For many people, rock music is an artistic medium that is quite simply best experienced in a live concert environment. Hearing a band play on a record can be a deeply moving experience; however, to witness a truly great act at the height of their powers can be transcendental in its effects. Here are just three of the greatest live performances of all time, and why music fans are still raving about these concerts decades on.
1. Queen at Live Aid, Wembley Stadium, 1985
From our perspective now, it is strange to admit that Queen’s performance at Live Aid was far from the most anticipated show of the event; by 1985, the band’s popularity had begun to wane as the glam rock era gave way to sleek 80s pop sounds.
Unlike many other leading groups at Live Aid, moreover, Queen asked to be scheduled early in the evening rather than in a headline slot. Because the concert was televised, however, this put the band’s performance at a time of maximum television viewership in the UK. Little did people tuning in realize that they were about to see rock history be made.
The band was quite simply in stunning form: Vocalist Freddie Mercury gave the performance of his career via songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “We Will Rock You” and demonstrated an unmatched capacity for connecting with even the gargantuan crowds at the filled-to-capacity Wembley Stadium. This was perhaps the finest performance by a rock band ever witnessed.
2. The Band Farewell Concert, Winterland Ballroom, 1976
Filmed by no less a director than Martin Scorsese, The Band’s Thanksgiving Day farewell concert in 1976 at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom was a summation of all that made rock music in the 1960s and 1970s great. Featuring guest appearances from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and many others, the concert was a veritable gathering of rock aristocracy. Here The Band seemed to put their all into their “last waltz” with fans for what remains one of the most legendary shows in rock history.
3. The Who, Leeds University, 1970
By 1970, The Who was perhaps the most formidable live act in the world. The powerhouse combination of Pete Townshend’s explosive guitar playing, John Entwistle’s thundering bass-lines, Roger Daltrey’s soaring vocals, and Keith Moon’s virtuosic drum fills more than distinguished the band from their peers. In fact, it’s remarkable that the “Live in Leeds” recordings manage to do the band’s live act justice: This is an astonishing performance and proof positive that The Who remain one of the greatest bands of all time.