00:00There she goes, that crazy girl
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:07And today, we're counting down our picks for the top 10 performances by music artists before they made it big.
00:12If no one's gonna put out your record for you, put it out yourself.
00:15If you don't have anywhere to play, make your own venue, play in a basement, play in a garage.
00:21Number 10. Bastille performs Pompeii at So Far London.
00:30Formed in 2010, English indie band Bastille rose to fame in 2013 with the release of their biggest solo single to date, Pompeii.
00:40With its dramatic and catchy chorus, the song peaked at number 2 on UK charts and number 5 in the US.
00:46Its success was years in the making, as audience members from So Far London can attest.
00:51Oh, I'm making me talk to this about this. Oh, I'm making me talk to this about me, yeah.
00:59In 2011, the band performed an intimate show to a small but receptive crowd.
01:03And their set included an early version of Pompeii.
01:06Following directions from lead singer Dan Smith, the audience helped provide backing vocals
01:11and were completely unaware that they had a sneak peek at a future big hit.
01:15Number 9. Tones and I busking in Byron Bay.
01:26This Australian singer-songwriter got her start as a street performer until her breakout hit Dance Monkey went mega viral in 2019.
01:33Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh oh.
01:37I never seen anybody do the things you do before.
01:41Her unique voice and music style made for a catchy tune that spent months topping charts around the world.
01:47The song was inspired by her experience busking in Byron Bay and the pressure she felt to constantly capture the attention of passersby.
01:54People really didn't have much patience anymore.
01:57If you replace the word dance with sing, it's really self-explanatory and it just shows a way that like, I just took everything that people had said to me and put it in a song.
02:07Months before the song's release, one onlooker captured an early version of Dance Monkey in the very place that inspired it.
02:14Whether you loved the song or found it a bit overplayed, this performance speaks to the origin of the song and highlights the challenges one might face when pursuing their passion.
02:23Move for me, move for me, move for me, hey, hey.
02:27And when you're done, I'll make you do the paradise, hey, hey, hey, hey.
02:32Number 8. No Doubt's first TV appearance.
02:35One, two, two, take a good look at me, just a typical prototype.
02:43This ska-punk band led by eventual pop superstar Gwen Stefani dominated the 90s, giving us hits like Don't Speak and Just a Girl.
02:51But in 1990, No Doubt was just getting their start in the punk scene of Southern California.
02:56While building a name for themselves, they appeared on a San Pedro public access TV show, The Gig.
03:01Here, a young Gwen Stefani performs with a large band of six performers, including her brother, Eric.
03:14Gwen's captivating stage presence, which would help land them a record deal later that same year, is on full display, fueled by the high energy of her band.
03:23It's pure 90s, and it's incredible.
03:26Number 7. Chapel Rhone performs Pink Pony Club in a park.
03:41From her early years growing up in Missouri, Chapel Rhone dreamed of becoming a professional musician.
03:46Though her early music was received well by critics, her road to commercial success would take much longer.
03:52You wanted me to stay, but I can't ignore the crazy visions of me in LA.
03:59Her song, Pink Pony Club, was released in 2020, but it wasn't until 2024 that the song began climbing charts.
04:06Undeterred, Rhone kept performing the song she knew was gold anywhere she could.
04:11Down in West Hollywood, I wanna keep on dancing at the Pink Pony Club.
04:18This video shows Rhone singing her hit, accompanied only by her own keyboard, at an outdoor fundraiser in Los Angeles.
04:25It's a far cry from the glittering spectacle we're now used to seeing from Rhone's performances, but a reminder of her humble beginnings and tough road to stardom.
04:41Number 6. Tween Justin Bieber performing on the streets of Stratford.
04:45You're my god and my father, you're forever the same.
04:54Musically gifted from a young age, this pop superstar was discovered through the singing videos his mother posted to YouTube, beginning in 2007.
05:02At just 12 years old, Bieber had a remarkably resonant and clear tone to his singing voice, perfectly suited to pop music.
