Being into live music since I saw my first Grateful Dead Show in 1967 I have often wondered what some of the greatest concerts of all time were. Now with me being a Rock and Roller from way back obviously my picks would probably come from that genre. I saw some phenomenal performances from the likes of the Dead, Led Zeppelin, Stones, Queen and so many more. Yeah, I know, I’m giving away my age.
When I started to actually research the “Greatest Concerts” of all time however, I realized how many different types of super shows there were from other genres of music over the years. From R+B, Rap, Soul, Country, Classical and more I’m sure. There were a lot of great shows. The following shows were deemed to be phenomenal by Gigit.com.
The 10 Greatest Concerts Ever…Or Not
- Led Zeppelin – Royal Albert Hall, 1970.
- David Bowie – Santa Monica, 1972.
- Beyonce – Formation World Tour, 2016.
- Foo Fighters – Hyde Park, 2006.
- Prince – Sziget Festival, 2011.
- Daft Punk – Alive at Coachella, 2006.
- Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch the Throne Tour, 2012.
- Arcade Fire – Best Kept Secret Festival, 2017.
Now do you see why I put the “Or Not” in the subtitle. So many things…other than the show itself goes into determining the BEST CONCERTS, depending on who is doing the review. Attendance, gross ticket sales, advertising are all part of the equation. Me, I’m all about the music, the atmosphere created by the music and the general all around great experience of a “Great Concert” I’ve been to Reggae shows, Country shows and other shows that were a great experience because of the music, the atmosphere and the overall experience were fantastic.
Now Let’s Talk Festivals.
I have been very fortunate to be able to say that I was at two of the largest festivals in American history, WoodStock (1969) and Summer Jam at Watkins Glen (1973). Both were experiences and memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Anybody that was at either of those festivals knows exactly what I’m talking about. There have been and still are many festivals, yearly events that happen all over the world. A quick online search can bring up a list of many festivals here and abroad that happen every year. My research however, brought me to a list of the “Top 10” festivals according to billboard.com.
- Kanye West, Lollapalooza, 2008.
- Black Sabbath, Ozzfest, 2004.
- Deadmau5, Lollapalooza, 2011.
- The White Stripes, Coachella, 2003.
- James Brown, Woodstock ’99, 1999.
- Joan Osborne, Lilith Fair, 1997.
- The Rolling Stones, Glastonbury, 2013.
- The Who, Woodstock, 1969.
Well, at least Woodstock made the list. One thing I did notice while researching was that many of the “lists” really only focused on individual acts at certain festivals. On thing however, became abundantly clear to me while looking into the “live music” scene today. It is alive and well and still the best game in town for a musical good time.