Collider’s ranked list of 20 greatest live albums, from The Who to Sam Cooke

Collider published a ranked feature on Jan. 30, 2026, listing the "20 Greatest Live Albums of All Time, Ranked," written by Jeremy Urquhart. The piece surveys live records across eras and genres and notes how they capture artists in performance. The introduction explains the distinction between studio and live albums, says the years shown are release dates (not recording dates), and acknowledges that some live releases were later enhanced in the studio — but that largely live albums still qualified for inclusion.

Highlights from the lower half of the list include No. 20 Live at Leeds (1970) by The Who, described as an important snapshot of what the band could do in the 1960s, and No. 19 How the West Was Won (2003) by Led Zeppelin, a 2.5-hour compilation of early 1970s concerts. Other entries called out are No.

18 The Concert in Central Park (1982) by Simon & Garfunkel, a roughly 75-minute document of an all-time important concert; No. 17 Roseland NYC Live (1998) by Portishead, which reworks electronic material with more instrumentation; and No. 16 Queen Rock Montreal (2007) by Queen, a high-quality release of 1981 performances.

The list also includes No. 15 Under a Blood Red Sky (1983) by U2 for its young, energetic edge; No. 14 Prince and the Revolution: Live (1985/2022) for its extended Purple Rain material and concert film legacy; No. 13 Live 1975–85 (1986) by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band for its wide range and 3.5+ hour length; No.

collider ranked live albums, jeremy urquhart, live at leeds, how the west was won, the concert in central park, roseland nyc live, queen rock montreal, under a blood red sky, prince and the revolution: live, live 1975–85 bruce springsteen, portishead live performance, sam cooke live album