Ten exceptional live albums from the 2000s

There have been so many live albums over the years that there are almost too many to listen to. Previous decades were crammed with great examples of live music from a variety of artists. I’m still a huge fan of the 1970s and its stunning collection of live albums. 

Other decades are close rivals to that earlier period. As technology moved on there was the ability to capture the live performances at a much higher quality than before. Filming shows and issuing a DVD alongside an audio CD became the norm.   It remained important though to retain that true live feeling. To make sure the often electric atmosphere of a live gig was conveyed and not polished out through later studio editing and production work. 

When it comes to selecting just ten great live albums released in the 2000s that deliver on all that it’s no easy task, there are more than plenty to choose from. I will undoubtedly have missed some people's favorites in doing so. I’ll apologize now for that, but these are ten favorites of mine from back then which I rate as exceptional. 

Ten great examples of top live albums from the 2000s

The Killers - Live From The Royal Albert Hall

Let’s start with this double album from The Killers. They played and recorded two nights at the Royal Albert Hall, London in July 2009 and released this, their first live album, a few months later in November of that same year. I always like a quick turnaround for a live album, it helps allay fears of lots of edits, dubbing, and production work. There was also a DVD of the show alongside the album.

This album conveys the ultimate style and classiness that The Killers have in abundance. Both as a band and from their frontman and singer Brandon Flowers. It delivers 17 songs which included terrific versions of “Human” as an opening track and crowd pleaser “Mr. Brightside”. It's a great album for existing Killers fans, as a wrap-up of their best songs live, it’s also a superb starting point for new listeners too.