The 10 Greatest Live Albums Released in the 80s, Ranked

The 1980s was a decade of ambition, glamour, innovation and excess. Musically, the flashy decade saw the rise of hair metal, synth pop, new wave, prog rock and good old-fashioned rock-n-roll. There was also a leap in audio recording technology that allowed artists to capture multi-track recordings for multiple shows on a tour and the ability to mix and fix mistakes in the studio, during post-production. The sound was bigger, cleaner and more precise than live albums of the past.

The 80s features some incredible live albums from bands that run the gamut from new wave, heavy metal, prog rock, and more. For the sake of this list, we’re leaning mostly towards rock music with a few pop and heavy metal acts sprinkled in for good measure. Honorable mentions for a few albums that did not make the cut but are still worthy: Genesis’ Three Sides Live, The Who, Who’s Last Fleetwood Mac‘s Live, Billy Joel‘s Songs from the Attic, Dire Strait‘s first live album Alchemy are all right up there. Behold, the 10 greatest live albums released in the 80s, ranked by sound, performances and lasting influence.

10

‘Arena’ (1984)

Duran Duran

Duran Duran‘s Arena is a heavily produced live album that captures the band at the absolute height of “Duranmania.” It reached number four on the Billboard Album chart and sold over three million copies, propelled by amazing live renditions of “Hungry Like The Wolf,” “Save a Prayer,” “Rio,” “Planet Earth,” and “Girls on Film.”

The effort also boasts a stunning version of “The Seventh Stranger,” which subtly flows into a beautiful performance of “The Chauffeur.” Arena is a glimpse of Duran Duran at its commercial peak. It also features the dramatic studio track “The Wild Boys,” which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

9

‘Plays Live’ (1983)

Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel released his debut solo live album in 1983. Plays Live features songs from Gabriel’s first four solo albums and puts a cap on the first phase of his solo career after leaving Genesis. His live band is phenomenal, featuring the great Tony Levin on bass, David Rhodes on guitar, Jerry Marotta on drums and Larry Fast on keys.

The underrated live album features classic early 80s takes on his hits “Solsbury Hill,” “D.I.Y.,” and “Shock the Monkey.” Gabriel’s performance is wonderfully bizarre on the album, which showcases his unique sound and love of world music. A powerful and emotional version of “Biko” is a highlight of the album which stands the test of time.

8

‘Live After Death’ (1985)

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden took the 80s by storm with its brand of Heavy Metal. The quintet’s 1985 effort Live After Death is one of the best live metal albums of the decade. Maiden is at the top of its game with the riveting album featuring blazing performances of “Aces High,” “2 Minutes to Midnight,” “The Trooper,” “Flight of Icarus,” “Powerslave,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” and the 13-minute epic “Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

The 17-track double album peaked at number 19 on the Billboard album chart and was recorded during the band’s 190-plus date concert tour, which took them to 20 different countries between 1984 and 85. Live After Death is a landmark live album that captures the band chiefly at the Long Beach Arena in California with frontman Bruce Dickinson‘s iconic call: “Scream for Me Long Beach!” The brilliant cover art by Derek Riggs, features the band’s mascot “Eddie,” rising from the grave surrounded by flames and lightning.

7

‘Just One Night’ (1980)

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton‘s Just One Night was, ironically, recorded over a two-night stand at the Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, back in 1979. The double album features memorable versions of “Tulsa Time,” “Lay Down Sally” and “Wonderful Tonight.” Albert Lee was in Clapton’s band at the time and add his signature touch adding tasty guitar solos throughout, especially on “Further On Up The Road.”

The absolute highlight of the effort is the cover of Otis Rush’s “Double Trouble,” in which Clapton lays down a transcendent guitar solo over the Blues classic. Clapton also covers the Dire Straits song “Setting Me Up,” Robert Johnson‘s “Rambling On My Mind,” and J.J. Cale‘s “After Midnight” and “Cocaine.” Just One Night is an essential live album of the 80s.

6

‘Tribute’ (1987)

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne honored the late Randy Rhoads with Tribute, a live album recorded before the guitarist died in a plane crash while on tour in 1982. The live album features songs from Ozzy’s solo albums, Black Sabbath tracks and the beautiful studio outtake, “Dee,” featuring Rhoads on a classical acoustic guitar. The effort was a huge success, selling over two million copies and peaked at number six on the Billboard album chart.

