2024 saw the release of two more great Stones live releases: Live at the Wiltern, and the more recent Welcome to Shepherds Bush. With the exception of their last studio album, Hackney Diamonds, released 18 years after A Bigger Bang, the Stones have primarily padded their record catalogue with live Vault/DVD/CD packages, many of which from my estimation are forgettable and/or cash grabs. I'm not the greatest at math, but at last count, there are something like an astounding 35+ live commercial releases/compilations on the market. With that being said, I have compiled my fav top ten live picks. I whittled this down to 10, although I'm sure that you could make a case for 20 top live albums! This list includes what I think are the Stones best live releases (commercially), that also captures significant performances from various eras. This is subjective of course! This is my list. What's yours?

10)Charlie Is My Darling (tied with Got Live If You Want It!)
9) Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
8) On Air (BBC appearances)
7) Totally Stripped (1995 small theatre/club appearances)
6) Hampton Coliseum 1981
5) Steel Wheels Live (Atlantic City 89)
4) Some Girls Live in Texas
3) Live at the El Mocambo
2) Brussels Affair
1) Get Yer Ya Yas Out!



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-09 14:57 by bv.

1) Totally Stripped (three beautiful club shows in phenomenal quality)
2) Havana Moon (beautifully filmed, best Stones concert film I have ever seen. The album unfortunately sounds bad)
3) Sticky Fingers live at the Fonda (maybe the most special show of their later career)
4) The whole Four Flicks Boxset, especially Olympia
5) Hackney Diamonds live Edition (great renditions of „Dice“ and „JJF“, makes me want a full live album with Steve)
6) Welcome the Shepherds Bush (energetic performances of the warhorses, the middle section with the rare songs sounds very sloppy though with Keith playing the same three note lick over and over again on multiple songs)
7) No Security San Jose 99
8) Brussels Affair
9) Tokyo Dome 1990 (better sound than Steel Wheels live - Atlantic City
10) Hampton Coliseum 81

Unfortunately ruined for me by bad mixes (greetings to Sam Wheat):
- Voodoo Lounge Uncut
- A Bigger Bang Live
- Licked Live in NYC
- Bridges to Bremen
- Steel Wheels live

Quote
StonedRambler
1) Totally Stripped (three beautiful club shows in phenomenal quality)
2) Havana Moon (beautifully filmed, best Stones concert film I have ever seen. The album unfortunately sounds bad)
3) Sticky Fingers live at the Fonda (maybe the most special show of their later career)
4) The whole Four Flicks Boxset, especially Olympia
5) Hackney Diamonds live Edition (great renditions of „Dice“ and „JJF“, makes me want a full live album with Steve)
6) Welcome the Shepherds Bush (energetic performances of the warhorses, the middle section with the rare songs sounds very sloppy though with Keith playing the same three note lick over and over again on multiple songs)
7) No Security San Jose 99
8) Brussels Affair
9) Tokyo Dome 1990 (better sound than Steel Wheels live - Atlantic City
10) Hampton Coliseum 81

Unfortunately ruined for me by bad mixes (greetings to Sam Wheat):
- Voodoo Lounge Uncut
- A Bigger Bang Live
- Licked Live in NYC
- Bridges to Bremen
- Steel Wheels live

The one title off of your list that I seriously wrestled with was the Sticky Fingers Fonda show, which was arguably one of their better later day performances and certainly worthy of a commercial release.

1. Ya-Ya's
2. The Brussels Affair
3. El Mocambo
4. Live In Texas
5. Hampton
6. Live In England '65
7. Paradisio
8. Roundhay Park
9. Paris '67
10. Atlantic City



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-09 11:36 by DandelionPowderman.

He we go again !

I don't know how folks do it .


As usual...I agree with every list



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-06 11:39 by Spud.

All of the below-mentioned albums, I absolutely love. Whilst Ya-Ya's and Brussels are unquestionably my 'top-two', the rest I would really need to sit and think, to list in a genuine order of preference. They are my top-eight, though.

