The greatest live musical performances of all time

Content Warning: This article includes references to drug abuse, death, suicide and depression.

Many musical artists are regarded as exceptional performers with incredible stage productions, but there are few individual live performances that have gone down — or will go down — in history as the most memorable performances of all time. When it comes to these select performances, whether they were at concerts, award shows or television programs, some viewers can remember exactly where they were when they laid their eyes on such a spectacle, almost as if the scene was a historical moment rather than somebody merely singing on a stage.

These performances are remarkable for many reasons. Often, it is the sheer impact of the artist’s talent alone. Sometimes it’s the controversy or risk that came with the performance itself. Other times these performances are more impactful looking back, as a certain musician may have left us since making their mark.

However, some live shows remain more culturally significant and unforgettable than the rest. With that being said, here is a list of the most iconic musical performances (ranked in no particular order) based on the cultural impact they had at the time, how relevant they have remained over the passage of time, the uniqueness of the performances and how heavily the performances impacted the emotions of listeners and viewers everywhere.

1.) Madonna performs “Vogue” at the 1990 MTV Awards

When viewers first watched Madonna perform “Vogue” live at the 1990 MTV Awards, they knew the performance would be talked about for years to come. The Queen of Pop took to the stage dressed in Marie Antoinette fashion, while her entourage and backup dancers were dressed as members of her royal court. As she combined timeless fashion, a hit song and risqué sexual undertones in her routine, the performance alone is enough to encapsulate Madonna’s entire career in a nutshell.

If the choreography or costumes weren’t enough to cement this performance as historical, perhaps Madonna and her dancers being able to toss paper fans into the air and catch them effortlessly is enough. Today, this performance is regarded as one of the most fun and iconic to grace television screens.

2.) Lady Gaga performs “Paparazzi” at the 2009 VMAs

In 2009, Lady Gaga was changing the world of modern pop as we knew it. Following the release of her 2008 hit album The Fame (reissued a year later as The Fame Monster), the pop songstress had massive success, even becoming the most-downloaded female artist in the U.S. in 2009. When it comes to her live shows, Gaga is regarded as one of the 100 greatest live performers of all time by Rolling Stone and the singer has admitted to being incredibly meticulous when it comes to her stage productions.

When she took to the stage to perform at the 2009 VMAs, Gaga performed an incredibly cinematic and eye-catching rendition of her hit song “Paparazzi,” where she almost appeared to be “dying” from the pressure of fame throughout her routine. In the latter half of her set, blood began to spurt from her white bedazzled outfit, and she ended the routine with her blood-soaked body hanging in the air as cameras flashed. This performance has recently resurged across social media feeds and has proven to remain one of the most iconic award show performances of all time.

3.) Nirvana plays “Rape Me” against MTV’s request right before playing “Lithium”

One of the most definitive bands to popularize the “Seattle Sound,” Nirvana was renowned for their innovative musicality, and the late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is often regarded today as a strong advocate for women and the queer community. In 1992, Nirvana were riding the massive success of Nevermind, now one of rock music’s best-selling albums of all time.

That same year, they were invited to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards and were asked specifically by the then-President of MTV, Judy McGrath, not to play their hit song “Rape Me” off of In Utero. Although the band had been vocal about the song being an anti-rape song, McGrath was ultimately worried it would seem like the network was condoning this behavior.

Once Nirvana took to the stage, they expressed their frustration at not being able to perform the song by playing the first few lines of it anyway. Allegedly, MTV was seconds away from cutting the show off the air until the band went right into playing their song “Lithium” as originally planned. Of course, not without changing a few of the lyrics and attempting to destroy the set at the end of the performance. An iconic moment that defines Nirvana’s anti-conformity and adamant advocacy for speaking what they believe to be true, this performance now goes down as a defining moment in Nirvana’s career.

4.) Chappell Roan performs “Pink Pony Club” during Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary season.

Perhaps the most defining pop artist of our generation, Chappell Roan — since her massive surge into superstardom earlier this year — has brought camp, drag culture and sapphic love into the limelight. During Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary season, John Mulaney was set to host while Roan was the night’s musical guest. Roan performed a new, unreleased song called “The Giver” as well as her hit song “Pink Pony Club.” In a rare circumstance for SNL, Roan was able to get the entire crowd to sing along to “Pink Pony Club,” something that many seasoned SNL viewers have said they have never seen done before.

Over pounding guitars and flashing pink lights, Roan gave a powerful and gorgeous performance through her flawless vocals and radiant energy. Similar to stars such as Lady Gaga or Madonna, Roan is a definitive pop performer who is thoughtful and passionate through her work both on and off stage.

5.) Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison and Prince pay tribute to George Harrison at the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

In 2004, The Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his solo music career. As a tribute, some of music’s biggest stars performed The Beatles’ hit track “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” that Harrison had written. The performance included Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra, Steve Winwood, Harrison’s son Dhani Harrison and Prince.

