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From electrifying stadiums to iconic festival moments, these performances changed music history forever! Join us as we count down the most legendary live musical performances that left audiences breathless and created cultural milestones. Our list celebrates raw talent, showmanship, and those magical concert experiences that transcend time.
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00:00Music, color, I just can't handle it
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 30 greatest performances in the history of live music.
00:13For this list, we're focusing on raw live performances, no half-and-half studio shows.
00:19I wanna give you my love, I wanna give you my love
00:23Number 30, Guns N' Roses at T-Mobile Arena.
00:28There's nothing quite like seeing your favorite band getting back together.
00:31After years of radio silence on the idea, in 2016, Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan finally let bygones be bygones
00:40and reformed to rapturous applause in the newly built T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
00:45A band as volatile as Guns N' Roses was never gonna have an especially long shelf life, but time is a way of healing all wounds.
00:52So, to see much of the original lineup getting up there and well and truly knocking it out of the park
00:57gave the band's fans a well-deserved dose of nostalgia.
01:01Number 29, Cream at the Royal Albert Hall.
01:04All good things must come to an end.
01:06For Cream, three critically adored studio albums and one final coda were enough for them to call it a day.
01:12I've been in it no long, there's been to me where I'm going.
01:18Tensions between singer Jack Bruce and the famously difficult Ginger Baker had gotten to a point where resolution was near impossible.
01:26Thankfully, they did decide to go on a farewell tour in 1968, and their final show at the Royal Albert Hall London
01:33was just about as good a swan song as rock music has ever seen.
01:36To say that the band was on fire would be a massive understatement, and for as much as they probably had more great music in them,
01:50they certainly ended on a high note.
01:52Number 28, The Sex Pistols at the Lesser Free Trade Hall.
01:55Back in 1976, The Sex Pistols show at the Lesser Free Trade Hall was by no means the most popular gig of the year,
02:02but it may well have been the most influential.
02:05The two gigs that The Sex Pistols played in Manchester in 1976 inspired a generation of musicians.
02:11Without them, there'd be no Buzzcocks, no Magazine, no Smiths, no Joy Division, no New Order, no Factory Records, no Hacienda, no Madchester.
02:21It was attended by members of some of the finest bands of the era that would follow.
02:25Iconic groups such as Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, The Fall, Simply Red, Magazine, and Buzzcocks were all represented in some way.
02:33Johnny Rotten and Company were leading the charge into a new time for music,
02:37and their frenetic energy and abrasive sound were at their absolute peak during this concert.
02:42In fact, they became number one because they were fantastic culturally, musically even, and in every way.
02:49Number 27, Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden.
02:52Pearl Jam has always been regarded as an explosive live band, a compact unit musically with a frontman, Eddie Vedder,
02:59who has been known to climb several dozen feet into the air from time to time.
03:05When it comes to their performance quality, though, it might not have gotten any better than their Madison Square Garden gig in 2003.
03:16The band was in rare form, and Vedder has hardly sounded better.
03:21Like any true great show, though, the setlist picks make for a large percentage of the final grade.
03:26And boy, did they bust out the classics with this one.
03:28Number 26, Joe Cocker at Woodstock.
03:38Some of you may have heard Joe Cocker's legendary cover of The Beatles with a little help from my friends from this show,
03:44but the entire gig was so much more than one song.
03:47Woodstock in 1969 was a show that exemplified the peace and love of the decade.
03:57However, it was also a great time for soulful music, whether it was within the rock and roll, folk, funk, or blues genres.
04:04In Cocker's performance, you can hear a little bit of everything,
04:07and it all came together spectacularly well under those bright lights.
04:11Number 25, Kate Bush at Hammersmith Odeon.
04:19Kate Bush is famously one of the most reclusive artists in music,
04:23and to date, her only full-length shows came during her 1979 and 2014 tours.
04:35The former saw her traverse Europe with her elaborate stage production,
04:39and the latter was a residency in London's Hammersmith Apollo.
04:43Her 1979 show in the Hammersmith Odeon, as it was then called, was a clear highlight.
