While its true he wasnt quite yet the King of Pop, catching him on the Victory Tour could definitely be considered seeing him a mere shamone or two away from his throne. The Rolling Stones: Bridges to Babylon Tour, #6. Its just that in no way was their following at the time commensurate with their impact on the music world. Rod Stewart at Copacabana Beach (1994) - 4.2 million attendees. Total tour attendance: N/A -- Matt Melis, 04. With their valiant Ticketmaster battles behind them, a newfound sense of camaraderie, and Soundgardens Matt Cameron solidifying the bands revolving spot behind the drum kit, Pearl Jam were finally able to commit to making each and every outing be it an intimate show in their hometown of Seattle or under the stars at Wrigley Field a night where anything could, and often does, happen. united states, US senators to investigate Ticketmasters dominance over concert ticket sales, Stampede breaks out at Melbournes Join Cain Arena for US R&B artist Steve Lacys concert, Failure Announces Streaming Concert Film We Are Hallucinations, Elton John Live: Dodger Stadium Farewell: How to Watch, SM Seaside Cebu investigates BLACKPINK concert ticket incident, Blue Man Groups North American Tour Lands in Anchorage, LiveWire Concerts presents Kizz Daniel in concert in Lagos, Ticketmaster cancels upcoming Taylor Swift concert ticket sales, Fox Theater Offers BOGO Show Tickets For COVID-19 Vaccinations, Savannah VOICE Festival unveils 2021 lineup, tickets are now available, Lizzo to return to MN for concert on Treasure Island, Viagogo says unreasonably priced Lorde tickets likely wont sell. And thats precisely what she did. Its funny how history tells a slightly different story, though. Legendary shows at venues like Shea Stadium and the Hollywood Bowl not only helped set attendance and revenue records but also captured footage of just how emotional fans could get at a concert. While touring behind it, she upped the popstar ante with silicone outfits and flashy stage props, but decided to return to her humble roots, too. Those shows broke box-office records across the US previously held by The Rolling Stones as magician and skeptic James Randi introduced a series of gruesome stage effects, freakiest of all a guillotine beheading that put the roll in rock and roll. By the time they branched out in 1976 to play new venues in other cities, their reputation had to have proceeded them. Cher: Living Proof: The Farewell Tour, #20. 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. Total tour attendance: 5.50 million ), Duran Durans Future Past Tour featuring Nile Rodgers and Chic, Buy tickets here: StubHub | Ticketmaster| Vivid Seats, Blondies Against the Odds Tour featuring The Damned, Tears for Fears Tipping Point Tour featuring Garbage, The B-52s Farewell Tour featuring KC and the Sunshine Band and The Tubes on select dates, The Psychedelic Furs Made of Rain Tour featuring X on select dates, Peter Hook & The Lights Joy Division: A Celebration Tour, Elton Johns Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, Red Hot Chili Peppers 2022 World Tour featuring The Strokes, Thundercat, St. Vincent and others on select dates, REO Speedwagons Live and UnZoomed Tour featuring Styx and Loverboy, Violent Femmes featuring Deap Vally, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Bhi Bhiman and The Breeders on select dates, Pet Shop Boys Unity Tour featuring New Order, Daryl Halls BeforeAfter Tour featuring Todd Rundgren and John Oates on select dates, New Kids on the Blocks Mixtape 2022 Tour featuring Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue and Rick Astley, Rick Springfield featuring Men At Work and John Waite on select dates, Iron Maidens Legacy of the Beast Tour featuring Trivium and Within Temptation, Mtley Cre with Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ZZ Tops Raw Whisky Tour featuring Cheap Trick, Sammy Hagar and The Circles Crazy Times Tour featuring George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Dead Kennedys featuring Nekromantix and The Venomous Pinks, Ice Cube featuring LL Cool J on select dates, Weird Als The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour featuring Emo Phillips, The 26 biggest concerts and festivals in N.J. this summer, Is StubHub legit? He can be reached at [emailprotected]. 1966 marked the first time that Stax Records the spiritual home of Memphis Soul had sent its artists out on tour, and Reddings 1967 European Tour met with ecstatic fanfare six months later. Year(s): 2017. Maybe that pain fueled the music. And who can forget those skin-tight pants and spangled jackets? Grossing over $400 million, the tour washis first in three years (a long break for the Boss) and his most heavily attended of all time. David Byrne wiggled like a nervous, fidgeting, unsure nerd. Its The Boss at his best. Phish- Phish Destroys America (1997), Its hard to pick a single best Phish tour, especially if youre a die-hard fan. What was the best concert you attended during the 1980s? 