Controversial but data-backed ranking of the 20 best live albums

There are plenty of lists of top live music albums around. Often based on personal opinions, they can be highly debatable. I’ve written a few myself, like this list of top 1970s live albums. Or perhaps a few live records from the 1980s that are best avoided. 

They tend to be controversial and spark a lot of comments from people who disagree with some choices. And especially where readers want to make a case for an album that’s missing. What about [insert name of your favorite album here]? It is a very common response. That’s fair, it is all about opinions, of course, and music will attract many different views. It somehow seems even more subjective when it comes to live rather than studio albums. 

Is there a more scientific and data-based way to rank album lists? Well, you can just do it by sales. But we all know the ones that sell the most aren’t always the best albums. It still leaves plenty of room for disagreement and dispute. 

A definitive list of the20 best ever live albums that is data-backed

So maybe if we try the approach of combining lots of album ranking lists and opinions together, the best ever, we’ll get a more accurate and acceptable list. That's where BestEverAlbums.com comes in. They reckon they have aggregated over 60,000 greatest album charts together with over nine million members ratings and produced a series of best ever album lists. 

That should provide a much more definitive list of the top live albums, especially with the data from all those inputs behind it. Well, you might think so. But when I look at the top 20 best-ever live albums, it reveals it’s possibly even more controversial. 

The list is much broader in both time and style. Often live album lists are heavily focused on rock bands and perhaps a narrower time frame. The easiest way to explain all that is to get on and reveal the top 20 list of best-ever live albums. But beware of more than one or two shocks and surprises and a long list of potential ‘What about’? 

The top 20 best ever live albums

20 - Thin Lizzy - Live And Dangerous

Sparked by hearing Frampton Comes Alive all over the radio, Phil Lynott vowed Thin Lizzy could do even better. Released in June 1978, it is, in my book, a terrific live album. Lots of crowd noise and atmosphere, great songs, and excellent performances from the band. What’s not to like? 

Well, some people reckon it was overworked in the studio. Rumours persist about lots of production and overdubbing, bringing into question just how live it really is. That's largely denied by the band, and a later deluxe box set in 2022 that uses original live recordings helps uphold its reputation as a top live album.

Continued on next slide