Roger Waters- The Wall Live (2010-13), The hype surrounding The Wall Live could give anyone shivers. Just like the music itself, the tour was a dazzling, repetitive, blisteringly loud spectacle, pushing each person to sensory overload. 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. 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. A Tribe Called Quest- 2017 Summer Tour (2017), Though they've reunited intermittently over the years for one-off performances, it was A Tribe Called Quest's unexpected album We Got It from Here Thank You 4 Your Service -- their first LP in 18 years, during the recording of which Phife Dawg passed away -- that revitalized their music and their legend at large. 30 of the Top-grossing Music Tours of All Time | Stacker Year(s): 201617. Pregnancy had cut a planned tour in the mid-60s down to a mere handful of shows, and stage fright had kept her away from performing ever since. Some of the best moments can be found on his acclaimed Otis Redding: Live in Europe album, and it would be only three months later at Monterey Pop that Redding would largely wash away the color line at a music festival in his own country. Year(s): 2014present. The list below was born out of some pretty serious arguments. She rose to a new level of fame that was pulled off gracefully as expected --even prompting aSimpsons sketchfrom Matt Groening himself. He wound up growing a beard, hiding in Paris, and running the city's marathon incognito, causing the band to cancel their UK dates but pull him back aboard in time for the US tour stretch with their ideal catalog ready to go. Aerosmith- Get a Grip Tour (1993-94), Bostons finest had run through all the emotions, sweet and otherwise, by the time their late-80s comeback catapulted them back to the top of the hard rock world. On a circular stage placed in the middle of the room, Bjrk worked instruments like a midi-controlled gamelan-celesta hybrid and a giant pendulum-harp that used the Earth's gravitational pull to create musical patterns, essentially turning her set into a artful take on factory work. Thats why the Bon or Brian debate has always seemed pointless. Both legs were out of this world, but lets face it: one just makes for a slightly cooler story to tell the grandkids -- Matt Melis, 15. Alanis Morissette- Cant Not Tour (1995-96), Oh, what a difference a few years can make. While artists like Madonna doubled down on creative costumes and Janet Jackson would go on to make her shows all about electric dance routines, Houston eschewed much of that showmanship in favor of wowing audiences with her musical creativity: improvising, scatting with her band, or adding jazzy or gospel inflections to her vocal arrangements. However, his reign of onstage terror didnt sink to its bloodiest depths until The Billion Dollar Babies Tour a couple years later. Boz Scaggs - Summer 2023 Tour - Chevalier Theatre You show off what you can do with and without a band. Though he's been touring ever since he was a preteen, Wonder's live shows have only gotten better with age, which explains why his recent Songs in the Key of Life Tour was so remarkable. Simon and Garfunkel-- Summer Evening Tour (1981-83), Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were destined to sing together. Its funny how history tells a slightly different story, though. Triumph 1985 Thunder World Tour Concert Rock 1980's Vintage T-shirt Condition: New with tags Last One Price: US $16.95 Buy It Now Add to cart Add to Watchlist Returns accepted Ships from United States Shipping: Standard Shipping. Another wildly popular Bruce Springsteen tour, "The Rising Tour began a week after the release of Springsteens 12th studio album, "The Rising." Matt Melis, 47. 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 But if were talking the moment that Bruce and band really became Kings of the Road (or maybe Bosses), that would have to be the Darkness Tour. Blur, Dinosaur Jr., My Bloody Valentine, and The Jesus and Mary Chain - Rollercoaster Tour (1992), There are some tours you would drop serious dough on in the moment, and ones you would drop even more money on today, if only for a nosebleed seat. OutKast at Emory University (September 1999) (Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc) The late '90s/early 2000s was a great time to be a college student. Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright were students when they met and began playing together, but their famous "A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour didnt come until much later, toward the end of their time as a group. by Alyssa, June 25, 2015 While 3.5 million fans were lucky enough to attend the concerts, millions more were able to watch a televised special thatwon three Emmy Awards. It was two already popular acts in the middle of a career rise, both giving it their all to audiences who were already dying to see them. Tina Weymouth rocked back and forth with her bass, a sneaky grin on her face. Pink Floyd: A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour, #29. And who can blame him? By embracing 80s camp, the self-love themes of the record, and tour-specific Versace outfits, Gaga used innovative stage installations like a medieval castle and a puppeteered horse to create a world all her own through which to relay her music. Garth Brooks The Garth Brooks World Tour (1993-94), To non-country fans, barrel-chested Garth Brooks might be little more than that guy who sang jingles for Dr. Pepper in the early 2000s. Bee Gees - Spirits Having Flown Tour (1979), The