3 of the Most Raw and Real Bootleg Albums of All Time

Bootleg albums are often thought to be more genuine, minimalistic, personal, and generally, rare. All of these adjectives come from the fact that bootleg albums typically feature unreleased recordings, candid interviews, live recordings, and any other pieces of material that didn’t another album’s final cut. That being so, for devout fans of a particular artist, the listening experience of such albums can be transcendent.

Bootleg albums are for a certain type of musician, particularly one who creates so much music that they can’t feature it all on one album. Hence, they decided to release another album to showcase everything they’ve created and satisfy themselves as well as their fans. There are a plethora of bootleg albums out there, but here are three that deserve a listen.

‘The Basement Tapes’ by Bob Dylan and The Band

It seems that half of the bootleg albums on the market are Bob Dylan albums. Nonetheless, this Bob Dylan and The Band Album is one of the most reputable bootleg albums of all time. Released in 1975, the album includes iconic songs such as “Million Dollar Bash” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere.”

Following its release, the albums graced the charts in the US and the UK. Regardless of its chart history, some of the songs featured on the album are some of Dylan and The Band’s most notable. As a result, it has become a staple bootleg album and has been considered one of the most reputable albums of the ’70s.

‘The Black Album’ by Prince

The Black Album was not supposed to be a bootleg album, however, after some copies became leaked, Prince refused to release it upon its intended date of 1987. So, years later in 1994, Prince released the album and only sold copies between November and January. Despite the limited time frame, the album still garnered success internationally.

In addition to reaching No. 47 on the Billboard 200, Prince’s album also secured the No. 18 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The eight-track album stands out in Prince’s decorated catalog thanks to songs “Superfunkycalifragisexy,” “Bob George,” and “Cindy C.” If you want to see Prince get deep into a funkadelic type genre, then you have to listen to this album.

‘Live’r Than You’ll Ever Be’ by The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones’ 1969 bootleg album is the first live recording to make our list. Recorded at one of the Stones’ concerts in Oakland, California, the album sonically articulates how on an arbitrary night the band gave a barn-burning performance.

Featuring many of their greatest hits, the album is often considered to be one of the Rolling Stones’ best live albums of all time. Matter of fact, one could argue it is one of the best live albums in all of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s raw, and gritty, and shows the Rolling Stones in their natural habitat, which is on the road.

Photo by Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images