The 100 Greatest Live Albums of All Time
by Jeff Reguilon
on October 01, 2009
There are plenty of live albums issued solely as afterthoughts or contract fulfillments, but there are plenty that are as transcendent as the best in-person concert experiences, only with zero lines at the bathroom. For this particular list we came up with the following criteria:
• Only one album per artist.• Albums were been performed live in front of an audience, but don't necessarily have to be culled from a single performance.
• No EPs or singles—this list is about albums
• We decided to limit this list to music, which means no comedy. We wanted to save those records for a separate list for laffers.
Of course, we exercise their judgment regarding quality and/or historical significance. If you disagree with our choices (and there's a good chance you will), let us know in the comments.
Here goes:
1. James Brown - Live At The Apollo, 19622. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
3. Frank Sinatra - Sinatra at the Sands
4. Bill Withers - Live at Carnegie Hall
5. Judy Garland - Judy At Carnegie Hall
6. Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Live, 1966: The Royal Albert Hall Concert
7. Ella Fitzgerald - Ella in Rome: The Birthday Concert
8. Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
9. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
10. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert
11. Neil Young - Live Rust
12. Otis Redding - Live in Europe
13. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
14. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York
15. Bob Marley - Live
16. The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out
17. Roy Orbison - Black and White Night
18. The Who - Live at Leeds
19. Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park
20. Jimi Hendrix - Live at Monterey
21. Cheap Trick - At Budokan
22. John Coltrane & Thelonious Monk - At Carnegie Hall
23. Paco de Lucia, Rodrigo, and Orchestra De Cadaques - Concierto de Aranjuez
24. Maceo Parker - Life On Planet Groove
25. Portishead - Live: Roseland NYC
26. Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis
27. Leonard Cohen - Live in London
28. Kiss - Alive!
29. Eric Clapton - Unplugged
30. Queen - Live Killers
31. Nina Simone - Nina Simone at Town Hall
32. Gram Parsons - Live 1973
33. Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin-é
34. U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky
35. Lucinda Williams - Live at the Fillmore
36. Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
37. Dead Can Dance - Toward the Within
38. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Live in New York City
39. BB King - Live at the Regal
40. Aretha Franklin - Live at Fillmore West
41. David Bowie - Stage
42. Miles Davis - Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live At The Fillmore East
43. Art Blakey - A Night At Birdland, Vol. 1
44. Ani Difranco - Living in Clip
45. Mavis Staples - Live: Hope at the Hideout
46. Muddy Waters - At Newport 1960
47. Depeche Mode - 101
48. Deep Purple - Made in Japan
49. Isaac Hayes - Live at Wattstax
50. Sam Cooke - At the Copa
51. Parliament - Live: P-funk Earth Tour
52. Grateful Dead - Europe '72
53. Laurie Anderson - United States Live
54. Alison Krauss and Union Station - Live
55. Velvet Underground - 1969
56. Pink Floyd - Pulse
57. The Roots - Come Alive
58. Bill Evans Trio - Sunday at the Village Vanguard
59. Sarah Vaughn - Live At The 1971 Monterey Jazz Festival
60. George Harrison - Live in Japan
61. Peter Gabriel - Plays Live
62. Erroll Garner - Concert by the Sea
63. Thelonius Monk - Thelonious in Action: Live at the Five Spot Cafe
64. Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Live at Luther College
65. Janis Joplin - Janis in Concert
66. Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive
67. Willie Nelson - Stars and Guitars
68. John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard
69. The Clash - From Here To Eternity Live
70. Eartha Kitt - Live from the Café Carlyle
71. Ravi Shankar - Live: Ravi Shankar at the Monteray International Pop Festival
