The Best Live Albums Of All Time, Ranked

Duke Ellington, ‘Ellington at Newport’

Duke Ellington is famous for his place in jazz music history. Ellington remained a mainstay for jazz enthusiasts and the live album Ellington at Newport helped solidify his career. Destined for stardom, Ellington recorded this live album at the Newport Jazz Festival.

After recording this masterpiece, Ellington ended up on the cover of Time magazine, and two years later, he released a follow-up album called Newport 1958. Over time, in 2022, Ellington at Newport was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry.