Best Live Albums of All Time
The concert records that capture lightning in a bottle — performances worth owning on vinyl or CD.
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1At Folsom PrisonJohnny Cash
At Folsom Prison
Recorded live for an audience of inmates, it captures Cash at his most charismatic and human. Raw, funny and moving. One of the great live albums.
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2Live at LeedsThe Who
Live at Leeds
Widely held to be one of the greatest live rock albums, ferocious and loud. Powerful and beloved. A landmark.
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3Live!Bob Marley and the Wailers
Live!
A landmark live album, home to a definitive 'No Woman, No Cry'. Electric and beloved. A high point.
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4Cheap Trick at BudokanCheap Trick
Cheap Trick at Budokan
A blockbuster live album of power-pop hooks, home to 'I Want You to Want Me'. Fun and huge. Their breakthrough.
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5Live and DangerousThin Lizzy
Live and Dangerous
One of the great live hard-rock albums, electric and tight. Powerful and beloved. A landmark.
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6Amazing GraceAretha Franklin
Amazing Grace
A towering live gospel album, the best-selling of her career. Powerful and historic. A landmark.
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7MTV Unplugged in New YorkNirvana
MTV Unplugged in New York
A hushed, haunting acoustic set that revealed the band's tenderness, recorded months before Cobain's death. Intimate and poignant. A beloved farewell.
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8Sunday at the Village VanguardBill Evans
Sunday at the Village Vanguard
An intimate live trio recording of extraordinary interplay, captured shortly before bassist Scott LaFaro's death. Lyrical and conversational. One of the great piano-trio documents.
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9A Night at the Village VanguardSonny Rollins
A Night at the Village Vanguard
A landmark piano-less live trio date. Inventive and beloved. A high point.
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10Babylon by BusBob Marley and the Wailers
Babylon by Bus
A vibrant double live album of peak-era performances. Electric and beloved. A strong document.