1 Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out
2 Brussels Affair
3 Leeds 1982
4 Atlantic City 1989
5 Live in England 1965
6 Bremen 1998
7 Tokyo 1990
8 Paradiso 1995
9 Leeds 1971
10 Wembley 1982



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-06 11:21 by Big Al.

1. Brussels Affair
2. Sticky Fingers Live at the Fonda
3. Roundhouse 1971
4. Leeds 1971
5. Paradiso 1995
6. Get Yer Ya Ya's Out
7. El Mocambo 1977
8. NYC 2003
9. Shine A Light
10. Some Girls Live in Texas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-08 00:24 by SoulSurvivor1990.

Awww soooooo not an easy list to compile. My top 10 will probably change daily. Here goes based on today's thoughts......


1. Ya-Yas
2. Still Life
3. Love You Live
4. Texas 78
5. Hampton 81
6. Brussels 73
7. El Mocambo
8. Stripped
9. Live at BBC
10. Ladies & Gents

1) Get Yer Ya Yas Out!


and after all others...

***
I'm just a Bad Boy Boogie

It's so hard to do, easier to come up with a short list of ones you don't prefer, but no need to go negative at the start of the year!

OK, so

Brussels
Mocambo
Ya-Ya's
Four Flicks maybe the best live boxset ever, what an accomplishment

I sort of see these as the BIG FOUR
and then in no particular order:
The Charlie Is My Darling Set (I understand it's not strictly a live album but what a compilation)
Still Life
Stripped
Fonda
Ladies & Gentlemen
Hampton
No Security
Tokyo Dome
The Racket Set
GRRR Live
Flashpoint!


Interesting so far I see no mention of Got Live and Love You Live in anyone's "faves" list.

Great lists. I would add LA Friday, the Sunday night take since I was at the show.

Those 1995 theatre shows are really hard to separate; they’re all so darn good!

1. Brussels Affair (bootleg version with Wembley tracks)
2. Hampton 1981
3. LA 1975
4. Ya Ya's
5. Still Life
6. El Mocambo
7. Love You Live
8. Roundhouse 1971
9. Tokyo 1990
10. Texas 1978

Mathijs

Quote
Mathijs
1. Brussels Affair (bootleg version with Wembley tracks)
2. Hampton 1981
3. LA 1975
4. Ya Ya's
5. Still Life
6. El Mocambo
7. Love You Live
8. Roundhouse 1971
9. Tokyo 1990
10. Texas 1978

Mathijs

Yeah, I'd take that over the 'official release' IMO, they should've just released that 'other' Brussels show in it's entirety, leaving the bootleg entirely alone.

1. LYL
2. Brussels
3. Paris 76 (to be released this year)
4. Ya Ya's
5. LA 75
6. Still Life
7. Hampton
8. Leeds
9. Texas
10. Got Live

maybe it's just me – but I never understood why Ya-Yas is so popular. The sound is muffled or even muddy

Quote
slewan
maybe it's just me – but I never understood why Ya-Yas is so popular. The sound is muffled or even muddy

Then you really need to test your ears. It's loud, clear, crisp yet still warm and full and fat.

Mathijs

1. Hampton '81
2. Four Flicks
3. LYL
4. Brussels Affair (the afternoon, bootleged gig)
5. Totally Stripped
6. Fort Worth '78 (if not official the whold Handsome Girls box, brilliant)
7. Buenos Aires '98
8. Ya-Yas
9. Licks In New York
10. Tokyo '90

Ya Yas Needs a decent playback system to resolve the bass lines and low end properly...

...but that done, it sounds fantastic



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-07 14:58 by Spud.

I take what Mathijs is having - minus LYL, plus Totally Stripped! And a different order. So.

Very lucky in that there is so much prime live material from this band, from across all eras really.

As well as the classic live stuff from the 60s up to '81/'82 (and Hampton would be among my top favourites), I find so much of the latter era live material as engaging - Atlantic City '89, Totally Stripped (all three theatre shows), Salt Lake City '05, right up to 'Sticky Fingers Live at the Fonda'. The Stones official and bootleg live library is a gift that keeps on giving really.

