- 5/18/2025
From groundbreaking stadium performances to revolutionary stage productions, join us as we celebrate the most spectacular live music experiences ever produced! These legendary tours changed the concert industry forever, featuring iconic artists who pushed creative boundaries and delivered unforgettable shows.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable concert
00:12tours that made history and headlines over the years.
00:23Number 20. Stadium Tour, Guns N' Roses and Metallica.
00:28This was an idea that probably looked really good on paper, bringing together two of rock
00:35and metal's heaviest hitters, at the heights of their creative powers.
00:39The Guns N' Roses Metallica Tour is one of the most anticipated tours of the year.
00:44Rarely do two bands this hugely successful tour together.
00:47By the end of their 25-show U.S. tour, Guns N' Roses and Metallica will have played to
00:51over 800,000 people.
00:53There were a lot of other factors at play, though factors beyond Axl Rose made this
00:59stadium tour with Metallica and Guns N' Roses more than a little chaotic.
01:04During a stop in Montreal, Metallica's James Hetfield suffered severe burns in a pyrotechnics
01:09accident.
01:10Lars took the stage to calm the disturbed and agitated crowd.
01:14There was an incident with the pyrotechnics.
01:17Unfortunately, James is on his way to the hospital right now, and we're very sorry, but we can't
01:22continue the concert for you guys tonight.
01:25We will come back and finish our concert and play again for you as soon as we can within
01:30the next couple of months.
01:31When GNR cut their set short due to other technical issues, a riot broke out.
01:36The tour remained successful despite these setbacks and earned rave reviews at the time
01:41from the hard rock press.
01:42Number 19.
01:44Renaissance World Tour
01:46Beyonce
01:47The hits kept on coming for Beyonce in the aftermath of her Renaissance World Tour in 2023.
01:54It showcased a marked progression in organization and spectacle when compared to the singer's
02:00three previous stadium outings.
02:03The Renaissance Tour also proved to be the most financially successful for Beyonce, earning
02:08over $579 million at the box office and bringing roughly $4.5 billion into the U.S. economy.
02:15It helped underline Beyonce's relationship with her fans, as this globetrotting experience
02:20brought the former Destiny's Child Performers music to more people than ever before.
02:25It also further solidified the Renaissance album with solid live performances of Beyonce's
02:30hit singles from this era.
02:31Number 18.
02:33Reflector Tour
02:34Arcade Fire
02:35Jumping from indie darlings to worldwide phenomenon with hits like The Suburbs and Afterlife,
02:42Arcade Fire has become one of the most critically acclaimed bands in music today.
02:46I found, I found a connector, it's just reflective.
02:54With the Reflector Tour, the Montreal band demonstrated that they could put on a spectacle
02:58just as well as they can write beautiful music, while lead singer Wynn Butler validated himself
03:04as a joyful frontman.
03:05Complete with glass hexagons above the group, and fans decked out in their flashiest costumes,
03:11the Reflector Tour was a glorious practice in visual and auditory bliss.
03:20Number 17.
03:21Alive 2007 Tour
03:23Daft Punk
03:25Whoever said that electronic music can't pack stadiums obviously hasn't been listening
03:30to the hubbub surrounding France's Daft Punk?
03:33The Alive 2007 Tour validated hype going back to their inception in 1993.
03:45The shows combined style and substance in a way that felt timeless.
03:49Daft Punk has never shied away from their influences, and the Alive 2007 Tour made the group's electronic
03:56dance music feel commercially approachable, while also sounding progressive.
04:00The spirit of pioneers such as Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schultz, and Giorgio Marauder loomed large
04:12over Alive 2007, but this tour proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Daft Punk was here
04:17to stay.
04:19Number 16.
04:20The Razor's Edge World Tour
04:22ACDC
04:23ACDC is one of the most celebrated, revered, and popular musical acts of all time, making
04:30it impossible to deny the amount of publicity and acclaim that their world tours receive.
04:35I can't believe it!
04:38I can't believe it!
04:39I can't believe it!
04:40Perhaps none was bigger or better than the infamous Razor's Edge World Tour, when ACDC
04:46were at the top of their game.
04:47Playing more than 160 shows across the world, the band was touring on their Razor's Edge
04:53album and featured fan-favorite songs like Thunderstruck, Back in Black, and Highway to
04:59Hell.