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. Take that, Tito! arts center Despite trying to do the opposite, The Cure became a stadium rock band, the bands outside relationships fell apart, and they almost broke up. It wasnt an act of innovation in their eyes; it was an act of betrayal. A record-setting $10.4 billion was spent in 2018 on concert tickets around the world. His tour "The Wall Live has been called "one of the most ambitious and complex rock shows ever staged. It also markedthe first time that "The Wall had been played in its entirety since a one-off performance beside the (fallen) Berlin Wall in 1990. Ils enchanent avec une tourne travers toute la France durant l'anne 1984. At 73 years old, he was the inspiration for youthful elders everywhere. Its the circle of life, folks. Nina Corcoran, 27. There are a few guidelines and Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $421,251,623 The run included the bands legendary May 8th stop at Cornell, considered by many to be the holy grail of Dead shows. 29. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $364,300,000 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. 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. Shows played: 120 He was working on new graphics! It was a transformation of human expectations, stage design, and low-to-high delivery, thankfully captured on film for preservation. This saw a growth spurt where Newsom brought a full band with her on tour to nail the orchestral-style parts, played at a handful of festivals, and performed four times on live late-night TV shows (somewhat of a rarity for the notoriously secretive artist). 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. Apart from the casual 250.7 million dollars it brought in or the endless thinking pieces surrounding it, the 1989 World Tour stood out because of how Taylor Swift embraced her role as an artist intent on doing it up big while still creating a faux intimacy that fans in the nosebleed seats could enjoy. In the case of Mercury, they would be his final shows ever due to being diagnosed with AIDS the following year. Of all the punk tours of the 2000s, its hard not to look at this 2007 trek and wish you were there. It was the tour where a swatch of die-hard fans who would follow them on tour intentionally decided to fall off, certain Radiohead could never top a tour like this again. Their solution also mimicked Motowns strategy throughout the 60s. Matt Melis, 98. Talking to Radiohead fans about their favorite moments in the bands career is like pouring a bucket of fresh food into a pool of piranhas. Total tour attendance: 4.74 million But over the course of their massive reunion tour playing at more than 40 festivals worldwide, OutKast found their footing, transforming from an underwhelming reunion set to a highlight-laden performance remembered for its stacked setlist, culture commentary via Andrs custom jumpsuits, and the energy the duo still brought out of one another after all of these years. See details Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $345,700,000 Neutral Milk Hotel - Reunion Tour (2013-15), If you wait long enough, eventually the impossible happens. Please sign up now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. With drug charges in the past, the Stones finally hopped across the pond to play sold-out arenas, showing their growth as adults and as professional musicians. By proving they could outdo Blink-182 in a live comparison, Green Day stood out before release American Idiot shortly after and securing their spot as the pop punks who aged well and had fun doing it. 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. All Rights reserved. ), Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $319,972,060 Twain was the perfect blend of show woman, sex appeal, and girl power, which translated into a country-flavored pop show with crossover appeal that hadnt been seen since Garth Brooks proved country and rock and roll belonged onstage together earlier that decade. Year(s): 200811. Total tour attendance: 2.89 million Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $320,710,513 Tomark their 40th anniversary, the Rolling Stones released their first compilation album, "Forty Licks, which featured 40 of their most popular and beloved songs. Nina Corcoran, 85. 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. buy tickets Their "Not in This Lifetime tour marked the first time in over two decades that Rose, Slash, and McKagan shared a stagesomething fans were clearly excited to see. But in 1985, that all changed when Guns N Roses hit the stage. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $526,158,550 But mix that new sound with one of the biggest films of the decade, Saturday Night Fever, and one of the worlds sexiest young stars, John Travolta, and not only did the Bee Gees pull disco off of life support, but they found themselves in the middle of a pop-culture moment that people still talk about today. Nina Corcoran, 75. 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. Thats what makes the groups earlier tours so intriguing. A couple of years later we met at my studio in New York City. Guns N RosesandMetallica- Stadium Tour (1992), Its difficult to imagine a better pairing. It was only because his records were still selling overseas that the founding father of rock agreed to take Sam Cooke and tour Europe in 62. With his vibrantly orange hair and glitter-covered outfits, Bowie moved with the air of someone who had spent his whole life performing to massive crowds, and yet this was nearly the beginning. Check out our hot list of bands and singers touring in 2023. It didn'tcome without controversy, though. Ozzy Osbourne- Diary of a Madman Tour (1981-82), In their early days, Black Sabbath received a polarizing (but consistent) reaction in the States: adoration from fans and mehs from critics. And, whats more, they should be seen and heard among a massive throng of other Deadheads. Like many iconic bands before and after them, critics didnt initially get Zeppelin, panning their records as derivative and unimaginative. The shows themselves saw Prince, oozing sexuality, dive right into the best of Purple Rain and 1999, not hesitating to bring out openers Apolonia 6 or Sheila E. to sing along or to extend a jam by 20 or 30 mesmerizing minutes. Here is everything you need to know, The biggest music festivals in 2022: dates, cities, ticket information, lineups announced, What is MegaSeats? The finished product captures memorable tours that hopefully all music fans can appreciate. The disaster resulted in the tragic deaths of 7 concert-goers. 