Ted Nugent's Double Live Gonzo was hot for it's time, along with Frampton Live.

My all-time favorite was Grateful Dead's Europe '72.

@bipolarbear: remember all three very well -- in smoked filled automobiles.

And The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was a fantastic studio album. But I'm sure I don't need to tell you that.

Sometimes it's easy to forget Gary Numan's original heyday was still in the 70s.

And I forgot Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert

Genesis - Live
Jethro Tull - Bursting Out
Frampton Comes Alive

The Band (et al) -- The Last Waltz (1978 album)

If we can stretch the definition of the '70's to include an album released in late 1969, I'd cast a vote for the live disc of Pink Floyd's Ummagumma.

My other two votes go to Ziggy Stardust Live and Fillmore East.

IronMaiden live after death and BlackSabbath with the great Ronny James Deo

While Frampton Comes Alive was never one of my favorite albums I'd venture to say that it was hands down the anthem of many of my generation's mispent youths (for sure, mine) -- exactly

+1 to Allman Bros-Live from the Filmore East -- yup

so far top 3 seems to be

Allman Bros. Fillmore East
Frampton Comes Alive
Live @ Leeds

Definitely greats


What defines best though? Is it subjective? or sales? chart longevity?
not arguing, just an observation.

well then I'd have to nominate the Woodstock '69 3 record set, which was released in 1970. changed my life when I found my parents collection and listened to hendrix, janis, and Santana do their thing. 8 years old when I discovered it.

UFO - Strangers in the Night
AC/DC If You Want Blood
Scorpions Tokyo Tapes

There were many great live albums in the seventies and since nobody mentioned these three, I thought I'd throw them out there

@ Snuffrider: To define best I would not hold any simple statistic or even personal preferece. I would ask: how much influence did (and still does) the album have?
I keep thinking we are missing something, and I keep looking at my collection, but more of the excellent live albums seem to be in the '80s. Iron Maiden Live After Death was 1985! Any live Maiden you may scrounge up from the '70s is going to sound really raw and unfinished, they were still in a formative stage then.
No Punk fans have chimed in. Surely Ramones or Sex Pistols must have had something?

How about Deep Purple Made in Japan? Anybody?
Did Emerson, Lake and Palmer have one too?

if we are getting out of the 70's Pink Floyd Pulse is up there as well. but for me influence-wise, in 70's only, Im gonna go with woodstock, fillmore east, and song remains the same.


those are definitely my top 3 live albums from the 70's .

for now.


but like snuff, my favorite changes.

Live at Leeds and no sleep til Hammersmith definitley. And although the quality is terrible I would put the Beatles live in Hamburg (pre-fame) as a possible third. Ok it was the sixties but it came out in 78 as memory serves when they found the tapes, just for sheer rock history interest. My proper 70's third would be Made in japan, and given the standards of the time the production is way up there.

Of course I have to second anything Rush. Still have to do more research to see if certain albums are from the 70's. Or if certain bands have live albums from then.

Sid Vicious - Sid Sings

Europe '72
Rory Gallagher Irish Tour
Rockin' The Fillmore

What about Bootlegs?

I think bootlegs should count. I don't think there should be any rules. :)

I was gonna mention a bootleg Jeff Beck album and Zappa bootleg I had. Can't remember whole lot about them, but I know they were really good.

I had some Dead bootlegs too. And I have a good friend that's got tons still too. He's an 'urban professional' type, but used to follow the Dead all over. I think he'd seen close to 200 shows back in the day. I went to one with him -- the only time I saw them live. Thanks! Sound interesting, fer sure.

enten-eller, I got to see 12 Dead shows before we lost Jerry and had all my ticket stubs framed and matted. Looks great on our wall

Bipolar, are you in to Dark Star Orchestra? Great Gratful Dead Tribute Band.

They're probably the closest thing you can get to the dead, except for maybe Phish...Still, not the same as the Dead.

Queen - Live Killers. Absolute classic. I would have like to have seen fat bottomed girls on it though

@Snuffrider
I have, indeed.
Great band!
Kind of lost track of how many Dead gigs I have on the hard drive. A wave of nostalgia hits me when I see Cassettes lying around, but most of them have been transferred to digital for convenience's sake.
There's a lot of great stuff coming out of the vaults these days as well and in crystal clear HDCD to boot.
True, you don't hear the dude in the eighth row shouting "Play Smokestack Lightning mannnnn!" which was half the fun of the taper stuff, but the sound on the new sets is in-freakin'-credible.