72. Wilco - Kicking Television: Live In Chicago
73. Neko Case - The Tigers Have Spoken
74. Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
75. Jay-Z - Unplugged
76. The Orb - Live '93
77. The Ramones - It's Alive
78. Etta James - Rocks the House
79. Soweto Gospel Choir - Live at Nelson Mandela Theatre
80. Pearl Jam - Live on Two Legs
81. Björk - Live Box Set
82. Kraftwerk - Minimum-Maximum
83. Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
84. Lou Reed - Rock 'n' Roll Animal
85. Jill Scott - Live in Paris
86. Carole King - Carole King The Carnegie Hall Concert June 18, 1971
87. Alice in Chains - Live
88. John Denver - The Wildlife Concert
89. Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley
90. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live at Carnegie Hall
91. Rush - Rush in Rio
92. Police - Live!
93. Daft Punk - Alive 2007
94. James Taylor - James Taylor Live
95. Neil Diamond - Hot August Night
96. Guns N' Roses - Live Era '87-'93
97. Lyle Lovett - Lyle Lovett Live In Texas
98. Blue Oyster Cult - Extraterrestrial Live
99. Aerosmith - Live! Bootleg
100. J. Geils Band - Live: Blow Your Face Out
-- Jeff Reguilon
Massagesessel Shop on July 23, 2010 at 11:17 PM
Great compilation of live recordings. But I miss some Iron Maiden and Scorpions stuff.
GregDee on July 22, 2010 at 02:28 PM
You got Sam Cooke screwed up. Live at the Copa while good is far from his best live performance. RCA's 22 year holding of his Live at the Harlem Square Club-1963 is better than James Brown's Live at the Apollo.
nike shox on July 20, 2010 at 06:45 PM
Zappa and the Mothers - Live in New York - I was hoping the the genius of Zappa would be more appreciated as time goes by but I guess not.
Jerseys on July 18, 2010 at 10:38 AM
What, no listing for Rush "All the World's a Stage"? Neil Peart's drum solo on "Working Man" possibly the best percussion ever? Pfeh.
And, yeh, "Frampton Comes Alive".
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Billy Baseball on July 01, 2010 at 11:15 AM
Wow...I'm jumping in a little late on this one.. but how can you miss Little Feat's Waiting for Columbus. That should definitely be in the Top 10. I also agree with spongeworthy that the Outlaws Bring'em Back Alive should also be on the list.
Ron on June 05, 2010 at 08:17 PM
No Absolutely Live by The Doors? Live Album by Grnd Funk Railroad? Live Cream II by Cream? This list is Heavily lacking...
DJ München on June 01, 2010 at 03:44 PM
I would like to add BILLY IDOLS Vh1 Storytellers - one of the greatest Live- and Unplugged-Albums I've ever heard and played. Steve Stevens on the Guitar is a real burner...
youbigdummy on May 20, 2010 at 11:17 AM
What a Gen-X/Y hipster-doofus list.
Not one Allman Brothers live selection? Frampton Comes Alive, The Who Live at Leeds and or any Grateful Dead not in the top 20?
Get serious frickin' amateurs.
Objective Opinion on May 20, 2010 at 07:50 AM
You all have obviously never listened to Dire Straits Alchemy double-album. Possibly the most under-rated album of all time; live or otherwise. Find it, listen to it, and you'll get it.
Kern on May 05, 2010 at 10:06 AM
My personal top 5:
5) Mudy Waters - At Newport 1960
4) The Stooges - Metallic K.O.
3) The Who - Live at Leeds
2) Grateful Dead - Live/Dead
1) Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East
viagra online on April 14, 2010 at 03:26 PM
My top five is close to yours, just a little different order.
5. Breaking The La
4. Heading Out On To The Highway
3. Living After Midnight
2. You've Got Another Thing Coming
1. Turbo Lover
The Lugger on April 06, 2010 at 07:53 AM
James Brown "LATA'63" - gets the one spot so often on these lists for 2 reasons.
1 - All the cool buzz around the fact that the label A&R forbade the live taping of a JB record. So, Brown booked all that himself behind their backs. People like that story and it gets added to the perception of the performance - I reckon.
2 - The 9 song medley - even if you're not a fan of the style of music the stress on this point is on the delivery - it's impressive.
I think there were def some shows that ranked poorly.