04:48Bush was in her absolute prime as a performer,
04:51moving through this early career set with several radical costume and stage design changes.
04:56In the end, the critically acclaimed tour was so exhausting for Bush
05:00that she retired from the road for 35 years.
05:02Thankfully, in contrast to her secretive 2014 dates, this show was filmed.
05:15Number 24, ACDC at River Plate.
05:19ACDC could have made this list for any number of Bon Scott-led shows from the 1970s,
05:24but for our money, their 2009 gig at River Plate in Argentina was on a whole other level.
05:29There's just something about those South American crowds.
05:36We're sure even the band themselves was shocked by the sheer energy coming back at them for every single song.
05:42ACDC has always been a well-oiled machine in the live setting,
05:45but even by their lofty standards, they were as tight as can be on this night.
05:49As for the set list, they barely could have done a better job at bringing out the big guns, that's for sure.
06:01Number 23, Van Halen at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
06:05The year was 1986.
06:08It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that Van Halen was in their absolute prime.
06:11Their New Haven show on that tour, later released as the album Live Without a Net,
06:25was just about the best example of the band you could show a newcomer to their later career stuff.
06:30From the now legendary extended version of Eruption to every single one of the deeper cuts,
06:35they barely put a foot wrong.
06:37This was also the debut performance of one Sammy Hagar,
06:47who took vocal duties from David Lee Roth following his departure.
06:51A legendary concert and one of the defining moments of 80s rock.
06:55Number 22, Elton John at Dodger Stadium.
06:58Elton John was truly on a different level as a showman in the mid-70s,
07:02achieving the perfect mix of material and spectacle.
07:05There was nothing quite as glamorous and extravagant as his iconic show at Dodger Stadium in 1975, though.
07:19We'd be remiss if we didn't give him props for his costume.
07:22But in the grand scheme of things, that's only the tip of the iceberg.
07:26John and his band stormed their way through his greatest hits at the time,
07:29delivering most of them better than they even managed in the studio.
07:32Would it be fair to call this the very best Elton John recording of them all?
07:42We think so.
07:43Number 21, Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival.
07:47The gig that Bob Dylan played at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965
07:51marked a very intentional break from the folk scene of the time.
07:54Once upon a time, you dressed so fine through the bumps of time in your prime.
08:00Then you...
08:01Armed with an electric guitar and a full backing band,
08:04this was a far cry from the more reserved scene that was his spot the previous year.
08:09Gone was the shy folk troubadour who sang of peace and positivity.
08:12This Dylan was a far more world-weary figure, but boy could he rock.
08:16After playing a series of rock and roll tracks,
08:19the restless gig organizers eventually persuaded him to close with an acoustic track
08:23just for old time's sake.
08:25Dylan agreed, offering up a beautiful version of It's All Over Now, Baby Blue.
08:30And it's all over now, baby blue.
08:35A huge moment in music history.
08:37Number 20, The Rolling Stones at Madison Square Garden.
08:40The Rolling Stones have performed at Madison Square Garden plenty of times.
08:44And their first performances there ensured they would always rock the house.
08:49Toward the end of their 1969 tour of America,
08:52The Stones performed three shows in two days at the famed New York City Arena,
08:56which had opened the previous year.
09:04Although the band hadn't toured the States in three years,
09:07the wait was more than worth it.
09:08I was born in a crossfire cave.
09:13Starting with a Thanksgiving Day concert,
09:16The Stones drew thousands eager to hear future classics like
09:20Jumpin' Jack Flash and Sympathy for the Devil.
09:26Reactions were outstanding,
09:28and the band ended the 60s on a high note and only went higher from there.
09:33We're guessing they got plenty of satisfaction from these concerts.
09:35Number 19, The Notorious B.I.G. at Summer Jam.
09:39The Notorious B.I.G. is the definition of a rap icon,
09:43and his appearance at the second Summer Jam showed just how much charisma he had.
09:48At the New Jersey Festival,
09:50the New York legend performed first with R&B group Total,
09:53and then delivered his own stunning set,
09:56dressed in a three-piece suit and more.
