From the Beatles’ iconic rooftop performance to Lady Gaga’s outrageous ensembles, live music concerts are an unstoppable force. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or only an occasional concertgoer, everyone has their own opinion when it comes to deciding whose show was the most impressive—but who’s really served up the best concerts of all time?
We’re here with a definitive list of the Top 10 Best Concerts Ever—so get ready to rock out and find out who made our list!
1. Jimi Hendrix at Winterland Auditorium
One user posted, “Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall, and Albert King at the Winterland Auditorium in SF on February 2, 1968, on my first date with my husband.”
Another added, “Outstanding… You win. I am so jealous you saw Jimi in person.”
One user also replied, “The ticket alone is practically an engagement ring in sentimental value. I mean, how could anyone resist an opportunity to fall head over heels when Jimi Hendrix is playing the soundtrack to your beginning, live? The man played his cards very wisely. Please give him props from a random internet millennial who’s obsessed with the era!”
2. Gwar, 2004
One Redditor posted, “GWAR. Halloween. 2004. They fought a dinosaur after decapitating both GW and John Kerry… A vulgar live-action bug bunny cartoon.”
Another user said, “Gwar is one of those bands I always tell people they need to see live once, even if they’re not fans. It’s a wild experience,” a user commented. Another replied, “Coolest show ever!! I’ve seen them 15+ times, and I have a blast every time! What the people want could only be the senseless slaughter of the gutter slime that litters this nation for cash and prizes.”
One user shared, “My first Gwar show was with Misfits, Mephiskapheles, and Earth Crisis, the late 90s. Maybe not the greatest concert music-wise, but hands down one of the most entertaining. Totally agreed that everyone should see them once, I brought a bunch of friends that might listen to Green Day on an especially rebellious day, and they all had a blast. But, they’re really not the same since Oderus died, unfortunately.”
3. Queen With Thin Lizzy Opening, 1978
One user shared, “Queen with Thin Lizzy Opening, 1978”
Another user replied, “Saw that show in Houston. Fantastic.”
A third user added, “I hate you now because I’m overcome with jealousy.”
Another commenter said, “I saw that show in San Diego. Definitely the best of the best!”
4. Nirvana, 1992
Nirvana played their first (and only) show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 30, 1992. The performance at Estadio José Amalfitani became infamous for several reasons: it followed on the heels of Nevermind and was one of the band’s largest shows to date.
One Redditor posted, “Nirvana 1992.”
“Oh man, I am so jealous. What do you remember about it?” exclaimed another user.
One user added, “It was just a long, powerful raw show. No elaborate set or tour package (e.g., see Motley Crew or Rolling Stones), and the stage was pretty bare, but the band was all energetic and loud. Kurt captivated the crowd with his emotion and angst. In one of my first big arena concerts, the mosh pit was never-ending and sped up and slowed down to Cobain’s guitar all night. The energy was electric. I’ve seen a ton of shows since, but I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
“This is the right answer,” another commenter replied.
“I feel like I need to stop reading the answers to this question because I’m just full of endless jealousy. This must’ve been incredible,” One Redditor complained.
5. The Pink Floyd Division Bell Tour, 1994
One Reddit user shared, “The Pink Floyd Division Bell Tour in 1994.”
Another responded, “Saw it in Raleigh. Magical.”
A third commenter replied, “Oh d***, you win! This might be a controversial opinion, but Division Bell is my favorite Pink Floyd album, and I’m glad Roger Waters left when he did.”
6. Nine Inch Nails, Los Angeles
Nine Inch Nails, abbreviated NIN and stylized as NI, is a Cleveland-based American industrial rock band formed in 1988. Trent Reznor, the band’s singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, was the only constant member until his frequent collaborator, Atticus Ross, joined in 2016.
One Redditor posted, “My #1 fav was NIN during Wave Goodbye in 2009 at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. It took me years to wrap my head around the awesomeness. My number 2 fav shows are Guns n Roses from Jan 1992—they were insanely good. Soundgarden was the opener.”
