- 10 hours ago
From tragic endings to triumphant farewells, some legendary songs have had profound final performances. Join us as we look at the last time iconic tracks were played live by music's greatest artists! Our list includes The Beatles' rooftop "Get Back," Queen's "We Are the Champions," and Prince's intimate "Purple Rain." Which final musical moment moved you the most?
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00:00I have become comfortably loved
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:10And today, we're looking at the very last performances of some of the greatest songs to have ever been written.
00:17It's been a long time, it's been a long time
00:20Lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time
00:25Desperado, The Eagles
00:28Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
00:36Though not their last performance overall, the death of Glenn Frey certainly brought an era of the Eagles to an end.
00:43In 2015, he joined his bandmates for the final date of their tour, rocking a very amped-up Louisiana crowd with a string of their hits.
00:52That concluded with a rousing rendition of Desperado, co-written by Frey and Don Henley.
00:58Little did we know that Frey would sadly pass away six months later, at the age of 67.
01:04While the band have continued to tour with Glenn's son, Deacon, on board,
01:08His death was most certainly the closing of a chapter.
01:12Ahead by a century, the Tragically Hip.
01:22Fans of the Canadian music icons, the Tragically Hip, came to support their heroes in droves when they announced their final ever show in the town they formed, Kingston, Ontario.
01:40With the news that singer Gord Downey was terminally ill.
01:43This was more than just a goodbye to the band.
01:46In the end, the show was just about as poignant as you could imagine.
01:50They played 30 songs, three encores, and the event itself became a national sensation, viewed by a third of the Canadian population.
01:59They ended the show with a head by a century.
02:02Eighteen months later, Downey had passed away.
02:06Proud Mary
02:15Tina Turner
02:16Are there any musicians who managed to pull off a career comeback quite like Tina Turner?
02:29Following the end of her turbulent marriage in collaboration with her ex-husband, Ike Turner, Tina could have very easily faded into obscurity.
02:37However, a massive resurgence in the 1980s completely flipped the script.
02:42By the time she reached 50 years in the business, she decided to return to the stage for one last tour.
02:48She went out there in her mid-70s and proved why she was an all-timer.
02:52Her final tour stop in Sheffield, England, was highlighted by a powerful rendition of Proud Mary, a song she had been rocking for decades prior.
03:01She announced her retirement shortly after.
03:04Rollin', Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' on the river
03:12Summertime
03:13Janis Joplin
03:15No, no, no, no, no, no, don't you cry!
03:19There was so much to enjoy about Janis Joplin's brief career.
03:24Revered as one of the rising talents of her generation, Joplin eventually lost her life to an overdose at the age of 27.
03:32Her final show was at the Harvard Stadium in Massachusetts, and in classic Janis fashion, it displayed her at her very best.
03:39Her version of the George Gershwin pen standard Summertime was the second-to-last song on the set, but it was the last time we heard Janis sing.
03:48The band finished the show with an instrumental, and Joplin took her final bow.
03:53On the team, take to the sky!
04:00Heart-Shaped Box
04:01Nirvana
04:02See as we like, our class is well out there
04:09While Nevermind is most certainly the most famous and iconic Nirvana album, hardcore fans are more likely to flock to its follow-up in utero.
04:18The album represented a major change in sound and direction for the band, but its tour would ultimately be the last that Kurt Cobain ever embarked upon.
04:27The band's final gig took place in Germany and was hampered by several technical and performance issues.
04:33Cobain's voice was struggling.
04:35The acoustics were bad, and by the time the closer Heart-Shaped Box came around, the band were just trying to get it done.
04:42Kurt would take his own life a month later, sealing his place among rock music's most tragic figures.
04:55Hurricane
04:56Bob Dylan
04:57Here comes the story of the hurricane
05:00The man the authorities came to blame
05:04Known for wildly varying his set lists from tour to tour, it's still surprising that Bob Dylan never decided to play his iconic hit Hurricane ever again after he closed that promotional chapter.
05:15Sure, it's a pretty heavy-handed protest song that was about a very specific time and place in history, but after the mid-70s, it practically disappeared.
05:24It's not the only famous song of his that he doesn't play anymore, but it is certainly one that would go down well if he ever decided to dust it off and make some lyric changes.
05:33Although, who knows what it would sound like with his modern-day voice.
05:37He put in a prison cell for a long time, he could've been the champion of the world.
05:45Freebird
05:46Lynyrd Skynyrd
05:47I must be traveling home now
05:52Out of all of the ways a classic era for a band can end, few groups got hit with a tragedy quite like Lynyrd Skynyrd.
05:59Right at the peak of their powers in 1977, a post-gig plane crash killed band members Ronnie Van Zandt, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines, as well as several others on board.