09:58Biggie was already a star at this point,
10:05but his Summer Jam performance was one that put him on another level.
10:10Years later, attendees speak about his performance like it was yesterday.
10:13When Biggie performed, it was all a dream.
10:18The entire arena went out of control.
10:23The King of New York claimed his crown once and for all in 1995.
10:27Number 18, Fleetwood Mac at Fleet Center.
10:30After decades of performing,
10:32it's hard for most artists to electrify the way they once did.
10:37Ooh, I never stayed.
10:40That is not the case with Fleetwood Mac,
10:43who, after more than 30 years together,
10:45gave two sensational performances in two days.
10:48You know what time?
10:52You know what you've done?
10:54At Boston's appropriately named Fleet Center,
10:57now known as TD Garden,
10:59the band went through classics like Landslide and Go Your Own Way
11:02with as much passion as when they'd first recorded them.
11:05These concerts were immortalized in the Live in Boston album and DVD.
11:15There's been plenty of behind-the-scenes drama during Fleetwood Mac's run,
11:19but these performances show just how well they can work together.
11:29Number 17, James Brown at Boston Garden.
11:33Another legendary Boston performance came three and a half decades earlier
11:37from the Godfather of Soul.
11:39This free concert at the Boston Garden Arena
11:41was staged the day after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated
11:44in hopes of diminishing tensions.
11:46Now we're together, we ain't.
11:53Get that thing, man.
11:54Though there was some disorder,
11:56Brown was able to get things back on track
11:58and helped to keep the peace and deliver an amazing concert.
12:01The three-hour performance was filled with classics like
12:04Please, Please, Please and I Got You, I Feel Good.
12:07While unrest and violence have existed throughout history,
12:10we should never forget the power of music as a means of expression
12:13for both artists and audiences.
12:15Number 16, Janis Joplin at Monterey International Pop Festival.
12:22Janis Joplin's defining performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival
12:26technically wasn't her performance.
12:28It was for Big Brother and the Holding Company,
12:30of which she was a member.
12:32But she commanded the stage so much,
12:34it's remembered as her show.
12:42The blues rockers' powerhouse vocals and stage presence
12:45are scorching even when watching at home,
12:48and the audience is rightfully mesmerized.
12:50We also can't forget the role of Big Brother and the Holding Company
12:58in providing Joplin with their own first-rate musicianship.
13:02Joplin passed away a few years later,
13:04and this performance sadly reminds us
13:06of how much natural talent she possessed.
13:08Number 15, Metallica at Monsters in Moscow.
13:20What's your idea of a big concert crowd?
13:2210,000?
13:23100,000?
13:24Try a million.
13:32When Metallica and other notable bands
13:34performed at Moscow's Tushino Airfield in 1991,
13:37they reportedly drew as many as
13:391.6 million spectators.
13:42So repeat it with me!
13:44Die!
13:45Die!
13:46Die!
13:49While an official headcount might not be possible,
13:52we can absolutely verify that this concert
13:55was one for the ages.
13:57I have lost the will to live
14:00Performing during the final months of the Soviet Union,
14:08the metal legends brought out headbanging hits like
14:11Fade to Black and the recently released
14:13Enter Sandman.
14:14The band is on another level,
14:24and the crowd absorbs their energy
14:26and sends it right back.
14:28Whether performing a raging set
14:29for more than a million people
14:31or with the San Francisco Symphony,
14:33there is no one quite like Metallica.
14:35Number 14, Michael Jackson
14:46at the Bucharest National Stadium.
14:48Michael Jackson was known as the king of pop,
14:51not only for his amazing singing and songwriting,
14:54but also for how he could command a crowd.
14:56There's no better example of this
15:03than this sold-out concert
15:05at Bucharest National Stadium in Romania.
15:16Jackson was closing out the European section
15:18of his blockbuster Dangerous World Tour,
15:20which significantly raised the bar
15:22for elaborate staging.
