What to know about classic rock’s biggest live triple albums
- Live albums: Classic rock produced many three-disc concert recordings, and a few became enduring genre landmarks.
- Top ranking: The Last Waltz takes the top spot, followed by How the West Was Won, Woodstock and Europe ’72.
- Album format: Extended performances and the length of a concert helped make live shows a natural fit for triple albums.
- Selection limits: Multiple releases by some artists and groups make choosing only four notable albums difficult.
This ranking looks back at four classic rock live triple albums and the performances that distinguish each recording, from the Grateful Dead’s Europe ’72 to The Last Waltz.
Which four live triple albums stand out in classic rock?
The four recordings ranked here are Europe ’72, Woodstock: Music From the Original Soundtrack and More, How the West Was Won and The Last Waltz. This list compares their performances, historical context and lasting significance.
These four albums represent different kinds of concert recordings, from a festival soundtrack to a farewell show. The ranking places The Last Waltz first and Europe ’72 fourth.
Live projects often suit the three-disc format because songs can expand on stage and concerts take time to unfold. Classic rock produced many live triple albums, while studio triple albums were comparatively rare.
Live triple albums gave classic rock artists room for extended performances and full concert experiences.
Triumphs such as George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and the Clash’s Sandinista became celebrated studio triple albums, but such releases were rare. Their live counterparts appeared more regularly during the classic rock era.
Studio triple albums were uncommon compared with live triple albums during the classic rock era.
Some major artists and concert recordings do not appear in this exclusive list. The Beatles’ members released two well-known examples, while the Grateful Dead accumulated many through posthumous releases, expanded reissues and limited-edition sets.
Artist catalogs can include multiple live triple albums, making a four-album ranking selective rather than exhaustive.
READ MORE: The Very Best Studio Triple Albums
Here is the ranked selection of four classic rock live triple albums, from fourth place to first.
The ranking moves from Europe ’72 at No. 4 to The Last Waltz at No. 1.
No. 4. ‘Europe ’72’ (1972)
From: Grateful Dead
Europe ’72 captures the Grateful Dead with Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, whose keyboard playing, harmonica and affinity for the blues brought an earthy counterweight to the band’s psychedelic sound. The album’s performances also preserve a side of the group that changed after McKernan died in 1973.
Europe ’72 preserves McKernan’s musical contribution to the Grateful Dead before his death in 1973.
“Mr. Charlie,” written by McKernan and lyricist Robert Hunter, highlights McKernan’s blues-centered style. Other extended performances include “Sugar Magnolia” at seven minutes, “Truckin’” at 13 minutes and the closing “Prelude/Morning Dew” at nearly 19 minutes.
Europe ’72 pairs McKernan’s blues influence with extended performances of “Sugar Magnolia,” “Truckin’” and “Prelude/Morning Dew.”
READ MORE: The Top 20 Jam Band Albums
No. 3. ‘Woodstock: Music From the Original Soundtrack and More’ (1970)
From: Various artists
Woodstock is an incomplete account of the festival and includes overdubs, reordered material and two songs that were not performed at the event. The album initially omitted the Grateful Dead and The Band.
Woodstock: Music From the Original Soundtrack and More does not present a complete or strictly chronological record of the festival.
Despite those limitations, Woodstock documents a period when rock music had major cultural influence. The album features performances by Santana, Richie Havens, Sly and the Family Stone and Jimi Hendrix; it also includes Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performing “Sea of Madness,” which was not played at the festival.
Woodstock combines notable festival performances with material and editing choices that make it an incomplete historical record.
READ MORE: 10 Stars Who Didn’t Play Woodstock – and Why
No. 2. ‘How the West Was Won’ (2003)
From: Led Zeppelin
How the West Was Won documents Led Zeppelin during two California concerts in June 1972. The band had released Led Zeppelin IV, while Houses of the Holy was still ahead.
How the West Was Won captures Led Zeppelin’s live performances from two June 1972 concerts in California.
The album presents the band’s concert performances without the dreamlike concert-film sequences later associated with the 1976 film The Song Remains the Same. Its principal delay was that the performances remained unheard for years.
How the West Was Won makes the 1972 concert performances available as a live album released in 2003.
READ MORE: Ranking All 92 Led Zeppelin Songs
No. 1. ‘The Last Waltz’ (1978)
From: The Band and various artists
The Last Waltz was conceived as a farewell concert for The Band, joined by contemporaries, inspirations and friends including Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Eric Clapton and the Staple Singers. The Band opened with well-known songs arranged with horn charts by Allen Toussaint.
The Last Waltz combines The Band’s farewell performance with guest appearances by musicians from across rock, blues and soul.
Van Morrison, Dr. John and Neil Young joined the concert as it continued. Bob Dylan and The Band reunited for the closing set, bringing the show to an end.
The Last Waltz closes with Bob Dylan and The Band performing together.
READ MORE: Top 10 Songs by the Band
What does the UCR podcast recall about the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir?
The UCR podcast features a remembrance of Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead.
The UCR podcast segment focuses on Bob Weir and the Grateful Dead.
Which 100 live albums are featured in the gallery?
The gallery presents 100 live albums as more than concert souvenirs or records of a single show. It places live albums in the wider context of recorded performances.
Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
Denis Leary Doesn’t Understand Why Led Zeppelin Won’t Reunite
What should listeners know about these four live triple albums?
The four albums differ in format and historical context: Europe ’72 documents the Grateful Dead with Pigpen, Woodstock captures selected festival performances, How the West Was Won presents Led Zeppelin in 1972 and The Last Waltz records The Band’s farewell concert.
Each album offers a different way to hear classic rock in a live setting.
- Which album ranks first? The Last Waltz ranks first in this selection.
- Which album features the Grateful Dead? Europe ’72 features the Grateful Dead, while Woodstock also includes festival performances by other artists.
- When were the Led Zeppelin concerts recorded? How the West Was Won documents two concerts in California in June 1972 and was released in 2003.
- Is Woodstock a complete festival record? No, the album is a partial account that includes overdubs, reordered material and songs not performed at the festival.
Album context helps distinguish a concert recording, a festival soundtrack and a farewell performance.