06:11That final show in the Greenville Memorial Auditorium in Greenville, South Carolina was the last time fans heard the band performing in that original lineup.
06:19It was also the final performance of their magnum opus, Freebird, the song that closed the show.
06:25The best is yet to come. Frank Sinatra
06:40Frank Sinatra
06:41Frank Sinatra's final ever concert came during a private event at the Desert Classic Golf Tournament.
06:52He took the stage to perform a series of standards while ending with the ominously titled The Best Is Yet To Come.
06:58That show would stand as the last one in his storied career, and three years later in 1998, he would pass away at the age of 82.
07:07Considering that he was one of the most iconic celebrity figures of the 20th century, it should come as no surprise that the world joined together in paying tribute to his legacy.
07:18Well, that was wonderful.
07:23American Girl
07:25Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
07:27Well, she was an American girl
07:31Raised on promises
07:34When Tom Petty and his band The Heartbreakers closed out their 40th anniversary tour with American Girl, it didn't feel like a goodbye.
07:41They seemed to be at the top of their game, despite the four decades they had spent on the road.
07:46They were just three years removed from their last studio albums, and by no means looking like they were running out of steam.
07:53However, fate had cruel plans, and just one week later, Petty died of an accidental overdose at 66 years old.
08:01Few bands managed to consistently produce the goods quite like Petty and his heartbreakers did.
08:06She was an American girl
08:11Hallelujah!
08:12Leonard Cohen
08:13It goes like this
08:16The fourth
08:17The fifth
08:18The minor fall
08:20The major lift
08:22It was a truly unfortunate thing that Leonard Cohen was forced back onto the road after discovering that his manager had stolen millions from his retirement fund.
08:30However, one good thing that came out of it was a huge resurgence in popularity for Cohen, and a critically adored world tour.
08:37The final show of said tour took place in Auckland, New Zealand, and displayed Cohen in fine form.
08:43Three encores and a series of his biggest hits made picking out one highlight real difficult.
08:49Of course, Hallelujah was the show's climax, though.
08:52When Cohen left the stage, it marked the last time we would hear these songs sung live.
08:57He passed away three years later, at the age of 82.
09:00At the age of 82.
09:01Hallelujah!
09:02Hallelujah!
09:03Hallelujah!
09:08Redemption Song
09:10Bob Marley
09:11Yes, this little song here is called Old Pirates, you know, a redemption song.
09:17By the time 1980 came around, Bob Marley's health was well and truly failing him, although his star power had never been greater.
09:25The last show he delivered with his band, The Wailers, came in Pittsburgh's Stanley Theatre, and nobody knew that this was his final statement.
09:33Marley was naturally in top form, performing a set that was big on classics.
09:38Given what we know now, the fact that he included Redemption Song was an extra special note.
09:44Despite the reggae flavor of the rest of his catalog, that track is just Marley, an acoustic guitar, and the truth.
09:51He passed away from cancer one year later, in 1981.
10:03Can't help falling in love, Elvis Presley
10:06The story of Elvis Presley is one of triumph, innovation, but ultimately of overexertion and excess.
10:21His final tour displayed a man, who had all the charisma and natural talent of a king, but he looked like a shadow of his old self.
10:28Elvis ended that run of shows with a date in Indianapolis, and closed the gig with his seminal hit, Can't Help Falling In Love.
10:36Just a few weeks later, his health problems worsened, and he died.
10:40His passing was a unifying moment for music fans across multiple genres, and to this day, it remains one of the most impactful deaths of the 20th century.
10:50Falling In Love
10:56We Are The Champions
10:58Queen
11:00No frontman in rock and roll history has exuded the type of natural charisma that Freddie Mercury did.
11:09That made it all the harder for Queen fans to deal with him stepping away from the stage in the final years of his life.
11:15His battle with AIDS is one of the most well-documented health sagas in music, and eventually, he succumbed to that fight in 1991.
11:24His last show with Queen, however, was in 1986, where they delivered a stellar setlist to a legion of British fans.
11:31Nobody could have known it would be Freddie's last dance, and that We Are The Champions would be the last song he ever sang publicly.
11:40Johnny B. Good
11:50Chuck Berry
11:51No list of the hardest working musicians in rock and roll would be complete without a mention of the great Chuck Berry.
12:03While most musicians consider retirement as their late 70s and early 80s go by, Berry had no intention of stopping.
12:12He held a monthly residency in the bar and restaurant Blueberry Hill in St. Louis.
12:17This more stripped-back setting let Chuck indulge himself in a far less overblown stage show.
12:22As it turned out, he would play his last-ever show there, too, finishing his career with a 14-song set that, of course, included the great Johnny B. Good.
12:31If Chuck Berry should be remembered for one song, that was it.
