4. So, in hindsight, its not incredibly shocking that they turned to disco in the mid-70s. They were merely a group of local musicians who came together for a paid gig (the album recording) and then ended up getting enough paid gigs after that (for both Springsteen and other musicians) that it made sense to become a band. For ZZ Top (which sported a much different look from the bearded act known today), the controversy added to their mystique. While the tour's production was notable, particularly it's rotating LED cube dubbed "the Monolith," it was Beyonc's ever-improving talent that stole the show. Their biggest album, "For Those About to Rock, We Salute You, topped charts in 1983, but in 2008 they were still going strong. i was lucky enough to see the crue 3 times in the 80s.the theater of pain ,girls girls girls and dr feelgood tours . Its a moment in time where both the group and their fandom was becoming larger than life -- yet the group was still blissfully unaware of how huge they would all get in a few years, both as a unit and as individuals, with Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Syd tha Kid, and others rocketing upwards into successful solo careers. Nothing new, or exciting, or experimental had popped up in a number of years. The groups 2011 tour was their first proper tour instead of a smattering of dates. While on vacation with his wife in Fiji,Keith Richards took a hard fall out of a coconut tree and suffered a major concussion. Heres everything to know, The biggest music festivals in 2022: Dates, cities, ticket info, lineups announced, What is MegaSeats? And their proximity to the artist doesnt seem to matter, as ticket sales are up in every venue from intimate clubs to massive stadiums. The tour opened ona cathedral backdrop with biblical scriptures booming from the speakersand men dressed as monks filling the stage, before quickly shifting into Madonnas #1 hits "Girl Gone Wild and "Material Girl. Later in the show, Madonna pulled out a fake gun and "shot multiple people, a move that didnt go over well with some audience members. Arcade Fire was the band whose live shows spread like wildfire. Pink Floyd- The Dark Side of the Moon Tour (1972-73), Concertgoers can be a tough crowd to please. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. And while every NIN fan will have their personal favorite, many would agree that Reznor and band were never tighter or more invested than on their Fragility Tour, which just so happened to feature a then virtually unknown band called A Perfect Circle opening on the 2.0 leg of the trek. Songs that began quietly grew into a dark, rumbling experience, with Cave descending into the crowd as if he and the crowd became one. Its so iconic that its routinely covered today (down to every last detail) by The Musical Box, a Genesis cover band that Gabriel himself donated instruments and set design pieces to so the tour can reach a new generation. Matt Melis, 18. Nearly every night of the tour, fans were surprised by casual guest appearances, including Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Beck, John Legend, Lorde, Mary J. Blige, Mick Jagger, St. Vincent, and more. Pop and the Stooges would go on to get their due as a seminal proto-punk outfit, but their largest impact may just be Pop demonstrating the lengths a frontman could go to connect to an audience. Tina Turner-- Break Every Rule World Tour (1987), The history of the music industry tells us that youre supposed to retire in your mid-40s, not make a comeback and set out on your most ambitious tour yet. St. Vincent- Fear the Future Tour (2017-18), What do you do when youre one of the greatest guitarists of all time? -- Matt Melis, 81. His songs skipped from bizarre folk to outlier rap to heavy rock and glitchy pop. -- Matt Melis, Pop wouldn't be weird without the help of Kate Bush, and that includes her aura on the live stage. Total tour attendance: 2.67 million Watching the band onstage, it was impossible not to feel her energy transmit to onlookers, encouraging them, too, to seize as much as possible out of life in any given chance. Year(s): 2013. But in 1985, that all changed when Guns N Roses hit the stage. symphony orchestra Four days before the first date of the tour, Beyonc dropped Lemonade, a surprise visual concept album complete with a 65-minute film and 12 staggering songs. During their reunion shows in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, Jawbreaker gave generations new and old the chance to hear their material live and sounding better than most everyone expected them to, too. Various Artists - Motortown Revue (1960s), The Motortown Revue was a series of traveling lineups throughout the 60s that allowed Berry Gordy to package and showcase his talent at Motown to both the chitlin circuit and later on the world. Nina Corcoran, 08. For an artist constantly reaching beyond our collective imagination, Bjrk outdid herself in a way few could have expected or understood, even while watching it unfold before their eyes. Buyer pays for return shipping. Bill Wyman walked away from the band, saying that he was tired of touring and would no longer continue