Skip to content
What's After the Movie?

Jump to
What's After the Movie?
The 1970s

Best Movies of the 1970s: Top Films Year by Year

12,667 films on the site were released from 1970 to 1979, and 553 are ranked. The Godfather (1972) leads the decade, ahead of Tokyo Story (1972). The biggest hit was Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) with $775.4M worldwide, and 8 Best Picture winners were released in the decade.

films released 1970–1979
12,667
ranked by rating
553
worldwide box office
$11.1B
award wins
363
Ranked

What Are the Best Movies of the 1970s?

Tokyo Story and Playtime follow The Godfather. Drama is the most common genre in the top 20 (15 films). Francis Ford Coppola has 3 films on the list; 2 other directors have two or more. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

  1. The Godfather (1972) movie poster
    1. The Godfather 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)

    1972 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 55m

    Dir. Francis Ford Coppola No Echo Score: ranked 98/100 on critics & audiences

  2. Tokyo Story (1972) movie poster
    2. Tokyo Story 100 Metascore (Metascore 100 out of 100)

    1972 · Drama · 2h 16m

    Dir. Yasujiro Ozu No Echo Score: ranked 94/100 on critics & audiences

  3. Playtime (1973) movie poster
    3. Playtime 99 Metascore (Metascore 99 out of 100)

    1973 · Comedy · 2h 35m

    No Echo Score: ranked 91/100 on critics & audiences

  4. The Godfather: Part II (1974) movie poster
    4. The Godfather: Part II 90 Metascore (Metascore 90 out of 100)

    1974 · Drama, Thriller · 3h 20m

    Dir. Francis Ford Coppola No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences

  5. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) movie poster
    5. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 90 Metascore (Metascore 90 out of 100)

    1977 · Action, Adventure · 2h 1m

    Dir. George Lucas No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences

  6. American Graffiti (1973) movie poster
    6. American Graffiti 97 Metascore (Metascore 97 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))

    1973 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 50m

    No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences

  7. The Last Picture Show (1971) movie poster
    6. The Last Picture Show 93 Metascore (Metascore 93 out of 100)

    1971 · Drama · 1h 58m

    Dir. Peter Bogdanovich No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences

  8. Early Summer (1972) movie poster
    6. Early Summer 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100 (5 critic reviews))

    1972 · Drama · 2h 5m

    Dir. Yasujiro Ozu No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences

  9. The French Connection (1971) movie poster
    9. The French Connection 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100)

    1971 · Action, Crime · 1h 44m

    Dir. William Friedkin No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences

  10. Mean Streets (1973) movie poster
    9. Mean Streets 96 Metascore (Metascore 96 out of 100 (11 critic reviews))

    1973 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 52m

    Dir. Martin Scorsese No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences

  11. The Mother and the Whore (1973) movie poster
    9. The Mother and the Whore 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100)

    1973 · Drama, Romance · 3h 37m

    Dir. Jean Eustache No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences

  12. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) movie poster
    9. Two-Lane Blacktop 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100)

    1971 · Drama · 1h 42m

    Dir. Monte Hellman No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences

  13. Apocalypse Now (1979) movie poster
    13. Apocalypse Now 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))

    1979 · Action, Drama · 2h 33m

    Dir. Francis Ford Coppola No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences

  14. Badlands (1973) movie poster
    14. Badlands 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100 (20 critic reviews))

    1973 · Drama, Crime · 1h 34m

    Dir. Terrence Malick No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences

  15. Breaking Away (1979) movie poster
    15. Breaking Away 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))

    1979 · Drama, Sport · 1h 41m

    Dir. Peter Yates No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences

  16. Halloween (1978) movie poster
    15. Halloween 90 Metascore (Metascore 90 out of 100 (21 critic reviews))

    1978 · Thriller, Horror · 1h 31m

    Dir. John Carpenter No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences

  17. The Wild Child (1970) movie poster
    15. The Wild Child 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100)

    1970 · Drama · 1h 23m

    No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences

  18. Taxi Driver (1976) movie poster
    18. Taxi Driver 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100)

    1976 · Crime, Drama · 1h 54m

    Dir. Martin Scorsese No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences

  19. Alien (1979) movie poster
    19. Alien 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100 (34 critic reviews))

    1979 · Horror, Sci-Fi · 1h 57m

    Dir. Ridley Scott No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences

  20. Woodstock (1970) movie poster
    19. Woodstock 95 Metascore (Metascore 95 out of 100)

    1970 · History, Music · 3h 4m

    Dir. Michael Wadleigh No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences

Year by year

The 1970s Year by Year: Biggest Hit and Best Picture

1979 has the most releases on the site (1,306). The decade's biggest single hit, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, came out in 1977. The Godfather and Rocky were both their year's biggest hit and the Best Picture winner. Each year links to its own ranking.

Every year of the 1970s: releases on the site, biggest hit and the Oscar Best Picture winner released that year
Year Releases Biggest hit Best Picture winner
1970 Releases: 1,260
The Aristocats (1970) movie poster Biggest hit The Aristocats $191M worldwide
Best Picture winner Patton Oscars 1971
1971 Releases: 1,262
The French Connection (1971) movie poster Biggest hit The French Connection $51.7M worldwide
None recorded
1972 Releases: 1,282
The Godfather (1972) movie poster Biggest hit The Godfather $250.3M worldwide
Best Picture winner The Godfather Oscars 1973
1973 Releases: 1,288
The Exorcist (1973) movie poster Biggest hit The Exorcist $430.9M worldwide
Best Picture winner The Sting Oscars 1974
1974 Releases: 1,294
Blazing Saddles (1974) movie poster Biggest hit Blazing Saddles $119.6M worldwide
Best Picture winner The Godfather: Part II Oscars 1975
1975 Releases: 1,202
Jaws (1975) movie poster Biggest hit Jaws $477.9M worldwide
Best Picture winner One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Oscars 1976
1976 Releases: 1,246
Rocky (1976) movie poster Biggest hit Rocky $117.3M worldwide
Best Picture winner Rocky Oscars 1977
1977 Releases: 1,258
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) movie poster Biggest hit Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope $775.4M worldwide
None recorded
1978 Releases: 1,269
Grease (1978) movie poster Biggest hit Grease $396.3M worldwide
Best Picture winner The Deer Hunter Oscars 1979
1979 Releases: 1,306
Moonraker (1979) movie poster Biggest hit Moonraker $210.3M worldwide
Best Picture winner Kramer vs. Kramer Oscars 1980
#1 of each year

