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. However, the one triumph that had evaded Barbra Streisand was a successful 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. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $556,500,000 On top of this, the 1970 tour saw their iconic headlining set at the Isle of Wight Festival. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $506,821,305 Total tour attendance: 2.67 million The tour also spawned the groupsonly live album"Live in Buenos Aires, recorded at the final show. It was a transformation of human expectations, stage design, and low-to-high delivery, thankfully captured on film for preservation. You show off what you can do with and without a band. The album won critical acclaim for how well it captured the feelings and aftermath of 9/11. 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. 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. Total tour attendance: 2.89 million Watching them turn into the geniuses they would become was surreal, a vision of genuine artistic joy and collaboration. But now things are looking up again way up. 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. Iggy and the Stooges - 1970 Summer Tour (1970), Iggy Pop is another one of those rock stars who has had nine lives. Bill Wyman walked away from the band, saying that he was tired of touring and would no longer continue playing with the group. The Def Jam 87 tour packaged seminal hip-hop acts like Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Erik B. (It always seems to take critics a little bit longer.) 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. Its roster of artists, which included Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys, EPMD and Slick Rick, was unparalleled in range and cultural dominance. Its the circle of life, folks. by Stephen Spiewak, July 20, 2016 Jean Michel Jarre at State University of Moscow (1997) - 3.5 million attendees. The success of that one-off night in September 81 led Simon & Garfunkel to put harmonies before harmony and embark on what many consider their finest tour ever. Terms of Use. Whether it was fearlessly taunting a lightning storm at Lollapalooza or lunging into the audience at indoor shows throughout the tour, Florence Welch showed the type of full-faced courage that fills the band's music with tangible flashes of life. The band used an aerial photo of the concert in the liner notes of its . Still, it felt like the odd couple were truly homeward bound when they ended their 10-year separation to play before half a million in their now legendary Concert at Central Park. Here are 10 of the biggest benefit concerts of all time. Simon and Garfunkel-- Summer Evening Tour (1981-83), Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were destined to sing together. While on this tour, Joel has created a sort ofresidency for himself at Madison Square Garden, playing one show there a month, as long as ticket sales stay high (already six dates at MSG have been announced for 2019). Maybe that pain fueled the music. Some even claim he invented the stage dive during these years. 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. 2. Cher: Living Proof: The Farewell Tour, #20. Heres everything to know, The biggest music festivals in 2022: Dates, cities, ticket info, lineups announced, What is MegaSeats? In fact, no tour by a female artist has ever drawn more fans. Matt Melis, 98. Shows played: 219 But when The Cure hit the States in support of Disintegration, it was an entirely different ordeal. With the release of Guero, his ninth studio album, Beck found a new string of singles -- like "E-Pro" and "Girl" -- to hook audiences with. restrictions, which you can review below. 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. Nina Corcoran, 91. . But it wasnt until the 1998 Yield Tour that the frontman and his colleagues matured and settled into being the best touring band on the planet. Alice Cooper The Billion Dollar Babies Tour (1973-74), Alice Cooper (aka The Godfather of Shock Rock) has been offering fans a dark and macabre stage show since the beginning of the 70s, which included the climax of a villainous Cooper being executed by an electric chair. But Cave turned a period of mourning into a universal acknowledgement of life moving on no matter what you choose to do. 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. Shows played: 205 Between 1973 and 1976, Journey released three studio albums, all of which failed to meet the expectations of Columbia Records, which nearly dropped the band. tour dates But, seriously, give the old man credit for this pick. "Next to You. That was the first song on their 1978 debut LP. award winning 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. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $301,677,551 The 1980s brought the world some of the best music the 20th century had to offer. Nina Corcoran, 85. The Rolling Stones' 1969 tour was one of the first legendary rock events. Stacker has rounded up 30 of the top-grossing music tours of all time. Heres everything you need to know. Astroworld Festival Nov. 5, 2021 Houston, Texas Concert deaths: 9 The Rolling Stones knew that rock was ready for melodic pop choruses, and their first massive stadium tour of the states had everyone singing along -- inside and outside of the stadium. by Will, December 15, 2014 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: The River Tour 2016, #21. Just over a year after her older brother Michael had rewritten every rule for what a pop tour or a music tour in general could be, kid sister Janet Jackson set out on her own record-setting tour. Their first UK Tour saw the band sharing a bill with, among others, a young Cat Stevens and Engelbert Humperdinck. Nina Corcoran, Rarely do we know at the time that were witnessing history in the making. --Matt Melis, 93. - Quora Answer (1 of 12): The mid 80s was my initiation to concert attendance by myself; away from the bosom of my parents, who enjoyed gigs and took us kids too. Total tour attendance: 4.85 million So her sound engineer Martin Fisher used a wire clothes hanger to create a wireless headset microphone. Total tour attendance: 2.71 million And there to flesh things out even more was a star-studded list of openers like Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, R.E.M., and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Matt Melis, 47. From 2007-2008, the band joined Springsteen for a23-songs-per-set tour that was called "euphoric and "profound., Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $279,110,786 Year(s): 2018. The first artist to do that, Joel also broke the record for solo performances at The Garden, previously held by Sir Elton John, when he played his65th concert on July 1, 2015. And who can forget those skin-tight pants and spangled jackets? Year(s): 201315. Total tour attendance: 6.0 million 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. 30 day returns. While this is not a comprehensive list of all concert tours, its the most accurate representation as of January 2019. Stacker distribution partners receive a license to all Stacker stories, The slate saw Springsteen finally headlining full-size arenas and adding several soon-to-be staples to the setlist. The English rock bandPink Floyd formed in 1965. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. And luckily enough, we were able to score 16 seats (with 8 on the floor) for the biggest concert that year! Divorced from Ike Turner and with their glory days together well in her rearview mirror, Turner not only reignited her career with a series of energetic tours in the 80s and 90s, but she actually found her star burning brighter than ever. A record-setting $10.4 billion was spent in 2018 on concert tickets around the world. 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. Kate Bush was adamant about dancing as she sang, using movements that were broad and wide, the type that would get you tangled in a cord should you try. While both acts put on good sets, it was Green Day whose live show remained consistent and invigorating, whereas Blinks tour prior to this one was their tightest so far. Total tour attendance: 3.47 million and Mastodon - 2007 Spring Tour (2007), The biggest difference between looking back on remarkable tours versus remarkable concerts is what the full package includes. The legendary Beatle has everything going in his favor from the start and yet continues to outdo himself and the expectations set for him every time he hits the stage. If youre hoping to hear some of your favorite tracks from yesteryear live, heres a list of the 50 biggest groups across all genres you can catch live this year. Matt Melis, Don't overlook the power of a comeback, though, to be fair, Patti Smith never truly faded out to merit a proper comeback. 9 Backstreet Boys - 73,337 The Backstreet Boys were at the height of their popularity when they drew over 73,000 fans into the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on February 19, 2000. Still, few tours capture the spirit of 90s alternative rock like those early Lollapaloozas, especially the tours 1992 installment.