04:59Full of the typical manic energy that ACDC is known for, this tour was hard rock at its absolute
05:13best.
05:14Number 15.
05:16The Tour of Life
05:17Kate Bush
05:18As the old saying goes, you had to have been there.
05:22Kate Bush has only toured twice in her career, with the most recent being in a 2014 residency
05:28at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.
05:31The Tour of Life was Bush's first, and to date, only real tour.
05:35But boy, was it a doozy.
05:37The art rock icon's dedication to performing necessitated the invention of wireless microphones
05:49for the tour of life, freeing up Bush to dance while she sang.
05:53Gigs at this time also incorporated other art forms, such as mime and magic, bringing
05:59together so much vibrant artistry under one roof.
06:03For fans of Kate Bush, it was basically perfect.
06:11Number 14.
06:14The Division Bell Tour
06:15Pink Floyd
06:16This was the last go-round for psychedelic and prog rock elder statesman Pink Floyd.
06:22Granted, the group has reunited occasionally to perform for special events, but the Division
06:27Bell Tour was the last time they took their incredibly influential music out on the road.
06:33It was one heck of a way to go out, however, basically silencing any of those that had doubted
06:45the David Gilmour-led version of Pink Floyd.
06:48This was moody, atmospheric, and melodic magic that made each night feel totally brilliant.
06:54The Division Bell Tour also brought out more stage dynamics and special effects, celebrating
07:09Pink Floyd's history, as the group effectively called it quits.
07:13Number 13.
07:15Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour
07:17Elton John
07:18Farewell tours are always a bittersweet affair, but at least Sir Elton John was able to go
07:24out in style.
07:25The classic rock legends' Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour was an almost six-year victory lap
07:31that took Elton John from the United States to Sweden and every place in between.
07:36There were delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet Elton John and his crew still managed to
07:44finish the job without any real loss of momentum.
07:47A balanced setlist of cult cuts and fan favorites also made Farewell Yellow Brick Road feel unique,
07:54rewarding those who stuck around and dove deep into the man's work.
07:58Oh, I follow the side of my future life beyond the other big road
08:08Number 12.
08:09Sirius Moonlight Tour
08:11David Bowie
08:12Reinvention always seemed to be key when it came to the success of David Bowie over the
08:17course of his career.
08:19Fix a man, take things over
08:23Get some roots and a heart to swallow
08:27The Sirius Moonlight Tour represented a thin white duke that was ready for the 1980s.
08:33And ready to dance.
08:35Specifically, Let's Dance, which was the title of Bowie's 15th LP, and the album supported
08:41by this tour.
08:42This was an era of change for Bowie, and this tour reflected the eclectic, upbeat, and funky
08:49nature of Let's Dance.
08:50The psychedelic and glam rock were all but forgotten here, with the Sirius Moonlight
09:02Tour instead shifting things over for yet another new chapter for Bowie's legacy.
09:08Number 11.
09:09New Jersey Syndicate Tour
09:11Bon Jovi
09:12In support of their wildly successful and seven-time platinum-selling album New Jersey,
09:17Bon Jovi took off on their equally successful, all-encompassing New Jersey Syndicate Tour.
09:22It spanned just under two years.
09:32At the height of their powers, Bon Jovi put on wildly erratic performances night after night.
09:39In fact, their energy was so intense and exhausting that the band had to take an extended hiatus
09:45after the completion of the tour.
09:47Featuring explosive pyrotechnics and even a catwalk above the crowd, Bon Jovi proved to
09:52everyone that they could put on a killer show.
09:55No, this wasn't the first tour to serve as an encyclopedic look back at an artist's recorded
10:11career, nor will it be the last.
10:14The era's tour is, however, one of the most successful thanks to the rabid response from
10:20the Taylor Swift faithful.
10:32This was record-breaking stuff, covering Swift's history and reinventions as an artist while
10:38also cementing her position for the future.
10:41The era's tour was virtually impossible to avoid when it came to your town, even if you
10:46weren't a Swifty.
10:47Additionally, each night's epic runtime and setlist were testament to Swift's dedication
10:52to perfectionism, while also nailing what her fans wanted each and every time.
10:57You made a really deep cut, and baby, now we got red butt.
11:03Ha!
11:04Number 9.
11:05Hysteria World Tour- Def Leppard Def Leppard's Hysteria is one of the best-selling albums
11:11of the 1980s.
