biggest concert tours 1980s

Sometimes, the tour has a special, personal meaning to the individual fan, like the first time seeing a show with a future spouse. The final Bruce Springsteen tour on this list, the "Wrecking Ball World Tour has been Springsteens most successful tour to date. 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. Still, if we can only revisit one U2 tour, it would be 1983s War Tour, before many of their best-known hits came to dominate radio and prior to Bono becoming a slicked-back, leather-clad god who wears sunglasses indoors. 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. Total tour attendance: N/A Though it was a short seven-day tour, it saw the soon-to-be forebearers of the genre joining forces: Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, and Carcass. Like many iconic bands before and after them, critics didnt initially get Zeppelin, panning their records as derivative and unimaginative. "The Farewell Tourwas no exception. So strange seeing Maynard in the daylight. The band reunited for 156 shows, playing theirfinal show at Madison Square Garden. The experience turned into a masterclass for the future Fab Four, with Penniman teaching them his songs and showing a young Paul McCartney how to sing like him. The sheer size of the audiences overwhelmed Smith. The British band was blamed for selling out with the success of Combat Rock, still their best-selling album to date, though it would go on to show what new wave could and should do: merge influences of all kinds. 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. The short winter tour in intimate venues across the US ended with two nights at Bowery Ballroom mere hours before Christmas. & Rakim, Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, and Public Enemy. It wasnt an act of innovation in their eyes; it was an act of betrayal. 1984 and 85 was peak Prince. Triumph 1985 Thunder World Tour Concert Rock 1980's Vintage T-shirt Condition: New with tags Last One Price: US $16.95 Buy It Now Add to cart Add to Watchlist Returns accepted Ships from United States Shipping: Standard Shipping. 1983, so it was a pretty big deal. Hislongest concert ever took place during this tour, clocking in at just over four hours. That doesnt mean we can take you back to a harmonious time in band history, though. Nina Corcoran, Joni Mitchell's 1974 tour of North America was the time and place to hear her songs spring to life exactly like how they sound on record, though traditionalists beware. Total tour attendance: 1.96 million The Police - Synchronicity Tour (1983-84), In 1983, just before their dissolution, The Police became the Biggest Band in the World thanks to the success of Synchronicity. Joanna Newsom- Have One on Me Tour (2010), Though one could say Joanna Newsom continues to outdo herself in live settings today, the singer-songwriter and harpist outdid herself in 2010 while touring behind the triple-LP Have One on Me. Jackson set both attendance and revenue records while performing 123 times in 15 countries, and his singular combination of distinctive singing, otherworldly dancing, and must-copy fashion made him a pop-culture icon of the highest order from then on. For their 2010 edition, the series booked Paramore to headline the string of dates with Tegan and Sara supporting. New Jersey band Bon Jovi appeared on the scene in 1980 with big hair and electric smiles. Shows played: 390 Stacker believes in making the worlds data more accessible through Live videos from the tour capture what it felt like to be there, from people's shrieking screams for the band at the start of songs to the mischievous air that hung during their stripped-down, acoustic renditions. During their reunion shows in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, Jawbreaker gave generations new and old the chance to hear their material live and sounding better than most everyone expected them to, too. Not even when the footage got edited into the Big Time concert film did anything really make sense. Credit Gene Simmons and co. for understanding that its just rock and roll, stupid! The bands Autobahn Tour configuration has gone down in history as their classic touring lineup. With multiple tributes to Phife Dawg, moving pauses where Q-Tip and Jarobi White stood off to the side for Phife's verses to be played over the speakers while his image flashed on screen, and '90s hits being sung back to them, word for word, from audiences of all ages, the tour felt like a moment solidifying their place in history: right now, back then, and forever more. Year(s): 200708. live music The album won critical acclaim for how well it captured the feelings and aftermath of 9/11. symphony orchestra 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. Today's Top Quizzes in The Rolling Stones. He wound up growing a beard, hiding in Paris, and running the city's marathon incognito, causing the band to cancel their UK dates but pull him back aboard in time for the US tour stretch with their ideal catalog ready to go. Total tour attendance: 2.66 million and Mastodon announced the co-headlining tour during critical points in both bands' careers, especially since it was just before Against Me! 