folk ("Black Sabbath meets The Carpenters") – that truly elevates Dreamboat Annie from the rest.

7. Rush – '2112'

What do you do as a band if your first foray into long, concept-based pieces fails epically? Well, if you're Rush, you follow up the debacle that was 1975's Caress of Steel with 2112, doubling-down on the idea of a concept album by taking up one entire side with a 20-minute, seven-part epic sci-fi suite about individualism vs. totalitarianism, inspired by Ayn Rand's Anthem. It defied conventional wisdom and flat-out ignored their label's wishes for a more traditional rock album. They were, in essence, living out their concept in real life, pitting their artistic vision against the tried and true. And dammit, it worked, with 2112 exceeding expectations to become Rush's second-best selling album after Moving Pictures. They didn't fully commit to the concept, mind you, with the B side offering more traditional rock fare like "A Passage to Bangkok," so there is something for everyone. 2112 also sees the three virtuosos – drummer Neil Peart, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and vocalist/bassist Geddy Lee – at their most cohesive to that date, and for that alone 2112 is worth the listen.

6. David Bowie – 'Station to Station'

If you're going to make an album with only six tracks, there's no room for so-called filler songs. Every song has to be exceptional, and that's exactly what David Bowie did with his tenth studio album, Station to Station. The first, and only, album recorded by Bowie in his Thin White Duke persona, Station to Station bridges his Philly Soul phase of Young Americans with the Berlin Trilogy (Low, Heroes, Lodger) to follow. As such, the album has a distinct sound that blends funk and soul with art-rock, a perfect match with his aloof and detached persona (although "Word on a Wing" puts Bowie's vulnerability front and center). "Golden Years," the first release from the album, is certainly the most accessible, but the depth of the album's themes and layered arrangements makes Station to Station stand out among Bowie's extensive discography.

5. KISS – 'Destroyer'

1975's Alive! did the impossible by vividly bringing the experience of a live KISS show to vinyl. 1976's Destroyer brings the energy of a live KISS show into the studio, the work of famed producer Bob Ezrin. The opening sonic attack of first track "Detroit Rock City." The arena-readiness of "Shout It Out Loud." The ominous driving of the underrated "God of Thunder," and the lush arrangement of "Great Expectations." Every band member has a chance to shine, including Peter Criss, who comes out from behind the drum kit to lead the heartrending "Beth," the band's highest-charting single, setting the stage for the band's solo releases in 1978. Destroyer encapsulates everything that made KISS one of the defining acts of the 1970s, and while its high placement on this list may surprise some, their definitive album earns its place and deserves a listen.

4. Peter Frampton – 'Frampton Comes Alive!'

Peter Frampton – Frampton Comes Alive! (1976)

Frampton Comes Alive! should never have succeeded the way it did. Peter Frampton was not what one would call a beloved musician, a relative unknown whose prior albums failed to achieve much in the way of commercial success. That he would capture an audience in the first place borders on the unbelievable. And the live album had never really caught on, unable to capture the genuine feel of a concert, and often polished in studio before release, further distancing the album from the performance. Really, Frampton Comes Alive! is the result of a perfect storm: Frampton's live performances that electrified with a raw energy missing from his studio tracks; the selection of the strongest, friendliest material from his previous albums; and enthralled audiences. Most importantly, it managed to capture the feel of a live performance, talk-box and all, with studio "polishes" mainly limited to creating seamless transitions between tracks. Rarer still is how the live album fostered multiple singles, including "Do You Feel Like We Do," that could stand alone as radio-friendly tracks. And while Frampton would never achieve that level of success again, Frampton Comes Alive! captures a rare moment in time where everything came together to create something magical.

3. The Ramones – 'Ramones'

One of the most influential albums of all time, the Ramones' debut album Ramones is punk rock perfection, period. There's no studio polishing here: Ramones is raw and relentless, aggressive and funny, energetic and short, with tracks well under three minutes, wasting nothing. Joey Ramone's vocals would seem to be unaligned with the ferocity of Johnny Ramone's buzzsaw lead guitar work, Dee Dee Ramone's bass, or the driving, deceptively simple beat of Tommy Ramone's drumming, almost too laid back and "unscreechy" for a punk album. Yet it works, and the album produced some of the band's most iconic songs, like "Beat on the Brat," "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue," and the defining "Hey! Ho! Let's Go!" chant of "Blitzkrieg Bop." It set the stage for the Ramones' sound, a template they would rarely variate from, and one that defined punk rock going forward.

2. Stevie Wonder – 'Songs in the Key of Life'

Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

Songs in the Key of Life is Stevie Wonder at his artistic best, a double-album that has few, if any, weak tracks. Not only are they strong, but they vary, ensuring that once you drop the needle, you don't tire of each song sounding alike. He is one of those rare artists that is not only versatile – he plays most instruments on the album – but proves to be a master of multiple genres: funk ("I Wish"), jazz ("Sir Duke"), Latin ("Ngiculela"), and ballads ("If It's Magic"). And whatever it is he's singing about – love, nostalgia, social commentary, or spirituality – each song is infused with Wonder's defining optimism and the simple joy of life itself. Perhaps it's that, more than anything, that keeps Songs in the Key of Life not only relevant, but necessary in a world that could use it.

1. Aerosmith – 'Rocks'

Aerosmith's Rocks is perfection, a raw blend of blues and hard rock with the band at their blustery best. It's their most focused album to that point, and, regardless of what was happening outside the studio, the band members are in sync and at the top of their game in it. Rocks clearly defined the Aerosmith sound: Steven Tyler's one-of-a-kind, vocals; the catchy riffs and complementing guitar work of Joe Perry and Brad Whitford; and the driving bass and drums of Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer respectively. It serves as a microcosm of everything that makes Aerosmith so great, from the lascivious vocals of "Lick and a Promise," the dirty raw energy of "Rats in the Cellar," the slow bluesy groovy of "Last Child," and the fun-as-hell dynamic of the iconic "Back in the Saddle," one of Tyler's greatest vocal performances ever. The template for hard rock is Rocks, period, and while its legacy is vast, it is uniquely Aerosmith, a balance that only the boys from Boston could pull off.