Tribute features incendiary guitar work by Rhoads. His unique phrasing and virtuosic playing is laced all over the effort, including “I Don’t Know,” “Crazy Train,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Flying High Again,” and “Goodbye to Romance.” Rhoads also plays memorable versions of Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” “Children of the Grave,” and “Paranoid.” It’s an emotional and poignant live album that has done more than any other record to keep Rhoads’ spirit alive.

5

‘Under a Blood Red Sky’ (1983)

U2

U2‘s Under a Blood Red Sky helped catapult the band to new heights in the early 80s. It captured the band touring behind its breakthrough album War, with concerts recorded in Germany, Boston and at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater outside of Denver, Colorado. The music video for “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” features the group performing live at Red Rocks and made an indelible impact on Gen Xers watching MTV constantly.

The album established U2’s reputation as one of the premiere live acts of the 80s with stellar performances of “I Will Follow,” “New Year’s Day,” “Gloria,” The Electric Co.,” “40” and a great rendition of fan favorite “Party Girl.” Under A Blood Red Sky is a snapshot in time, capturing the band’s growth from their post-punk beginnings on their way to global stardom. The eight-track album and its accompanying visuals brought U2 a new level of fame that would continue to grow through the 80s and beyond.

4

‘Exit… Stage Left’ (1981)

Rush

Rush released two epic live albums in the 80s, the seminal 1981 classic Exit… Stage Left and 1989’s A Show of Hands. Exit… Stage Left was recorded on Rush’s Permanent Waves tour in 1980 and on the 1981 Moving Pictures tour. It boasts epic versions of “The Spirit of Radio,” “Red Barchetta,” “Freewill,” and “Tom Sawyer.”

The double album also features masterful performances of fan favorites “The Trees,” “Xanadu,” “Jacob’s Ladder” and “A Passage to Bangkok.” It also features two of the band’s most progressive compositions, the instrumentals “YYZ” and “La Villa Strangiato.” Exit… Stage Left was a gateway drug into Rush for a generation. Honorable mention to A Show of Hands, which bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee calls “authentically ambient and ballsy, yet tight.” It’s an outstanding live album capturing the band and the other end of the decade with live takes on “‘Subdivisions,” “Distant Early Warning,” “Red Sector A,” among other classics from the mid-80s.

3

‘Delicate Sound of Thunder’ (1988)​​​​​​

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd‘s A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour was captured elegantly with Delicate Sound of Thunder. The effort features the group in its late 80s glory performing memorable takes on “Money,” “Us and Them,” “Time,” “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” “Comfortably Numb,” which boasts an incendiary guitar solo from David Gilmour. Delicate Sound of Thunder is an essential album and highlights Pink Floyd’s extraordinary live sound. .

The album peaked at number 11 on the Billboard album chart, and sold over three million copies. In what is perfect serendipity, The Delicate Sound of Thunder is notably the first rock album to be played in space. It was played by Soviet cosmonauts, who left the cassette case on Earth to save weight, aboard the Mir space station five days after its release in 1988.

2

‘Stop Making Sense’ (1984)

Talking Heads

Stop Making Sense is widely considered one of the best live albums of the 80s. It captures the Talking Heads at their absolute peak with a new wave, funk and poly-rhythmic sound. More than a concert, Stop Making Sense is part Broadway production and part artistic statement with an oversized suit, staging, choreography and amazing musicianship. It was directed by Jonathan Demme over the course of three nights at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, California in 1983.

It opens with frontman David Byrne walking onto a nearly empty stage carrying a boombox and an acoustic guitar. He presses play on the cassette and joins in with a solo rendition of “Psycho Killer.” One by one, his bandmates join in for a song until the full band is on stage running through brilliant takes of “Life During Wartime,” “Cities,” “Girlfriend is Better,” “Take Me to the River,” “Burning Down the House,” and “Once in a Lifetime.” The band is absolutely cooking on the furious last track “Cross-Eyed and Painless.”

1

‘Live/1975-85’ (1986)

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen‘s Live/1975-85 is the most successful live album of the decade. If you only bought one Springsteen album in your life, this is it. The epic box set contains 40 tracks recorded over a decade, from intimate club shows to sold-out stadiums around the US. It debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart and remained there for seven straight weeks and has sold over 13 million copies.

‘Cause down the shore everything’s all right.

At well over three hours long, just like Bruce’s live shows, the album captures indelible performances of Springsteen classics “Thunder Road,” “Fire,” “Growin’ Up,” “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” Hungry Heart,” “Badlands,” “Because the Night.” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” and “Born in the U.S.A.” His seminal cover of Tom Waits’ “Jersey Girl,” recorded in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is chill-inducing and the perfect cap to the iconic live album.

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