Top 20 Most Important Moments in Music History
#20: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness
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Queen frontman Freddie Mercury is one of the most beloved performers in music history, and the concert held after his passing in 1991 is one of rock’s most fondly remembered spectacles. Paying tribute to Mercury, as well as raising awareness for AIDS, the concert featured a number of the world’s biggest bands at the time and had an attendance of over 70,000, with tickets selling out in just three hours. The event was also broadcast live, and over half a billion people watched at home. Footage from the concert is totally classic, as each of the artists honouring Mercury, gave the performances of a lifetime, while proceeds from the concert were used to launch The Mercury Phoenix Trust.
#19: Elton John’s Double Header at Dodger Stadium
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On October 25 and 26, 1975, Elton John played two sold out shows at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, being the first musical act to perform there since The Beatles nine years earlier. While those are some pretty big shoes to fill, it’s safe to say that John more than rose to the occasion. The combined concerts were attended by over 100,000 fans, and at the time were the two largest single-artist concerts ever held. It wasn’t widely known at the time, but John had attempted suicide just days before the concert. Thankfully he survived, and the Rocketman went on to give two of the greatest performances of his career.
#18: “Like a Virgin” at the VMAs
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Watching Madonna’s performance at the 1984 VMAs today, you likely wouldn’t bat an eye at the singer's suggestive antics. For audiences then however, it was an entirely different story. Descending from a giant cake, and dressed in a wedding gown, Madonna decided to improvise a little during her performance of “Like a Virgin.” Halfway through the song, Madonna started cutting loose, sensually writing on the floor of the stage, at one point exposing her underwear. The future queen of pop was still making a name for herself when she performed at the VMAs, and her conduct outraged some more conservative audiences. However, the controversy also brought new attention to Madonna, and helped pave the way for women artists to talk about sex more openly in their music.
#17: Altamont Speedway Free Festival
The Rolling Stones’s concert at the Altamont Speedway in 1969 is infamous for bringing a sombre end to “the summer of love.” Anticipated as a sort of spiritual sequel to Woodstock, the concert featured a number of popular bands, and was attended by 300,000 fans as well as a group of Hell’s Angels, who were unofficially hired to provide security. The event became increasingly violent throughout the day and when the Stones took to the stage, things came to a head as one concert-goer whipped out a gun and was stabbed by one of the Hells Angels, killing him. Before the night was over, there would be two more deaths. Rolling Stone Magazine later said it was "rock and roll's all-time worst day.”
#16: The Jackson 5 Debut on “American Bandstand”
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It was February 21st, 1970, when America was treated to its first taste of the music, style, and swagger of the Jackson family. Debuting their single “ABC” on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, the Jackson 5, comprised of Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and Michael, completely stole the show with their upbeat pop-funk sound, their choreographed dancing, and their youthful exuberance. It was Michael in particular of course, who stood out the most, and watching the performance today, it’s incredible seeing just how captivating MJ was even at the beginning of his career. The group’s appearance on the show made stars out of the family, and with it, the boyband formula was created.
#15: “Ebony & Ivory”
We said in our criteria that weren’t going to cover releases and we meant it. While the release of the song “Ebony and Ivory” was a huge deal, it was the coming together of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder as musical partners that was in and of itself truly momentous. The Beatles are often considered the greatest pop group of all time, and Wonder the greatest R&B artist. Two of music's greatest minds coming together from different countries and backgrounds to work together on a song about peace and harmony was absolutely inspiring, and back in the ‘80s it made a powerful statement. It’s possible that we’ll never see as overpowered a collaboration in our lifetimes.
#14: Bob Marley Performs Two Days After Being Shot
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There are certain musicians whose impact is just as significant socio-politically as it is musically. Bob Marley is a shining example of this, as the singer used his platform to spread his messages throughout Jamaica, and the rest of the world. Being such a powerful figure, Marley had enemies in high places, and on December 3rd 1976, he was shot by 7 gunmen who had alleged ties to a far-right political party. The shooting took place 2 days before a concert that Marley was scheduled to play. Remarkably, Marley decided that he was still going to play the concert, refusing to be intimidated, and the reggae star performed a powerful 90-minute set in front of 80,000 fans.