Now back to 'Shine A Light' for a third viewing since the weekend! Next up is a revisit to Leeds '71 audio

1. El Mocambo 1977
2. Totally Stripped
3. Welcome to Shepherd's Bush
4. Bridges to Buenos Aires
5. Salt Lake City 2005
6. Some Girls Texas 1978
7. Atlantic City 1989
8. Get Yer Ya Ya's Out
9. Four Flicks
10. Brussels Affair



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-07 14:12 by EasterMan.

Quote
treaclefingers
It's so hard to do, easier to come up with a short list of ones you don't prefer, but no need to go negative at the start of the year!

OK, so

Brussels
Mocambo
Ya-Ya's
Four Flicks maybe the best live boxset ever, what an accomplishment

I sort of see these as the BIG FOUR
and then in no particular order:
The Charlie Is My Darling Set (I understand it's not strictly a live album but what a compilation)
Still Life
Stripped
Fonda
Ladies & Gentlemen
Hampton
No Security
Tokyo Dome
The Racket Set
GRRR Live
Flashpoint!


Interesting so far I see no mention of Got Live and Love You Live in anyone's "faves" list.

Two particular titles that have been listed on fan's thread that I had seriously contemplated but left out were the Fonda show and the fabulous Four Flicks box set. The second one that you mention in bold above, is really quite a remarkable box set, capturing a unique tour that featured varied setlists and different venues. The diversity of these shows is something that I thought I'd never see with a Stones tour.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-07 16:59 by Sighunt.

1 Nicaraguan benefit concert
2 Brussels Affair
3 Honolulu 73
4 Sonic Barbecue
5 Marquee 71
6 knebworth 76
7 Paris/Nice 76
8 El mocambo
9 Philadelphia Spécial
10 Leeds 71



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-07 16:40 by 5strings.

Quote
Mathijs

Quote
slewan
maybe it's just me – but I never understood why Ya-Yas is so popular. The sound is muffled or even muddy

Then you really need to test your ears. It's loud, clear, crisp yet still warm and full and fat.

Mathijs

This description made me hungry…

I'm a bit surprised that no one has Glastonbury on their list, a fantastic gig
for me.
Otherwise, I also have the frequently mentioned albums - sorted chronologically (todays ranking in brackets).

Charlie Is My Darling (1965) - (10)
GYYYO (1969) - (3)
Brussel (1973) - (1)
Mocambo (1977) - (2)
Hampton (1981) - (8)
Tokio Dome (1990) - (9)
Totally Stripped (1995) - (5)
Four Flicks (2003) - (4)
Glastonbury (2013) - (6)
Fonda (2015) - (7)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-01-08 23:37 by Nankstone.

Glastonbury is not officially released as a live album. That's one of the reasons.

Quote
5strings
1 Nicaraguan benefit concert
2 Brussels Affair
3 Honolulu 73
4 Sonic Barbecue
5 Marquee 71
6 knebworth 76
7 Paris/Nice 76
8 El mocambo
9 Philadelphia Spécial
10 Leeds 71

Erhum! 'Official releases' only, please!

1. Yaya's
2. Brussels
3. Still Life

My favorite ten (official releases only)

01 Get Yer Ya Ya's Out
02 Live at the El Mocambo
03 Steel Wheels Live Atlantic City
04 Brussels Affair 73
05 Totally Stripped Paradiso Amsterdam
06 Welcome to Shepherds Bush
07 Some Girls Live in Texas
08 Hampton Coliseum
09 Flashpoint
10 Live at the Wiltern


These are the 10 I listen to from start to eind frequently. Some older releases became irrelevant to me, because of newer releases. The only reason I listened to Love you Live, for example, was the El Mocambo side. I never played it since then. Still Life is irrelevant too since the Vault 81/82 releases. Incomplete and way too short for a live album.

Other live albums like Shine a Light, Live at the Copa Cobana Beach, Sweet Summer Sun, LA Friday 75.. I played only once and never got back to it again, because it's nowhere special or good...