Rock’s Greatest Live Albums: Top 40 Ranked
The Who’s Live at Leeds was released on May 16, 1970, and it’s one of the greatest live albums of all time. It saw the band adding heavier guitars to…
The Who’s Live at Leeds was released on May 16, 1970, and it’s one of the greatest live albums of all time.
It saw the band adding heavier guitars to their mod-era classics and to some early rock and roll chesnuts, and it holds up to any of their studio albums. Through the ‘70s, and ever since, rock bands have been releasing live documents of their concerts, and while some of them are little more than “greatest hits” collections with crowd noise, the albums on this list are essential parts of their respective artists’ discographies.
Scroll through the gallery below and see where some of your favorites are ranked in our greatest live albums list.
40. Billy Joel - ‘Songs In The Attic’ (1981)
Columbia/Legacy39. Yes - “Yessongs’ (1973)
Atlantic38. The Kinks - ‘One For The Road’ (1980)
Arista37. Thin Lizzy - ‘Live And Dangerous’ (1978)
Mercury36. Rush - ‘Exit… Stage Left’ (1981)
Mercury35. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - ‘The Live Anthology’ (2009)
Reprise34. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - ‘Live Rust’ (1979)
Reprise33. Lynyrd Skynyrd - ‘One More From The Road’ (1976)
MCA32. Janis Joplin - ‘The Woodstock Experience’ (1998)
31. Ozzy Osbourne - ‘Randy Rhoads Tribute’ (1987)
Sony/Legacy30. The Runaways - ‘Live In Japan’ (1977)
Mercury29. Queen - ‘Live Killers’ (1979)
UMG28. Iron Maiden - ‘Live After Death’ (1985)
EMI27. The Rolling Stones - ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out’ (1970)
UMG26. Otis Redding - ‘Live In Europe’ (1967)
Volt/Atco25. The Yardbirds - ‘Five Live Yardbirds’ (1964)
Columbia24. Pearl Jam - ‘October 31st, 2009 – The Spectrum, Philadelphia’ (2009)
Pearl Jam23. David Bowie - ‘Live Santa Monica ‘72’ (2008)
Rhino/Parlophone22. AC/DC - ‘If You Want Blood, You’ve Got It’ (1978)
Atlantic21. Nirvana - ‘Live At Reading’ (2009)
Geffen20. Talking Heads - ‘Stop Making Sense’ (1984)
Sire/Warner Bros.19. Johnny Cash - ‘At Folsom Prison’ (1968)
Columbia18. Elton John - ‘11-17-70’ (1971)
Mercury17. Bob Dylan - ‘The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Live 1966, ‘The Royal Albert Hall’ Concert’ (1998)
Sony/Legacy16. Cheap Trick - ‘At Budokan’ (1979)
Epic15. Bruce Springsteen - ‘Hammersmith Odeon, London ‘75’ (2006)
Sony/Legacy14. Deep Purple - ‘Made In Japan’ (1973)
Warner Bros.13. U2 - ‘Under A Blood Red Sky’ (1983)
UMG12. Aretha Franklin - ‘Live At Fillmore West’ (1971)
Atlantic11. Motorhead - ‘No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith’ (1981)
Mercury10. Bob Marley & The Wailers - ‘Live!’ (1975)
Island Records9. Peter Frampton - ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ (1976)
A&M8. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - ‘Live Bullet’ (1976)
Capitol7. KISS - ‘Alive’ (1975)
UMG6. Santana - ‘The Woodstock Experience’ (2009)
Sony/Legacy5. The Allman Brothers Band - ‘At Fillmore East’ (1971)
Capricorn4. James Brown - ‘Live At The Apollo, 1962’ (1963)
Polydor3. Jimi Hendrix - ‘Live At Monterey’ (1986)
Sony/Legacy2. Led Zeppelin - ‘How The West Was Won’ (2003)
Atlantic/Swan Song1.The Who - ‘Live At Leeds’ (1970)
MCABrian has been working in pop culture and media for about three decades: he’s worked at MTV, VH1, SiriusXM, CBS and Loudwire. Besides working as a writer and an editor-in-chief, he’s also appeared on air as a pundit, guested on radio shows and hosted podcasts. Over the years, he’s interviewed the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, the members of U2, Beyonce, Pink, Usher, Stevie Nicks, Lorde… and is grateful to have had the chance to interview Joe Strummer of the Clash and Tom Petty.
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