#13: The Who on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour”
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By 1967, the “British Invasion” was in full swing throughout the US. Most Americans were accustomed to the cheeky antics of The Beatles and the smarmy swagger of The Rolling Stones, but nobody was quite sure what to make of The Who when they appeared on The Smothers Brothers TV show, playing their — literally — smash hit “My Generation.” The band’s performance ended with smoke rising from their amplifiers, smashed instruments, and a bass drum explosion that went off with 3 times the fire power than was originally intended. The TV spot went down in infamy, and some of the roots of punk rock can be traced back to this legendary performance.
#12: Nirvana on “MTV Unplugged”
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The music industry owes a lot to MTV given the game changing impact of its arrival, but the channel should also be recognized for some incredible music moments. Perhaps the most powerful performance ever aired on the channel was Nirvana's 1993 appearance on “MTV Unplugged.” Recorded in November of that year and aired a month later, it was one of the last televised performances by Kurt Cobain, before his death in April of 1994. In the wake of his death, the performance inherited immense weight, where the funeral-like set dressings and melancholic song choices brought Cobain's declining mental state into focus.
#11: Johnny Cash Walks the Line
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Johnny Cash was never one to play by the rules, and that’s why the public loved the Man in Black. An outlaw spirit who had fair share of brushes with the law, Cash sympathized with prison inmates. He advocated for prison reform, and as early as the late 50’s started to visit and perform in prisons. The real moment of magic came on February 24th, 1969, when Cash performed live at California’s San Quentin Prison. Fueled in part by his annoyance with the British film crew filming the concert, Cash led a rowdy crowd of inmates with a rebellious, energetic, and career defining set.
#10: The Launch of MTV
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It may be hard to imagine nowadays, as it’s mostly known for trashy reality TV and award shows, but MTV was once at the center of the American music consciousness. When MTV first launched in 1981, it completely changed the musical landscape, single-handedly pushing music videos to the forefront of the music industry. Dedicated entirely to playing and premiering videos, as well as delivering music-related news, MTV quickly became a staple of ‘80s and ‘90s youth culture. Both bands and record executives became aware of the potential for success that could be garnered from music videos, and to this day, it’s pretty much a given that if an artist is going to drop a hot single, they’ll also drop an accompanying music video.
#9: “The Wall” Meets the Wall
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Roger Waters, mastermind behind Pink Floyd’s groundbreaking album, “The Wall,” once said in an interview that, after leaving Pink Floyd in 1985, he was reluctant to play songs from “The Wall” on stage. He did say however that there were certain circumstances under which he would be open to playing the songs... say for example, if the Berlin Wall came down. Thus, it was decided that Waters would perform the album in Berlin’s former “No Man’s Land” 8 months after the fall of the Wall. Waters was joined by an impressive lineup of heavyweight artists, including Sinead O’Connor, Joni Mitchell, and Van Morrison. The concert was also released as an album, and is regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever.
#8: Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk
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He didn’t create the move, but MJ sure as hell popularized it. The moonwalk has cropped up throughout pop culture since the 1930s, such as James Brown in The Blues Brothers for example, but there’s only one name synonymous with the move: Michael Jackson. He lit up the world when he first rocked the moonwalk at “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever” in March 1983. Jackson added his signature flair and gravitas to the move by spinning and posing in his sequins, black jacket, and white glove, stopping the world for a moment, and then dropping the moonwalk bomb. In modern times it would have broken the internet but in the 1980s Jackson had to just settle for blowing minds.