The Who Live at Leeds.....spike that up a good 22 spots or so and I think you'll have done that hard night justice.
RE:Cotswold - Neil Diamonds "HAN" takes a dive because of the lack of cohesion of song tempo and quality - it's a bit rushed n all over the shop, Plus I think it's hard to rate songs like Porcupine Pie and Soggy Pretzels - I love this show and think it ranked a little too poorly. I think it easily beats Dave Matthews and Tim Reynlods (seriously, that listed?)
Tim McNary on April 01, 2010 at 12:41 PM
Where is UFO's monumental double-live album Strangers in the Night? Hello? Hello? McFly... I mean Reguilon!!
Noah J on March 30, 2010 at 07:20 PM
REO Speedwagon: Live, You Get What You Play For
Lynyrd Skynyrd: One More From The Road
Learn music before you make a list please
Swami Moe on February 28, 2010 at 08:35 PM
Les McCann & Eddie Harris - Swiss Movement
BB King - Live in Cook County Jail
Bob Dylan/The Band - Before the Flood
Marc Pellerin on February 13, 2010 at 09:33 AM
Where is "Yessongs"?
Baba Muna on December 27, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Great topic! Jerry Lee Lewis gave an unbelievable, electrifying performance on Live at the Star Club, Hamburg 1964. No phoning it in: the Killer pounded the keys, shouted and screamed over the rowdy crowd, raced his poor backing band through new and improved versions of his favorite three-chord classics and created one for the history books!
goldcoaster on November 12, 2009 at 04:48 PM
A few I don't agree on but have to say I still love the Queen Live Killers album.
Shaun on November 04, 2009 at 08:07 PM
Jeff, let me end by saying that the your comment irked me because you could've taken the opportunity to explain/defend the picks rather than just getting cranky...
Seriously, I'd be curious to know. I mean, Lyle Lovett's fine. A good songwriter, but someone I'd never think about buying an album from. I've seen him perform on TV, and I saw him open for Bonnie Raitt once. He's pretty good, but I don't know that anyone thinks of Lovett as one of the great live performers... What makes his live album one of the 100 Greatest (in Amazon's eyes), and "better" than the omitted Allmans, Little Feat, etc?
How do the editors rate hip-hop and techno acts on the list over the live prowess of the jam bands, or the classic rockers that defined the concert experience (and the golden age of live albums)?
Why was that particular Springsteen chosen? Why George Harrison's (dull, IMO) Live In Japan over The Concert For Bangladesh? SRV's Carnegie Hall show is great, but why that one over the Montreaux discs? Aretha's Fillmore West is a great pick, but why not the King Curtis album from the same shows? Was there debate over Cash @ Folsom Prison and Cash @ San Quentin? Why was James Brown picked #1 (I'll be honest, I've never understood the acclaim for that album)?
These are just a few of the questions I'd like to hear you, and the other editors, answer.
Shaun on November 04, 2009 at 07:18 PM
Hey, Jeff Reguilon --
Don't be such a D-bag, man... You say that if people disagree with the choices they should make a comment. Then people comment and you get all defensive about it?
Just admit you guys messed up when you left off ABB @ Fillmore East (which should've been #1), Little Feat's Waiting For Columbus, Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen, Van's It's Too Late To Stop Now, Jackson Browne's Running On Empty, Zevon's Stand In The Fire, The Band (either The Last Waltz or Rock of Ages, take your pick), not to mention The Concert For Bangladesh (it only won the Album of the Year Grammy) and Woodstock.
Hell, with those new Woodstock Experience discs that Sony put out, I think the Santana and Sly Stone sets should've been included... Doesn't get much better than those performances.
Honestly though... How do you leave the Allmans off, but include John Denver, Jay-Z, Daft Punk, Dead Can Dance, Laurie Anderson, or Kraftwerk? How does The Who's Live at Leeds only make it up to a mere #26? How does the non-live Elvis in Memphis make the list? Why do both Lou Reed's Rock & Roll Animal (a fine choice) AND a VU album both make the list? There's VU songs on Rock & Roll Animal... It more or less breaks the "one artist, one album" rule. In that case, Clapton should make the list again for Derek & The Dominos @ The Fillmore.
