My Top Five Albums

I have started to share my five favourite live albums from each music genres on the main polls to help to inspire or challenge you to clarify your views.

I have two simple rules:

  • Desert island discs – these are chosen as if I could only have five live albums from each genre.
  • Where albums cross genres, I have the freedom to select which genre I’m using for an album but I’m not going to pick an album twice.

Regrets

This is a hard exercise. Sadly I’m going to miss out on some great live albums but the music here is superb.

If you want to understand my thinking or vote in the polls and see the popular results, click on the links provided.

My lists are not in any order of preference. It was tough enough to narrow the choice down to five albums.

Art Rock

>>>Best Art Rock Live Albums

  • David Bowie Live Nassau Coliseum ’76
  • Bill Nelson Live At The Metropolis Studio
  • Roxy Music Live
  • Supertramp Live In Paris ’79
  • Frank Zappa You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol 2 (Helsinki)

Blues Rock

>>>Best Blues Rock Live Albums Poll

  • Van Morrison It’s Too Late To Stop Now
  • Jess Roden Live At The BBC
  • Fleetwood Mac Boston
  • The Rolling Stones The Brussels Affair 1973
  • Jimi Hendrix Live At Berkeley

Classic Rock

>>>Best Classic Rock Live Albums Poll

My choice of five albums are:

  • Bruce Springsteen – 1978 Agora Cleveland
  • Wings – Wings Over America
  • Wishbone Ash – Live Dates
  • David Bowie – David Live
  • ?

Hard Rock & Heavy metal Live Albums

>>>Best Hard Rock Live Albums Poll

  • Made In Japan by Deep Purple.
  • Live At Leeds by The Who.
  • The Blues To The Bush by The Who
  • Strangers In The Night by UFO.
  • Live & Dangerous by Thin Lizzy

Indie Rock & Alternative Rock Live Albums

>>>Best Indie Rock & Alternative Rock Live Albums Poll

  • Echo & The Bunnymen Live At The Royal Albert Hall 1983
  • Pixies Live At Vredenburg 1990
  • The Smiths Rank 1986
  • The Waterboys The Live Adventures Of The Waterboys 1986
  • ?

Progressive Rock

>>>Best Prog Rock Live Albums Poll

  • Genesis Seconds Out
  • Traffic The Last Great Traffic Jam
  • Van Der Graaf Generator Real Time
  • Yes Yessongs
  • ?

Singer Songwriters

>>>Best Singer Songwriter Live Albums Poll

  • Van Morrison Astral Weeks: Live At The Hollywood Bowl
  • Neil Young Live Rust
  • Bob Dylan Live 1975 The Rolling Thunder Revue
  • Joan Armatrading Live At The Royal Albert Hall
  • Randy Newman Live In London