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. St. Vincent- Fear the Future Tour (2017-18), What do you do when youre one of the greatest guitarists of all time? As rain started to fall on the 450,000 in attendance at the concert which was being broadcast worldwide and raising funds for a childrens park Ross, in a tight, orange bodysuit, hair and robe gracefully blowing in the wind as rain ran down her face, addressed the crowd. Their biggest album, "For Those About to Rock, We Salute You, topped charts in 1983, but in 2008 they were still going strong. They took to the stage at 2 AM with John Entwistle donning a skeleton onesie and Keith Moon acting giddy as ever, a seamless culmination of everything The Who represented as a band and the classic rock genre at large. 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. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $301,677,551 All told, the tour, to this day, remains the most successful debut tour by any recording artist. Run-DMCandBeastie Boys- Together Forever Tour (1987), In 1986, Run-DMC broke hip-hop stereotypes when their rap rock take on Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" hit No. With larger venues and gigs on the doc, the band amped up their live antics, playing into the role of frenetic antics and volume-heavy material. Total tour attendance: 3.47 million The demand for more shows extended the reunion longer than anyone expected, a fever dream nobody wanted to end, but one we were lucky to have in reality at all. To publish, simply grab the HTML code or text to the left and paste into Nina Corcoran, 60. It was the first time wireless mics would ever be used onstage. Browse The Rolling Stones. Year(s): 200506, Concert films have become a major trend over the last several decades, and U2s "Vertigo tour wasno exception. 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. Total tour attendance: 2.21 million These days, shes very much a pop artist, and her sixth studio album, "Reputation, proves it. 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. Most nights of the tour opened with their classic hit "Message in a Bottle, but the August 2008 show began withCreams "Sunshine of Your Lovea moving tribute to the band who had played their own final show at MSG years prior. It was only because his records were still selling overseas that the founding father of rock agreed to take Sam Cooke and tour Europe in 62. Because little did fans know, this would wind up being the bands final big tour before eventually breaking up. The Eagles One of These Nights Tour (1975), Ah, this ones for the dads. --Matt Melis, 93. Girl into Beercan into Qu Onda Gero into Devils Haircut? Not only had Simon found his spark again in his mid-40s, but he had also turned the masses on to the worldbeat sound. It took me a lifetime to get here, she told them. 30 of the top-grossing music tours of all time, #30. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. 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. In 2005, Smith's live performances were bigger and better for a range of reasons. released their major label debut and after Mastodon made theirs. On the Victory Tour, his last stint as a Jackson, he actually performed his solo albums Off the Wall and Thriller with the group and stunned the world with his moonwalk, single glove, and sequined jacket trademarks hed take with him into his solo career. Her performance, her costumes, and the stage and multimedia setup had all been taken to new levels for this tour. Total tour attendance: 4.13 million On their 1970 tour, The Who hit the road to support the recently released Tommy. Year(s): 201315. --Matt Melis, Seeing the Goddess of Pop right after her commercial success exploded (yet again) would be one to brag about for the ages. Nina Corcoran, 79. 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. December 3, 1980 Previous Dynasty Tour Next 10th Anniversary Tour The Unmasked Tour was a 1980 concert tour by the hard rock group KISS. Their solution also mimicked Motowns strategy throughout the 60s. Matt Melis, 58. Frustrated that bills with multiple female acts were virtually impossible sells to promoters and radio stations, McLachlan decided to book her own tour. Guns N' Roses: Not in This Lifetime Tour, #2. "Next to You. That was the first song on their 1978 debut LP. It influenced the decades that followed for its sound, its attitude, and its unorthodox touring strategy, suggesting maybe we didnt know what punk rock had to offer, or what it could take away either. Phish- Phish Destroys America (1997), Its hard to pick a single best Phish tour, especially if youre a die-hard fan. So catching them during their prime would've been a treat not just for their youthful dexterity to play complex parts, but for the general bond that could be felt onstage before bitterness took over. While both bands put on legendary shows when healthy and present, that didnt happen nearly enough across the 26 dates. Watching them turn into the geniuses they would become was surreal, a vision of genuine artistic joy and collaboration. Genesis- The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Tour (1974-75), Few prog rock tours are as infamous as Genesis' jaunt in support of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, the band's sixth studio album and last with Peter Gabriel as the lead singer. Brooks was the first 10-gallon megastar to prove that you could be a little bit country by day and a lot of rock and roll each night onstage. For a few years, the Rolling Stones held the title for the top-grossing tour of all timethanks to their "A Bigger Bang tour. Of all the punk tours of the 2000s, its hard not to look at this 2007 trek and wish you were there. Originally conceived by Perry Farrell as a farewell tour and victory lap for his band, Janes Addiction, the festival hasnt travelled since its one-year comeback in 2003. 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. 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 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 Napalm Death's 1988 album knocked Sonic Youth out of the No. Matt Melis, 17. high school 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. However, the Bad World Tour was the moment Jackson took over the world and truly became the King of Pop. Depeche Mode still sound strong today, but catching them during their peak in the middle of a tour fans still gush over is a bucket list for any synthpop-loving music obsessive. To have seen Hendrix during this period might have been too blinding to fully appreciate. While Dylans acoustic sets were welcomed, each nights subsequent electric set received its fair share of hecklers and scathing ink from the press. If nothing else, it all sounds extremely metal maybe a little too metal, actually. Seeing a live performer on tour forever links both artist and fan to a particular venue, on a particular date, in a certain moment in time. Richards said he only "spent a couple of days in the hospital; it later came out that hed actuallyhad brain surgery to remove a blood clot resulting from the fall. Despite a long line of revolving band members, the Nine Inch Nails frontman has always managed to push the live experience to its edges, creating a cathartic, communal experience for fans that owes as much to mud and sweat as it does to high-tech rock-show theatrics. tour dates Eventually, the tour hit its stride, bringing in $300 million over its 14-month run. Few tours captured that glimmer of dancing under a disco ball quite like LCD Soundsystem's 2010 tour behind This Is Happening. All three members of Run-DMC were 22 years old and all three members of Beastie Boys were between 21 and 23. Astroworld Festival Nov. 5, 2021 Houston, Texas Concert deaths: 9 While this is not a comprehensive list of all concert tours, its the most accurate representation as of January 2019. However, now that Sabbath has officially closed shop as of 2017 and Ozzy Osbourne insists his latest farewell (No More Tours II) will be his last extended goodbye, we find ourselves staring down the barrel of a potentially Ozzyless concert slate for the first time in decades. But all the in-band tension couldnt keep Stills and Young from burying the hatchet long enough to join David Crosby and Graham Nash on a 31-gig trek in 1974. 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). While artists like Madonna doubled down on creative costumes and Janet Jackson would go on to make her shows all about electric dance routines, Houston eschewed much of that showmanship in favor of wowing audiences with her musical creativity: improvising, scatting with her band, or adding jazzy or gospel inflections to her vocal arrangements. Tour gross (adjusted for inflation): $556,500,000 Shania Twain- Come on Over Tour (1998-99), Come on Over is one of those albums that hit at the perfect moment. Heres everything you need to know. Simon needed a new inspiration to take hold of him, and he found that muse in the traditional music of South Africa, which he would combine with pop to create Graceland, his best-selling album as a solo artist. Gene Simmons was Uncle Sam, and he wanted YOU in his army. Those who saw it had no idea they were seeing My Bloody Valentine on their last tour ever, as the band chose not to play again until reuniting over 16 years later in 2008. A Tribe Called Quest- 2017 Summer Tour (2017), Though they've reunited intermittently over the years for one-off performances, it was A Tribe Called Quest's unexpected album We Got It from Here Thank You 4 Your Service -- their first LP in 18 years, during the recording of which Phife Dawg passed away -- that revitalized their music and their legend at large. So big, in fact, that as of 2013, the tour holds the record for the highest-grossing tour by a solo musician, surpassing Madonna. If your organization is interested in becoming a Stacker With each band performing 45-minute sets with no encores, it was a fair and evenly distributed event, showing no bias except for maybe who could play the loudest each night. Sufjan Stevens- Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant on Ice (2012), Out of everything in his toiling discography, its arguably Sufjan Stevens yearly voyage into holiday music that makes him so intriguing. Matt Melis, 36. Crazy, but thats how it goes. With their valiant Ticketmaster battles behind them, a newfound sense of camaraderie, and Soundgardens Matt Cameron solidifying the bands revolving spot behind the drum kit, Pearl Jam were finally able to commit to making each and every outing be it an intimate show in their hometown of Seattle or under the stars at Wrigley Field a night where anything could, and often does, happen. Year(s): 200810. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Shows played: 132 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. And this tour was big. 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. Matt Melis, 34. Year(s): 2017. Odd Future- Golf Wang Tour 2011 (2011), Rap collectives come and go, but Odd Futures lasting effects were made to stand forever. 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. 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. Others would say the band was never better than when setting endurance records on a nightly basis on the Wrecking Ball Tour. What we do know is rarely has a pop rock band sounded so good and held so many audiences in the palm of their hand. Shows played: 205 Stayin alive, stayin alive. -- Matt Melis, 71. Nina Corcoran, 08. In that, the Pop Disaster Tour essentially led to Green Days reprise. Mones live show on the tour was broken into parts, essentially like a Broadway play, complete with minor costume changes, narrative turns, and mood swings. After all, the 80s was a time when rock music was at its peak. Commercially viable and artistically varied, grindcore earned itself the space to be taken seriously and grow on that tour, eventually developing into the monolith it is today. Thanks to streaming services and the preference of audiences for singles,album sales are down overall, but it's clear fans are still willing to pay to see their favorite artists in person. Do they have fees? It was the opportunity to watch an artist put on a fully immersive production that was parts story, groove, and liberation, and Mones ability to do so this smoothly was a sign of what was to come. The shows themselves saw Prince, oozing sexuality, dive right into the best of Purple Rain and 1999, not hesitating to bring out openers Apolonia 6 or Sheila E. to sing along or to extend a jam by 20 or 30 mesmerizing minutes. 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. Although the decade of excess ended over 32 years ago, many of the biggest bands that grew up in the MTV era, like Sting, Duran Duran and Blondie, are still touring in 2022. 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. For ZZ Top (which sported a much different look from the bearded act known today), the controversy added to their mystique. Rarely has a festival so large known their audience so well and delivered better. The run included the bands legendary May 8th stop at Cornell, considered by many to be the holy grail of Dead shows. Nina Corcoran, 38. Luckily, theres plenty of footage of Marleys final performances and message, including a sold-out stadium show thats still considered to be the largest concert in Italian history. At this point, The Who were settling into their role as rock superstars. To that end, most Stacker stories are freely available to Year(s): 199495. 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. 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. And who can forget those skin-tight pants and spangled jackets? While preferences will vary, at least everyone can agree: the In Rainbows tour was a moment of magic in real life. Nina Corcoran, Def Jam in the mid-80s can be compared to Motown in its heyday. When did Kanye hit his stride? The most infamous example might be when Youngs bus diverged from Stills while on tour, and Old Shakey sent his quitting papers to Stills via telegram.

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