biggest concert tours 1980s

And yet, when it finally hit the road, Roger Waters' tour managed to be even better in person than any press could've described. share our stories with your audience. 50 Greatest Concerts of the Last 50 Years - Rolling Stone Their manager booked dates that dodged major markets, sending the band through cities like Atlanta, Memphis, San Antonio, Baton Rouge, Dallas, and Tulsa before concluding in San Francisco. It did include an impressive array of the pop divas most famous hits from her 30-year career, as well as some iconic dance moves, but it was perhapsthe pop stars most family-friendly tour ever. Shows played: 100, For many an instrumentalist, landing a job withthe E Street Band would be a dream come true. Thats what makes the groups earlier tours so intriguing. The "Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood: World Tour is a perfect example of that. It was the year of the big suit, a year that lives on in cartoonish costume design fame. Of all the punk tours of the 2000s, its hard not to look at this 2007 trek and wish you were there. To a less confusing time, when both werent out on tour separately. British-born pop singer Ed Sheeranreleased his debut album "+ in 2011, and it instantly won him millions of fans. Although the decade of excess came to a close over 32 years ago, many of the biggest acts that came of age. Shows played: 167 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. To this day, critics and fans alike have proclaimed that theyve yet to see anything quite touch these shows. Matt Melis, 07. Heres everything to know, The biggest music festivals in 2022: Dates, cities, ticket info, lineups announced, What is MegaSeats? Paul McCartney- Out There Tour (2013-15), No musical artist appears on the average bucket list in concert form more than Paul McCartney. However, the tour didnt get off to an equally great startRolling Stonecalled the tours opening nights "inhibited," pointingto tech and tonal issues. The 1980s brought the world some of the best music the 20th century had to offer. Live, the band played their greatest hits and every passage in between, nailing their sets. Nearly every night of the tour, fans were surprised by casual guest appearances, including Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Beck, John Legend, Lorde, Mary J. Blige, Mick Jagger, St. Vincent, and more. Those shows broke box-office records across the US previously held by The Rolling Stones as magician and skeptic James Randi introduced a series of gruesome stage effects, freakiest of all a guillotine beheading that put the roll in rock and roll. Critical darlings like Grizzly Bear and Bat for Lashes were tapped as openers, and Kraftwerk opened in Latin America. The habitually topless Pop became famous for his reckless frontman antics, slithering about onstage, smearing his body with hamburger meat or peanut butter, and even cutting himself with shards of glass. Winning comparisons to The Beatles forboth their popularity and their British origins, their "Where We Are Tour was the groups fourth and final tour as a complete band. So big, in fact, that as of 2013, the tour holds the record for the highest-grossing tour by a solo musician, surpassing Madonna. On top of this, the 1970 tour saw their iconic headlining set at the Isle of Wight Festival. Total tour attendance: 2.71 million & 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. It was the first time The Wall would be performed in its entirety by any member of Pink Floyd since Waters performed the album live in Berlin 21 July 1990! 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. Picking out the best 80s rock bands is no easy task. Both occurred during Queens Magic Tour. 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. Indochine (groupe) Wikipdia Given this was right after "Believe" came out, which popularized Auto-Tune, and artists like Cyndi Lauper and Michael McDonald opened the shows, it was a tour that had plenty to remember it by, should you be lucky enough to get a ticket. 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. ), 02. The Eagles: Long Road Out of Eden Tour, #24. Though we lost her much too early, millions across the world had the chance to witness Houstons gift on journeys like The Moment of Truth World Tour. The most popular metal band of all time touring with the most popular metal band of that time. worth applauding. Various Artists - Motortown Revue (1960s), The Motortown Revue was a series of traveling lineups throughout the 60s that allowed Berry Gordy to package and showcase his talent at Motown to both the chitlin circuit and later on the world. 15 Biggest Concerts of All Time (2023 List) - Guitar Lobby They didnt stay a duo for long, swiftly being joined, and left, by a variety of other musicians. Total tour attendance: 3.50 million Credit Gene Simmons and co. for understanding that its just rock and roll, stupid! It was a complicated ordeal, which, in the moment and in hindsight, only made it that much more desirable. And thats precisely what she did. The tours namesake album had just gone No. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $421,181,298 On top of it all, Kendrick Lamar was the opening support, though occasionally other greats like A Tribe Called Quest, Pusha T, and Travis Scott filled in his shoes. From the gargantuan inflatable pig to the massive wrap-around graphics, or from the use of fan photos of loved ones lost in wars to the moving choirs backing him up onstage, Waters did it up big. Shows played: 219 The 50 biggest concert tours featuring '80s bands in 2022 -- Matt Melis, 78. Shows played: 124 1 UK independent chart position and proved the genre was a force to be reckoned with, and everyone got the message by the time the Grindcrusher UK tour started. Girl into Beercan into Qu Onda Gero into Devils Haircut? Shows played: 390 Shows played: 326 Year(s): 200506, Concert films have become a major trend over the last several decades, and U2s "Vertigo tour wasno exception. -- Matt Melis, 35. The record-breaking concert at Rio de Janeiro was held in the middle of the "A Bigger Bang" tour. The tour's live album, Alive 2007, won Daft Punk a Grammy for Best Electronic/Dance Album afterwards. Shows played: 120 republish under a Creative Commons License, and we encourage you to Tell me you wouldn't kill to see that live. Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation Tour (1989), Stardom runs deep in the Jackson family. 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. Daft Punk Alive 2006/2007 (2006-07), Daft Punk have existed for 26 years now, yet the French electronic duo have only toured two times. Total tour attendance: 1.96 million Between the big hits, the delightful absurd prog solos, and the remarkable improvisations that came from these live renditions, it was a tour thats revered for the vibe, the music, and the outstanding record it birthed as a result. Year(s): 200809, Celine Dions "Taking Chances World Tour marked her return to the touring circuit after taking an extended break for her first Las Vegas residency, "A New Day The tour wasdirected by Jamie King, who also directed Madonnas "Confessions World Tour, and included lots of new material from Dions album"Taking Chances, as well as several of her classics like "My Heart Will Go On and "The Prayer., Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $329,889,628 His songs skipped from bizarre folk to outlier rap to heavy rock and glitchy pop. 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. The moment of truth at a Whitney Houston concert came every time a note passed her lips. -- Matt Melis, 81. . Total tour attendance: 5.39 million Comments. Matt Melis, 44. Bee Gees - Spirits Having Flown Tour (1979), The Bee Gees are one of those groups that has more lives than a cat. She reworked older material to fit the aesthetics of the show as well, using a Tesla coil in "Declare Independence" or a pipe organ to play "Joga.". By the mid-1980s, the rock and roll scene had begun to feel a little stale. "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. Shows played: 110 On their 1970 tour, The Who hit the road to support the recently released Tommy. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - First UK Tour (1967), Sometimes a candle burns so brightly that we almost forget how briefly it was lit. What began in August of 1991 stretched into a worldwide tour until the end of February in 1992. AC/DC Tour History 1973-2016 When he and his band took the record on tour, it seemed like it may be too grim to work. The 40 Most Anticipated Tours of 2023: Taylor Swift, SZA, Blink-182, Arctic Monkeys, Beyonc, and More Angel Olsen, Big Thief, Coldplay, Dry Cleaning, Fever Ray, Glorilla, Kelela, and more of the. Others would say the band was never better than when setting endurance records on a nightly basis on the Wrecking Ball Tour. And yet for what a supposed destructive slog it was, the Sex Pistols' subpar tour turned sour, fizzling out on live radio while captivating everyone who tuned it. The band used an aerial photo of the concert in the liner notes of its . Its funny how history tells a slightly different story, though. Unmasked Tour | KISS Wiki | Fandom Its a moment in time where both the group and their fandom was becoming larger than life -- yet the group was still blissfully unaware of how huge they would all get in a few years, both as a unit and as individuals, with Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Syd tha Kid, and others rocketing upwards into successful solo careers. That doesnt mean we can take you back to a harmonious time in band history, though. All Rights Reserved, Accessibility At the age of 64, Wonder brought more exuberance and glee to the stage than anyone could have expected, so much so that he chose to add over 20 more dates to the tour to keep it going. Against Me! 1. Nina Corcoran, 51. You show off what you can do with and without a band. Sure, there were other labels putting out hit singles and records, but no other could boast a stable of hip-hop talent like Russell Simmons and Rick Rubins Def Jam. So her sound engineer Martin Fisher used a wire clothes hanger to create a wireless headset microphone. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $476,474,639 Take that, Tito! by Alyssa, April 04, 2016 Total tour attendance: 2.21 million That set list, combined with a collection of his classic hits like "Born to Run and "Thunder Road meant that many of the showslasted upwards of three hours. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Magic Tour, #27. Total tour attendance: 2.66 million Total tour attendance: 6.0 million Theyre a combo that thrives on the workmanlike sweat that comes from putting on an unforgettable rock and roll concert night in and night out. by Stephen Spiewak, December 20, 2022 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. Three years prior to that she was . It was a hint of what was to come for the genre and the group themselves. Their solution also mimicked Motowns strategy throughout the 60s. Nina Corcoran, 77. Never has so much vocal talent been on one bill, and while some of these shows would be segregated (one show for whites and a separate one for blacks or the two groups partitioned off during the same performance), The Motortown Revue ultimately helped to break down racial boundaries at a critical time during the American civil rights movement. Right on. Looking unassuming and average, the members of Talking Heads took the stage on their Speaking in Tongues tour like any normal passersby. Neutral Milk Hotel, the scraggly indie rock band that influenced a sea of younger acts went from an obscure band whose legend grew through mixtapes and word of mouth during their hiatus, got back together again after 15 years to the delight of young fans everywhere. Year(s): 2014present. The Rolling Stones: Bridges to Babylon Tour, #6. 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. Matt Melis, Rock doesn't get better than The Who, and what better way to challenge the notion of ruff and tough classic rock than an opera? In truth, so was his creativity as a songwriter. One of two tours on the list that is still announcing new dates, Billy Joels "Billy Joel in Concert tour so far has booked 16 dates for 2019. While both acts are fun in their own right, having the bands perform back to back turned venues like The Fillmore into proper discotheques, where the spirit of live dance bands felt as palpable as ever (though maybe it was the sweat that was palpable, in hindsight). Ironically, Brooks did more than almost any country star to open the genre up to rock fans, especially as a live performer. Voices that feel like forces of nature that need tamed just enough to fit into the confines of a song. 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. That tells you about all you need to know. "Next to You. That was the first song on their 1978 debut LP. Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues Tour (1983), The year was 1983. By magicalkidd. Matt Melis, 98. A couple of years later we met at my studio in New York City. All recounts of the tour point to how amused and bitter Johnny Rotten seemed to be, not to mention Sid Vicious' struggling attempts at bass. It was the era of young adults claiming their thrones in hip-hop, and seeing that moment in history live was (and still is) a coveted thing. While it's hard to pick a single best year, as Warped Tour turned into an all-ages space for kids and adults alike to embrace the music they loved regardless of stereotypes that may follow, it was the festival's first year that truly would have been a sight to see. In fact, one thing you notice about Marleys tours is that each one found him visiting places he had never played before. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood: World Tour, #15. Closing in on six decades of being "the greatest rock & roll band in the world, the Rolling Stones are one of theoldest bands still performing today. Its The Boss at his best. But, its more than safe to say that the pop concert was never the same after the Queen of Pop hit the road. 8 Pink Floyd - 75,250 Vintage Ted Nugent Scream Dream Wango Tango Tour 1980 t-shirt Condition: Pre-owned Time left: 4d 22h | Starting bid: US $50.00 [ 0 bids ] Bid Amount Enter US $50.00 or more Place bid Best Offer: Make offer Add to Watchlist Ships from United States Shipping: US $5.85 Standard Shipping. -- Matt Melis, The frenzy has its own name: Beatlemania. Was Bruce Springsteen better in 1975 or 1978? 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 Shows played: 155 Nina Corcoran, 05. by Alyssa, June 25, 2015 4. Total tour attendance: 4.62 million Still, few tours capture the spirit of 90s alternative rock like those early Lollapaloozas, especially the tours 1992 installment. His tour "The Wall Live has been called "one of the most ambitious and complex rock shows ever staged. It also markedthe first time that "The Wall had been played in its entirety since a one-off performance beside the (fallen) Berlin Wall in 1990. However, Floyd fans who saw the first leg of The Dark Side of the Moon Tour got a preview theyll never forget (and one the rest of the universe will forever be insanely jealous of). Not all iconic tours are flawless, as sometimes its their flaws that make them stand out. For close to a decade, and through several of their other tours, the "Voodoo Lounge tour was the Rolling Stones top-grossing tour. Do they have fees? Year(s): 199495. Stacker distribution partners receive a license to all Stacker stories, December 3, 1980 Previous Dynasty Tour Next 10th Anniversary Tour The Unmasked Tour was a 1980 concert tour by the hard rock group KISS. It tells us that reporters and fans cant take a hint, but it also reminds us that Zeppelin, for a time, were as big as any band in the world. Matt Melis, 41. Cyndi Lauper. Matt Melis, 39. . 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. 1983, so it was a pretty big deal. Once he broke out and became a star at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967, hed be gone a mere three years and change later, having, in that short time, become the highest paid rock star in the world, recorded several of the greatest albums ever, and transformed not only how the guitar was played but how the instrument was thought about all together. From the opening scene where her shadow danced across a curtain during Moving to her ballet leaps through dry ice fog in the Wuthering Heights encore, Bush's tour was the iconic shift for weirdos everywhere who knew their vision was worth pursuing, no matter what obstacles get in the way. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $546,023,369 That's what the Rollercoaster Tour was for britpop obsessives and shoegaze fans. When did Kanye hit his stride? Michael Jackson - Bad World Tour (1987-89), Sometimes, we forget that Michael Jackson had already charmed much of the world before he ever undertook his first solo tour in 1987. The sheer size of the audiences overwhelmed Smith. Not only had Simon found his spark again in his mid-40s, but he had also turned the masses on to the worldbeat sound. 1 Name Just One - 10 to 1: Music . by Vivid Seats, November 30, 2022 Madonna- Whos That Girl World Tour (1987), Madonna didnt invent the pop concert.