The Top 35 Best Live Bands Of All Time
Australian rock band AC/DC started touring in the mid-1970s and continue to perform today, with Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose on board (he replaced Brian Johnson in 2016). One of their biggest tours was the 20-month “Black Ice” tour, which saw them return to Argentina for the first time in 13 years. Three dates in Buenos Aires formed the basis of their concert movie, “AC/DC: Live at the River Plate.”
“Those fans were as crazy as they’ve ever been,” said guitarist Angus Young of the Argentinian audiences.
British rockers The Who have toured regularly since the early 1960s, but one gig in particular stands out for lead guitarist Pete Townshend: the band’s 1970 Valentine’s Day show at the University of Leeds. In front of 2,000 fans, the band played a staggering 38 songs, including a version of “My Generation” that lasted for almost 15 minutes. According to Townshend, it was “the greatest audience we’ve ever played to.”
One of Pink Floyd’s most innovative — and memorable — tours followed the release of their ambitious 1979 album “The Wall.” They even built an actual wall in the first half of each show, and spent most of the second half behind it, hidden from the audience. The audience could have done with hard hats; in a dramatic conclusion to the show, the wall fell down.
“The first couple of bricks would terrify people in the front rows,” revealed guitarist David Gilmour. “The audience would think they were going to be killed.”
Led Zeppelin frequently sold out arenas and stadiums around the world during the 1960s and ’70s. In the U.S., they played at Madison Square Garden more than any other venue. Their three-night stint at the Garden in July 1973 eventually became a best-selling feature-length film and soundtrack called “The Song Remains the Same,” featuring fan favorites “Black Dog,” “The Ocean” and “Misty Mountain Hop.”
Since the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991, Queen’s remaining members Brian May and Roger Taylor (John Deacon left the band in 1997) have toured with vocalists Paul Rodgers (2004 to 2009) and Adam Lambert (from 2011). Of course, there’s only one Freddie Mercury, but Lambert has impressed fans and critics alike for embracing his role without trying to replace the original frontman. Notably, Lambert’s first American Idol audition — he was runner-up on the show’s eighth season — was with “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Jimi Hendrix’s nationality. We regret the error.
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