Ranking Queen’s four best-selling live albums

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As a lifelong fan who has witnessed Queen’s magic unfold on countless stages and screens, I can confidently say that these British rock legends have left an indelible mark on my heart and soul. From their early days to their final masterpieces, they’ve crafted a legacy that continues to resonate with fans across the globe.

The British rock band Queen has produced numerous enchanting albums over the years. Their discography spans an impressive 15 studio albums, starting with their debut self-titled album in 1973, which will soon be reissued, and concluding with the posthumous release, Made In Heaven, in 1995. For a detailed look at how these albums compare in terms of global sales, you can find more information here.

Excluding collections like greatest hits, compilations, and live performances, it’s clear that Queen truly shone when they were performing live. The legendary Freddie Mercury, who often ranks among the top frontmen of all time, was particularly outstanding due to his captivating stage presence, unparalleled vocal prowess, and exceptional skills on the piano. It’s tough to find someone who could match up to him in these areas.

Absolutely, Roger Taylor is an exceptional and captivating drummer, and it’s hard to imagine the band functioning without Brian May’s stellar guitar skills. Not to forget, John Deacon on bass, though he might have appeared as the quiet one, was responsible for penning many of our chart-topping hits. All four members had a knack for creating hit songs, each contributing uniquely to the group’s success.

Ranking the top four best-selling Queen live albums

To preserve the lively spectacle from stages worldwide, the band put out multiple live recordings. Some of these albums take you back to their early days at BBC studios or their Christmas Eve performance at Hammersmith Odeon in 1975. Others give you a glimpse of the band at their peak in full swing.

We’ll examine the top four live albums with the highest global sales, as listed on Bestsellingalbums.org. Several aspects contribute to their varying successes. These include the year of recording, whether the album was tied to a specific tour at the time of release, and the song selection. Each factor could influence the sales significantly.

4 – Queen On Fire – Live At The Bowl – 355k sales

Four years into the past, this DVD and album were released in 2004. By that time, the original band had already disbanded, but not long after, Taylor and May unveiled their live collaboration with Paul Rodgers – something new and exciting for the band at that stage.

The recording you’re listening to was taken at Milton Keynes Bowl, UK, way back in June 1982. At that time, the band was touring their “Hot Space” album. This record marked a significant change for them, with some funk and disco tunes. However, despite not being as popular, the album didn’t significantly influence the track list for this live release. Instead, it primarily features hits, just as you might expect.

The sales for this product were relatively small but still earned it a top spot in the UK. This DVD achieved wider acclaim, garnering silver, gold, and platinum accolades, among them a US platinum award and triple platinum in the UK. It seems that fans find the live performance more appealing than the songs, as they’ve likely heard them in various formats before.

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3 – Live Magic – 780k

The album “Live Magic” was primarily recorded during the summer of 1986, at Wembley, London and Budapest, Hungary. A significant number of tracks were captured from a concert at Knebworth, UK, which took place before its release in December of the same year. However, it didn’t see a release in the US until ten years later, in 1996.

During the time of the recording, the band was experiencing a peak in popularity. This was approximately a year following their incredible Live Aid performance that significantly boosted their career. It was during their Magic Tour, supporting their exceptional album titled A Kind Of Magic. Their Knebworth concert was also quite momentous.

On the tour in question, they couldn’t include an additional show at Wembley due to overwhelming demand. Instead, a supplementary concert at Knebworth with 120,000 attendees was arranged. Remarkably, this event turned out to be Queen’s final performance as a quartet.

As a die-hard Queen fan, gaming my way through their discography, I found the tracklisting to be a strong throwback to their classic days. The performances were top-notch, but there were certain elements that felt like they were holding this album back. Some peculiar editing choices seemed to have chopped out parts of several songs – verses, choruses, even whole chunks. At the time, fans were left disappointed by these decisions. It felt like they were trying to keep it concise, perhaps just one album, but we were all yearning for more, as there was so much untapped Queen potential crammed into only 49 minutes.

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2 – Live Killers – 1.3 million

This album, titled Live Killers, captured excellent timing in nearly every aspect. It was recorded during the group’s European tour following their Jazz album in early 1979, and it hit the shelves in June of that year. The band was riding a wave of success from their previous albums at the time of recording.

Jazz, as a genre, is often highly appreciated by many, looking back. However, it doesn’t particularly resonate with me yet. Fortunately, the tracklist for Live Killers doesn’t heavily rely on that album. Instead, it’s filled with numerous classics from their 1970s era, providing a comprehensive representation of their music to date.

It’s clear from the increased sales numbers you see earlier that the album was quite well-received. Its chart success and receiving double platinum certification in the U.S. boosted its popularity. While some critics had reservations upon its release, it resonated with fans and is an exceptional live double album.

1 – Live at Wembley ‘86 – 1.8 million

This popular Queen live album shares some similarities with “Live Magic.” Both were recorded during the same “Magic Tour,” specifically on July 12, 1986, at Wembley Stadium. However, the other album was primarily focused on their final performance at Knebworth. This album wasn’t released until 1992, making it a different concert experience that didn’t directly compete with “Live Magic” at the time.

The song selection on this double album is fantastic, packed with numerous hits, an excellent blend of old and new tunes, along with a few classic rock and roll numbers such as “Tutti Frutti” and a lively take on “Big Spender”. Choosing what to include and what to leave out must have been quite challenging for Queen given their vast repertoire of hits. Additionally, the album serves as a nostalgic reminder of the Live Aid concert a year prior, with Freddie yet again captivating the audience throughout. What an incredible band they were!

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2024-09-21 13:00