Live Killers (1979)
Disc One
1. We Will Rock You
2. Let Me Entertain You
3. Death on Two Legs
4. Killer Queen
5. Bicycle Race
6. I'm In Love With My Car
7. Get Down, Make Love
8. You're My Best Friend
9. Now I'm Here
10.Dreamer's Ball
11.Love of My Life
12. '39
13.Keep Yourself Alive
Disc Two
1. Don't Stop Me Now
2. Spread Your Wings
3. Brighton Rock
4. Bohemian Rhapsody
5. Tie Your Mother Down
6. Sheer Heart Attack
7. We Will Rock You
8. We Are the Champions
9. God Save the Queen
By 1979, Queen had released seven studio albums in six years — a remarkable output by any standard. The time felt right to hit pause and let the band’s well-earned live reputation do the talking. Live Killers was their first official concert release, and to their credit, they didn’t cut corners. This was a double album, clocking in at a generous ninety minutes — and if nothing else, it captures Queen as the formidable live force they had become.
Unlike some live albums that feel more like contract fillers or fan-club exclusives, this one has genuine weight. The band wisely stuck to their own material — no bloated cover versions or unnecessary guest spots — and cherry-picked performances from across multiple European shows. Remarkably, it still plays like a single, coherent set. There’s very little crowd noise manipulation or obvious patchwork editing. What you hear is Queen, more or less, as they were.
The setlist covers nearly everything it should. All the essentials are here, from the early heavy stuff to the radio staples, all performed with a level of precision that doesn’t neuter the energy. Mercury is in top form vocally, and his stage presence translates even through the limitations of a live mix. Brian May’s guitar tone remains one of the most recognizable in rock, and Roger Taylor and John Deacon keep the engine running with near-effortless efficiency.
In the years following Freddie Mercury’s death, Queen would release a seemingly endless stream of live albums and concert DVDs — one from every tour, sometimes more than one. They weren’t terrible, but they never felt necessary. Live Killers still stands out as the one that mattered. It captured the band in their prime, at full volume, doing exactly what they did best.
Whether or not it’s their “best” live album depends on what you want from a live record. But it’s easily the most sincere — which, given the band’s future habit of repackaging every available performance for posthumous consumption, makes this one feel even more vital. It may not have the polish of later releases, but it has something better: Queen, loud, tight, and completely in control.
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