Bee Gees are one of those groups that has more lives than a cat. -- Matt Melis, The frenzy has its own name: Beatlemania. as well as image rights, data visualizations, forward planning tools, Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain Tour (1984-85), How huge was Purple Rain? Ils enchanent avec une tourne travers toute la France durant l'anne 1984. Year(s): 198789. Matt Melis, 54. Midway through the tour, the Stones took a month-long break. Elton John, Foreigner, Queen and Eric Clapton hit the road. Nina Corcoran, 96. Along with this resurgence of fame came Aerosmiths most ambitious arena tour yet, spanning a mindblowing 240 shows across 13 legs. Axl Rose suffered from throat issues, tardiness, and Axl being Axl throughout the tour, which culminated in rioting in Montreal when Guns N Roses called it quits early after Metallica had ended their set due to James Hetfield suffering severe burns from a pyrotechnic misfire. Eventually, the tour hit its stride, bringing in $300 million over its 14-month run. "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. "Next to You. That was the first song on their 1978 debut LP. 1980s ZZ Top Eliminator Red Satin Roadie Tour Concert Jacket USA small 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. Shows played: 326 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. 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 two minutes later, it starts all over again. He had a hit movie, a hit soundtrack, and, with The Revolution behind him, the band hed always wanted. by Madison Marx, December 05, 2022 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. Good golly, Miss Molly! Sadly, few festivals, can claim that kind of identity today. But lets not forget that MJ became a star as the focal point of these family-based groups long before he was dubbed the King of Pop. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. In addition, U2 had astage set that was 164 feet high that accompanied them to every venuetwice the height of the previous stage set record. by Will, December 15, 2014 Youre almost levitating on the energy from the audience, says Keith Richards. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $307,106,208 It was a hint of what was to come before infighting became the norm, the band broke up, and Strummer eventually passed away. As rain started to fall on the 450,000 in attendance at the concert which was being broadcast worldwide and raising funds for a childrens park Ross, in a tight, orange bodysuit, hair and robe gracefully blowing in the wind as rain ran down her face, addressed the crowd. Highest Grossing Concert Tours of the 1980's - Sporcle 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. 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. Taylor Swift began her career as a country artist; her self-titled debut hit shelves in 2006 and was full of twangy guitar and fiddle interludes. Few tours captured that glimmer of dancing under a disco ball quite like LCD Soundsystem's 2010 tour behind This Is Happening. 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. distribution partner, email us at And for the final touch? The 1980s brought the world some of the best music the 20th century had to offer. -- Matt Melis, 35. The Biggest Benefit Concerts In History | uDiscover & Rakim, and elder statesman Whodini in a revue-style format that left no doubt that there was a new type of music on the block. There were so many great bands and amazing songs that it's hard to narrow it down to just a few. It was also the year she curated Meltdown Festival, where she performed Horses in its entirety for the first time ever, giving fans a transformative experience. These tours were largely played in stadiums, but a few included smaller venues. The first tour in 1997 was hyped but still small, as they had yet to make it big. 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. After the band called it quits in 1996 following a fight, the possibility of a reunion not only seemed impossible, but was off the table according to band members -- a fact so certain that a twee rock band from New York named themselves Jawbreaker Reunion in jest. It was a moment in time where people across the world got to witness Bowie before them and realize, yes, this was a rock star about to take his position at the forefront for generations. Matt Melis, 98. Nothing new, or exciting, or experimental had popped up in a number of years. Total tour attendance: 4.62 million and Mastodon announced the co-headlining tour during critical points in both bands' careers, especially since it was just before Against Me! Give Orange. What began in August of 1991 stretched into a worldwide tour until the end of February in 1992. From 1986 to 1992, New York's Def Jam Records was the premier hip-hop label. Genesis- The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Tour (1974-75), Few prog rock tours are as infamous as Genesis' jaunt in support of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, the band's sixth studio album and last with Peter Gabriel as the lead singer. Matt Melis, 39. --Matt Melis, 86. 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. Paul Simon The Graceland Tour (1987), Its difficult to believe, but Paul Simons career was running on fumes by the mid-80s. 107 biggest '80s concerts 2023: Get tickets for your favorites Tom Waits had left his drunken piano lounge act long behind him by the mid-'80s and stumbled into his alter ego of Frank O'Brien, a character he and wife Kathleen Brennan would both incorporate into his records and adapt for the stage. by Alyssa, April 04, 2016 Unmasked Tour | KISS Wiki | Fandom Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: The Rising Tour, #22. 