10 Rock Bands And Artists That Always Sounded Better Live

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Our 10 Rock Bands And Artists That Always Sounded Better Live presents an argument for musical artists who took their craft to the next level on stage. The criteria for picking artists for this list are based on an artist’s ability to take what was on their records and expand on it to make their songs even more exciting in concert. It’s also a criterion that challenges some bands and artists who created masterpieces in the recording studio that could never be recreated on stage. Finally, the performer’s excitement on stage can also play a role in the perception of sound. Of course, this list is limited to those we have actually seen in concert. Please help us expand on this list by adding your thoughts in the comments.

# 10 – Foghat

We open our 10 Rock Bands And Artists That Always Sounded Better Live list with one of our favorite bands of all time. We first saw Foghat live back in 1976 at the Commack Arena in Commack, New York. Foghat was huge on Long Island back in the 1970s, so it was a packed house whenever they played on the Island. Foghat, at its central core, was a blues band with a lot of boogie in their shoes. That’s the type of music that comes even more to life on the live stage when you have great players in the band. Foghat was and still is a fantastic rock band fueled by great musicians.

# 9 – Peter Frampton

“It’s amazing when you hear the difference between the songs on Frampton Comes Alive! and the original studio versions of the songs. While we love the studio versions and the organic feel of them, it doesn’t take much of an argument to convince someone that the live versions were just so much more exciting and better sounding.” The first time you see Peter Frampton live, it makes even more sense. He has to be one of the most underappreciated guitar players of all time. His band is always so good.

# 8 – TIE – The Grateful Dead / The Allman Brothers Band

In the number eight spot on our 10 Rock Bands And Artists That Always Sounded Better Live list, we present a band without which without we could not have completed this list. While the Grateful Dead may not be everyone’s cup of java, there is no denying the experience of seeing this band live. You won’t get it unless you have been there.

As far as The Allman Brothers Band, we have seen them so many times, and they never disappointed. While they have composed so many classic songs, their fame began early on with the solos that Duane played on the Fillmore East album. From that point on, the live guitar playing was one of the most important elements of the band. They always had great guitar players right up to the end, with Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes closing it out.

# 7 – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

“Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were first and foremost a band that played off each other wonderfully. In the studio, they made great records, but if you ever caught them live, it was such a magical experience. We first saw them on the Damn the Torpedoes tour and were completely blown away by the band.”Every musician in the band displayed a sense of Southern soul and style, with a mix of Northern rock styles.” They had it all, and they were all such brilliant players. The stage was their home. Tom Petty was an incredible vocalist, guitar player, songwriter, and frontman in every sense of the word. What a loss it was when he passed away a few years ago.”

# 6 – Stevie Ray Vaughan

We have lost so many phenomenal rock artists in our lifetimes far too soon. These following two artists were taken from us when both of them had just released studio albums that not only may stand as the best they ever released, but were displaying a form of growth that had everyone excited for what was to follow. We have never seen a guitarist play with as much energy and passion on stage as we had witnessed when we first saw Stevie Ray Vaughan. His band Double Trouble was so locked in step with Stevie; it was a rock and roll force that could have defeated anyone in a rock and roll battle. Like he said in the liner notes of his box set, ” I use heavy strings, tune low, and floor it.” He most certainly did.

# 5 – TIE Lynyrd Skynyrd / Ted Nugent

“We were one of the lucky ones on this planet because we saw the original Lynyrd Skynyrd perform in the 1970s before the tragic plane crash. The tour we saw also featured Ted Nugent, as both musical acts were trading off every night who would open and close. Ted Nugent was a madman on stage, overtaken by some form of spirituality that fueled his art. We are not just making that up, he told us that in his own words.

Lynyrd Skynyrd on stage presented a rowdy, party atmosphere fueled by brilliant, tight musicianship that called for extended solos and jamming that never got in the way of the songs. At the heart of it all was frontman Ronnie Van Zant, whose vocals hit you head-on with a rough soulfulness that captivated everyone in the audience. The way he stood holding that mic and stand defined the epitome of Southern coolness.”

# 4 – David Bowie

“David Bowie’s records sounded great, so it was no easy task to take that brilliant production and sound captured on vinyl to the next level on the live stage. Yet, he did it for two significant reasons. The first was that Bowie was a marvelous singer and an electrifying performer. The second was that he always surrounded himself with the best musicians on the planet. How many other artists could hire someone like Peter Frampton as their lead guitarist for a tour? Every Bowie tour was significantly different from the previous one, and none of them ever disappointed.”

# 3 – The Who

“The Who is a band that has been touring for over fifty years in many configurations, with only Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend being the sole continuous members. Nevertheless, every time we have seen the band, we have always been blown away by the fiery energy displayed on stage. For the love of Keith Moon, it’s The Who, and they have a reputation to uphold.” About 22 years ago we witnessed a concert in which Robert Plant opened for The Who. Even Pete Townshend said later on in the show, ‘Can you imagine Robert Plant opening for The Who?’ Well, Robert Plant was fantastic and that seemed to inspire The Who to put on one of the most energetic and fantastic shows we have ever seen by the band.”But this wasn’t a one-time thing. Every time we have seen The Who, they have always shined phenomenally.” If you dont believe us, we have three words for you….Live At Leeds.

# 2 – Led Zeppelin

“With Led Zeppelin, we are making a bit of an exception to this list. Anyone who has ever listened to Led Zeppelin bootlegs will undoubtedly hear all the mistakes that Jimmy Page made on stage. There were reasons for that, but we are not going to get into them here. So, for the most part, as far as just basic musical sound goes, yes, Led Zeppelin sounded better in the studio. However, if you ever saw Led Zeppelin live, there was something very magical that took over that made one not even hear the mistakes and tuned into one of the most rock and roll spiritual experiences one could ever have in this lifetime. And that, my friends, trumps everything else. For those lucky enough to have seen Led Zeppelin live, they will know what we are talking about. And for anyone who would disagree with us who were alos there, then you just weren’t able to tap in, and that is your loss.”

# 1 – Tie – Bruce Springsteen / Prince

“We close out our ’10 Rock Bands and Artists That Always Sounded Better Live’ list with a tie between the two greatest performers we have ever seen in concert. We first caught Bruce Springsteen live in 1978 at Madison Square Garden in support of the Darkness on the Edge of Town album. Bruce had finally been released from his contract with Mike Appel and he was on a mission to present fans with the greatest rock and roll show they had ever seen. In all aspects of rock and roll performance, Bruce Springsteen hit a ten on every line. His singing was more powerful than on record, the arrangements were more thrilling and entertaining, and the band was so tight, as many of them had honed their craft playing four hours a night in the clubs of New Jersey. This was a show that changed lives, including mine.”

“We never thought we would see another single entertainer match the energy and performance level of a Bruce Springsteen 1970s concert. We were wrong. We missed the Purple Rain tour but caught the Lovesexy tour in 1986. Prince and his band were dazzling. This was entertainment at a level that may never be matched again by anyone. It was a mix of many attributes that showcased such a brilliant show. First, there was the body of work that Prince had to pick from. Albums like Purple Rain, 1999, and so forth were filled with so many classics. Then, of course, there was the band, with the exhilarating Sheila E. on percussion. Yet, in the end, it was the monumental abilities of Prince, from his stunning vocal abilities to his scorching guitar playing, that just blew all our minds that night at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. I have never seen anything that has come close since that night.”