These live concert recordings will transport you to arenas around the world to witness the world’s biggest music acts work their magic.
There’s nothing quite like being at your favourite artist’s live concert, basking in the energy of the performers and fellow fans and sharing in the enjoyment of a musical act. Concert recordings may not be able to replicate that electrifying atmosphere, but they have their advantages, too, such as featuring close-up camera angles that beat a view from nosebleed seats. It’s also a lot less sweaty. Here are five concert recordings that transport you to venues around the world to witness the greatest musicians work their magic live.
Adele, one of British pop music’s most beloved crooners, serenades a live audience at The London Studios in this 2015 TV special. In this Graham Norton-hosted concert, Adele performs songs from her discography and then-upcoming album 25. Hits like “Rumour Has It”, “Rolling in the Deep”, “Hello”, and “When We Were Young” are all featured here. She also sings “Skyfall”, the Oscar-winning theme from the Bond movie of the same name. The special also includes an equally funny-sweet segment in which Adele acts as ‘Jenny’ and enters herself into an Adele impersonation contest, surprising the other contestants. Originally broadcast on BBC One, this special was a hit and launched a series of other “at the BBC” specials, including Harry Styles: Live in Manchester.
Harry Styles: Live in Manchester
2017 was a big year for Harry Styles. That was just one year after One Direction embarked on an indefinite hiatus and went their own ways. Styles wasted no time building his solo career, taking on his first film acting role in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and releasing his self-titled solo album, which was a success. In this intimate concert video filmed before a live studio audience at dock10 in Manchester, Styles performs songs off that album, including “Meet Me in the Hallway” and a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”. It’s clear from this concert that he’s not just a pretty face, as One Direction detractors like to claim. Not only does he have a strong voice — witness him effortlessly shifting to his falsetto in “Sign of the Times” — but he’s a consummate performer, able to command the stage with his charisma.
MTV’s Unplugged series ran from 1989 to 1999, featuring popular artists performing stripped-back versions of their hits in an acoustic setting. From 2000 until the present, MTV has aired Unplugged specials, with Alicia Keys’ 2005 performance being among the most popular. Keys’ first live album, Unplugged, was recorded as part of this TV special and became the highest debut on the Billboard charts for an MTV Unplugged album since Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York in 1994. “If I Ain’t Got You”, “A Woman’s Worth”, and “Fallin’” are among the iconic Keys tracks to get the acoustic treatment here. Keys is joined by guests Common, Mos Def, and Adam Levine, duetting with the lattermost on a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses”.
Few film composers can also be considered bona fide rock stars, and Hans Zimmer counts himself in that rare category. The composer for films such as The Lion King, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar regularly wows arenas with spectacular performances like the one captured in this video. In addition to the composer working his stage mojo, Hans Zimmer: Live in Prague is a maximalist extravaganza that features a 72-piece symphony orchestra, a choir, a 21-piece backing band, and dazzling lighting effects. Special guests include guitarist Johnny Marr, cellist Tina Guo, and singer Lebo M (he’s the voice you hear at the beginning of “Circle of Life”).
Not many music festivals can give Coachella a run for its money, but one of the few able to rival it in prestige and popularity is Glastonbury. The iconic performing arts festival, held in summer near Pilton, Somerset in England, is usually headlined by accomplished pop and rock artists. The 2023 edition is headlined by Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses, and Elton John, with John’s set being especially momentous: this is his first-ever Glastonbury appearance and is also the final UK performance of his last-ever tour before his retirement from doing live shows. In addition to the sets by the three headliners, watch performances by Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Lizzo.
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