15:26And while not everyone got a ticket,
15:32millions around the world
15:34were able to watch it from home.
15:43This set a new record for cable TV ratings.
15:47Can you think of any pop star
15:48who has that kind of pull today?
15:50Neither can we.
15:56Who would have thought it would take two robots
16:04to make everyone feel human?
16:12In 2006,
16:13famed French house duo Daft Punk
16:16made the Sahara dance set
16:17the place to be at that year's festival.
16:19While they weren't headlining,
16:29this performance was so good,
16:31it became the stuff of legend.
16:33In the packed tent,
16:35the duo gave their grooviest hits
16:36even more bounce
16:37through seamless blending
16:38and clever remixing ideas.
16:40If you had heard of Daft Punk before,
16:48this was your chance to hear
16:49your old favorites with a fresh spin.
16:58And if you were completely new to them,
17:00well, there's no way you weren't
17:02walking away a fan.
17:03Radiohead is one of those bands
17:13that you owe it to yourself to see.
17:15But if you got the chance
17:17to see them at Bonnaroo in 2006,
17:19consider yourself extremely fortunate.
17:21The English art rockers delivered
17:30a set full of incredible songs,
17:32both old and yet to be released.
17:39Not only did fans get to hear
17:41amazing live versions of classic songs
17:43like There There and Paranoid Android,
17:46but they also got to hear songs
17:47from In Rainbows a year before it was out.
17:50Guitarist Johnny Greenwood
17:51has referred to the show
17:52as being his favorite
17:54American festival experience.
18:02And frontman Tom York
18:04has also sung its praises.
18:06An awesome Radiohead show,
18:08no surprises.
18:15Number 11.
18:16Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
18:18at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
18:20Coachella tends to be full of surprises,
18:23but no one could have predicted
18:24what would happen during Dr. Dre
18:26and Snoop Dogg's headlining set.
18:35The West Coast hip-hop legends
18:37performed hits like
18:38Nothing But a G-Thang
18:39in the next episode
18:39with the same energy
18:41as in the 90s.
18:42They also brought out
18:48numerous all-star guests
18:50to perform some of their own
18:51biggest hits,
18:52including 50 Cent,
18:53Eminem,
18:59Kendrick Lamar,
19:01oh, and Tupac Shakur.
19:03A hologram projection
19:04of the late rapper
19:05brought his presence to Coachella
19:07and turned an already great show
19:09into a classic one.
19:11Number 10.
19:12Prince at Coachella Valley
19:14Music and Arts Festival.
19:15Attendees of the 2008
19:17Coachella Festival
19:18had even more reason
19:19to celebrate
19:20when a surprise headliner
19:21was announced.
19:22A rock star
19:23by the name of Prince.
19:25Buzz about a possible
19:26Prince Coachella performance
19:27had been circulating for years,
19:29but a dream became a reality
19:31with this performance,
19:32which got everyone talking.
19:34Not only did Prince provide
19:36sensational renditions
19:37of songs from his own catalog,
19:39but he also performed
19:40brilliant covers of songs
19:42from artists like Radiohead,
19:43The Beatles,
19:44and the B-52s.
19:52There wasn't any kind of song
19:54that Prince couldn't make
19:55into his own,
19:56and there will never be
19:57another artist quite like him.
19:59Number 9.
20:00Bruce Springsteen
20:01at the Parc de la Courneuve.
20:03With his Born in the USA tour,
20:05Bruce Springsteen
20:06went from being
20:06the next great rock star
20:08to one of the best rock stars,
20:10period.
20:11Born in the USA house.
20:14Born in the USA house.
20:19With more than 100 shows
20:20all over the world,
20:22he kept the energy going
20:23every single night,
20:24and his newly toned physique
20:26was surely a boost
20:27in that regard, too.
20:28We have to give
20:29the best of this tour
20:30to his first of two dates
20:31at Paris' Parc de la Courneuve.
20:43Springsteen and the E Street Band
20:45both performed
20:46at the top of their game,
20:47and the crowd
20:48was absolutely ecstatic,
20:50as were we.