You gotta have Springsteen on the list, granted... But Live In NY? Ugh. "41 Shots" was great, but Hammersmith '75 was the one to go with. Or even the flawed, but still worthy, Live '75-85 box set instead. Miles Davis is another one... All those great live albums, and you chose an show that was so cut to pieces? Did you guys even read the customer reviews for that one?
Where are the jam bands? We can quibble about what Dead album should've made the list (Europe '72 is fine), and the Allmans have been discussed. But where's Garcia solo, Phish, String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic, Gov't Mule, etc?
I give the editors credit for going beyond rock... While Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, for instance, really aren't my thing I am familiar with those albums and I understand their importance.
But really... How DID the Allmans get left off?
tom on November 02, 2009 at 01:44 PM
somebody already stole my thunder but how could you not put 4 way street with crosby, stills, nash and young and put young by himself. This album is my one if stuck on a deserted Island and I can only have one album to listen to. Also Allman Brothers live at fillmore east not on the list. No Led Zeppelin. I am biased but Kenny wayne shepherd's Live on is a missing album for this list.
abysmal on November 02, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes
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Amado Calderon on October 11, 2009 at 07:32 PM
LITTLE FEAT" Waiting for Columbus- This has to be in the TOP 10 of all time. Just listen to how all members mesh together for an unforgetable tight jam that is still relevent.
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Fernando Huete on October 07, 2009 at 09:59 AM
Great list, is not perfect, but those who are in it deserve to be.
Adele on October 06, 2009 at 08:37 AM
The Band - Last Waltz??? Hello!
MikeB on October 05, 2009 at 12:24 PM
Harry Chapin - Greatest Stories Live.
Stewie Grif on October 05, 2009 at 03:08 AM
What the deuce??!! No Barney Live at the Palladium??!! I'll see you rot in the bowels of hell for this injustice!
Alvoid on October 04, 2009 at 07:18 PM
Bob Seger's "Live Bullet" belongs here. If only because it was a career Hail Mary. Seger knew that this was his last shot at stardom outside of the upper midwest and he sang like his life depended on it. The album became a hit and Seger became a star.
David on October 04, 2009 at 12:02 PM
I agree that it is absurd to leave "Live at the Fillmore East" out.
But where is UFO "Strangers In the Night"? Have you ever listened to that? It's amazing.
PabloSegundo on October 04, 2009 at 07:28 AM
I would've put Cash: "At Folsom Prison" as one, and Brown: "Live at the Apollo" as three, with Simon & Garfunkel's "Concert in Central Park" at three.
The main reason for this being the absolutely monumental nature of the Folsom record. Not only did it completely revive his career, it was the first record to outsell the Beatles in years. How many albums can claim that?
The Allman omission has already bean dealt with.
"Frampoton Comes Alive", and "Pulse" are definitely too low
I think it's almost unfair to compare Rock/Pop albums with Jazz albums. Jazz musicians are naturally better performance artists, it's part of the workings of the genre. In terms of performance, Coltrane, Davis and Monk beat everyone.
Sean on October 04, 2009 at 06:26 AM
Aww come on, no AC/DC Live???????????????????????
No Bruce Springsteen 75-85 Live?????????????????????
are u on drugs? Those 2 def shoulda been there!!!!!
furious on October 03, 2009 at 10:41 PM
What, no listing for Rush "All the World's a Stage"? Neil Peart's drum solo on "Working Man" possibly the best percussion ever? Pfeh.
And, yeh, "Frampton Comes Alive".
Doug on October 03, 2009 at 08:53 PM
My friend how on earth do you not include the Allman Brothers Band "At Fillmore East"? That is probably the single greatest live album ever and may be in the top overall hundred rock albums of all time. To not include it in a top 100 list is to invalidate the entire list.
