Top 15 Live Albums According to 80sMetalman
One big discovery from the tour of 1985 was there were some great live albums in that year. So, since three of them make it onto my top fifteen list, actually all three make the top ten, I thought it would be nice to share my all time favourite fifteen live albums.
15. Bob Dylan- Hard Rain
This album will always have a place in my heart because it was the first live album I ever listened to. Besides, Bob going electric on the album was a big deal back in 1976.
14. Iron Maiden- A Real Live One
13. Black Sabbath- Live Evil
12. Ted Nugent- Intensities in 10 Cities
11. Black Sabbath- Reunion
10. Cheap Trick- At Budokan
9. Blue Oyster Cult- Extra Terrestrial Live
Why I regret never seeing them live.
8. The Scorpions- World Wide Live
7. Molly Hatchet- Double Trouble Live
Another band I regret not seeing live.
6. Black Sabbath- The End
This is the third Black Sabbath album to make the list. For me, their last ever concert beats out the reunion and the one with Ronnie James Dio.
5. Dio- At Donnington UK, 1983 &1987
I was at both of these shows so I can attest to this one.
4. Ted Nugent- Double Live Gonzo
Well this one has the fantastic live version of “The Great White Buffalo.”
3. Blackfoot- Live, Highway Song
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd- One More From the Road
- Iron Maiden- Live After Death
So there you have it, my top fifteen favourite live albums. I’d be happy to hear all of yours.
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80smetalman's Blog 
October 7, 2019 at 9:05 pm
I agree with #1 but I solidly disagree with some others that actually would make my “worst” live album list! To spare us the pain I shall leave them unnamed! I will say I got #4 for free, and I’m sure glad I did. It’s awesome!
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October 8, 2019 at 8:15 am
You got me curious now as to which ones would make your worst list.
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October 8, 2019 at 9:46 pm
Ok I’ll tell you one. I didn’t like the Sabbath reunion one. But I do think the recent The End was quite good.
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October 9, 2019 at 7:17 pm
Well we do agree so much on so many other things that there had to be one where we didn’t. I think Sabbath went out on a total high with “The End.”
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October 7, 2019 at 9:05 pm
My god every metal head in school carried around the live after death record!
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October 8, 2019 at 8:16 am
And who could blame them? It’s an awesome album.
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October 7, 2019 at 9:44 pm
I love lists. Good job fella.
Always liked that Nuge Intensities album as that tour was the first time I had seen Ted Live. Wild to see A Real Live One in there which is cool and I’m sure you got your reasons and fair enough your list your rules!
In saying that you cannot go wrong with Live After Death which is my all time number 2 Live album behind Aerosmiths Live Bootleg!
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October 8, 2019 at 8:19 am
Thank you. If I had extended it to a top 20, then the Aerosmith one would have been included. It’s just that I have a certain affinity for that live Dylan album. I’ve always liked the “Real Live One” although it comes nowhere close to “Live After Death.”
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October 8, 2019 at 2:16 am
No KISS “Alive!” or “Alive II”??
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October 8, 2019 at 8:21 am
Confession, I didn’t really start getting into KISS more until the mid 80s because I was all caught up in that Knights In Satan’s Service crap. Believe me, it was mind rattling enough making the list and painful lamentations over some of the ones I left out.
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October 8, 2019 at 6:34 am
What no ‘If You Want Blood …’? For shame! I’d also squeeze in ‘No Sleep ’til Hammersmith’ in the top spot.
Great list though.
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October 8, 2019 at 8:22 am
Both great albums and putting this list together was harder than one might think. Thanks
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October 8, 2019 at 7:21 am
All amazing choices
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October 8, 2019 at 9:11 am
Thank you.
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October 8, 2019 at 9:36 am
Can you believe I’m only familiar with two of these? (Cheap Trick at Budokan and Live After Death). I’d probably find it quite difficult to put together a best live album list… though you’ve got me thinking I should join the list making club!
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October 8, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Why not? I would like to read your lists.
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October 8, 2019 at 2:38 pm
Why not indeed! I’ll see what I can do!
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October 8, 2019 at 11:11 am
I would have the Scorpions and Cheap Trick ones on my list. I have a Bowie one called “Cracked Actor” that I love and of course Kiss Alive! (sort of live)
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October 8, 2019 at 12:07 pm
I never heard about the Bowie one, must check that out. For many reasons, KISS has always been a paradox for me. That’s probably why their Alive albums haven’t made an impression on my psyche.
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October 8, 2019 at 4:00 pm
The Bowie one was a RSD release a couple years ago. It is incredible.
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October 9, 2019 at 7:14 pm
I will give it a listen.
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October 8, 2019 at 4:49 pm
Really good list. I had five of the ones you mentioned and still own three. Black Sabbath The End is just awesome! I remember my mate having Rainbow On Stage and Judas Priest – Priest in the East which were both good. He also had Ozzy’s Talk of the Devil which I didn’t dig so much, esp compared to Sab’s Live Evil.
I used to have the earlier Scorpions live album with Uli Jon Roth on it – that was a good album which I listened to a lot. Seemed back then we were spoilt for choice for live albums!
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October 9, 2019 at 7:16 pm
“Speak of the Devil” is probably my least favourite live album. It sounds as if it was recorded in a pub on a cheap cassette player but we were spoiled for live albums. Those Priest and Rainbow albums are also good.
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