The Best-Rated Movie of Every Year, 1970–1979

The Wild Child (1970), The Last Picture Show (1971), The Godfather (1972) and 7 more years: the best-rated film of each year of the 1970s. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Box office

Which 1970s Movies Earned the Most?

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) earned $775.4M worldwide, the most of any 1970s film; Jaws follows with $477.9M. The top 10 took $3.6B; all 613 films of the decade with a box office record took $11.1B.

  1. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) movie poster
    Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope $775.4M
    1977 · Action, Adventure
  2. Jaws (1975) movie poster
    Jaws $477.9M
    1975 · Adventure, Thriller
  3. The Exorcist (1973) movie poster
    The Exorcist $430.9M
    1973 · Drama, Thriller
  4. Grease (1978) movie poster
    Grease $396.3M
    1978 · Romance, Musical
  5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) movie poster
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind $306.9M
    1977 · Adventure, Sci-Fi
  6. Superman (1978) movie poster
    Superman $300.5M
    1978 · Action, Adventure
  7. The Godfather (1972) movie poster
    The Godfather $250.3M
    1972 · Drama, Thriller
  8. Saturday Night Fever (1977) movie poster
    Saturday Night Fever $237.1M
    1977 · Drama, Romance
  9. Moonraker (1979) movie poster
    Moonraker $210.3M
    1979 · Action, Adventure
  10. The Aristocats (1970) movie poster
    The Aristocats $191M
    1970 · Adventure, Comedy
Awards

The Most-Awarded Movies of the 1970s

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) leads the 1970s with 20 wins from 34 nominations, ahead of Cabaret (18 wins). Films of the decade won 363 awards in all.

  1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) movie poster
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 20 / 34
    1975 · Drama · 20 wins from 34 nominations
  2. Cabaret (1972) movie poster
    Cabaret 18 / 30
    1972 · Drama, Romance · 18 wins from 30 nominations
  3. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) movie poster
    Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 15 / 30
    1977 · Action, Adventure · 15 wins from 30 nominations
  4. The Godfather: Part II (1974) movie poster
    The Godfather: Part II 14 / 34
    1974 · Drama, Thriller · 14 wins from 34 nominations
  5. Midnight Express (1978) movie poster
    Midnight Express 11 / 21
    1978 · Biography, Drama · 11 wins from 21 nominations
  6. Chinatown (1974) movie poster
    Chinatown 9 / 30
    1974 · Drama, Mystery · 9 wins from 30 nominations
  7. Julia (1977) movie poster
    Julia 9 / 29
    1977 · Drama · 9 wins from 29 nominations
  8. Network (1976) movie poster
    Network 9 / 25
    1976 · Drama · 9 wins from 25 nominations
Genres

What Genres Defined the 1970s?

Drama is the biggest genre of the 1970s with 5,582 films (44% of the decade's films), then Comedy (25%) and Action (14%). A film can have several genres, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

Directors

Who Directed the Most Films of the 1970s?

Robert Altman made 12 notable films in the 1970s, the best-rated being Nashville; Sidney Lumet follows with 10. Counted over feature films with ratings, box office or awards.

  1. Robert Altman, director
    Robert Altman 12 films
    Best: Nashville (1975)
  2. Sidney Lumet, director
    Sidney Lumet 10 films
    Best: Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
  3. Vincent McEveety, director
    Vincent McEveety 10 films
    Best: The Strongest Man in the World (1975)
  4. Herbert Ross, director
    Herbert Ross 9 films
    Best: Play It Again, Sam (1972)
  5. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, director
    Rainer Werner Fassbinder 9 films
    Best: The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1973)
  6. Blake Edwards, director
    Blake Edwards 8 films
    Best: 10 (1979)
  7. Sam Peckinpah, director
    Sam Peckinpah 8 films
    Best: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
  8. John Hough, director
    John Hough 8 films
    Best: The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Every decade

Best Movies by Decade

10 decades ranked, from the 1930s to the 2020s. Each has its year-by-year table and its own top films.

FAQ

Best Movies of the 1970s: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about the 1970s' best-rated films, biggest hits and Best Picture winners, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of the 1970s?

The Godfather (1972) is the best-rated film of the 1970s on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 98/100 from critics and audiences. Tokyo Story (1972) is second and Playtime (1973) third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About The Godfather

What was the highest-grossing movie of the 1970s?

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) earned $775.4M worldwide, the most of any 1970s release on the site.

1977 box office

Which 1970s movies won Best Picture?

Patton (1970), The Godfather (1972), The Sting (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Rocky (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978) and Kramer vs. Kramer (1979); the site has no Best Picture winner recorded for 1971 and 1977.

Which 1970s film won the most awards?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), with 20 wins from 34 nominations recorded on the site.

How many movies from the 1970s are on the site?

12,667 films released from 1970 to 1979, the most in 1979 (1,306). 553 of them are ranked.

How are the best movies of the 1970s ranked?

Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). Only feature films count (60 minutes or longer, no concert recordings), and a film needs enough ratings, box office or award attention to be ranked.