playing with the group. by Will, December 15, 2014 The most famous instance came between songs at a concert in Manchester. Matt Melis, Its understandable that The Jackson 5 and The Jacksons are treated as footnotes in Michael Jacksons career. Shows played: 124 David Bowie The Ziggy Stardust Tour (1972-73), With three months to absorb the songs on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, American David Bowie fans weren't prepared for what the musical icon would bring to the stage when he visited the US for the first time in 1972. Luckily, hes getting to follow that Yellow Brick Road one last time. While both acts put on good sets, it was Green Day whose live show remained consistent and invigorating, whereas Blinks tour prior to this one was their tightest so far. If live music is all about reaching out and connecting with an audience, Coyne can be credited for finally improving on the classic crowd surf. It took me a lifetime to get here, she told them. Against Me! While its true that Iggy and the Stooges failed to sell records early on, its also documented that the unpredictable outfit put on some of the most intense shows anyone had ever seen. The veteran band had finally made it that long way to the top and were reveling in every last second of it. Commercially viable and artistically varied, grindcore earned itself the space to be taken seriously and grow on that tour, eventually developing into the monolith it is today. One of two tours on the list that is still announcing new dates, Billy Joels "Billy Joel in Concert tour so far has booked 16 dates for 2019. When did Kanye hit his stride? That's what the Rollercoaster Tour was for britpop obsessives and shoegaze fans. While Bjrk never shies away from absurdist outfits, powerful live accompaniment, or creative stage designs on tour, it was the Biophilia tour that saw her questioning how to turn the invisible physicality of music into a visible one. Total tour attendance: 5.50 million Maybe that pain fueled the music. Check out SoundMojo to discover tomorrow's. OutKasts reunion in 2014 to celebrate their 20th anniversary started off shakier than everyone, including Andr 3000 and Big Boi themselves, had hoped: technical problems sparked, the audio was too quiet, and they cut material after losing track of time. The band reunited for 156 shows, playing theirfinal show at Madison Square Garden. U2 certainly fit that category, and the choice is made all the more difficult because theyre the type of band thats evolved so much over the years. This seminal, month-long run in the band's history is the tour that could turn the most oblivious listener into a cultish fan. 30 day returns. The tour thrilled millions, sent Prince even higher into the stratosphere, and pissed off Tipper Gore. --Matt Melis, 93. Little Richard 1962 European Tour (1962), By the early 60s, Little Richard (born Richard Penniman) had traded in rock and roll for gospel. The run would not only feature openers like Joni Mitchell, Santana, and The Beach Boys, but would also act as a prototype for the massive stadium tours that would come to dominate subsequent decades. Looking unassuming and average, the members of Talking Heads took the stage on their Speaking in Tongues tour like any normal passersby. Do they have fees? Comments. Do your parents know youre Ramones? the band famously get asked in Rock n Roll High School. It was a hint of what was to come before infighting became the norm, the band broke up, and Strummer eventually passed away. Stacker has rounded up 30 of the top-grossing music tours of all time. Rod Stewart at Copacabana Beach (1994) - 4.2 million attendees. Shows played: 197 Total tour attendance: 4.13 million Nina Corcoran, 79. Back in 2003, the White Stripes had just released Elephant and were in the midst of defining the garage rock revival. On the Victory Tour, his last stint as a Jackson, he actually performed his solo albums Off the Wall and Thriller with the group and stunned the world with his moonwalk, single glove, and sequined jacket trademarks hed take with him into his solo career. Beginning with the "Voodoo tour, Wyman was replaced with the groupscurrent bassist, Darryl Jones. Taylor Swift- The 1989 World Tour (2015), If Taylor Swift is an icon who will go down in history, then the 1989 World Tour is what future generations will study to understand why. However, the Bad World Tour was the moment Jackson took over the world and truly became the King of Pop. Year(s): 2017. Total tour attendance: 2.21 million Most nights of the tour opened with their classic hit "Message in a Bottle, but the August 2008 show began withCreams "Sunshine of Your Lovea moving tribute to the band who had played their own final show at MSG years prior. It wasnt an act of innovation in their eyes; it was an act of betrayal. Midway through the tour, the Stones took a month-long break. The band turned into nine-piece rock band-turned-funk group, amping the stakes up to the point where everyone would get out of their seats to dance along -- at shows and in movie theaters, when some of the last tour dates were filmed to create the concert documentary Stop Making Sense. by Stephen Spiewak, December 20, 2022 (Malik left in the spring of 2015. Nina Corcoran, 90. While it promoted the album, it also served as the backdrop for their next record, Yessongs, a live album that captured what it was like to hear them without studio gear tweaking things. