00:00Are we here? Radio Gaga!
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:06And today we're counting down our picks for the most iconic 80's anthems that are best experienced in concert.
00:13These ambitiously composed classics are elevated to a whole new level when sung live,
00:19thanks to the artist's extraordinary stage presence and impeccable audience interaction.
00:2510. What's Love Got To Do With It?
00:36Tina Turner
00:37The queen of rock and roll knows how to enchant an audience.
00:49The studio version of her hit record, What's Love Got To Do With It? is technical perfection.
00:54However, the crooner singing it live is an electrifying vision to behold. You can almost see the energy coursing through her veins as she breathes life into the lyrics.
01:05The sheer power of her unrestrained, raspy vocals is amplified too.
01:10Yeah, what's Love Got To Do With It?
01:15The best part is how Tina absorbs the crowd's verve and sends it back to them, transforming the arena into a magical space for the celebration of music.
01:25She does it all with the most disarming smile, like the legend she was.
01:38Number 9. Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel
01:41The groundbreaking music video for this song may be award-winning, but the live version takes the cake when it comes to eliciting a visceral reaction in place of the eccentric animation.
02:00We get Peter Gabriel irreverently acting out his cheeky lyrical innuendos.
02:06You could have a bum to come, bum think
02:11This amusement never ends
02:15His effortless onstage vocals radiate a raw, untamed power that isn't quite the same as the polish of the official record.
02:24They're even better.
02:25The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's chemistry with his band members, who ride his inimitable vibe to their utmost pleasure, makes the show even more enjoyable.
02:35Number 8. Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen
02:44In this song, the boss lays bare the stark reality of war veterans in the land of the free.
02:50The official recording will have you believe it's a triumphant anthem of hope.
02:55Born down in a dead man's town
02:58The first kicker took us when I hit the ground
03:02However, the live rendition makes no pretense about the truth.
03:07The defiant wrath, frustration, and pain of the lyrics, which paint a bleak image of a Vietnam veteran's life, become evident in Springsteen's performance.
03:21The resounding, albeit ironic, chorus is most often voiced by the audience, while Bruce focuses on pouring his conviction into the verses.
03:31Then, the E Street Band takes the song to a roaring climax, with their final instrumental break.
03:39One, two, three!
03:49Only the emotional gravity of a live performance of The River could compare to the impact of this song.
03:55I come from down in the valley
04:00Where best do when you're young
04:04Number 7. Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard
04:07Everything about this song represents the epitome of 80s arena rock.
04:21As the genre suggests, it reaches its highest degree of perfection when performed live.
04:27And Def Leppard doesn't disappoint.
04:29The stage setting is ideal for the exhilarating, adrenaline-fueled chants of the track, and the echo of fans singing along adds to its surging energy.
04:39By the time the chorus rolls around, you're already in a trance, head-banging your way to rock heaven.
04:55Besides, the album Hysteria, of which this song is a part, marked Rick Allen's glorious return to drumming since the 1984 accident that claimed his arm.
05:05That alone makes any live performance of this song extra special.
05:16Number 6. Walk This Way
05:18Run DMC, Featuring Aerosmith
05:21One, two, three, four!
05:23This collaboration between the greats is one for the music history books.
05:33When hip-hop collective Run DMC joined forces with rock titan Aerosmith, worlds collided.
05:39Their winning formula of combining the two genres broke new ground, but no one could have imagined it would work so well.
05:46Both acts, separately, are known for their magnanimous presence, so it wouldn't have been surprising if such big personalities clashed on stage.
06:02Fortunately, their creative coalescence was seamless and brought us some of the best live performances of all time.
06:09It also gave Aerosmith a much-needed second wind, while Run DMC broke into the mainstream.
06:15Now that's what we call a win-win.
06:17Walk This Way
06:19Talk This Way
06:21Talk This Way
06:22Number 5.
06:23Radio Gaga
06:24Queen
06:25It only seems right that a song that wants its listeners to hone in on the sonic pleasures it has to offer, as opposed to the visuals, would be more popular live.
06:44Queen's ode to the radio age is musical tour de force.
06:48It has the addictive, synth-heavy rhythms of pop rock and the band's signature theatricality.
06:53Radio, someone still loves you, yeah.
07:03Freddie Mercury's grand showmanship is on full display during live performances of The Number,
07:08as he commands his audience with unrivaled charm.
