This category is a bit of a work in progress.
Originally it was a bit of a catch-all but as I’ve found myself trying to categorise live albums into their respective genres, I’ve found some groups that don’t fit.
Led Zeppelin fit nicely into both blues rock and heavy metal / hard rock.
Other bands don’t.
Peter Frampton had huge success his live album Frampton Comes Alive but it’s difficult to categorise. He later struggled to build on his own success because the album was of the moment, rather than fitting easily into a musical category. This album goes into my classic rock category.
Elton John doesn’t fit into my singer songwriter category particularly well because he rarely writes his own lyrics. His albums go into classic rock or pop rock depending on how much they become a summary of his greatest hits.
This category is full of contradictions but in some way that’s what makes it interesting.
Classic Rock Live Albums
Live albums include:
Bryan Adams Live Live Live 1988
The Band The Last Waltz
The Beach Boys In Concert 1973
David Bowie Santa Monica ’72
Cheap Trick At Budokan 1978
Chicago At Carnegie Hall 1971
Phil Collins Serious Hits Live 1990
Cream Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005
Crosby Stills Nash & Young CSNY 1974
Crowded House Recurring Dream Live
Dave Matthews Band The Central Park Concert 2003
Dexy’s Midnight Runners Too-Rye-Ay Rarities / BBC Radio 1 In Concert
Dire Straits Alchemy 1983
Duran Duran Arena 1984
Bob Dylan & The Band Before the Flood
The Eagles Hell Freezes Over 1994
Fleetwood Mac Live
Fleetwood Mac The Dance 1997
Peter Frampton Frampton Comes Alive
The Guess Who Live At The Paramount 1972
George Harrison & Friends The Concert For Bangladesh
Ian Hunter Welcome To The Club 1979
INXS Live Baby Live 1990/1991
Elton John One Night Only The Greatest Hits 2000
The Kinks One For The Road 1980
Led Zeppelin Celebration Day 2007
John Lennon Live In New York City 1972
Nils Lofgren Night After Night
Dave Mason Certified Live 1976
Paul McCartney Tripping The Live Fantastic Highlights 1990
Meat Loaf Guilty Pleasure Tour 2011
Tom Petty Pack Up the Plantation: Live! 1978 to 1985
Tom Petty The Live Anthology 1976 to 2007
Lou Reed Live aka Extended Versions 1973
Roxy Music Viva
Roxy Music Live
Bruce Springsteen Hammersmith Odeon, London 1975
Bruce Springsteen 1978 Agora Cleveland
Rod Stewart Unplugged And Seated1993
Simple Minds Live In The City Of Light 1986
Sting Bring On The Night 1985
Wings Wings Over America
You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk.
The Best Classic Rock Live Albums Of All Time
I have put together a readers poll to help you to find the Best Classic Rock Albums recorded live in concert.
Loading ...You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk.
Because there are so many excellent classic rock live albums I have split the poll into two and you may find some of your favourites in the second division. Albums will be promoted when they get enough votes.
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You can see the complete list of readers polls at Live Album Polls.
I also recommend you look closely at the other Best Live Albums Polls because your favourite classic rock artists may be lurking in one or more of the specialist genres.
Live 1997 is a live album by Supertramp.
It was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, London on September 19 and 20, 1997.
This is the single CD version of It Was The Best Of Times.
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Blondie Live is a live album by new wave turned power pop band Blondie.
It was recorded on the comeback tour between November 22, 1998 and August 14, 1999.
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Live At Manchester M.E.N. 2010 is a live album by Bad Company and is one of a series made available as a souvenir of the tour in the UK.
It was recorded on the 2nd April 2010.
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Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival is a live album and DVD by The Moody Blues.
It was recorded in August 1970 at the famous festival that has also produced live albums by The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Palmer and Taste.
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Intriguer Live Start To Finish is a live album and DVD by Crowded House.
This catches the band at the start and end of the Intriguer World Tour:
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Below are listed the live classic rock albums I played in 2016.
In 2015 I started to share a list of the live albums I played.
Here are the live Classic Rock 2015 Albums.
January 2016
Live At The BBC is a live compilation album of the Electric Light Orchestra recorded by the BBC between 1973 and 1976.
Ventura Highway Live is a live album by America.
It is a re-packaging of the 1982 recording for King Biscuit Flower Hour.
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Rites Of Passage is a live album by former Supertramp singer, Roger Hodgson.
It was recorded at the Miner’s Foundry, Nevada City, California on August 2, 1996..
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Mann Alive is a live album by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.
It was recorded at various venues on the Soft Vengeance European Tour in 1996/97.
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