Category: Classic Rock Live Albums

Classic Rock Live Albums

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.

What Are The FIVE Best Classic Rock Live Albums? (Click on the links to go to the reviews)

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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.

What Are The FIVE Best Classic Rock Live Albums (SECOND DIVISION)? (Click on the links to go to the reviews)

View Results

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You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk.

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.

Neil Young Live Rust 1978

Live Rust is a live album by Neil Young recorded in 1978 and some of the songs were used in the film Rust Never Sleeps.

I get confused with how Live Rust fits in with the Rust Never Sleeps album which was also partially recorded live at San Francisco’s Cow’s Palace and later had the audience noise removed.

Live Rust starts with an acoustic set and climaxes with an all-out electric rave. That worked particularly well on a double LP where you could choose which version of Neil Young you wanted.

Controversially the album was squeezed on to a single CD by editing out about 90 seconds of guitar from Cortez The Killer. This horrifies purists but I don’t think it is noticeable when you listen to it.

Neil Young Live Rust

Neil Young Live Rust

My rating – 28 out of 30 (9 +10 +9)

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Eric Clapton Just One Night 1979

Just One Night is a live album by Eric Clapton recorded at the Budokan Theatre, Tokyo, December 1979 when he was promoting the Backless album.

Claton had got into a groove in the late seventies with his easy listening blues albums like No Reason To Cry, Slowhand and Backless but he could still get excited when playing live.

Eric Clapton Just One Night Overall Review Rating – 26/30
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Bruce Springsteen Hammersmith Odeon London 75

Hammersmith Odeon 75 captures the first visit by Bruce Springsteen to the UK in 1975 after Born To Run was released.

The retrospective Live 1975 – 85 is a very comprehensive collection of Springsteen live but fans were critical because it was a live performance compilation.

Hammersmith Odeon is how long-standing fans really want to hear Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play live – a complete concert that captures the excitement and passion of a Springsteen gig.

Bruce Springsteen Hammersmith Odeon 75 Overall Rating – 29/30

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Pink Floyd Delicate Sound Of Thunder 1988

Delicate Sound Of Thunder by Pink Floyd is a live album recorded in 1988 on the A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour without Roger Waters.

Could the Floyd cut it without their former band leader and main song writer?

Pink Floyd Delicate Sound Of Thunder Overall Rating – 20/30

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The Beatles Live At The Hollywood Bowl 1964 & 1965

The most notable thing about The Beatles Live At Hollywood Bowl can be summed up in three words:

Aaaaargh

Aaaaaaaaaaargh

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

Whatever the Fab Four play, it’s hard to look past the hysterical screaming of the frenzied fans.

The Overall Rating For The Beatles Live At The Hollywood Bowl – 21/30

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Bruce Springsteen Live 1975 – 85

Live 1975 – 85 was Bruce Springsteen‘s response to the demands for a live album.

He’s been one of the most bootlegged artists since the mid 70s and with Live 1975 – 85, he tried to produce an epic drawn from many different concerts recorded.

This album was released to follow up on the immense success of the Born In The USA album which made Springsteen a much bigger international star.

I was thrilled when it first came out as he had such a great reputation as a live performer but all it’s done is prove that there’s much more that could appear.

Bruce Springsteen Live 1975 – 85 Overall Rating – 26/30
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Roxy Music Live 2001

Roxy Music Live is a record of how this great group sounded on the 2001 world tour after being apart from 1983.

Until this album, Roxy Music have been relatively poorly served by the quality of their live albums – Viva, Concerto / Ladytron and Heart Still Beating. I think plenty of people have been burnt by the confusing releases from the 1979/80 tours.

Roxy Music Live

Roxy Music Live Album 2001

My Rating – 24 out of 30 (that feels stingy but it’s what the three individual ratings add up to).

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Queen Live At Wembley 1986

Live At Wembley is a souvenir of the last tour Queen did with Freddie Mercury in 1986 to promote the A Kind Of Magic album.

It’s sad to think that the group who had stolen the show at the Live Aid concert, the year before weren’t to tour again for nineteen years (2005) when they had Paul Rogers as the lead vocalist.

Their last concert was at Knebworth on 9th August 1986 and Mercury was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS the following year and died 24th November 1991.

Queen Live At Wembley Overall Rating – 22/30

Queen Live At Wembley Stadium 1986

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Bob Dylan Real Live 1984

Real Live is a live album by Bob Dylan recorded in 1984 with a star backing band including ex Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor and Ian McLagen from The Faces at concerts in England and Ireland.

It was Taylor’s involvement that persuaded me to buy this Dylan album because I loved his guitar playing with the Stones (listen to it on Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out and Brussels Affair).

And I’m glad I did.

It’s not a classic but it’s well worth hearing.

Bob Dylan Real Live Overall Rating – 24/30

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Bruce Springsteen Live In New York City 2000

Live In New York City captures Bruce Springsteen reunited with the E Street Band in 2000. Their first concert together for 11 years.

For me Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band belong together like strawberries and cream. One without the other doesn’t feel right and it’s going to be tough hearing them play again with a replacement for the Big Man (Clarence Clemons).

Bruce Springsteen Live In New York City Overall Rating – 25/30

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