The Clash

Recorded in 1982 on the second of two nights in New York with the Who, Live at Shea Stadium is a massive-sounding snapshot of the band right before their total implosion. Joe Strummer is quick to make jabs at the insanity of a supposedly "punk” band playing a stadium with one of the world’s biggest rock bands (his first words to the crowd are "Welcome to the Casbah Club,” and at one point he asks people in the back to stop talking because it’s "too loud”), but the bombast of songs like "Tommy Gun” and "Police on my Back” sound perfectly suited to the gargantuan setting. The band are in fine form, with no signs that the show is occurring mere weeks before Mick Jones’ unceremonious firing. The set is basically a greatest hits collection of their most popular songs from London Calling and it sounds awesome. As a great-sounding moment in history, this record is basically the shit.