No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith (1981)

No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith (1981)

This live album actually hit #1 on the UK charts. That’s right, Motörhead had a #1 album once. And that fact only becomes more shocking when you actually listen to the thing. Recorded on tour in support of their breakthrough studio release, 1980’s Ace Of Spades, it’s tight but extremely raw-sounding. The version of “Motorhead” that ends the album — which Lemmy introduces simply by saying “Just in case” — features a bass sound so blown-out it’s like your speakers have exploded, and are about to take your ears with them.

You don’t come to a Motörhead live album to marvel at the songcraft, of course — you put it on when you want something to blow small objects off your shelves, and No Sleep definitely does that. There are a few bits of goofiness (Lemmy’s always had a sharp sense of humor), and a slow song or two — “Metropolis” offers a chance to stop headbanging and maybe have a drink. But overall, it’s one of the few live albums that really makes you feel like you’re in a packed, sweaty barn watching three men crank up some of the loudest rock ‘n’ roll ever played.

(Note: Motörhead have a lot of live albums. This is the only one chosen for this countdown, because honestly, this one included, they’re all kind of superfluous. Nothing can ever truly capture the visceral force of Motörhead live.)