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $301,000,000 Queen had no idea that their world was about to change forever, but they certainly left it all on the stage. And two minutes later, it starts all over again. Today's Top Quizzes in The Rolling Stones. Shania Twain- Come on Over Tour (1998-99), Come on Over is one of those albums that hit at the perfect moment. In many ways, the Highway to Hell Tour can be seen as Bon, on his last tour, handing the mic to Brian to continue down that satanic highway. Like Santa himself, Stevens packed every toy he could imagine: inflatable toys, excessive hats, neverending garland, and one giant wheel to be spun at shows to decide which traditional Christmas songs should be added to a setlist of original Christmas songs. Send a Message. Total tour attendance: 3.23 million Throw in Faith No More, Body Count, Motrhead, and, um, Andrew Dice Clay as select openers, and what more could a metalhead want? Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues Tour (1983), The year was 1983. Which was more awesome, The Joshua Tree or Zoo TV? Nina Corcoran, 51. Jawbreaker- 2018 Reunion Tour (2018), For 10 solid years, punk fans and emo kids got to soak up the earnest talent that was Jawbreaker. As Joey once said, People looked at us like we were from Mars. If the band couldnt play a single note, their appearance alone could have influenced a generation. However, in 1993, the band began to splinter. Matt Melis, 48. Is it legit? Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood: World Tour, #15. With eight digital sources acting as video streams, LED screens projected various video and lighting effects that the band could add effects to on the fly. Nina Corcoran, 88. Otis Redding - 1967 European Tour (1967), Like many on this list, especially artists of color during the American civil rights movement, Otis Redding toured as an ambassador as much as a soul singer. As single after single climbed both country and mainstream charts, you were just as likely to hear Shania Twain blasting from a 16-year-old teen girls first car as a rugged pickup truck. New Jersey bandBon Jovi appeared on the scene in 1980 with big hair and electric smiles. (It always seems to take critics a little bit longer.) Three years prior to that she was . AC/DC didnt so much replace Bon as they went out and found another brother with the same electric current pumping through his veins. Whether it was fearlessly taunting a lightning storm at Lollapalooza or lunging into the audience at indoor shows throughout the tour, Florence Welch showed the type of full-faced courage that fills the band's music with tangible flashes of life. Even more impressive than the bevy of talent was the fact that the tour raised more than 10 million dollars for charities in its successful short run. Ever since his days as a Beatle, Paul McCartney has been wildly popular. "USA for Africa," as the U.S. ensemble was known, featured Jackson, Richie, Geldof, Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, and many. The finished product captures memorable tours that hopefully all music fans can appreciate. From the stone pyramids to the bedazzled face masks to the abundance of religious imagery, the Yeezus tour was a visual feast for one of Kanyes strongest albums. What was the best concert you attended during the 1980s? The tour, whose set list leaned heavily on the bands most recent release "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, spurred three concert films: "Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago, "Vertigo: Live from Milan, and "U2 3D., Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $493,336,432 Despite winning Album of the Year at the Grammys, Arcade Fire still performed with an exuberant, impassioned, almost amateaur energy that recalled their early years, the type of intense live delivery that suggested the band was leaving it all on the floor just for you, that very night, right before your eyes. The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang Tour, 100 best sci-fi films of all time, according to critics, Best New Artist winners, ranked by popularity today, most successful musical acts of the 1970s, the greatest rock & roll band in the world, Coldplays breakthrough single, "Yellow,, marked the first time in over two decades, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1. At these events, fans could see established acts like Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and James Brown supported by future stars like a teenage Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, and The Temptations. Guns N' Roses: Not in This Lifetime Tour, #2. Year(s): 200506, Concert films have become a major trend over the last several decades, and U2s "Vertigo tour wasno exception. List of the Largest Concerts Ever. Its the circle of life, folks. Jackson set both attendance and revenue