The most iconic concerts in history

The best concerts in the history of music
Queen - Wembley, London - 1986
Woodstock - White Lake, New York - 1969
Radiohead - Glastonbury, United Kingdom - 1997
Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii - Honolulu, Hawaii - 1973
The Beatles - Apple Studios, London - 1969
Oasis - Knebworth, United Kingdom - 1996
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Berlin - 1988
Muse - Wembley, London - 2007
U2 - Dortmund - 1984
Guns'n Roses - Paris - 1992
AC/DC - Berlin - 2015
Bon Jovi - Wembley, London - 1995
Deep Purple - Osaka and Tokyo, Japan - 1972
Dire Straits - Wembley, London - 1985
Eminem - Manchester - 2001
Iron Maiden - Chile - 2009
Morrisey - Finsbury Park, London - 1992
Pink Floyd - London - 1994
Pulp - Glastonbury - 1995
The Doors - The Bowl, Hollywood, USA - 1968
The best concerts in the history of music

The concerts in this list are known for being some of the best concerts in the history of music. To confirm it, you should ask any of the 72.000 people who saw the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in concert in 1988. They will never stop talking about it.

Queen - Wembley, London - 1986

It's a video many have seen on YouTube: Freddy Mercury leading a crowd of 100.000 people from a 49-meter wide and 16-meter high stage. The Queen's singer enchanted the mass audience in this 1986 Wembley concert.

 

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Woodstock - White Lake, New York - 1969

This is kind of a cheat because Woodstock wasn't a concert but a festival. But what a festival! It had Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin, among others. These artists sang for love, peace, and life to an entire generation. The concert reunited more than 400.000 people and the pictures still fascinate the world.

Radiohead - Glastonbury, United Kingdom - 1997

It rained, they had technical issues, and still, the concert of Thom Yorke and his band was iconic. They presented what to many is the best album in recent music history: 'Ok Computer'. It was their third album and a change of registry to the surprise and delight of everyone who attended the famous festival. This album and concert are still ingrained in people's memories.

Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii - Honolulu, Hawaii - 1973

At 38 years old, the King of Rock had to lose 25 pounds in three months to perform a live concert for 40 countries via NBC. The artist sang 25 songs and made millions of dollars. He ended the show with the iconic 'Can't Help Falling in Love'.

The Beatles - Apple Studios, London - 1969

Maybe it wasn't the best concert of the four of Liverpool, but it's the most iconic one and the last of the band. The Beatles had recorded an album in the studio and were tired of going on tour. They decided to present the album in an impromptu concert at the top of the Apple Studios building. The group performed 9 songs and paralyzed the center of London until the police arrived and forced them to stop.

Oasis - Knebworth, United Kingdom - 1996

They had The Charlatans, Kula Shaker, Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, The Prodigy, and The Chemical Brothers as support bands, making it an incredible event before it even started. The performances were divided into two different concerts and had an attendance of 125.000 people each, although they received almost 3 million ticket requests. Noel Gallagher said: "This is history, this is history, right here, right now."

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Berlin - 1988

When 'The Boss' was at the peak of his career, he played in East Germany to entertain the younger population under the communist regime. As a result, 160.000 people vibrated to the sound of music in the Weibensee Renilbah stadium, just miles away from the Berlin Wall.

Muse - Wembley, London - 2007

Matt Bellamy and his band are some of the most recognized rock bands of the early 2000s. Muse is loved for their music but also for their live shows. The top of the tops was their gig in 2007 in the newly reformed Wembley stadium, when thanks to innovative visual effects and lights the group delivered an outstanding performance.

U2 - Dortmund - 1984

The last concert U2's European 'Unforgettable Tour' took place in the Estfalenhalle Arena. Although the tour had begun with delays and canceled gigs, it is now part of the history of music. German television made a live broadcast of the concert and now it's on record for everyone to enjoy.

Guns'n Roses - Paris - 1992

Axl Rose, Slash and company were the dominant force in the rock scene of the early '90s. One of their most memorable concerts took place in Paris in front of 60.000 people. The concert was part of their 'Use Your Illusion World Tour' and took more than 2.5 hours. It had supporting artists like Lenny Kravitz and Steve Tyler.

AC/DC - Berlin - 2015

The Australian band spent two years going around the world thanks to their 'Rock or Bust World Tour'. Some of the concerts held more than 100.000 people, but the one that felt most special took place at the Olimpiastadion of Berlin, where 70.000 spectators enjoyed one of the best concerts of the group.

Bon Jovi - Wembley, London - 1995

This was the first recorded concert in Bon Jovi's career. That's why, besides songs from his last album 'These Days', the concert had some of his best hits like 'Livin' on a Prayer' and 'Always'. 72.000 people were vibing in the concert in the old Wembley stadium.

Deep Purple - Osaka and Tokyo, Japan - 1972

Deep Purple traveled to Japan and performed three consecutive concerts that were recorded for their new album 'Made in Japan'. The concerts were a mix of both of their albums, 'In Rock' and 'Machine Head', and some assured that the band and audience reached a mythical union that resulted in one of the best gigs ever.

Dire Straits - Wembley, London - 1985

Dire Straits gave 13 concerts in Wembley Stadium, between the 5th and 16th of July 1985. The concerts were part of their 'Brother in Arms Tour' and some of their best songs, like 'Sultans of Swing' and 'Money for Nothing' were performed.

Eminem - Manchester - 2001

15.000 people attended the best concert of their lives, in which the artist faked his own death, acting like a psycho with a mask and a chainsaw. It was a mad and unique experience.

Iron Maiden - Chile - 2009

Although Iron Maiden was already part of the history of rock, the band faced their Santiago de Chile concert in the Club Hípico as one of the most important ones of their careers. It was the first time they performed in front of 50.000 people and, on top of that, the whole live show was recorded.

Morrisey - Finsbury Park, London - 1992

He had just separated from The Smiths and faced one of the first performances of his solitaire career. The artist made history in Finsbury Park, London in front of 70.000 people, but maybe for the wrong reasons: An image of a skinhead girl was in the background and he was waving a UK flag, sending a confusing political message. People started to throw things at him, even making him stumble and fall.

Pink Floyd - London - 1994

Sometimes being recorded for a DVD is the push some bands need to make an incredible performance, and that's exactly what happened to the British band Pink Floyd in their Earls Court London concert in 1994. The show was so good they even made two DVDs out of it.

Pulp - Glastonbury - 1995

It wasn’t supposed to happen, but The Stone Roses canceled their performance in Glastonbury in 1995 on short notice and Pulp had to perform instead. Jarvis Cocker and his band surprised everyone and put the Sheffield group on the Britpop world scene.

The Doors - The Bowl, Hollywood, USA - 1968

The concert took place in the iconic venue The Bowl, but drugs, alcohol, and also matters of ego had thrown a shadow over the band's reputation. People who were there, allegedly came especially to criticize the band. Yet, they were left with their mouths open when Jim Morrison delivered one of the best performances of his career.

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