Another user replied, “I saw them at the Hollywood Bowl in 2014 when they played with Soundgarden. I’m a big Soundgarden fan and have always appreciated NIN, but I was there to see Soundgarden. NIN blew my mind and immediately became the number 1 concert for me.”
Another commenter replied, “Seeing them a few times (my fav band) and watching them play Hurt with the giant projector screen like in the music video is always an entrancing experience.”
7. U2, at Sullivan Stadium
A commenter shared his experience, “Before U2 were hated, I stood at the old Sullivan stadium, age 17, Bono with his arm in a sling after falling off the stage in DC. When you’re 17, everything matters more. The show was solid. Edge made a Hendrix impression on Bullet the Blue Sky. The final song was a chorus repeating ’40,’ which the crowd sang over and over again as we exited the venue. Maybe later they did stupid stuff, but that night, U2 gave us a good time.”
Another user agreed, “U2 Joshua Tree tour for me. I’m not a huge U2 fan, but the energy is. They held 50,000 people’s emotions in the palm of their hands.”
8. AC/DC Hockenheim, 2015
A user shared, “AC/DC Hockenheim 2015 first concert ever, and my dad really wanted me to see them. Had a blast because of all the cool things they came up with. Brought up a bit of a bell and rang it all the time during Hells Bells.
They even sold small blinking horn headbands at the entry point for like 5€ or something. So you could see about 20,000 blinking headbands once it turned dark.
And Angus Young played a solo that felt like it took 20 minutes.
One of the best days I ever had with my father.”
9. Lake Street Dive
One user shared, “Lake Street Dive. Oh, my goodness. They were opening for the Avett Brothers, and I had heard one of their songs before, but I’d never heard of the band or listened to them other than one song in a passive way. Oh, my goodness. They blew me away. I’d seen LOTS of live shows before, but none made me feel the way they did: their close harmonies, their groove. I fell in love with them. Their live sound is better than their album sound. But their album stuff is excellent too. They became my favorite band overnight.”
Another replied, “I saw that lineup. I became a fan, but LOVED the Avett Brothers.”
A third user responded, “The Avett Brothers were good too, but I was just going because my mom is a HUGE fan of them.”
10. Rammstein, Oslo, Norway
One user posted, “RAMMSTEIN.”
Another replied, “Rammstein in Oslo this summer. Standing in a packed crowd for over four hours before the warm-up act started! What a pyro fantastic show.”
One Redditor added, “Rammstein has it all. Fire. Lasers. Fun props. Confetti.”
A fourth commented, “Rammstein 2010. Also, most recently, Birdland’s Big Band, New Year’s Eve, directed by the great David de Jesús.”
Source: Reddit
10 of the Worst TV Series Ever According to the Internet
There’s Seinfeld, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, The Office, and other legendary shows. But have you considered that for each show that garners universal critical acclaim, there is an inverse show lurking on the other end of the IMDb rating scale?
10 of the Worst TV Series Ever According to the Internet
15 Cover Songs That Are Better Than the Original
Sometimes, a cover of a song ends up doing far better than the original. Some covers are so good that we didn’t even realize the cover version wasn’t actually the original.
15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original
These 11 Movies Are So Bad You’ll Wish You Could Unsee Them
The movies we love best are a combination of excellent characters, plots, stories and cinematography. But if these factors can make great movies, they can also make terrible movies—the ones that make people cringe, the ones we swear they’ll never watch again.
These 11 Movies Are So Bad You’ll Wish You Could Unsee Them
10 Celebrities Who Are Universally Disliked
People will always have preferences and something to say about celebrities. What you might love may not be the same for others. Whether it’s about their past behaviors, legal issues, or feuds with other celebrities, here is a list of celebrities people just cannot stand.
These 10 Terrible Movies Are Still People’s Favorites
We’ve all been there – sitting through a movie that we can’t help but cringe at, but somehow it still manages to hold a special place in our hearts.
These 10 Terrible Movies Are Still People’s Favorites