05:09Before he signed his first record deal, one Ontarian caught a rare early performance from the soon-to-be star.
05:22This video shows Bieber busking outside the Avon Theatre, singing both covers of famous songs and his own early original music.
05:29Though his rented guitar looks massive compared to the tween singer, his iconic voice and natural charisma are on full display.
05:36Number 5. Green Day performs at their alma mater.
05:43In 1987, four young students at Pinole Valley High School formed a band called Blood Rage.
05:45After a few name changes and shuffling of the band's members, Green Day was formed.
06:02Though the band was still finding their footing in 1990, they returned to their old stomping grounds to provide live music for the school's Foreign Foods Day.
06:17This video shows Billy Joe Armstrong, Mike Durnt and John Kiffmeyer, the band's second drummer.
06:23Kiffmeyer would eventually be replaced by Trey Cool.
06:26Young and full of energy and promise, this video shows Green Day's early talents and pays tribute to their Bay Area roots.
06:33I was there. I was there. I was there.
06:37Number 4. The Killers performed Mr. Brightside before the song's release.
06:41Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine. God, I gotta be down because I want it all.
06:48Though considered British music royalty, The Killers originally formed in Las Vegas, Nevada.
06:53They recorded their iconic classic Mr. Brightside as part of their original demo in 2001, and began performing together in 2002.
07:01This early live performance of the song feels a little less polished than the version we know and love, demonstrating how much the band honed their skills in their early years.
07:09Though American labels weren't initially interested in signing The Killers, British label Lizard King Records signed the band in 2003.
07:22The band soon began performing shows in the UK, and Mr. Brightside quickly became like a secondary anthem for Brits.
07:28Number 3. Nirvana plays Smells Like Teen Spirit for the first time.
07:48Imagine attending a Nirvana gig in the 90s and not going insane when they announce they're about to sing their most iconic song.
07:54This Seattle audience had no idea what they were in for at this 1991 show, which took place while Nirvana was still working on Nevermind, their first major label album.
08:03This was the first time the song was ever performed for a live audience, and the lyrics hadn't even been finished yet.
08:17Though notoriously difficult to decipher due to Kurt Cobain's vocal style,
08:20several lyrics from this version would later be changed before the song's official release months later.
08:25Smells Like Teen Spirit would become one of the best-selling songs of all time,
08:29making this video a relic of music history.
08:40Number 2. Lady Gaga Live at Ikea.
08:42Stephanie Germanotta, better known by her stage name Lady Gaga,
08:54curated her persona and performance style over years in the New York City club and burlesque scenes.
08:59By the time her debut album The Fame released in 2008,
09:02she had honed her personal style into something completely unique and utterly captivating.
09:07This video from the same year takes her over-the-top avant-garde persona
09:19and places it in the most ordinary of settings, an Ikea parking lot.
09:24From the Rady Children's Hospital toy drive in San Diego, California,
09:28Gaga proves early on she'll bring her all no matter the setting.
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09:53Number 1. The Beatles at the Cavern Club.
09:56This Liverpool venue played an important role in the early years of one of the biggest bands in history, the Beatles.
10:12Some of their earliest gigs were played at the Cavern Club,
10:15where they were soon noticed by their eventual manager Brian Epstein.
10:19This 1962 video shows the Beatles in the very place they got their start,
10:29just days after Ringo Starr replaced original drummer Pete Best.
10:33One audience member in the packed crowd can even be heard shouting,
10:36We want Pete!
10:37As fans were still adjusting to the band's new drummer,
10:40they had no idea they would soon have to share their niche local artists with fans across the globe.
10:45Which of these artists would you have loved to see perform before they were famous?
10:54Let us know in the comments.
10:56Gwen, how long has the band been together?
10:58We've been together about three years now.
11:00And where will we be playing next?
11:02Next, we're going to be playing up at Spanky's Cafe...
11:06Cafe?
11:07Yeah.
11:08Yeah.
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