It was a scene being born back then, and its a legendary moment now. 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. In a sense, they still havent found what theyre looking for, but are well ahead of schedule in their quest. In fact, one thing you notice about Marleys tours is that each one found him visiting places he had never played before. Matt Melis, 98. republish under a Creative Commons License, and we encourage you to tour dates And yet, when it finally hit the road, Roger Waters' tour managed to be even better in person than any press could've described. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $421,251,623 Nina Corcoran, 72. Simon and Garfunkel-- Summer Evening Tour (1981-83), Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were destined to sing together. Live, the band played their greatest hits and every passage in between, nailing their sets. At these events, fans could see established acts like Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and James Brown supported by future stars like a teenage Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, and The Temptations. Year(s): 2014, Afterfinishing third on "The X Factor in 2003, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne found almost unprecedented levels of success with One Direction. Roger Waters, a founding member of Pink Floyd, embarked on a solo career in the mid-1980s. Picking out the best 80s rock bands is no easy task. Stacker has rounded up 30 of the top-grossing music tours of all time. -- Matt Melis, 33. To this day, the image of knock-knee frontman Steven Tyler, pursing the poutiest lips this side of Mick Jagger, spitting out debauched lines while playing hot potato with his scarved microphone stand remains one of the most iconic visuals in rock history. 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. distribution partner, email us at Nina Corcoran, Yes, we can look back to a time before Lindsey Buckingham was fired from Fleetwood Mac. Nina Corcoran, The Cure doesn't tour abroad often because of Robert Smith and Simon Gallup's fear of flying, which makes any trek to the US (by boat!) Kanye West, of course, but especially Kanye during the Yeezus era. Shows played: 136 While Simons project put him in some political hot water at the time due to issues of apartheid in South Africa, most critics and crowds around the world came to love these songs both on record and onstage, where Simon embraced the culture he had borrowed from by deferring to his fellow artists and sharing his own jubilant performance. 107 of the biggest stars from the '80s are on tour in 2023 including Madonna, Guns N' Roses, Bruce Springsteen, Duran Duran, The B-52s, Metallica, Reba McEntire, Ice Cube, Billy Idol and Kenny . Hey, hey. And the most miraculous part was that Madonna transcended all the hype by offering a larger-than-life event. As single after single climbed both country and mainstream charts, you were just as likely to hear Shania Twain blasting from a 16-year-old teen girls first car as a rugged pickup truck. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $301,000,000 Total tour attendance: 2.20 million Matt Melis, 47. ), 02. Shows played: 131 Shows played: 156 Shows played: 53 On the live stage, Jack and Meg Whites crunchy, loud, perfectly imperfect sound came stomping out, unabashedly messy and all the more charming because of it. The British pop-rock band, fronted by Chris Martin, has had a series of wildly successful albums over the past two decades. This final tour was run in conjunction with the release of the groups final album, "The Division Bell., Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $423,574,349 So, in hindsight, its not incredibly shocking that they turned to disco in the mid-70s. Paul McCartney- Out There Tour (2013-15), No musical artist appears on the average bucket list in concert form more than Paul McCartney. Alanis Morissette- Cant Not Tour (1995-96), Oh, what a difference a few years can make. 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). Rarely has a festival so large known their audience so well and delivered better. Is it legit? Total tour attendance: 3.30 million Matt Melis, 57. Taylor Swift- The 1989 World Tour (2015), If Taylor Swift is an icon who will go down in history, then the 1989 World Tour is what future generations will study to understand why. Gene Simmons was Uncle Sam, and he wanted YOU in his army. 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. Concert For Bangladesh: Madison Square Gardens, New York City (1971) When sitar maestro Ravi Shankar learned of the fast-escalating. The tour has been far and away Sheerans best. Matt Melis, 24. It was a hint of what was to come before infighting became the norm, the band broke up, and Strummer eventually passed away. If live music is all about reaching out and connecting with an audience, Coyne can be credited for finally improving on the classic crowd surf. Osbourne wasnt in the healthiest state at the time, but who could resist being the proverbial flying rodent on the wall as Ozzy legendarily bit a dead bat thrown onstage (and had to subsequently get rabies shots) or went outlaw by donning his wifes nightgown, getting smashed, and pissing on The Alamo? The footage that exists of the tour shows a rock band still in its prime with Mercury playfully teasing the crowd in between showing off some of the greatest pipes in rock history. Nobody did 70s soft rock better than the Eagles, which millions of album sales, a cool dozen classic rock radio staples, and a forests worth of fading ticket stubs all testify to. On the bands fifth and last studio album, The Police showed their skills not just as musicians, but as a trio of outstanding musicians who could find the best possible way to fuse their ideas together. 