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
It’s Your World is a live album recorded by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson from concerts in Boston in July 1976.
It also includes four tracks that were recorded in the studio.
Continue reading Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson It’s Your World 1976
The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue is a live album by Bob Dylan recorded in November & December 1975 promoting his Blood On The Tracks album and previewing his 1976 release, Desire.
This is in the same official bootleg series as Live 1966 The Royal Albert Hall Concert. While it’s not as famous, some people will say that it’s even better. Bob Dylan is no longer trying to sound like an extremely literate garage band.
Continue reading Bob Dylan Live 1975 The Rolling Thunder Revue
Time Fades Away is the first live album to be released by Neil Young. It was recorded in 1973 and he was backed by The Stray Gators.
While Neil Young has issued many live albums since including historic performances from his early days, Time Fades Away is not available for sale. This is because the entire tour has too many bad memories and he’s unhappy with the sound.
However the unavailability of Time Fades Away has given this live album legendary status and many fans are eager to hear the new songs performed on it.
The title Richard & Linda Thompson In Concert November 1975 describes this album perfectly. It was recorded on the Pour Down Like Silver Tour at several venues.
Continue reading Richard & Linda Thompson In Concert November 1975
Live At The Main Point, 1975 is a recording of a Bruce Springsteen concert that has been released in the UK and is available for sale on Amazon.co.uk.
This February 1975 recording has been one of the most celebrated Bruce Springsteen bootleg albums for many years as it catches Springsteen previewing Born To Run to his fans at the Bryn Mawr club in Philadelphia. It has a very different sound to Hammersmith Odeon London recorded later in the year.
I understand that different copyright laws mean that these recording can be legally released but I’m not a lawyer so I’m just reporting what I’ve read elsewhere. I think it would be great if Springsteen could officially released it. If he’s not happy about the recording quality and doesn’t want to profit from it, he could donate the royalties to charity.
Continue reading Bruce Springsteen Live At The Main Point Bryn Mawr 1975
Here And There is a live album recorded by Elton John in 1974. It’s very special for having the last public concert appearance by John Lennon who performs on three songs.
“Here” was recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in London in the summer of 1974; “There” was recorded Madison Square Garden, New York on November 28, 1974.
When the live album was first released in 1976 it was the only Elton John album that made any impression on me but it only had nine tracks. It was reissued in 1995 and we have finished up with 25 tracks.
Wow I wish that could happen more often.
I have a weakness for Joni Mitchell.
She’s part of my Sunday morning playlist when I want something mellow to listen to.
It’s therefore no surprise that I like Joni Mitchell’s live albums, Miles of Aisles & Shadow & Light and both were recorded in the greatest decade for music, the 70s.
This album comes from the Court & Spark album in March and August 1974 and captures her at her commercial peak.
Live At The El Mocambo is a live album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions recorded on March 6th, 1978 at The El Mocambo in Toronto, Canada.
The recording was originally released as part of the 2 1/2 Years box set but came out on its own in 2009.
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Night After Night is a live album by Nils Lofgren promoting his I Came To Dance album, recorded in London, Glasgow and Los Angeles.
The radio broadcast Hanging Tough also comes from this tour but features fewer songs.
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Live at The Nashville Rooms is a recording of a live concert by Elvis Costello from August 7, 1977.
This is sold as a bonus on the Deluxe Edition of Elvis Costello’s first album My Aim Is True.
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Continue reading Elvis Costello Live At The Nashville Rooms 1977 (With My Aim Is True Deluxe)