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. Matt Levy covers the live entertainment industry, writing about upcoming concerts, festivals, shows and events. Though it was a short seven-day tour, it saw the soon-to-be forebearers of the genre joining forces: Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, and Carcass. With multiple tributes to Phife Dawg, moving pauses where Q-Tip and Jarobi White stood off to the side for Phife's verses to be played over the speakers while his image flashed on screen, and '90s hits being sung back to them, word for word, from audiences of all ages, the tour felt like a moment solidifying their place in history: right now, back then, and forever more. In 2010, it finally glowed bright enough for everyone to notice. He had a hit movie, a hit soundtrack, and, with The Revolution behind him, the band hed always wanted. distribution partner, email us at So, not only did Pennimans comeback remind his fans that he had once shaped rock and roll, but he directly influenced the two most popular bands of the 60s. Last year, when the Rolling Stones tour grossed over $130 million and the Eagles earned $59 million, "we were all doing victory dances," says Andy Gensler, editor of the concert industry bible Pollstar. Depeche Mode- World Violation Tour (1990), One of the most popular tours among Depeche Mode fans and electronic fans in general, the World Violation tour saw them kick off 1990 in style. Year(s): 200203. 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. It was the first time wireless mics would ever be used onstage. Kanye West, of course, but especially Kanye during the Yeezus era. Nina Corcoran, 38. Total tour attendance: 4.38 million The 1980s brought the world some of the best music the 20th century had to offer. That tells you about all you need to know. as well as image rights, data visualizations, forward planning tools, All recounts of the tour point to how amused and bitter Johnny Rotten seemed to be, not to mention Sid Vicious' struggling attempts at bass. Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour, #16. The Rolling Stones knew that rock was ready for melodic pop choruses, and their first massive stadium tour of the states had everyone singing along -- inside and outside of the stadium. If youre hoping to hear some of your favorite tracks from yesteryear live, heres a list of the 50 biggest groups across all genres you can catch live this year. Nina Corcoran, 46. It would be one of the first times that Redding, the equivalent of a powerful locomotive as a performer, would look out and see predominantly white faces in one of his audiences. The White Stripes - Elephant Tour (2003), There's a boldness that comes with the territory of being a two-person band. Still, if we can only revisit one U2 tour, it would be 1983s War Tour, before many of their best-known hits came to dominate radio and prior to Bono becoming a slicked-back, leather-clad god who wears sunglasses indoors. 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. For starters, it was the tour that gave us Live at Montreux, her first-ever concert film, capturing how powerful her delivery is onstage for anyone to see. and more. Bookmark Quiz Bookmark Quiz Bookmark. Paul Simon The Graceland Tour (1987), Its difficult to believe, but Paul Simons career was running on fumes by the mid-80s. Nina Corcoran, Lilith Fair, the brainchild of singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, struck an early victory for womens inclusion in the modern touring industry. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Magic Tour, #27. Others would say the band was never better than when setting endurance records on a nightly basis on the Wrecking Ball Tour. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $546,023,369 Originally started as an alternative rock tour -- but, in its second year, quickly entering the pop punk world, where it would stay until its end -- Warped Tour was the festival that did because it could and allowed thousands of preteens to learn they could do the same. She reworked older material to fit the aesthetics of the show as well, using a Tesla coil in "Declare Independence" or a pipe organ to play "Joga.". Though their comically large beards would suggest they'd been in hiding, the Neutral Milk Hotel crew seemed just as delightfully unhinged as their music always painted them as being, from the warped singing saw solos to the slightly out-of-key reckless hollers. The 1980s brought some of the best music of the 20th century to the world. The Eagles One of These Nights Tour (1975), Ah, this ones for the dads. AC/DC- Highway to Hell Tour (1979-80), When Bon Scott died of alcohol poisoning in early 1980, Brian Johnson stepped in a couple months later, and the band didnt miss a beat. All three members of Run-DMC were 22 years old and all three members of Beastie Boys were between 21 and 23.