20:50With this performance,
21:00you should understand
21:01exactly why
21:02they call him the boss.
21:03Oh, it's glory day.
21:06Yeah,
21:07passing by glory day.
21:10Number 8.
21:11U2 at Koshevo Stadium.
21:13U2 is as known
21:15for spreading awareness
21:16as they are
21:17for making music.
21:22And they made
21:23quite a statement
21:23when they became
21:24the first internationally
21:25known act
21:26to perform a concert
21:27in Sarajevo
21:28following the end
21:29of the Bosnian War.
21:35Though the war
21:36had ended
21:36a couple of years prior,
21:38memories of the tragedies
21:39lingered,
21:40and it was uncertain
21:41whether a big concert
21:42like this
21:42could be pulled off.
21:43However,
21:44Bono and company
21:45were more than up
21:46to the task.
21:52Anthems like
21:53Sunday Bloody Sunday
21:54and Pride in the Name of Love
21:55became even more epic
21:57thanks to crowd sing-alongs,
21:59and they performed
21:59a stunning version
22:00of Miss Sarajevo
22:02for the encore.
22:03The region was still healing,
22:04but this concert
22:05helped to maintain hope.
22:11Any band
22:17can produce an album.
22:18It takes some
22:19serious dedication
22:20to be able to execute
22:21an entire opera,
22:22which is exactly
22:24what The Who did
22:24with Tommy.
22:33Performing for the
22:34second consecutive time
22:35at this festival
22:36on England's
22:36Isle of White,
22:37the band's
22:38ambition paid off.
22:41Not only were fans
22:51thrilled to hear
22:52standouts from Tommy
22:53like Pinball Wizard,
22:54but they also got
22:55other knockouts
22:56like My Generation
22:57and Substitute,
22:58as well as
22:58some outstanding covers.
23:08This concert was
23:09thankfully preserved
23:10as both a live album
23:11and a concert film.
23:13So, even if you
23:14weren't there,
23:14you can still feel
23:15like you were.
23:21Number 6.
23:22Nirvana at the
23:23Reading Festival.
23:24Anyone who doubted
23:25whether Nirvana
23:26was the real deal
23:27was set right
23:28by this performance.
23:29The grunge legends
23:39headlined England's
23:40Reading Festival
23:40and showed just
23:41how much the
23:42musical landscape
23:43had changed
23:44for the better
23:44with the minute.
23:53Though they had
23:54performed at the fest
23:55the previous year,
23:56their star
23:57had skyrocketed
23:58since the release
23:59of Nevermind
23:59and this performance
24:01proved the hype
24:02was worth it.
24:13As with their
24:14MTV Unplugged performance,
24:16Kurt Cobain proved
24:22why he was
24:23such a revered figure
24:24and every version
24:25of every song
24:26here sounds fantastic.
24:28And the band
24:29showed a great
24:30sense of humor,
24:31starting off
24:31Smells Like Teen Spirit
24:32by playing Boston's
24:33More Than a Feeling.
24:38It wasn't just a feeling.
24:40Nirvana really
24:41was that good.
24:42Number 5.
24:43Beyoncé at the
24:44Coachella Valley
24:44Music and Arts Festival.
24:49Beyoncé fans
24:50were disappointed
24:51when the pop icon
24:52had to cancel
24:53her headlining performance
24:54at the 2017
24:55Coachella Festival
24:56due to her pregnancy.
24:57While she had
24:58performed at
24:59Glastonbury Festival
25:00in 2011
25:01while 8 weeks pregnant,
25:08the risk was just
25:10too great this time around.
25:11However,
25:12she did appear
25:13at the following
25:13year's fest
25:14and she absolutely
25:15showed out.
25:22With powerhouse
25:24performances of songs
25:25throughout her catalog,
25:26including several
25:27with her famed group
25:28Destiny's Child,
25:29Beyoncé showed
25:29exactly why she's
25:30known as Queen Bee.
25:31and there were
25:41incredible outfits,
25:42choreography,
25:43and unbelievable energy
25:45all around.
