A live album is a musical recording containing concert performances. Live albums have existed since the early 1960s when the album began to be seen as an artistic entity unto itself and not simply a collection of songs.

Most successful recording artists release at least one live album at some point during their career. Most live albums are seen as expendable parts of an artists’ catalogue, often failing to sell as well as studio albums. However, a few artists are known for live albums that are better than their studio albums, including Kiss, James Brown and The Grateful Dead.

Notable live albums include:

• The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East (1971)
• Bad Religion - Tested (1997)
• James Brown - Live at the Apollo (1963)
• James Brown - Sex Machine (1970)
• Jackson Browne - Running on Empty (1978)
• Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (1968)
• Johnny Cash - At San Quentin (1969)
• Cheap Trick - At Budokan (1978)
• Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: The "Royal Albert Hall Concert" (1998)
• Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive! (1976) - the best selling live album ever
• The Grateful Dead - Live/Dead (1969)
• The Grateful Dead - Europe '72 (1972)
• BB King - Live at the Regal (1964)
• Kiss - Alive! (1975)
• Bob Marley & the Wailers - Live! (1975)
• Nirvana - Unplugged in New York (1994)
• Diana Ross & the Supremes - Farewell (1970)
• Phish - A Live One (1995)
• The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Yas Out (1969)
• Social Distortion - Live at the Roxy (1998)
• UFO - Strangers in the Night (1979)
• The Who - Live at Leeds (1970)