From garage jams to local gigs, witness music history in the making! Join us as we explore rare footage of legendary musicians before they conquered the charts. See raw talent and untapped potential from future superstars who would transform music forever. Who knew these humble beginnings would lead to stadium tours and platinum records?
00:00Call it on, on the Intransit. Call it on, on the Intransit.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:08And today, we're counting down our picks for incredible videos of famous bands before they had hit it big.
00:14No, we're going to say why do this is great.
00:20Number 10. The Strokes.
00:22The Strokes were a true sensation when they burst onto the New York scene at the turn of the century.
00:28Hello? Yeah, we're the Strokes. I'm from New York City.
00:32And I'm not using this mic.
00:34Julian Casablancus and company epitomize the new age coolness while playing tributes to great bands like the Velvet Underground, The Doors, and The Stooges.
00:44In this clip from 2000, shot before the release of their debut album, Is This It?, you can hear all of the key ingredients that make up their sound.
00:53I am a sentimental man. I try to reach to God with just one hand.
00:59The jangly guitars, Julian's trademark croon, and some songs of theirs that would go on to become classics.
01:06This is The Strokes turned all the way up to 11, and their energy is infectious.
01:12Every little feature that lives a long time gets enough to get them sent right down.
01:19Number 9. No Doubt.
01:21Long before they truly hit the big time with singles like Don't Speak and Just a Girl, Gwen Stefani and No Doubt were making waves with their edgy fusion of ska and pop.
01:31It's immediately clear in this performance that the band has potential.
01:41Stefani, in particular, was always on point.
01:44And the danceable grooves and catchy hooks were clearly right there from the beginning as well.
01:49Yet, the main thing that stands out about this 1990 performance is just how much fun the band are clearly having.
02:04Little did they know just how far they could eventually take their sound and vision.
02:09Do you guys have a demo tape out or a record or anything?
02:12We have a demo tape, but we're in the middle of recording right now.
02:15We're going to be probably putting it out on a CD, but we're not sure exactly what we're going to be doing.
02:20We're trying to get signed right now.
02:22Number 8. Rage Against the Machine.
02:25The raw theory of Rage Against the Machine came pre-packed as soon as they decided on their band name.
02:31In this pre-debut album performance, Killing in the Name doesn't even have the lyrics yet, but a few recognizable classics make an appearance on the set.
02:48Considering this is their first public performance, the band have already nailed 80% of their trademark sound.
02:54It's no wonder that they went on to record their debut album less than a year later.
03:05The footage is rough, but the sound quality is decent, and you can already see just how much potential they have.
03:12This is very clearly a rage show, that's for sure.
03:16Number 7. Muse.
03:27Long before Muse went on to pack arenas and earn millions, they were a band who were still trying to figure out who they wanted to be.
03:43Like so many others, they tried their hand at a local Battle of the Bands contest, which they unsurprisingly won.
03:50Well, the band themselves were actually quite shocked that they took home gold.
03:54They ended their set by smashing their instruments, which was supposed to be their big statement and reason for competing.
04:01Ladies and gentlemen, who needs the hoop when you're out to get a full of Muse?
04:06However, when they won, they realized that they maybe should begin taking themselves seriously as a band.
04:15And the rest, as they say, is history.
04:17Oh, and bonus points must be given for Matt Bellamy's haircut.
04:20It was the 90s.
04:21Number 6. Arctic Monkeys.
04:32Arctic Monkeys were one of the first bands to truly make it on the back of some dedicated online fan support.
04:39The group itself didn't really have too much to do with it either.
04:49But when early recording started to gain traction, it led to the band developing an online cult following.
04:54Judging by this 2003 performance, it's no surprise they were so beloved.
04:59Some of these tracks would eventually surface on their debut album, but Alex Turner and the boys were clearly already in full command of their sound.
05:16As far as teenage performances go, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more polished one than this.
05:22Number 5. R.E.M.
05:32R.E.M. would eventually go on to become one of the most successful alternative rock bands of the 80s and 90s.
05:45But before they made it to the studio, they earned their stripes playing clubs and venues all around the West of the U.S.
05:51This video in particular showcases R.E.M. just as they were hitting their stride.
06:02Filmed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1982, you can tell that this is a young band who were putting the finishing touches on their style and sound.
06:10Murmur, their debut album, would soon be released, and the next 27 years of music they made would be among the most important in the entire genre.
06:19Number 4. Guns N' Roses
06:29Imagine sitting down at your local bar, having a few beers and a conversation, and one of the most acclaimed rock bands of all time is playing in the background.
06:38But here's the catch. They haven't made it yet.
06:48Well, for Guns N' Roses, despite their obvious talent and potential, this video showcases them playing to a crowd who don't seem that interested.
06:55The song in question, Don't Cry, was supposedly the first G&R song that Axl Rose ever wrote, and though it wouldn't be released for another six years.
07:13The tune is still right there.
07:15This particular video stands out because it proves that even a great band isn't always going to be received as well as they deserve at first.
07:22Number 3. Oasis
07:32Oasis
07:33The fact that very old rehearsal footage of Oasis exists is a real treat, and the fact that the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, seem to get through it without fighting each other is too.
07:50This 1992 video showcases the band performing a song that wouldn't be released until their third album, All Around the World.
07:57In fact, the footage predates their debut album, Definitely Maybe, by two years, proving that Oasis were cooking up their hits long before they arrived in the studio.
08:13Liam's voice has rarely sounded better, but it would take five more years for the song to be released.
08:19When it did come out, it hit number one in the UK chunks.
08:29Number 2. Nirvana
08:31This iteration of Nirvana is quite different from the one that would eventually hit it big.
08:42For one thing, there were four members with an additional guitar player.
08:46For another, Dave Grohl had yet to join the band, and so the legendary power trio we all came to know was only represented by Kurt Cobain and Chris Novoselic.
08:55But even in this early lineup, boy could these guys rock.
09:05Cobain's voice is already approaching the level of angst and power that he would master on later recordings.
09:10Plus, they played loud, ushering in the grunge era with a real bang.
09:15Sure, the drumming would eventually be perfected by Grohl's inimitable stylings, but for an early effort, this is pretty damn good.
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09:431.
09:44The Beatles
09:48If you're wondering how the Beatles got so good at writing music, well, they spent a long period of time honing their craft.
09:55Nothing will get a band-type quite like performing covers for hours and hours every day.
10:00And for the Beatles, they put in their work during a residency in Hamburg over the course of around two years.
10:06Though footage of these gigs is rare, we do thankfully have some documentation of their spell in Germany.
10:13Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and their drummer at the time, Stuart Sutcliffe, were an instant hit abroad,
10:19which eventually led to them meeting their eventual manager, Brian Epstein.
10:23Hamburg is also where they picked up those trademark haircuts they popularized.
10:29But can you think of any other great examples of very early career-life performances from great bands?
10:35Let us know in the comments below.
10:37The band for the future, the 80s or 90s, who knows?
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