25:46Beychella was a night
25:47to remember.
25:48And while there have been
25:57plenty of great shows
25:58throughout its years,
25:59this is arguably
26:00Coachella's single
26:01best show.
26:03Number 4.
26:03The Beatles
26:04at Shea Stadium.
26:05We all know
26:06that the Beatles
26:06are beloved,
26:07but if you want
26:08an idea of just
26:09how intense
26:10this fandom was,
26:11watch footage
26:12of them playing
26:12at Shea Stadium
26:13in Queens.
26:20The Fab Four
26:21kicked off
26:21their second U.S. tour
26:23in truly spectacular fashion.
26:25And the crowd
26:26of more than
26:2755,000
26:28were so ecstatic,
26:29the band had trouble
26:30hearing themselves
26:31over the screaming.
26:32But ever the professionals,
26:42they were still able
26:43to pull off
26:43a brilliant performance.
26:52While there are
26:53still bands around
26:54today who can
26:55pack stadiums,
26:56there aren't many
26:57who can inspire passion
26:58on the same level
26:59as the Beatles.
27:02There are some venues
27:14that are considered
27:15holy grails
27:16among musicians.
27:17London's
27:17Royal Albert Hall
27:18is one of them.
27:24Dating back
27:25to the Victorian era,
27:26this concert hall
27:27has hosted everything
27:28from ballet
27:29to opera
27:29to rock concerts.
27:31Specifically,
27:32it hosted Led Zeppelin
27:33at the prime
27:34of their career.
27:44On tour for
27:45Led Zeppelin II,
27:46the band proved
27:46they were more than
27:47worthy of the
27:48hallowed space
27:48with their unrelenting
27:49energy and
27:50first-rate musicianship.
27:52This concert was preserved
28:01and remastered on DVD
28:02in 2003.
28:11With this concert,
28:12you'll see why the names
28:13Robert Plant and Jimmy Page
28:15are held in such high regard.
28:17Woodstock is one of those
28:28historic events
28:29that is as important
28:31as people say it is.
28:40And Jimmy Hendrix's performance
28:42performance there
28:43is in an absolute
28:44class of its own.
28:53The guitar legend
28:55became a generational icon
28:56with his headline performance.
28:58So much about this performance
29:00has become part of
29:00pop culture lore.
29:01From Hendrix's fringed jacket
29:09and red bandana
29:10to his courageous rendition
29:12of the Star-Spangled Banner.
29:13But Hendrix could perform
29:21any song in any outfit
29:23and his genius
29:24would still shine through.
29:25With all due respect
29:26to anyone who's ever
29:27picked up an electric guitar
29:29since this performance,
29:30there's no topping Hendrix.
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29:56Number 1.
29:57Queen at Live Aid.
30:02Many renowned artists
30:04performed at Wembley Stadium
30:05for the Live Aid
30:06benefit concert in 1985,
30:08including David Bowie,
30:10The Who,
30:10and Paul McCartney.
30:11Mama,
30:13just give her back.
30:17However,
30:18there's one performance
30:19that stands not only
30:21as the greatest of Live Aid,
30:23but also arguably
30:24the greatest performance
30:25in recorded musical history.
30:28Radio Bamba,
30:29Queen performed for a mere 21 minutes,
30:39but they did more
30:40with that time
30:41than most bands do
30:42with their entire careers.
30:44Every single moment
30:53from Bohemian Rhapsody
30:54to We Are The Champions
30:55was transcendent,
30:57and frontman Freddie Mercury
30:58and his white tank top
30:59shone brightest of all.
31:01The Queen legend lives on
31:02to this day,
31:03and this performance
31:04is a major reason why.
31:06But what legendary performance
31:18springs to your mind
31:19when you think
31:20of the all-time greats?
31:21Let us know
31:21in the comments below.
31:22We'll see you next time.
31:23We'll see you next time.
31:24We'll see you next time.
31:24We'll see you next time.
31:24We'll see you next time.
31:25We'll see you next time.
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