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Credit: Fin Costello/Redferns
Classic rock live albums aren’t just records – they’re career milestones.
Or at least they used to be. Back in the 1970s, live albums were an affirmation of real greatness, marking the point at which a group of musicians evolved from mere studio creatures into living, breathing legends, preferably over four sides of vinyl wrapped in a fancy gatefold sleeve.
Think about it: without Live at Leeds, would The Who’s reputation as a ferocious, chaotic force of nature be quite so indelible? Would Peter Frampton have ascended to superstardom without the unlikely juggernaut of Frampton Comes Alive!? (Answer: No). Would Thin Lizzy even be Thin Lizzy without Live and Dangerous?
There are more: The Rolling Stones capturing their ragged majesty on Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!, Deep Purple at their incendiary peak on Made In Japan, The Scorpions pulling the same stunt on Tokyo Tapes. Motörhead’s only UK number one album? The era-defining, ear-defiling No Sleep ’til Hammersmith.
Live recordings were albums so important to a band’s career that they literally demanded an exclamation mark. Don’t believe us? As well as the Rolling Stones and Peter Frampton, check out Slade Live!, Quo Live!, Kiss’s Alive!, the Nuge’s Double Live Gonzo! and the Ramones’ It’s Alive! See?
But which is the best? That’s where you come in. We want you to weigh in, argue your case, and help settle one of rock’s most enduring debates. What’s the greatest live album of all time?
Let us know in the comments below, and tell us why.
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