Live Albums | The Ten Greatest
In this video I explore the genre of the live album and share with you what I think are the ten greatest, with some honorable mentions at the end
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#livealbums #ranking #classicalbum
@PhilBaird1
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Tremendous list Barry. Can't argue with any of that. Nice to see The Killer in there too. Fantastic stuff.
@johnhill3189
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
The Kinks 'One for The Road' , The Tubes "What do Want From LIve" , Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" should be on any best LIVE albums period.
@bobmay9368
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Unleashed In The East?
@Qnik-m2m
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Rory Gallagher – Irish Tour
@shawn8247
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
I will be checking every one of these albums out (The albums I haven’t heard yet). Thank you.
But no Maiden; Live After Death. My word. 🤘🏼
@mac3438
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Roxy and Elsewhere and Seconds Out are my #1 and #2 picks.
@D-FensDogG
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Van Morrison: 'It's Too Late To Stop Now'.
Gary Moore: 'Blues Alive'.
Brian Auger's Oblivion Express: 'Live Oblivion (at The Whisky A Go Go)'.
@Jimdc821
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Neil Young, "Rust Never Sleeps" – who does a live album of new fantastic material? Out of the Blue, Thrasher, Sedan Delivery, Powderfinger!
@oubaas49
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
@classicalbum Is it possible to do another of these with less prog bands? Perhaps more commercial bands?(Please, not the Eagles, or Boston, or any old fogey yacht rock, if I may be so bold in my demands.)
@Emil-e1x8d
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Great list. Good to mention Jethro Tull bursting out lp. Yes, The Who Live at Leeds is rightfully in the top spot as live albums goes.
@rascalendeavor
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
It could've only been Live at Leeds! I would include Prince and the Revolution Live '85 which is a wild funk, pop, rock ride.
@cwall9962
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Little Feat: Waiting For Columbus should be Number One on this list!!
@ash2250
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
You completely missed the best two live albums completely, Slade Alive and No sleep till Hammersmith.
@NoName-vb2ez
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Alchemy: Dire Strait Live…..
@LasRolitasDelMikeMejorada
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
"Live Rust" Neil Young And Crazy Horse
@2011Matz
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Those of us who can remember the birth of Rock and Roll as each new release came out, are fairly thin on the ground now. But the most ardent fans of the music cannot appreciate the effect in retrospect. You just don't know what it sounded like unless you were there. "Got Live, If You Want it," was not an LP album. It was a six track EP. I don't care what the Americans did with it afterwards. At the time, live recordings of R and R were just about non-existant, so Stones fans welcomed it and forgave its production faults. I especially like I'm Moving On, the old Hank Snow number, but I don't care about recording quality, I don't mind listening to scrachy 78 RPMs.
@DavyClark
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Queen , live killers is brilliant
@glaws365
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Can't believe it .. Yessongs didn't make the list but we have the likes of Kiss and Grateful dead rated in top 10.
From a musicians perspective the skills and live complexity of Yes' live songs were sublime for that time .. and are still unmatched today
Surprised the likes of Floyd U2 and Tull didn't make your top 10 – equally dull and over rated
Disappointed Barry
@JayJamieson-q6x
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Any list that doesn't cite James Brown Live At The Apollo as number one is a joke.
@JackEllison-g4n7z
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
It's hard to say what are the top live albums. This guy kind of nails it. I won't argue with his choices, wishbone ash live dates is a classic, lou reed, rock n roll animal,
@robedwards1720
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Hawkwind – Space Ritual , nothing come close to the power of that Live double album
@royrcf
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
I would add "Five Live Yarbirds" raw music.
@stefan_becker
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Personally I would kick out Kiss and Jerry Lee Lewis and replace it by "Free – Live" and "Rory Gallagher – Irish Tour". But tastes are different.
@BassPlayerSusan
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
I like your list. Most of them are from the "Classic Rock" era. I'm a late Gen X'er and Nirvana's "Unplugged" is one of my favorites. I also like "Wings Over America" and "Stop Making Sense", although :I've heard that the latter really has studio overdubs.
@aaroncoroner5915
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
I know this is three years old but two live albums I feel don't get any love are Candlemass LIVE, a jaw dropping document of the Doom Metal titans, and especially Messiah Macolin's, complete mastery of the genre they defined. And the second one is Fates Warning's Still Life live album, a double disc of pure prog metal bliss. The first disc is the entire 54 minute A Pleasant Shade of Gray played from beginning to end, pure dark prog metal joy. The second disc starts off the their early prog/thrash 22 minute epic The Ivory Gate Of Dreams, which is so insanely perfectly performed 25 years after its original recording that you'll just Shit! then continues with a selection of 'hits' from a few other records but 11th Hour and Point Of View from Parallels are particularly killer. Gotta get it!
