It’s still live album time here; I hope that's ok with you as there are plenty of them to go around and write about. I recently looked at all the stunning live albums from the 1970s that made it to number one on the Billboard chart. That had several very much-expected albums but also a couple of entries on the list that were a surprise to see.
That led me to check up on the next couple of decades, the 1980s and 1990s, to see what they looked like in terms of top live albums using the number one in the charts approach. Previously I’d used some extensive data to list the best 20 live albums of the 1980s. But when you look at that list and then see how many of them reached the top, of the album charts, it’s quite a shock.
By comparison, the 1990s seemed a quieter decade for live albums. They didn't seem as big or hard-hitting as the 1970s and 1980s. But that may be a misinformed view. I've included all the Billboard 200 number-one live albums from both the 1980s and 1990s together here so you can see the difference between those decades. It’s quite stark!
The number one live albums from the 1980s and 1990s
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Live/1975-85
This was a bumper collection of music from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band. Spread over five albums or three CDs it’s a 40-song box collection. A retrospective of the best of the boss live onstage over ten years.
It’s full of classic Springsteen performances and songs. With ten years to select from plenty of songs available, he was able to pick the best of them to feature here. The set went straight to number one on release in November 1986. That’s quite late in the decade for the first live album to reach the top of the album charts. Even more surprising to learn is that this is the only live album in the 1980s to make it there. None of the other amazing live releases from that decade reached that exalted position.
Eric Clapton – Unplugged
Next to reach the top after Springsteen with a live album was Eric Clapton in 1992. He led the way in a series of TV shows later released on record. Clapton went full-on unplugged for an astonishing set in one of the early MTV shows, spurring many others to follow that route.
Some of his more laid-back or bluesy numbers worked very well on acoustic guitar. His arrangement of electric guitar classics like “Layla” was also very effective in this softer format. The show gave Clapton a musical boost, the album went on to sell over 26 million copies worldwide.
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