07:12When thousands of fans clapped to his beat for the chorus at the band's 1985 Live Aid performance,
07:18history was created, and it will live on forever.
07:21All we hear is Radio Gaga, Radio Goo Goo, Radio Gaga.
07:29Number 4.
07:30Billie Jean
07:31Michael Jackson
07:32She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene.
07:36I said, don't mind, but what do you mean?
07:39I am the one.
07:41The King of Pop has some of the most cinematic and visually stunning music videos in his discography.
07:47However, his live performances were what solidified his status as the best of the best.
07:53After all, who can forget the dramatics of Beat It that dominated live shows in the 80s?
07:59However, it is another smash hit that defined the decade.
08:03Billie Jean in concert is an artistic freak like no other.
08:13One minute, he's giving us pitch-perfect vocals with the most brilliant flourishes that you
08:18won't find on the CDs.
08:20And the next, he's hitting the smoothest moonwalk.
08:23On stage, MJ tapped into the infinite potential of the song, entertaining his audience like
08:30only he can.
08:31There will never be another Michael Jackson.
08:34People are not an army.
08:35Be careful what you do.
08:37Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts.
08:40Number 3.
08:41Where the streets have no name.
08:43U2
08:44The edge was in his bag when he came up with the grand composition of this song.
08:56In his own words, it was born out of a desire to create, quote, the ultimate U2 live song.
09:02Safe to say, he succeeded.
09:04The intricate structure and complex arrangement, particularly the sophisticated chord progressions,
09:10come alive on stage.
09:11Where the streets have no name.
09:15Where the streets have no name.
09:19Even drummer Larry Mullen Jr. admitted that the song gets its epic proportion from being
09:24played live.
09:25Indeed, the unifying quality of the track manifests itself in how the crowd comes together to sing
09:31along with Bono, creating a transcendent experience.
09:35No studio version could compare with that intensity.
09:38Where the streets have no name.
09:42Where the streets have no name.
09:45Number 2.
09:46Livin' on a Prayer.
09:48Bon Jovi
09:49Tommy used to work on the docks.
09:53Union's been on track.
09:55A live performance of this song is as close to real magic as we're ever going to get.
10:01Bon Jovi's exultant tribute to the common man boasts extraordinary energy that feeds off
10:06a fan's vigor and grows by the second.
10:09Jon Bon Jovi sings like there's no tomorrow.
10:12And he does it for every show.
10:14Meanwhile, Richie Sambora's TalkBox segments add the perfect amount of innovative edge.
10:19That said, what makes this song so special in concert is the rousing participation of fans,
10:33highlighting the unbreakable connection Bon Jovi has with them.
10:37The resonance is also evident in live versions of You Give Love a Bad Name, which only goes
10:42to show how consistently impactful the band is on stage.
10:47Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:59Don't Stop Believin', Journey.
11:01The powerful optimism of this track is eternal.
11:04Everybody wants to rule the world.
11:14Tears for fears.
11:15The universal message comes across stronger than ever in the band's live performances.
11:21In the air tonight, Phil Collins.
11:33Heartbreak is palpable in Phil's live vocals.
11:36Well, I was there and I saw what you did.
11:41Saw it with my own two eyes.
11:45Jump Van Halen.
11:46If you're going to party to this, the concert version is the only right choice.
11:58Every breath you take.
12:00The police.
12:01You almost forget it's about stalking when you're captivated by the group's mastery
12:05lives.
12:291.
12:30Purple Rain, Prince and the Revolution.
12:41If we had a time machine, we'd use it to witness his royal badness perform this song
12:46one last time.
12:48Live renditions of Purple Rain, complete with the emotionally charged guitar solos and tender,
12:53anguished vocals are angelic to say the least.
13:00So when it poured during his performance of the song at Super Bowl 41, it felt like a sign
13:05from the heavens that fans were in the presence of ultimate greatness.
13:10Prince boasts unparalleled magnetism and gravitas as he spontaneously bursts into melismatic ad-libs
13:18and shreds his guitar like a god.
13:28In contrast, acts like Let's Go Crazy allow him to let loose as listeners give in to his
13:33groove.
13:34Studio versions will never hold a candle to Prince's raw excellence live.
13:39Which 80s concerts make you wish you were in the crowd?
13:50Tell us in the comments down below.
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