During the set Prince played lead guitar, but towards the latter half of the performance he proceeded to break into a guitar solo that may only be defined as otherworldly. Allegedly, this powerful guitar playing was not done by Prince during rehearsals, and was spontaneous for this performance. (It was later revealed that Rolling Stone reporters were in attendance that night, and this performance was Prince’s response to not making it onto their “Greatest Guitar Players” list that was published the year prior.) One can see Prince and Tom Petty communicating with one another without words during the performance as Petty allowed Prince to do what he does best.

6.) Michael Jackson debuts his signature moonwalk for the first time.

Michael Jackson is one of those few musical artists who reminds us what music is supposed to be: unforgettable, flawless and magnificent. An artist whose discography lasted generations, his legacy will continue on for many more. One of the best-selling musical artists of all time, there’s no question as to how Jackson earned his title as the King of Pop. Many images come to mind with the “Thriller” singer — a single bedazzled glove, a fedora and (of course) the moonwalk.

Jackson was well-known for his choreography on stage and in music videos, the move first made its debut in 1983 as Jackson was performing “Billie Jean” on television for “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.” Right after he does the moonwalk, the entire audience erupts into applause, almost as if they knew they were watching greatness come to life in real-time. In that moment of shock and awe, viewers are reminded of why we love live music.

7.) Queen at Live Aid

Live Aid was a benefit concert held in 1985 to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia that took place between 1983 to 1985. It was held simultaneously at two venues: John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia and Wembley Stadium in London. Many artists performed at Wembley, including David Bowie, Adam Ant, The Who, U2 and Queen. Despite already beginning to combat symptoms of AIDs, the disease that Queen frontman Freddie Mercury eventually succumbed to in 1991, Mercury was able to give a highly energetic and unforgettable performance along with his bandmates Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor.

According to several rock music publications, Queen’s set at Live Aid is regarded as the greatest live performance in rock ‘n’ roll history. The story goes that, as Queen walked off stage after their set, Mercury passed by his good friend Elton John, also performing that day, who complimented Mercury’s performance by saying to him, “Thanks a lot, you just fucked it up for the rest of us!”

8.) Metallica in Moscow, 1991

By 1991, Metallica had become one of — if not the — biggest metal bands in the world. That year, Metallica performed at the Monsters of Rock festival in Moscow. This was one of the first concerts to be held following the end of the U.S.S.R., cementing the festival not only as a historic event but as a symbol of freedom and independence. At the time, the concert broke the record for the largest metal concert in history, with over 1.6 million people in attendance. The show was such a spectacle that one truly must see in order to believe.

Held at Tushino Airfield, Monsters of Rock and Metallica’s performance was an incredibly significant and powerful event in history for the citizens of Russia. In the concert footage, helicopters can be seen flying over the thousands of fans and the military personnel that were present. Combine the abundant energy with Metallica’s intense, thrashing brutality and the result is one of the most definitive moments in rock ‘n’ roll history.

9.) Beastie Boys perform “Sabotage” live on “The Late Show with David Letterman” in 1994

The Beastie Boys’ performance of their hit song “Sabotage” on “The Late Show with David Letterman” is regarded by many Beastie Boys fans and music lovers alike as one of television’s greatest musical performances. The song alone is already a masterful composition with its ability to make one monotonous guitar chord sound so sonically dynamic.

During this performance, the group’s sound is exceptional, with every member singing and playing flawlessly. What many listeners agree on is that the overall quality of this performance is what cements it as one of the greatest musical acts in television history.

10.) Rage Against the Machine performs”Killing in the Name” at PinkPop 1993

Throughout rock ‘n’ roll history, many artists have used their voice to politically advocate for those who were often not given a platform. Of these acts, Rage Against the Machine was one of the biggest groups to lead this stampede. Known for their politically charged lyricism and devotion to standing against authority, Rage Against the Machine is one of the most popular and successful rock groups of the 1990s and went on to become highly influential in pop culture and to other rock bands.

In 1993, Rage Against the Machine performed at Pinkpop Festival, playing their biggest hit “Killing in the Name.” An intensely aggressive track, the band brought this same amount of rage in their live set, as frontman Zack de la Rocha stormed across the stage and every member played in such a way that sounded just as perfect on stereo. This performance alone is the perfect introduction for those who may not be aware of Rage Against the Machine, as their performance here flawlessly displays the band doing what they do best: perform exciting rock music with their uniquely aggressive musicality that never backs down from calling out the flaws in our world’s systems.

11.) Disturbed perform “The Sound of Silence” on Conan

There’s a good reason why Disturbed‘s performance of their Simon & Garfunkel cover of “The Sound of Silence” became, at the time, Conan O’Brien’s first musical guest performance to reach 100 million views and the most-watched clip on his YouTube channel. A number that is cinematic, emotive and unspeakably heartfelt in execution, heavy metal group Disturbed seemed to give the song an entirely new meaning with their take on the Simon & Garfunkel classic.

Bringing forward a modern, symphonic energy to the song, Disturbed’s “The Sound of Silence” is a song that will leave any listener breathless, just like it seemed to do for O’Brien’s audience that night. After the band finished performing the song, one can hear a few brief moments of silence in the room before the audience erupts into applause, as if they wanted to embrace as much of the performance as they could before breaking the tension it had created.