12:35He passed away a few years later, in 2017.
12:39Purple Rain
12:44Prince
12:49Though he was known for his bombastic full band performances, Prince's final tour was a far more intimate affair.
12:57The run of shows, entitled Piano and a Microphone, did exactly what they said on the tin.
13:02Hearing this funk, pop, and rock icon without his guitar or backing band led to a much more emotionally impactful concert experience.
13:10Behind the scenes, Prince was dealing with health issues and chronic pain, and eventually, he accidentally overdosed, causing his death at the age of 57.
13:19The final song he performed on stage just so happened to be a medley that contained his signature track, Purple Rain.
13:25A tragic, but fitting closer.
13:28Purple Rain, Purple Rain
13:32War Pigs, Black Sabbath
13:34In the fields of Ozzy Osbourne
13:43Nobody had any idea how close Ozzy Osbourne was to the end of his road when he took the stage at Villa Park in July of 2025.
13:53Billed as one huge celebration of Ozzy, Black Sabbath, and heavy metal in general, the show was a rousing success that saw the Prince of Darkness perform some of his biggest hits.
14:03A highlight for many was the Sabbath opener of War Pigs, our first look at the reformed band together on stage.
14:10Ozzy was confined to a chair, but his presence was felt from the moment the show began.
14:16This one last exertion was the ultimate goodbye to his fans, and just 17 days later, Ozzy had passed away.
14:32Purple Haze
14:33Jimi Hendrix
14:35If there ever was an artist who unfortunately passed away just as he was truly hitting his stride, it was Jimi Hendrix.
14:49Though his output up to 1970 was phenomenal, the general consensus was that he likely would have done even greater work had he extended his run into the 70s.
14:59His final performance came at the Open Air Love and Peace Festival in Fehmarn, Germany, just 12 days before his untimely death.
15:08The set had more than a few classic songs, but it was his early hit Purple Haze that stood out as the show's center point.
15:15To this day, guitarists all around the world are marveling at just how genius Jimi and his riffs were.
15:22You got me going for my mind
15:26Tomorrow or just the end of time
15:30Comfortably numb
15:31Pink Floyd
15:32There is no pain
15:34You are receding
15:37Given that the band has had years upon years of petty comments in the media and legal battles in the courtroom, the idea of a Pink Floyd reunion seemed unlikely.
15:46However, the right cause can be enough to unite even the greatest of enemies.
15:51So when Live Aid aimed to replicate the success of 1985's Live Aid, Bob Geldof managed to convince the legendary British prog rockers to put aside their differences.
16:00It wasn't a long set by any means, but every song hit home in a different way.
16:05For our money, hearing Comfortably Numb just one more time with Roger Waters and David Gilmour sharing vocals was a real once-in-a-decade kind of treat.
16:15Just don't hold your breath for another reunion.
16:18I cannot put my finger on it now
16:22My child is grown
16:24My dream is gone
16:26Rock and roll
16:28Led Zeppelin
16:29Led Zeppelin
16:35For most Led Zeppelin fans, the less said about their disastrous Live Aid comeback in 1985, the better.
16:41Though the iconic John Bonham had already passed at that point, the surviving members achieved a proper swan song with a one-off London gig in 2007.
16:50The show was a benefit concert to commemorate the life of music executive Ahmet Ertgen.
16:55And somehow, the elusive Zeppelin decided to reform.
16:59The gig itself was a huge success, and the band sounded like they hadn't missed a beat.
17:04Though they had written a dozen songs that would have been fitting as closers, Rock and Roll was the song that brought the curtain down on this legendary group.
17:13What an excellent choice it was!
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17:37Get back!
17:41The Beatles
17:42Do you know what music you're listening to?
17:44The Beatles, obviously.
17:46The Beatles?
17:47Yes.
17:48And this music you're now listening to is going to be on their new LP coming out very shortly.
17:53You like it?
17:54Fabulous.
17:55Definitely.
17:56Fantastic.
17:57The first concert that brought us live performances of many of the songs The Beatles featured on their
18:01Let It Be album took place on the rooftop of their own company, Applecore.
18:06We didn't know it yet, but it would also be the last time the band would play live together.
18:11Seeing John, Paul, George, and Ringo making one final public appearance was a real treat.
18:16But they were not a band who were built to last.
18:19Out of all the songs they performed, their version of Get Back has had the most enduring impact.
18:25Though they were nearly at the end of their run, this was very clearly still the Beatles at the absolute peak of their powers.
18:34Get back to where you want to!
18:39Get back!
18:46Don't smoke.
18:47I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, I hope we pass the audition.
18:51But which performance do you consider to be the greatest in music history?
18:56Let us know in the comments below.
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