10 Greatest Live Albums In Rock Music History

5. James Brown - Live at the Apollo

They didn’t call him 'Mr Dynamite' for nothing. On this 1963 release, a peak James Brown takes about 30 minutes to stake his claim as the most exciting live act of an era. And while that might seem a little short for a show, the sheer force of the performance in that time leaves little breathing room for anything else.

After a somewhat bizarre introduction from musician Fats Gonder (who tells the crowd every song they’ll be hearing for some reason), Brown’s off to the races and doesn’t stop running. The acappella-lead to “I’ll Go Crazy” gives way to some scratchy garage guitar before the whole band comes tumbling in.

“Think” is a rhythmically wild workout for Brown, who sounds at times like he’s barely able to keep pace with his own backing track, while “Lost Somebody” gives him an opportunity to bring the crowd along for a swinging, bluesy turn.

By the end of the show, he doesn’t even have time to end one song and let another begin, opting instead for a medley of choice cuts. Live At The Apollo was a huge seller and helped establish Brown as a top talent - you wouldn’t want to miss him the next time he was in town.