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. Paul Simon The Graceland Tour (1987), Its difficult to believe, but Paul Simons career was running on fumes by the mid-80s. Various Artists - The Grindcrusher Tour (1989), Back in the late '80s, grind and death metal were busy being born. OutKasts reunion in 2014 to celebrate their 20th anniversary started off shakier than everyone, including Andr 3000 and Big Boi themselves, had hoped: technical problems sparked, the audio was too quiet, and they cut material after losing track of time. Matt Melis, 54. While Dylans acoustic sets were welcomed, each nights subsequent electric set received its fair share of hecklers and scathing ink from the press. Year(s): 2017. Nina Corcoran, 70. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Suddenly, the stakes for her festival rocketed upwards, despite already starting a frenzy beforehand. Privacy Policy and Rights Her kick-off shows in London sold out in record time, the Japanese military was brought in to control the 25,000 fans who greeted her at an airport, and she played to record crowds in numerous countries and cities. Stevie Wonder- Songs in the Key of Life Tour (2015), To hear Stevie Wonder is to hear what it feels like to smile from the joy of being alive. After striking shrapnel on their joint cover of Public Enemys Bring the Noise, Scott Ian and Anthrax took to the road alongside Chuck Ds crew, with each night culminating in the two acts joining each other onstage for the tours namesake jam. Wed be excused if thats the case with Jimi Hendrix. Despite trying to do the opposite, The Cure became a stadium rock band, the bands outside relationships fell apart, and they almost broke up. Married in 2005, the country music powerhouses teamed up for this three-year-long party, singing hits from both of their solo repertoires, as well as some of their fan-favorite duets like "In Anothers Eyes., Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $415,280,347 The first leg promoting the album began some 14 months before The Dark Side was released and found the band previewing arguably the greatest album of all time in its near-completed form for their fans. If your organization is interested in becoming a Stacker Iggy and the Stooges - 1970 Summer Tour (1970), Iggy Pop is another one of those rock stars who has had nine lives. U2 has. We also dont always know that a goodbye is taking place. Year(s): 2013. held between 1980 and 1996 at . i was lucky enough to see the crue 3 times in the 80s.the theater of pain ,girls girls girls and dr feelgood tours . Its the circle of life, folks. Year(s): 200203. To this day, critics and fans alike have proclaimed that theyve yet to see anything quite touch these shows. Nothing new, or exciting, or experimental had popped up in a number of years. Public Enemy and Anthrax - Bring the Noise Tour - (1991), Aerosmith and Run-DMC had already proven that hard rock and hip-hop could play nice together, but Anthrax and Public Enemy discovered what acts like Rage Against the Machine would soon learn: the politics of hip-hop and muscle of metal could amplify their already booming calls of injustice tenfold. Billy Joel An Innocent Man Tour (1984), After fighting for much of his young career to be viewed as a rock and roller, Billy Joel did the damndest thing in the early 90s: he stopped writing rock songs. In 2005, Smith's live performances were bigger and better for a range of reasons. All told, the tour, to this day, remains the most successful debut tour by any recording artist. as well as image rights, data visualizations, forward planning tools, 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. So cut to the worldwide shock when Jawbreaker revealed they were reuniting for Riot Fest and that other dates would later follow. 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. 1979/80 Highway To Hell 1980/81 Back In Black 1981/82 For Those About To Rock 1983/84 Flick Of The Switch 1985/86 Fly On the Wall 1986 Who Made Who 1988 Blow Up Your Video 1990/91 The Razors Edge 1996 Ballbreaker 2000/01 Stiff Upper Lip 2003 Stones & Club Dates 2008/10 Black Ice 2015/16 Rock Or Bust Matt Melis, 56. While Bjrk never shies away from absurdist outfits, powerful live accompaniment, or creative stage designs on tour, it was the Biophilia tour that saw her questioning how to turn the invisible physicality of music into a visible one. Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, Tico Torres, Alec John Such, and Richie Sambora made up the original band, which had hits like "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name." While it wouldnt be as ambitious as future programs like the narrative-based Velvet Rope Tour, Jacksons Rhythm Nation Tour saw the 23-year-old wow audiences with a virtually nonstop 80 minutes of dancing that many critics say rivalled her brothers. When the tour was announced in 2002, Cher claimed that it would be her last (spoiler alert: it wasnt), and planned a massive, glittery farewell for herself with an incredible 326 stops. Whether its slapping away at his piano, leaping about the stage, or swinging his mic stand around his head like a propeller, well always love that piano man who was more rock and roll than he ever got credit for. -- Matt Melis, Pop wouldn't be weird without the help of Kate Bush, and that includes her aura on the live stage. Consider it Americas belated response to the British Invasion. Watching the band onstage, it was impossible not to feel her energy transmit to onlookers, encouraging them, too, to seize as much as possible out of life in any given chance. Tina Weymouth rocked back and forth with her bass, a sneaky grin on her face. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Total tour attendance: 5.39 million your CMS. Year(s): 200708. To a less confusing time, when both werent out on tour separately. Nina Corcoran, 38. 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. 29. There was a particular round of dates during this era, though, that stand extra tall in hindsight: their stretch with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs opening. Matt Melis, Few punk rock bands cause as much of a ruckus before even getting to the stage as the Sex Pistols, which explains why their first and last US tour was one in the same. Queen had no idea that their world was about to change forever, but they certainly left it all on the stage. Its a particularly impressive feat when you consider that the band, which by this time had been performing together for 30 years,had just lost a member. From Led Zeppelin's U.S. debut to Jay Z and Kanye West's 'Watch the Throne' spectacle, and beyond, SST Records Producer Glen Spot Lockett Dead at 72, Glastonbury Co-Organizer Promises Female Headliners in 2024 After All-Male Top Billing This Year, There Were Sidemen. Someone in the audience shouted out Judas!, prompting Dylan to turn to his band and order them to play it fucking loud. The Hawks obliged, and rock and roll has never been the same since. Matt Melis, For half a year, Beyonc didn't just run the world; the world ran around her. . ), 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? Its just a question of which version of Young reigns supreme onstage: the solo folkie, the &Y sometimes added to CSN, or maybe the grunge godfather backed by Crazy Horse. Total tour attendance: 4.74 million But, its more than safe to say that the pop concert was never the same after the Queen of Pop hit the road. Nina Corcoran, 91. Each concert was the backdrop for an impromptu (yet wholly expected) speech about motivation and perseverance. What began in August of 1991 stretched into a worldwide tour until the end of February in 1992. Phish- Phish Destroys America (1997), Its hard to pick a single best Phish tour, especially if youre a die-hard fan. Elton John- 1974 North American Tour (1974), Elton John is taking his time and sparing no expense on his current farewell tour. They brought the squawkish guys in Beastie Boys on tour in support of Raising Hell, only to bring them out again for Together Forever, a tour that showed not only that rap deserved to blow up, but that young rappers did, too. by Will, December 15, 2014 A diva with all of the talent and hustle but none of the ego, Ross hit the road in 1983, as she did most years, to promote her latest record, Up Front. For a handful of the dates, labelmates Hot Chip served as openers. There are a few guidelines and ), Future Past Tour by Duran Duran featuring Nile Rodgers and Chic, Against the Odds Tour by Blondie featuring The Damned, Tears for Fears Tipping Point Tour with Garbage, The B-52 Farewell Tour with KC and the Sunshine Band and The Tubes on select dates, Made of Rain Tour by Psychedelic Furs, Joy Division: A Celebration Tour by Peter Hook and The Light, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour by Elton John, The Whos The Who fought back! On a crisp fall afternoon in Dublinin 1976, Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. gathered in Mullens kitchen anddecided to form a band:U2. Thats what makes the groups earlier tours so intriguing. The moment of truth at a Whitney Houston concert came every time a note passed her lips. Matt Melis, Its not that the German band Kraftwerk were ignored in their heyday; in fact, they were one of the first groups to popularize electronic music. Year(s): 201417, Unlike Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks is a huge believer inplaying the old stuff. Matt Melis, 41. Grande has enlisted A-listers Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan, Katy Perry, Take That, Usher and Pharrell Williams to perform at the concert that will benefit the We Love. Wonder had you fooled, though, as the shows lasted over three hours without a single dip in energy or mood.