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HEAVY METAL | The BEST Live Albums

Classic Album Review | January 30, 2026



Here are the best live Metal albums, with some honourable mentions at the very end.

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Written by Classic Album Review

Comments

This post currently has 47 comments.

  4. @andrewprentice8857

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    An excellent list.
    I endorse the vote for Saxon's "The Eagle has Landed" with my only disappointment being that they ripped off Motorhead's air raid siren motif at the end of the show.
    One that I would add to the list is "Staying a Life" by Accept – either that or their "All Areas Worldwide" release. Both extremely powerful live records.
    Of course, Motorhead's "No Sleep…" is 100% classic!

  10. @jeremymorrison3494

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    First live album i bought with money i scrounged as a pimply teen was acadac if you want blood. blew my socks off. to this day the opener riff raff sends shivers up my spine. second was alive 2 by kiss. those were the days. now i have kids listening to the band qwerty and the i-phone band. who knew.. sad really

  11. @mjp8648

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Mentioned Helloween's live album recorded in the 1990's, but their "Live in the UK" 1989 album is great. Sounds heavier/rawer than their studio counterparts, greet performances, fun banter from Michael Kiske etc. Only problem is that only 7 tracks thus too short.

  12. @Fidsco

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    I just came here to say that you are the only other person I have everd hear saying that "Born Again" is a great album. I am so happy it's just not me.

  15. @jeffjackson9679

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    "Unleashed in the East" always gets the nod for a great live album, but "Priest…live" That came out in 1987 is really underrated. Even if it has a few crappy "Turbo" tracks on it ("Rock you all around the world" still makes me cringe to this day). The sound quality and energy from the band is awesome. And I think Halford was at his peak vocal wise for his career after giving up on drugs when they did that tour.

  16. @malamuteaerospace6333

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Dio version of Sabbath was vastly superior to the Ozzy one. That's because Dio wrote his own lyrics whereas Geezer wrote the lyrics in Ozzys version just as Bob Daisley wrote all Ozzys solo stuff up to no more tears album.

  22. @Skyturnsgreen

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Can’t argue with any of these choices, but for me, Live After Death is the greatest. Motörhead’s NSTH is utterly sublime also and I would have to place AC/DC’s If You Want Blood in there for me. But these are minor gripes. Top work!

  25. @arturoalmazan5262

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Live evil sounds more like a dio album hell but I liked it. Motorhead no sleep till Hammersmith shows Motorhead in their prime. Priest unleashed in the east even it doesn't sound like a live album its still a classic. my favorites are UFO strangers in the night , thin lizzy live and dangerous; Deep Purple made in Japan and the best for me It's Maiden live after death. Bruce; Adrian Smith; Dave Murray, nicko and The master Steve Harris all great musicians 🤘🤘 . Scorpions Tokyo tapes and Saxons the eagle has landed are awesome too

  28. @PontusWittenmark

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Nice list! Unless we include UFO, in which case it's Strangers in the Night x 5 💯

    Edit: Also, Beast over Hammersmith is just a tad more awesome than Live After Death IMO. 👍

  32. @SpaceCattttt

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    I don't know where else to mention this, but I'm sure you've heard that Genesis have sold the majority of their catalogue for 300.000,000 dollars.
    And this includes solo material from Phil as well as Mike and the Mechanics. Opinion on this?

  33. @randysvynil9502

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    A very good list. Mine would includes. Not really heavy metal but hard rock.

    UFO – Strangers in the Night
    Scorpions – Tokyo Tapes
    Foghat – Live
    Deep Purple – Made in Japan

  38. @timothyandrews772

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    I love all the albums you listed. I find that despite being a lover of the double album, my favourite live rock albums (I'll broaden it from just Heavy Metal) are mainly single albums so yes, there's Saxon in there, Motorhead and Judas Priest, as you listed, but also AC/DC, If You Want Blood, as you mentioned, and then there's Magnum's Marauder, an album released when money was tight and it was cheaper than a new studio album, and of course I have to mention Deep Purple's Live in Japan and Rainbow's first live album with Ronnie James Dio, both double albums, but both well loved. Thanks for your videos, can't remember if you've done a Top 10 fave Prog live albums? I'm keeping listening.

  40. @CBT5777

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Dokken "Beast from the East."
    I'm surprised you didn't mention it. Considered to be one of the best even by the heaviest metal heads. It's far heavier than their studio albums and George Lynch shreds like Randy Roads and Michael Schenker combined!

  42. @fabiohaddad2531

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Yes! Another great video, makes me remember that days! Totally agree with your comments, if you allow me comment, I would say Black Sabbath Live evil had definitely the most impact on metal scenery of early 80's, due most I think by the vocals of Ronnie James Dio and the guitars of Iommi in great shape. I saw Motorhead live I guess after "Iron Fist" album, the sound was brutally loud! One of the guys that was with us had to go to hospital after the gig with ear problems… 😁

  43. @adrianwills4609

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    No argument with your top 5. As far as your bubbling under choices, I’d have picked Scorpions Tokyo Tapes. I hated the way WWL faded out between tracks and only had the acoustic section of Holiday. Metallica I’d have chosen Live Shit Binge And Purge mainly for the Justice Tour show which is an extra in there. PS I was also at the Scorpions Savage Amusement show at Hammersmith. Truly epic and a full version of Holiday!!!!

  45. @GARYBLONDER

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Have to fall out with you on this list – only NO SLEEP gets my wholesale agreement. You painted yourself into a corner by calling it "Best Metal Live Albums" – "best Heavy Rock and Metal" albums would have given you more scope.
    You seemed on some to have gone for the setlists rather than the actual performances. UNLEASHED IN THE EAST is dreadful – dubbed to oblivion. THE EAGLE HAS FLOUNDERED might have been a better name for the Saxon album, and I've never rated Dio as a great frontman, even though he's the greatest vocalist. The falling out between Sabbath and Dio is so obvious on Live Evil. TOKYO TAPES is a better live album than World Wide Live, and IF YOU WANT BLOOD should have definitely been in there and damn the hair-splitters. Lemmy also said Motorhead wasn't Metal but let's face it, they were! And TALK OF THE DEVIL should be in there!

  46. @gavinsmith9016

    January 30, 2026 at 3:43 pm

    Love all of the albums mentioned and totally agree about AC/DC – that gets in my top 10 best ever!. A personal favourite of mine that I would add for the live Metal album is Nightwish's Showtime, Storytime. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but that's a great live album. It's Floor Jansen's debut album with Nightwish.

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