When I think of a singer-songwriter, my first thoughts turn to someone strumming a guitar or playing the piano while singing songs that he or she wrote.
Of course, it isn’t quite that simple. What happens when someone else also plays or sings?
I’ve found that it’s a grey area when we start adding other people because ultimately it gets tough to distinguish singer songwriters from groups where one person tends to write and sing their songs. I’ve tried to be reasonably consistent as people move from pure singer songwriting to rock and pop groups.
I also discovered that there’s an issue of crossover between singer-songwriters and folk and country artists. To find what you’re looking for, I’ve given you various links at the bottom if you don’t find it on this page.
Live Albums By Singer Songwriters In The 1970s
Joan Armatrading Steppin Out 1979
Jackson Browne & David Lindley Live At The Main Point 15th August 1973
Jackson Browne Live At The Main Point September 7th 1975
Jackson Browne Running On Empty 1977
Leonard Cohen Live Songs 1970 1972
Ry Cooder Broadcast From The Plant 1974
Ry Cooder Showtime 1976
Elvis Costello Live At The Nashville Rooms 1977 (With My Aim Is True Deluxe)
Elvis Costello Live At The El Mocambo 1978
Elvis Costello Live At The Hollywood High 1978
Jim Croce Live The Final Tour 1973
John Denver An Evening With John Denver 1974
Neil Diamond Hot August Night 1972
Donovan Rising / Atlantis / The Classics Live / 25 Years In Concert 1971 1981
Ian Dury Live At Rockpalast 1978
Bob Dylan Before The Flood 1974
Bob Dylan Live 1975 The Rolling Thunder Revue
Bob Dylan Hard Rain 1976
Bob Dylan Shelter From A Hard Rain 1976
Bob Dylan At Budokan 1978
Gallagher & Lyle BBC Live In Concert 1973 to 1978
Roy Harper Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivion 1974
Joe Jackson Live At The BBC 1979 to 1983
Elton John 17-11-70
Elton John Here And There 1974
Carole King The Carnegie Hall Concert 1971
John Lennon Live In New York City 1972
Nils Lofgren Back It Up 1975
Nils Lofgren Live Sausalito 1975
Nils Lofgren Live From Tower Theater Philadelphia PA Sep 6, 1976
Nils Lofgren Live On The Test 1976 to 1979
Nils Lofgren Night After Night 1977
Nils Lofgren Hanging Tough 1977
John Martyn BBC Live In Concert 1971 1977 1981
John Martyn On Air 1975
John Martyn Live At Leeds Deluxe 1975
John Martyn Live At Leeds & More 1975
Don McLean Live In New York 1971
Joni Mitchell Miles Of Aisles 1974
Joni Mitchell Shadows And Light 1979
Van Morrison It’s Too Late To Stop Now 1973
Van Morrison at the Winterland Feb 2, 1974
Van Morrison Live at the Capitol Theatre Passaic NJ 1979
Randy Newman Randy Newman Live 1970
Laura Nyro Spread Your Wings and Fly Live at the Fillmore East May 30 1971
Laura Nyro Seasons Of Light 1976
Laura Nyro Live at Carnegie Hall The Classic 1976 Radio Broadcast
Graham Parker The Bootleg Box 1975 to 2004
Graham Parker Live At Marble Arch 1976
Graham Parker Not If It Pleases Me 1976 1977
Graham Parker Official Bootleg Box 1976 to 2012
Graham Parker Live On The Test 1977 1978
Graham Parker BBC Live In Concert 1977-1991
Graham Parker The Parkerilla 1978
Graham Parker Live At Rockpalast 1978 1980
Graham Parker Live Sparks 1979
Graham Parker Live In San Francisco 1979
Graham Parker Live In America 1979
Tom Petty Official Live ‘Leg 1976
Tom Petty The Live Anthology 1976 to 2007
Tom Petty Anything That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Live At My Fathers Place Roslyn New York City 1977
Tom Petty The New York Shuffle 1977
Shawn Phillips At The BBC 1971 to 1974
Dory Previn Live At Carnegie Hall 1973
Lou Reed Transmission Impossible New York 1971 Roxy LA 1976 Albury Australia 1977
Lou Reed Ultrasonic The New York Broadcast 1972
Lou Reed American Poet 1972
Lou Reed Rock N Roll Animal 1973
Lou Reed Live Extended Versions 1973
Lou Reed Thinking Of Another Place 1976
Lou Reed Winter At The Roxy The 1976 LA Broadcast
Lou Reed Live Take No Prisoners 1978
Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson It’s Your World 1976
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson Live At The Bottom Line Aug 20, 1977
Bob Seger Live Bullet 1976
Bob Seger Live Boston 1977
Paul Simon In Concert Live Rhymin’ 1973/74
