Classic Rock Musings, Rants & Raves

From 1976 onward, live albums became more varied and widespread, but they never lost their potency to reel in fans. Here then, is the Top 10 Live Albums: 1976 - poresent.

1. Pink Floyd - Is There Anybody Out There? (2000)
This live version of “The Wall,” performed in its entirety, is the last sanctioned recording from members Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. “Is There Anybody Out There?” was culled from various shows performed on the 1980-81 tour, but wasn’t released until almost 20 years later. Included are two tracks not on the original, “What Shall We Do Now?” & “The Last Few Bricks.”

2. Bob Dylan - Live 1966 - The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert (1998)
Live 1966 is another example of a legendary concert not being released until many years after-the-fact. Perhaps the most famous bootleg of all time, “Royal Albert Hall,” in quotes because of its incorrect location — it was actually recorded at the Free Trade Hall in England — marked the first time Dylan plugged in and pissed off his Folkie following. It is truly history in the making!

3. Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive (1976)
Not a teenager in the 70s didn’t own a copy of “Frampton Comes Alive,” the best-selling live album of all time. It was recently re-released for its 25th anniversary, and features three live bonus tracks, “Just the Time of Year,” “Nowhere’s Too Far for My Baby,” and “White Sugar,” a radio performance of “Day’s Dawning” and extensive liner notes. No other album quite represents the 70s like this!

4. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Live Rust (1979)
“Live Rust” blended the best of Neil’s acoustic sentimentality with ear-shattering electric rock, as he took listeners on a journey from older classics to then-new material. The soundtrack to the concert film of the same name, it was recorded in the fall of 1978 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Other live Neil Young albums have since been released, but “Live Rust” is a standout among them.

5. Cheap Trick - At Budokan (1979)
“At Budokan” captures live, 70s power pop in all its glory like no other! Cheap Trick had a few minor radio hits, but it wasn’t until this blistering performance for screaming Japanese fans that the band realized the stardom that had eluded them. The platinum album remains a timeless favorite among Classic Rock fans, and “Surrender” sounds as fresh and powerful now as it did in ‘79.

6. Queen - Live Killers (1979)
“Live Killers” is a great representation of 70s Queen, showcasing the band at the height of their glitz and glamour. Most of the hits are present, plus forgotten gems such as “Brighton Rock,” and a medley that included “Killer Queen,” “Bicycle Race” and “I’m In Love With My Car.” Recorded on their 1979 European tour, “Live Killers” captures loud, triumphant, arena rock at its foot-stomping finest.

7. Paul McCartney & Wings - Wings Over America (1976)
McCartney pissed off a lot of people when he covered several fab four songs on Wings’ 1976 tour, but fans were itching to hear the old tunes again. “Wings Over America” silenced critics who charged that Paul couldn’t rock out with the best of ‘em, and became one of most spectacular, high-energy shows ever recorded. Includes the version of “Maybe I’m Amazed” that became a Top-10 hit.

8. Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More From the Road (1976)
This 25th anniversary deluxe edition of the classic Skynyrd album, which was recorded during the July 7-9, 1976 shows at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, features ten additional songs from the same show. Recorded just a mere three years after the group’s debut, it captures raw, southern-fried rock and roll at its finest, and demonstrates why Skynyrd has become the premiere southern rock band.

9. The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over (1994)
Aside from the fact that the “Hell Freezes Over” tour can be indirectly blamed for skyrocketing concert ticket prices — they exceeded $100 a seat — the tour was the event of the decade. For the first time in years Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Don Felder, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh took the stage together, and the historic event was captured for posterity. Also features four new studio tracks.

10. David Gilmour - Live In Gdansk(2008)
The newest and possibly the strongest entry on the list for a number of reasons, namely that David Gilmour not only plays his album “On An Island,” with a full orchestra; he also explores the nether regions of the Pink Floyd cataloging with subtle aplomb and astonishing results. This show is the final performance of Gilmour’s wildly successfully 2006 tour, and, sadly, the last show on record that Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright would ever play. “Echoes” and “Comfortably Numb” has never sounded so poetic.

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