10 Best Classic Rock Triple LP Live Albums

Feature Photo: Jim Summaria., CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Our 10 Best Classic Rock Triple LP Live Albums article showcases some of the best 3-LP sets originally released on vinyl. While we took into consideration CD releases of live shows that expanded on single and double albums, we decided to focus on original live records released as three-record sets. Additionally, this article only presents live albums, so you won’t find albums like All Things Must Pass on this list.

You may be surprised to discover that there were not a lot of three-record live sets released in the ’60s, ’70s, or even the ’80s. It probably did not make sense economically for record companies to release three-record sets considering the added weight, shipping, and packaging costs. However, some three-LP sets became legendary, and this article takes a fun look at them.

# 10 – The Concert for Bangladesh – George Harrison

The Concert for Bangladesh; box set w/ booklet

In a groundbreaking fusion of music and humanitarianism, George Harrison’s The Concert for Bangladesh set a new precedent for benefit concerts and live albums. Recorded over two performances on August 1, 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the album captured musicians coming together to raise awareness and funds for the humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh. The event was organized by Harrison and Ravi Shankar and helped bring worldwide attention to the crisis and UNICEF’s work.

George Harrison led the way on guitar and vocals, joined by Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner, Ravi Shankar, and others. Produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, the triple album became a commercial and critical success. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1973 and remains one of rock music’s landmark benefit recordings.

Read More: Top 10 George Harrison Songs

# 9 – Europe ’72 – The Grateful Dead

By the early 1970s, the Grateful Dead had built a reputation as one of the most dynamic live bands in rock music, and Europe ’72 captured the group at the height of its improvisational powers. Recorded during the band’s 1972 European tour, the triple album drew performances from cities including London, Paris, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in November 1972.

The lineup included Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Keith Godchaux, and Donna Jean Godchaux. The album featured songs such as “Jack Straw,” “China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider,” “Morning Dew,” “Tennessee Jed,” and “Ramble On Rose.” Europe ’72 became one of the Grateful Dead’s most beloved live releases and one of the era’s defining triple-LP concert albums.

Read More: Top 10 Grateful Dead Songs

# 8 – Lotus – Santana

Released 1974

In the early 1970s, Santana had already established itself as one of the most electrifying live bands in rock, and Lotus captured the group at a pivotal moment in its evolution. Recorded in Osaka, Japan, in July 1973, this triple live album showcased the band’s fusion of rock, jazz, and Latin rhythms. It was originally released in Japan in 1974 and became famous for both its expansive music and elaborate Tadanori Yokoo packaging.

Carlos Santana led a lineup that included Tom Coster, Richard Kermode, Doug Rauch, Michael Shrieve, Armando Peraza, and José “Chepito” Areas. The album featured extended versions of songs such as “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen,” “Oye Como Va,” and “Incident at Neshabur.” Lotus remains one of Santana’s most ambitious live recordings.

Read More: Top 10 Santana Songs

# 7 – Leon Live – Leon Russell

Released 1973

Leon Russell’s dynamic live album Leon Live captured his electrifying stage presence and musical versatility at the height of his early-’70s popularity. The triple LP was released in 1973 on Shelter Records in the United States and A&M in the United Kingdom. Russell handled vocals, keyboards, guitar, and bass alongside a large ensemble of musicians and singers.

The lineup included Chuck Blackwell, Ambrose Campbell, Joey Cooper, John Gallie, Rev. Patrick Henderson, Don Preston, Carl Radle, and others. Leon Live reached No. 9 on the Billboard album chart and earned a gold certification. It remains one of the strongest documents of Russell’s power as a live performer.

Read More: Top 10 Leon Russell Songs

# 6 – Fillmore: The Last Days

Fillmore: the Last Days By Various (1991-02-19)

Released 1972

Fillmore: The Last Days captured the end of an era, documenting the final run of performances at the legendary Fillmore West before its closure in 1971. Recorded from June 29 through July 4, 1971, in San Francisco, the collection was released in 1972 as a three-LP set. The performances came from artists closely associated with the Bay Area concert scene.

The album included Santana, Grateful Dead, Hot Tuna, Boz Scaggs, Quicksilver Messenger Service, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and others. The original box also included a booklet and additional memorabilia connected to the Fillmore’s final nights. More than five decades later, it remains an essential document of Bill Graham’s legendary venue.

# 5 – The Last Waltz – The Band

On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, The Band staged its famous farewell concert at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom. The event featured a Thanksgiving dinner for thousands of attendees and an extraordinary lineup of guest performers. The resulting live album, The Last Waltz, was released in 1978 as a triple LP.

The Band performed with guests including Ronnie Hawkins, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, and many others. The original release devoted five sides to live recordings from the concert, while side six contained “The Last Waltz Suite,” a set of studio recordings made afterward. The album remains one of the most celebrated live documents in rock history.

# 4 – Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends – Ladies and Gentlemen – Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s live album Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends – Ladies and Gentlemen was released in August 1974. The band recorded this triple LP at the Anaheim Convention Center in California on February 2, 1974, during its 1973-74 tour. Greg Lake produced it, and Manticore Records released it.

Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, and Carl Palmer tear through material including “Hoedown,” “Jerusalem,” “Tarkus,” and the complete “Karn Evil 9” suite. The album reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, making it ELP’s highest-charting U.S. album, and peaked at No. 5 in the United Kingdom. It was also certified gold by the RIAA.

# 3 – Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More

Released on May 11, 1970, Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More captured selected performances from the legendary 1969 Woodstock Festival in Bethel, New York. Produced by Eric Blackstead and released on Cotillion, this triple album brought the sound of the festival into homes around the world. The package featured a triple-gatefold sleeve with a panoramic crowd photograph by Jim Marshall.

The album included Richie Havens, Canned Heat, Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Who, Joe Cocker, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Sly and the Family Stone, and Jimi Hendrix. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. Few soundtrack albums are as closely tied to a single moment in rock history.

# 2 – Yessongs – Yes

Released 1973

By the early 1970s, Yes had established itself as one of the premier progressive rock bands, known for intricate compositions, virtuosic musicianship, and grand live performances. Released on May 18, 1973, Yessongs compiled recordings from the band’s Fragile and Close to the Edge tours. The triple live set features Alan White on most tracks, with Bill Bruford appearing on “Perpetual Change,” “Long Distance Runaround,” and “The Fish.”

Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Bruford, and White brought Yes’s ambitious studio music to life onstage. Roger Dean’s elaborate artwork gave the package a visual identity as ambitious as the music itself. Yessongs reached No. 7 in the United Kingdom and No. 12 on the Billboard 200.

# 1 – Wings Over America – Paul McCartney & Wings

Released on December 10, 1976, Wings Over America documented Paul McCartney and Wings on their 1975-76 world tour. Selected from about 90 hours of recordings from several U.S. shows, the triple album was mixed to flow like a single concert. It marked McCartney’s full-scale return to North American touring after The Beatles had stopped performing live in 1966.

The lineup featured Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Joe English, backed by a horn section. The set combined Wings hits such as “Jet,” “Live and Let Die,” and “Band on the Run” with Beatles songs including “Yesterday,” “Lady Madonna,” “Blackbird,” and “The Long and Winding Road.” Wings Over America became one of the relatively rare live albums to reach No. 1 in the United States.