Bruce Springsteen Live At The Main Point Bryn Mawr 1975
Bruce Springsteen Hammersmith Odeon London 75
Bruce Springsteen Tower Theater Pennsylvania 1975
Bruce Springsteen Live 1975 – 85
Bruce Springsteen 1978/08/09 Cleveland Ohio
Bruce Springsteen Agora Ballroom 1978
Bruce Springsteen The Fox Theatre Atlanta 1978
Bruce Springsteen Live At The Capitol Theater, Passiac NJ 1978
Bruce Springsteen Live At The Roxy 1978
Bruce Springsteen Winterland Night 1978
Al Stewart Time Passages Live 1978
John Stewart Complete Phoenix Concerts 1974
Stephen Stills Live in Concert 1976 1977
Richard Thompson Live At The BBC 1973 to 2009
Richard & Linda Thompson In Concert November 1975
Townes Van Zandt Live At The Old Quarter 1973
Tom Waits Nighthawks At The Diner 1975
Tom Waits Nighthawks on the Radio 1976
Tom Waits Virginia Avenue 1976
Tom Waits A Small Affair In Ohio 1977
Jesse Colin Young On The Road 1976
Neil Young Live At The Cellar Door 1970
Neil Young Live At The Fillmore East 1970
Neil Young Live At Massey Hall 1971
Neil Young Time Fades Away 1973
Neil Young Live Rust 1978
Warren Zevon The Coffee Break Concert 1976
You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk
What Are the All Time Best Live Albums By Singer Songwriters?
I don’t have a readers poll to find the best live albums for this decade but I do have a poll to find the all time best live albums by singer-songwriters.
Loading ...Because there are so many excellent singer-songwriter albums with very different styles, 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.
Loading ...Live Albums By Singer Songwriters By Decade – 1960s – 1970s – 1980s – 1990s – 2000s – 2010s
The BBC Sessions is a compilation of live in the studio sessions Loudon Wainwright III, recorded by the BBC between May 18, 1971 and August 14, 1993 for the John Peel and Andy Kershaw shows on Radio One.
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A Live One is a live album by Loudon Wainwright III.
It was recorded on a tour of the British Isles in 1976 and at McCabe’s in Los Angeles in 1978.
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WGOE Radio Alpha Studio Richmond VA 31st May 1973 is a live recording of Bruce Springsteen.
This catches an early acoustic performance.
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The Early Years – Sigma Studios, Philadelphia 15th Apr ’72 is a live album by Bill Joel.
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Where the Shadows Fall is a live recording by Jackson Browne and David Lindley.
It was recorded in 1972 and was originally broadcast on the radio. It has been released as an mp3 on the All Access label and as vinyl on the Let Them Eat Vinyl label.
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Live in San Francisco is a live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
It was recorded at the Cow Palace on October 22, 1978. This concert provided the music for the Rust Never Sleeps film. Essentially it is an unofficial version of Live Rust with the missing songs – Thrasher and Welfare Mother – restored.
The unofficial album has been released on the 101 Distribution label for the vinyl release and Immortal for the CD.
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The Legendary Broadcasts 1969-1984 is a compilation of live recordings by Bob Dylan.
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Hassled In April is a recording of Lou Reed live in concert.
It was recorded in Chicago in 1978 while Lou Reed was promoting the Street Hassle studio album.
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Ultrasonic The New York Broadcast 1972 is a live recording by Lou Reed.
It was recorded at the Ultrasonic studios in New York in December 1972, a month after the release of the Transformer studio album. It was broadcast on WLIR and has been released on the FM Concert Broadcasts label.
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Live Boston 1977 is an unofficial live album by Bob Seger released by Nova Sales & Distribution (UK) Ltd.
If you want a great live album by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band then first buy Live Bullet and Nine Tonight. Both are terrific.
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