12.) Heart and Jason Bonham perform “Stairway To Heaven” at the Kennedy Center Honors

To pay tribute to Led Zeppelin at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012, Heart performed Led Zeppelin’s hit song “Stairway To Heaven” along with Jason Bonham, the son of the late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham (arguably one of the greatest drummers in rock history). Similar to Led Zeppelin’s original recording, Heart begins the number as a soft, folk-inspired jam. However, the poetic display soon builds up into something magnificent, as the band is joined by a full orchestra and choir — all donning the signature bowler hats that John Bonham himself wore.

By the end of the performance, an ethereal energy radiates off the stage and Led Zeppelin themselves — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones — are giving Heart a standing ovation. Plant himself is seen with tears in his eyes throughout the number, as never has an award ceremony seen such an invigorating and thought-provoking performance.

13.) Alice in Chains for MTV Unplugged

A band that emerged in the early ‘90s dripping in the waters of heavy metal, Alice in Chains became one of the most prominent rock groups of the decade alongside the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. With a number of hit albums and chart-topping hits, the band only faced success for so long before taking a hiatus from 1994 to 1996 due to frontman Layne Staley’s battle with drug addiction. However, Alice in Chains came back into the limelight on April 10, 1996, when they returned together to play for MTV Unplugged, where the band played their first concert in nearly two and a half years.

The band played acoustic versions of several of their hit songs, including “Nutshell” (which they opened with), “Down in a Hole,” “Would?” and “Rooster.” The show itself was a remarkable event and incredibly significant for Alice in Chains fans. In the years following this show, the band never officially broke up, but Staley left the public eye for some time as he battled substance abuse further. After a decade of his battle with addiction, Staley died of a drug overdose in April 2002. To this day, Alice in Chains fans watch the MTV Unplugged performance and praise Staley’s unwavering talent and dedication to his art.

14.) Chris Cornell joins Linkin Park for “Crawling”

Chris Cornell became known as one of the greatest songwriters of our time through his work with Soundgarden, Audioslave and his solo career. In the ‘90s, Soundgarden topped the charts with their experimental and eclectic take on hard rock, and went on to inspire a number of other big names, one of which being Linkin Park. Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington was a longtime fan of Cornell, and the two went on to become good peers and even greater friends, with Bennington even becoming the godfather of one of Cornell’s children.

Both musicians were open and talked publicly about their individual battles with substance abuse and mental health. In May 2017, Cornell committed suicide after years of battling depression. Two months after Cornell’s death, Bennington committed suicide on what would have been the former’s 53rd birthday.

When Linkin Park performed at their music festival, Projekt Revolution, in 2008, they brought Chris Cornell on stage to perform their hit song “Crawling” alongside them. Many fans of Bennington and Cornell have looked back on this performance since their deaths, noting the sheer talent and respect the two had for one another. Today, this performance as well as the song itself is now heavier for many.

15.) Lana Del Rey performs “Video Games” at Vicar Street in Dublin, 2013

Over the course of her career, Lana Del Rey has created her own distinct universe, look and sound that is uniquely and entirely her own. Bringing retro Americana and dark, old Hollywood glamor into mainstream pop’s limelight, Del Rey is now considered one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 21st century. She immediately took music by storm in 2011 when she released her debut single “Video Games” ahead of her debut record Born To Die.

In 2014, Del Rey released another hit album, Ultraviolence. That same year, she played a show at Vicar Street in Dublin, Ireland. With a crowd of only about 500 people, people in attendance praise the show for its unforgettable and intimate feel. While the “Summertime Sadness” songstress performed “Video Games,” she became emotional as the entire crowd was singing back to her. Following the show, Del Rey was quoted as explaining why she cried as the audience sang along.

“It was just heavy,” she said. “It’s just heavy performing for people who really care about you, and you don’t really care that much about yourself sometimes. I thought it was sad. I thought my position was sad. I thought it was sad to be in Ireland singing for people who really cared, when I wasn’t sure if I did.”

16.) Glastonbury crowd helps Lewis Capaldi sing “Someone You Loved”

Scottish-American singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi became an overnight sensation when his 2018 single “Someone You Loved” topped the Billboard charts. In May 2020, it was announced that the single became the longest-running top 10 UK single of all time by a British artist. Since gaining further recognition, Capaldi has earned several musical nominations and graced the stages of numerous music festivals.

In September 2022, Capaldi revealed he had been diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome following his increased struggles with anxiety and mental health issues due to fame. In June 2023, Capaldi performed at Glastonbury Festival and performed his hit “Somebody To Love.” During his set, Capaldi was physically struggling onstage due to his Tourette’s Syndrome and was unable to sing.

However, this did not stop the thousands of concertgoers in the crowd from helping him with the song by singing all the words back to him. Later that month, Capaldi announced that he would be taking an indefinite break from touring so he could focus on his physical and mental health. From this performance, one can witness the power that music has, and how words and sound will always bring people together.

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