Reddove108 on October 03, 2009 at 05:53 PM
Among my favorites would be "Viva!" by Roxy Music, "Getz Au Go Go" by Stan Getz and Astrid Gilberto (with a young Gary Burton on vibes), "Live at Carnegie Hall" by Renaissance and "Get Your Ya-Ya's Out!" by the Rolling Stones. The Stones' live version of Sympathy for the Devil is absolutely a killer.
bubba on October 03, 2009 at 02:44 PM
A better question might be: So what would you take off this list?
I agree that there are some major omissions. And looking through the comments I find other live greats that I had forgotten. Then my question becomes, what would I take off of this list to make room for what I think belongs? I can say that I would have no hesitation pulling J. Geils and BOC off of this list.
TVD on October 03, 2009 at 02:28 PM
Crosby Stills Nash & Young---4 Way Street
Kudos on catching Lou Reed's "Rock n' Roll Animal," with Steve Hunter on lead gtr, but shame shame for missing the Allmans.
Jim on October 03, 2009 at 02:27 PM
Live at Monterey for Hendrix? Preposterous! Jimi's astounding "Machine Gun" and that old Band of Gypsies, hands down.
No Woodstock, including Santana making his debut with a sizzling "Soul Sacrifice"?
And for the J. Geils Band, gotta be Full House.
MoreLiveThanThou on October 03, 2009 at 01:26 PM
There's a good reason that the distinctly non-live FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS is on this list. Jeff Reguilon figured, "Hmmm...I have to have Elvis on here, but it would be too uncool to have him in the Top 25...I guess #26 is okay. Now I need to look up an Elvis discography...FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS, huh? That title sure sounds like a live one...Okay, done. Now I have to figure out the coolest place to put a Leonard Cohen live album..."
Papa Rod on October 03, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Gentle Giant - "Playing the Fool"
JonG on October 03, 2009 at 10:49 AM
BIG omission - "Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, Live on Tour With Eric Clapton" No doubt one of the best ever.
Teflon93 on October 03, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Iron Maiden's "Live After Death" remains the best heavy metal live album ever made and deserves a spot near the top of your list.
The Allman Brothers' "Live At Fillmore East"'s exclusion from this list, along with Lynyrd Skynyrd's "One More From the Road" can only be the result by the bias of the reviewer as these are two of the most influential and best-selling live albums of all time.
Lockestep on October 03, 2009 at 09:29 AM
Piling on about Frampton....not only is the effort deserving of Top-25 status, the effect of the album on a generation has to be considered. I can only suppose the rankers were not young in the 70's, because most of us owned and played the album until our ears bled.
Do you feel like I do?
Bob on October 03, 2009 at 09:29 AM
"From Elvis In Memphis" is not a live album. I'm no Elvis expert, but I wonder if maybe the 1968 "Comeback Special" might be what was intended here.
I'd also nominate Paul McCartney's "Wings Over America" album. Paul's later tours became rather rote affairs, but he was on top of his game here.
northerner on October 03, 2009 at 09:09 AM
Second the comments on Van Morrison "To Late to Stop Now" and Little Feat "Waiting...". And if you are only going to put one Sam Cooke live performance on the list, you should go for his gospel performances with the Soul Stirrers, which showed more passion and less reserve than the later r&b.
Alex Gimarc on October 03, 2009 at 08:59 AM
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Pictures at an Exhibition
Don Ellis - Tears of Joy
JohnRDC on October 03, 2009 at 08:27 AM
It's a mistake to try in one "top 100" amlagamate modern jazz (Monk, Davis, etc.), plus Basie/Sinatra with rock groups and solo performers.
From my perspective, rock is not my bag, so I say, "so what?" to most of the selections on the list. There are just so many fantastic live jazz performances that were not included, it's hard to know where to begin. Duke at Newport?, Basie and Ella from pre-Castro Cuba?, Dave Brubeck from Oberlin? Kenton from Balboa?, etc.
My God, even the best rock music pales in comparison (YMMV).