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. buy tickets David Byrne wiggled like a nervous, fidgeting, unsure nerd. It took me a lifetime to get here, she told them. A list of 80s concerts people have attended and their reviews of the concerts. 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. 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. Each concert was the backdrop for an impromptu (yet wholly expected) speech about motivation and perseverance. The magic of a free-to-download album, dazzling hanging light strips, one of the most iconic Bonnaroo performances of all time, and new material that they worked out live onstage all felt surreal. While these dates werent the marathon shows that fans would become familiar with on future tours, recordings capture an intense experience unlike any other Springsteen tour, where fast songs were sped up to breakneck speed and slower cuts were allowed to stretch out and get moodier than ever. No big deal. by Stephen Spiewak, July 20, 2016 Jorge Ben Jor at Copacabana Beach (1993) - 3 million attendees. Audiences had been waiting for an outdoor performance by Sugarland when 70 mile-per-hour wind blew through the fairground and caused the stage to collapse. arts center YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The veteran band had finally made it that long way to the top and were reveling in every last second of it. Though Earl Sweatshirt was still nowhere to be found, it was essentially Odd Future in full form, goofing off onstage, flexing their cadences, and occasionally incitingso-called riots. Concert For Bangladesh: Madison Square Gardens, New York City (1971) When sitar maestro Ravi Shankar learned of the fast-escalating. 10. Beginning with the "Voodoo tour, Wyman was replaced with the groupscurrent bassist, Darryl Jones. Suddenly, the stakes for her festival rocketed upwards, despite already starting a frenzy beforehand. While on vacation with his wife in Fiji,Keith Richards took a hard fall out of a coconut tree and suffered a major concussion. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $320,710,513 Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $526,158,550 In fact, Waters had left the band by the time this Pink Floyd tour took place and wasreplaced by David Gilmour. Total tour attendance: 2.71 million Shows played: 219 by Alyssa, July 07, 2016 Part jest, part celebration, and part familial love, it was an unforgettable tour that was as Sufjan as it gets. Tell me you wouldn't kill to see that live. Total tour attendance: 2.20 million 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 band reunited for 156 shows, playing theirfinal show at Madison Square Garden. republish under a Creative Commons License, and we encourage you to The Rolling Stones: Bridges to Babylon Tour, #6. At this point, The Who were settling into their role as rock superstars. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $272,863,087 Neil Youngwith Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps Tour (1978), Theres no denying that Neil Young is a dynamic live performer. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $288,513,488 Brooks was the first 10-gallon megastar to prove that you could be a little bit country by day and a lot of rock and roll each night onstage. The "A Bigger Bang" concert tour turned out to be the top grossing tour of 2006. 8 Pink Floyd - 75,250 Sometimes, the tour has a special, personal meaning to the individual fan, like the first time seeing a show with a future spouse. Nina Corcoran, 74. Though they were on the road for hundreds of days, the members of Arcade Fire performed like they were bursting with passion, and the crowds felt similarly, as was evident with every audience members soaring jumps to Ready to Start and all those maxed-out sing-alongs to Wake Up. They had something to prove, and their 1968 North American tour saw them go from supporting bands like Vanilla Fudge, Country Joe & the Fish, and Iron Butterfly to headlining the very same tour, culminating in concerts like one in Boston where the band transformed one albums worth of material and a handful of popular covers into more than four hours that left everyone spellbound. It was a perfect combo of alt-rock come-ups with gusto-filled leaders that only seems more dreamy with age. Run-DMCandBeastie Boys- Together Forever Tour (1987), In 1986, Run-DMC broke hip-hop stereotypes when their rap rock take on Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" hit No. Whether its equipping fans with boom boxes, shooting lasers from giant hands, or frontman Wayne Coyne emerging from projections of giant glowing vaginas, the Lips put on a confetti-coated feast for the eyes like few others. 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. On his first solo concert tour in five years, Kanye went hard amping up his own personality, mythos, and talent with a stage design that felt like a medieval quest for a self-declared deity. He proved that a pop star could outdraw the hottest bands on the planet and that a pop concert could be an elaborate stage production on a scale never before seen. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The data have been pulled from a compiled list of sources, and concerts have been ranked by the tours gross (adjusted for inflation).
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