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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…

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 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)

Billy-Joel_Songs-from-the-Attic_Columbia_Legacy.jpgColumbia/Legacy

39. Yes - “Yessongs’ (1973)

Yes_yessongs_Atlantic.jpgAtlantic

38. The Kinks - ‘One For The Road’ (1980)

kinks_one-for-the-road_Arista.jpgArista

37. Thin Lizzy - ‘Live And Dangerous’ (1978)

thin-lizzy_dangerous_Mercury.jpgMercury

36. Rush - ‘Exit… Stage Left’ (1981)

rush_exit_Mercury.jpgMercury

35. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - ‘The Live Anthology’ (2009)

Petty_live_Reprise.jpgReprise

34. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - ‘Live Rust’ (1979)

neil-young_live-rust_Reprise.jpgReprise

33. Lynyrd Skynyrd - ‘One More From The Road’ (1976)

skynyrd_one-more_MCA.jpgMCA

32. Janis Joplin - ‘The Woodstock Experience’ (1998)

Janis-Joplin_woodstock_Sony-Legacy.jpg

31. Ozzy Osbourne - ‘Randy Rhoads Tribute’ (1987)

ozzy-Osbourne_randy_Sony-Legacy.jpgSony/Legacy

30. The Runaways - ‘Live In Japan’ (1977)

runaways_japan_Mercury.jpgMercury

29. Queen - ‘Live Killers’ (1979)

Queen_LiveKil_CoverAr_3000DPI300RGB1000003004.jpgUMG

28. Iron Maiden - ‘Live After Death’ (1985)

iron-maiden_live_EMI.jpgEMI

27. The Rolling Stones - ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out’ (1970)

TheRoll_GetYerY_CoverAr_3000DPI300RGB1000036131.jpgUMG

26. Otis Redding - ‘Live In Europe’ (1967)

otis-redding_live_Volt_Atco.jpgVolt/Atco

25. The Yardbirds - ‘Five Live Yardbirds’ (1964)

yardbirds_Five-Live-Yardbirds_Columbia.jpgColumbia

24. Pearl Jam - ‘October 31st, 2009 – The Spectrum, Philadelphia’ (2009)

Image-from-iOS-35.jpgPearl Jam

23. David Bowie - ‘Live Santa Monica ‘72’ (2008)

David-Bowie_Santa-Monica_Rhino_Parlophone.jpgRhino/Parlophone

22. AC/DC - ‘If You Want Blood, You’ve Got It’ (1978)

ACDC_If-you-want-blood_Atlantic.jpgAtlantic

21. Nirvana - ‘Live At Reading’ (2009)

Nirvana_reading_Geffen.jpgGeffen

20. Talking Heads - ‘Stop Making Sense’ (1984)

talking-heads_stop-making-sense_Sire_Warner-Bros.jpgSire/Warner Bros.

19. Johnny Cash - ‘At Folsom Prison’ (1968)

Johnny-Cash_at-folsom_Columbia.jpgColumbia

18. Elton John - ‘11-17-70’ (1971)

Elton-John_11_17_70_Mercury.jpgMercury

17. Bob Dylan - ‘The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Live 1966, ‘The Royal Albert Hall’ Concert’ (1998)

Dylan_Bootleg_Sony-Legacy.jpgSony/Legacy

16. Cheap Trick - ‘At Budokan’ (1979)

Cheap-Trick_At-Budokan_Epic.jpgEpic

15. Bruce Springsteen - ‘Hammersmith Odeon, London ‘75’ (2006)

Springsteen_Hammersmith_Sony-Legacy.jpgSony/Legacy

14. Deep Purple - ‘Made In Japan’ (1973)

Deep-Purple_Made-in-Japan_Warner-Bros.jpgWarner Bros.

13. U2 - ‘Under A Blood Red Sky’ (1983)

U2_UnderAB_CoverAr_3000DPI300RGB1000016102.jpgUMG

12. Aretha Franklin - ‘Live At Fillmore West’ (1971)

aretha_Live-At-Fillmore-West_Atlantic.jpgAtlantic

11. Motorhead - ‘No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith’ (1981)

motorhead_no-sleep_Mercury.jpgMercury

10. Bob Marley & The Wailers - ‘Live!’ (1975)

bob-marley_live_Island-Records.jpgIsland Records

9. Peter Frampton - ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ (1976)

frampton_alive_AM.jpgA&M

8. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - ‘Live Bullet’ (1976)

bob-seger_live-bullet_Capitol.jpgCapitol

7. KISS - ‘Alive’ (1975)

Kiss_Alive_CoverAr_4000DPI300RGB1000147351.jpgUMG

6. Santana - ‘The Woodstock Experience’ (2009)

santana_woodstock_Sony-Legacy.jpgSony/Legacy

5. The Allman Brothers Band - ‘At Fillmore East’ (1971)

allman-brothers_fillmore-east_Capricorn.jpgCapricorn

4. James Brown - ‘Live At The Apollo, 1962’ (1963)

james-brown_apollo_Polydor.jpgPolydor

3. Jimi Hendrix - ‘Live At Monterey’ (1986)

hendriix_Monterey_Sony-Legacy.jpgSony/Legacy

2. Led Zeppelin - ‘How The West Was Won’ (2003)

led-zeppelin_how-the-west_Atlantic_Swan-Song.jpgAtlantic/Swan Song

1.The Who - ‘Live At Leeds’ (1970)

the-who_live-at-leeds_MCA.jpgMCA
Brian 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.