records while performing 123 times in 15 countries, and his singular combination of distinctive singing, otherworldly dancing, and must-copy fashion made him a pop-culture icon of the highest order from then on. Almost a decade later, they booked a proper string of dates from 2006 into 2007 and got busy creating what would retroactively be named the Alive 2006/2007 tour. And yet for what a supposed destructive slog it was, the Sex Pistols' subpar tour turned sour, fizzling out on live radio while captivating everyone who tuned it. Shows played: 205 Matt Melis, Few punk rock bands cause as much of a ruckus before even getting to the stage as the Sex Pistols, which explains why their first and last US tour was one in the same. Following Autobahns chart success overseas in 1974, the group visited the States, Canada, and the UK for the first time the following year. Astroworld Festival Nov. 5, 2021 Houston, Texas Concert deaths: 9 After all, Alive was the dance party everybody wanted to see and the tour everyone regrets not going to, even if nabbing tickets was nearly impossible anyway. Neutral Milk Hotel, the scraggly indie rock band that influenced a sea of younger acts went from an obscure band whose legend grew through mixtapes and word of mouth during their hiatus, got back together again after 15 years to the delight of young fans everywhere. Ouch. No matter how big the crowds would get or how elaborate the stage setups would one day become, theres still something utterly mesmerizing about the band, as captured forever in their Red Rocks performance on that tour. Do they have fees? The most infamous example might be when Youngs bus diverged from Stills while on tour, and Old Shakey sent his quitting papers to Stills via telegram. And, whats more, they should be seen and heard among a massive throng of other Deadheads. And while his fans have had many opportunities to see him play his old hits since then and even perform face-to-face with Elton John dozens of times, footage from the Innocent Man Tour makes us long for, or at least look back fondly on, the days when rock and roll was, well, still rock and roll to Billy Joel. Bruce Springsteenand the E Street Band - Darkness Tour (1978), Road warriors might be the best way to describe Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Boz Scaggs - Summer 2023 Tour - Chevalier Theatre Boz Scaggs - Summer 2023 Tour Wed May 17th - 8:00PM Tickets Buy Drinks SEAT TYPE: Fully seated PRICE: $55 - $299 Bio It's appropriate that Boz Scaggs' new album is Out of the Blues, since the blues is what first sparked his five-decade musical career. Nine Inch Nails- Fragility (1999-00), Trent Reznor has been the most prominent face of industrial rock since the early 1990s. No Doubt, Deftones, L7, Quicksand, and Sublime all performed, touring the states with no idea of what a massive footmark they were leaving, one that would eventually widen to resemble a bigger beast altogether. And live, he could flaunt that wide range of material while flaunting why he is, more than anything else, a born performer. If youre going to get people grooving to your work, you better up the funk, and Phish turned that knob way the hell up. The chance to see Hendrix in smaller clubs already playing with his teeth and, yes, lighting his guitar on fire (often to the consternation of security) months before Americans got to see it overseas feels like the ultimate sneak preview. Whether its slapping away at his piano, leaping about the stage, or swinging his mic stand around his head like a propeller, well always love that piano man who was more rock and roll than he ever got credit for. When Dylan and his backing band, The Hawks (later known as The Band), set out on their world tour in 1966, the controversy followed them. Five words that nearly every music fan has uttered. Maybe not, but soon enough everyone else did. From the reggae twists to the pop choruses, The Clash were changing the course of history, and the band illuminated it live on the stage. Everyone from KISS to Marilyn Manson owes Cooper a debt for losing his head like that. -- Matt Melis, 80. ), Future Past Tour by Duran Duran featuring Nile Rodgers and Chic, Against the Odds Tour by Blondie featuring The Damned, Tears for Fears Tipping Point Tour with Garbage, The B-52 Farewell Tour with KC and the Sunshine Band and The Tubes on select dates, Made of Rain Tour by Psychedelic Furs, Joy Division: A Celebration Tour by Peter Hook and The Light, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour by Elton John, The Whos The Who fought back! On the Do You Believe? Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $288,513,488 Grande has enlisted A-listers Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, Katy Perry, Take That, Usher and Pharrell Williams to perform at the concert that will benefit the We Love. Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation Tour (1989), Stardom runs deep in the Jackson family. high school Although the decade of excess came to a close over 32 years ago, many of the biggest acts that came of age during the MTV era, like Sting, Duran Duran and Blondie, are still touring in 2022. Live videos from the tour capture what it felt like to be there, from people's shrieking screams for the band at the start of songs to the mischievous air that hung during their stripped-down, acoustic renditions. While this is not a comprehensive list of all concert tours, its the most accurate representation as of January 2019. Nina Corcoran, 50. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Each concert was the backdrop for an impromptu (yet wholly expected) speech about motivation and perseverance. In fact, when his band left after a shortened set, they received a chorus of boos. held between 1980 and 1996 at . 2. . Osbourne wasnt in the healthiest state at the time, but who could resist being the proverbial flying rodent on the wall as Ozzy legendarily bit a dead bat thrown onstage (and had to subsequently get rabies shots) or went outlaw by donning his wifes nightgown, getting smashed, and pissing on The Alamo? The first artist to do that, Joel also broke the record for solo performances at The Garden, previously held by Sir Elton John, when he played his65th concert on July 1, 2015. Shows played: 167 Never has so much vocal talent been on one bill, and while some of these shows would be segregated (one show for whites and a separate one for blacks or the two groups partitioned off during the same performance), The Motortown Revue ultimately helped to break down racial boundaries at a critical time during the American civil rights movement. Unfortunately, the magic thats yielded some of the finest folk albums and live moments of all time has often taken a backseat to the duos clashing personal differences. Shows played: 88 Although the decade of excess ended over 32 years ago, many of the biggest bands that grew up in the MTV era, like Sting, Duran Duran and Blondie, are still touring in 2022. While seeing the band break big is incredible on its own, the fact that a handful of remarkable bands shared the stage with them on the tour makes it even more iconic in retrospect: Sonic Youth, Melvins, Hole, Mudhoney, Bikini Kill, Shonen Knife, The Breeders, and more. The band's synthpop was at a musical peak, as was their energy. To catch the brothers Gibbs in concert on the Spirits Having Flown Tour was to see the biggest act in the world at that time. Nina Corcoran, 99. Total tour attendance: 5.39 million The 40 Most Anticipated Tours of 2023: Taylor Swift, SZA, Blink-182, Arctic Monkeys, Beyonc, and More Angel Olsen, Big Thief, Coldplay, Dry Cleaning, Fever Ray, Glorilla, Kelela, and more of the. While it's easy to point to the mystical vibe of the tour with its use of miming, magic, and readings during her costume changes, it's her choreography that changed the course of history. Bob Marley and the Wailers -- Uprising Tour (1980), Bob Marley might best be thought of as an ambassador: for reggae, his native Jamaica, Rastafarianism, and human rights. To publish, simply grab the HTML code or text to the left and paste into Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $476,474,639 The footage that exists of the tour shows a rock band still in its prime with Mercury playfully teasing the crowd in between showing off some of the greatest pipes in rock history. Crazy, but thats how it goes. Mick Jagger has also cited Little Richards electric shows as an inspiration. On the bands fifth and last studio album, The Police showed their skills not just as musicians, but as a trio of outstanding musicians who could find the best possible way to fuse their ideas together. With the release of Guero, his ninth studio album, Beck found a new string of singles -- like "E-Pro" and "Girl" -- to hook audiences with. Their first UK Tour saw the band sharing a bill with, among others, a young Cat Stevens and Engelbert Humperdinck. The Eagles: Long Road Out of Eden Tour, #24. The Rolling Stones: Bridges to Babylon Tour, #6. The legendary tour, of course, gets best remembered for a single storm-shortened night in Central Park. But still, to see them for the first time had to be wild: a gang of four delinquents in black leather jackets, Joey looming like a giant, Dee Dee barking out the count, and that wall of noise hitting an audience right on the chin. Shows played: 100, For many an instrumentalist, landing a job withthe E Street Band would be a dream come true. There was a particular round of dates during this era, though, that stand extra tall in hindsight: their stretch with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs opening. It marked the zenith of the Eagles as a country-rock outfit, and many argue the band has never soared higher. Total tour attendance: 4.62 million Not all iconic tours are flawless, as sometimes its their flaws that make them stand out. (Note: NJ.com readers using Vivid Seats for the first time can get $20 off ticket orders over $200 with promo code NJ20 at checkout. By the traveling fests second year, the lineup flexed an undeniable whos who of talent, including eclectic acts ranging from Sinad OConnor and Liz Phair to Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott across three stages. To have seen Hendrix during this period might have been too blinding to fully appreciate.