@John-lk8to
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Interesting list Barry. Struggle to limit my list to ten only, but in my opinion Get Yer Ya-yas out, Live at Leeds, Allman's FIlmore, Humble Pie's Filmore, Skynyrd's One More From the Road, Pulse, Neil's Rust, Made in Japan all still worth a listen still.
@frankIP14
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Thanks for introducing me to the Jerry Lee Lewis record; I had never heard of it. A perfect portrait of JLL rocknroll magic.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Live was very highly rated when it came out and it is still a great record of the unique performance/art/rock of Alex Harvey. Why is he so overlooked?
If you are going to have the noise and madness of Jerry Lee, why not Kick Out the Jams by MC5? No pretensions, nothing clever. Just magnificent noise.
@KevinBaker-j3v
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Robin Trower Live (1975) just brings back happy memories… as a 16 yr old, I saw the same concert in Birmingham (Feb 1975). It is still one of my favourite live albums … highly recommended.
@jond63
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
If You Want Blood, You’ve Got It by AC/DC should absolutely be in this list. AFAIK, there are zero overdubs and it totally captures the live energy of the band, especially the interplay between Bon Scott and Angus.
Unleashed In The East by Judas Priest should be here too. The greatest live heavy metal album ever recorded, it encapsulates the band’s tightness and energy…a band on the cusp of becoming superstars in their own right with the seminal British Steel soon to follow this record. This was also Tom Allom’s first production credit with the band whom he would go on to produce their next 6 records.
@JJ_7756
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Did I miss Queen Live Killers or a set of qualifiers it didn't satisfy?
@mrdrifter3925
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Dire Straits Alchemy Live.
@tomdavidson5719
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Genesis Live, all songs are played better than on original albums Trespass, Nursery Cryme, and Foxtrot! Also Bursting Out by Jethro Tull should be on this list!
@jasonlevinevideo
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Brilliant list, brilliant vid (and we share the same top 5!) Thanks as always.
@Samideaux
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
I believe King Crimson’s “USA” should be mentioned, specifically the 2002 reissue which includes incredibly powerful renditions of “Fracture” and “Starless.”
@tedingram516
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Wanker boy, where's Frampton comes alive, or Rock of Ages or Before the Flood by the Band?even KISS'S ALIVEII was better than their first live album, BB King Live in Cook County Jail.
@Azathoth1418
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Some more great Live LP's:
Rory Gallagher-Irish Tour
Lynyrd Skynyrd-One More From(For)The Road
Ted Nugent-Double Live Gonzo
Van Morrison-It's Too Late To Stop Now
John Cale-Sabotage Live
Cream-Live Cream Vol.II
David Bowie-Live Santa Monica'72
Ten Years After-Recorded Live
Nektar-Sunday Night At The London Roundhouse
Hawkwind-Space Ritual
Genesis-Live
Yes-Yessongs
Opeth-Live At The Royal Albert Hall
Golden Earring-Live
Status Quo-Live
Bob Seger-Live Bullet
…….and,and,and😅😂
Oh,of course:
Motörhead-No Sleep'til Hammersmith
Dr.Feelgood-Stupidity
Wishbone Ash-Live Dates
Neil Young-Weld
Jimi Hendrix-Winterland Boxset
Lou Reed-Rock&Roll Animal
Overrated:The Who-Live At Leeds.
Overrated:Kiss-Alive
Memory lost😂:
Blue Öyster Cult-On Your Feet Or On Your Knees
Treshold-Critical Energy
Tesla-Five Man Acoustical Jam
Ozric Tentacles-At Pongmasters Ball
Tom Petty&The Heartbreakers-The Live Anthology Boxset
Jane-Live At Home
Jethro Tull-Live.Bursting Out
Fields Of The Nephilim-Ceremonies
Blackfoot-Highway Song Live
Black Country Communion-Live Over Europe
Iced Earth-Alive In Athens
Talking Heads-The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads
Talking Heads-Stop Making Sense
Grateful Dead-Sunshine Daydream
Veneta,Oregon,27.08.1972
Roger Chapman&The Shortlist-He Was…She Was…You Was…WeWas…
The Black Crowes-Freak'N'Roll…Into The Fog
Slayer-Live Decade Of Aggression
Rory Gallagher-Stage Struck
The Band-Rock Of Ages
TheBand&Bob Dylan-Before The Flood
@waynekenworthy5391
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Dace Mason Certified Live Nov 76 – NO OVERDUBS AT ALL. ABB Live at Filmore , Who LaL & Live Dead, are 1,2 & 3 for me! Stones? Nah.. Mick Taylor carried the weight.
@xsgerry
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Rush’s Exit Stage Left AND A Show Of Hands, excellent for different eras of Rush.
@HowardJones-m7t
February 2, 2026 at 7:23 am
Roxy and Elsewhere – Frank Zappa. The best.
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