#7: The Sugarhill Gang Reaches the Top 40
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We’re sure you've jammed out to “Rapper’s Delight” once or twice, but did you know it was recorded in a single take? Didn’t think so. That single take, recorded by Englewood natives “Wonder Mike,” “Big Bank Hank,” and “Master Gee,” rocked the musical world when in January, 1980 it cracked the Billboard Top 40, landing the number 36 spot. It was the first time a hip-hop track had ever accomplished such a feat, as it legitimized the hip-hop genre as a force to be reckoned with. This moment paved the way for all future hip-hop acts, from Biggie to Kendrick Lamar, who can all thank The Sugarhill Gang.
#6: Bob Dylan Goes Electric at Newport
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A fan favourite of the Newport Folk Festival thanks to his appearances in 1963 and 64, Bob Dylan rattled the cage a little too hard in 1965. By '65 Dylan had been labeled the “spokesman of a generation,” and had earned Newport’s headlining bill. Taking the stage with members from the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and armed with a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, Mr Zimmerman parted ways with his folk brethren. As boos and jeers erupted from the purists of the festival, including its organizers, Dylan let loose with electric guitars and the energy of rock and roll. It was a major turning point, signalling the decline of folk, and the rise of rock and roll.
#5: Elvis on “The Milton Berle Show”
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By the time he performed on the Milton Berle show on June 5th, 1956, Elvis had already appeared on television plenty of times, including a previous appearance on Berle's show. This time around, however, things were different. Guitar-less and free to move around the stage Presley became a quivering mass of windmilling arms and gyrating hips while performing an overcharged version of 'Hound Dog'. He may have been chastised by the press and conservative America, but Elvis won over America’s youth who very promptly crowned him the King of Rock and Roll.
#4: Jimi Hendrix Plays the Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock
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Woodstock – four days of peace and love – rocked the world with many incredible performances from groups as diverse as The Who to Jefferson Airplane. None, however, had the cultural impact of Jimi Hendrix. Due the festival being horribly off schedule, and following Sha-Na-Na, Hendrix finally took the stage early Monday morning, with a mere 30,000 of the 400,000 plus audience still in attendance. The remaining few were stunned when Hendrix broke out a passionate rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner with the full Jimi Hendrix treatment. It was a performance that both channelled counterculture rebellion and anger towards the Vietnam War, but also Hendrix's unbridled love for America.
#3: Queen at Live Aid
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On July 13th, 1985 the biggest bands in the world of rock and roll came together for Live Aid to support relief efforts for the Ethiopian Famine. On a day featuring a reunited Led Zeppelin, The Who, Black Sabbath, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and U2's epic 14 minute rendition of “Bad”, it was Queen that stole the show. In a mere 21 minute set, they crammed in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Radio Ga Ga, ”Hammer to Fall,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and a finale of “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions.” The performance was incredible, as Freddie Mercury commanded the stage and the 72,000 person crowd in what proved to be one of his last major performances.
#2: The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show”
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The Ed Sullivan Show gave the world a collection of incredible and controversial music moments, like the censored hip swinging of Elvis Presley, but no moment compares to the debut performance of The Beatles. On February 9th, 1964, to an estimated U.S. television record of 73 million viewers, The Beatles took the stage and kicked off the British Invasion. On that night, John, Paul, George, and Ringo bridged the gap between British and American music, globalizing the industry with a forged bond that would forever link the two. The performance launched America into a craze unlike anything before it. Beatlemania had arrived (and would eventually figuratively end with the Beatles’ iconic rooftop concert in 1969), and music would never be the same again.
#1: Beethoven Premieres the 9th Symphony
Considered among his best works, Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” premiered on May 7th, 1824 at Vienna’s Theater am Kärntnertor to a packed audience. Matching the crowd, Beethoven packed the stage with the largest orchestra he had ever convened, including many of Vienna’s elite musicians. The premiere marked the first time Beethoven had taken the stage in 12 years. During that time he lost his hearing, and as a result wrote the symphony off musical intuition alone. All of this added to the crowd’s anticipation. Sharing the stage with the theater’s kapellmeister, Michael Umlauf, Beethoven’s symphony stunned the audience, earning five standing ovations. The 9th proved to be Beethoven’s last completed symphony, but it lives on as a masterpiece.
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