11:12So it's no surprise that the supporting tour for the record would be just as big of a hit.
11:17I give you!
11:22Love some pretty women!
11:24Totaling over 236 shows played in multiple cities around the planet, the Hysteria World
11:30Tour is notable for many reasons.
11:32This includes being drummer Rick Allen's first tour since his life-changing car accident,
11:38as well as guitarist Steve Clark's last tour before his death in 1991.
11:44With huge production value, such as a 360-degree stage setup, it's not hard to see that Def
11:54Leppard brought their A-game to this groundbreaking tour.
11:58Number 8.
11:59Born in the USA Tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
12:04The mid-1980s were truly some of the best times in modern music, and it is without a doubt
12:11that Bruce Springsteen's tours are some of the most popular and revered of all time.
12:15Smallness comes for hire, even if we're just dancing in the dark.
12:23Creating the now-classic Born in the USA album, Springsteen played 156 amped-up energetic shows
12:30across the world, convincing all that a rock god was in the making.
12:35Selling out football stadiums, the tour was an enormous success, grossing between $80 and
12:41$90 million and keeping the album inside the Billboard Top 10 throughout the entire tour.
12:46We gotta get out while we're young, cause dreams like us, baby we were born to run.
12:53Number 7.
12:56Blonde Ambition Tour.
12:58Madonna.
12:59While Madonna's Sticky and Sweet Tour was certainly a revolution, there's no denying the heights
13:04that Madonna reached in 1990 with her Blonde Ambition World Tour.
13:08In the midnight hour, I can feel your power, just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there.
13:18She was certainly on top of the world at this point in her career, as she had just released
13:22Like a Prayer, one of her most popular albums.
13:25Named The Greatest Concert of the 1990s by Rolling Stone, this tour was highly controversial,
13:32mostly due to the singer's exceedingly sexual act.
13:35Nevertheless, it was extremely profitable, and cemented Madonna as a musical icon.
13:41I'm gay, oh, that's right.
13:47Number 6.
13:48Steel Wheels Urban Jungle Tour.
13:50The Rolling Stones.
13:52The Rolling Stones are certainly no strangers to fantastic concerts.
13:56One only needs to look at their licks and a-bigger bang tours to realize that this timeless
14:02British band can put on a better show than any other band before or since.
14:07I see a red door and I want to be nizzled.
14:12That said, their Steel Wheels Urban Jungle Tour rises above and beyond.
14:17Spanning from 1989 to 1990, the band played 115 shows, and the concerts grossed nearly $100 million.
14:27It may have been bassist Bill Wyman's last go-around with the Stones, but he certainly went out with
14:40a bang.
14:41Number 5.
14:42Magic Tour.
14:43Queen.
14:44We appreciate that Queen still goes out there and performs for their fans in the modern day,
14:49but many of those same fans will also admit that the true magic was gone after this tour
14:55ended in 1986.
14:57God knows, God knows I want to rest free.
15:04The Magic Tour was ostensibly in support of the album A Kind of Magic, but would be better
15:09known for being the final time Freddie Mercury performed with the band.
15:14Performances at both Wembley Stadium and Neverworth would go on to become defining visual representations
15:21of Queen at this stage of their career.
15:23The Magic Tour would also be forever remembered by fans of Freddie and the joy he brought to
15:28Queen fans around the world.
15:30We will, we will, we will, we will.
15:35Number 4.
15:37The Beatles 1965 US Tour.
15:40The Beatles.
15:41What a difference a year makes.
15:43The Beatles' 1966 tour of North America may have been hampered by John Lennon's infamous
15:48comments about being more popular than Jesus, but this was definitely not the case only 12
15:55months prior.
15:56It was a harmless remark in the middle of an article that never made the front page in England.
16:02That unleashed a firestorm in the United States.
16:05The Fab Four's 1965 tour occurred when Beatlemania was reaching its zenith, a full-on British invasion
16:12that saw the group existing as full-pop megastars.
16:16Iconic gigs at the Hollywood Bowl and Shea Stadium would make history for the group, whose
16:21most progressive years were still on the horizon.
16:33The success of this tour makes the band's retreat into studio work feel even further
16:38removed from the smiling, mop-topped lads from Liverpool performing at these gigs.
16:45Number 3.
16:46The Wall Live.
16:47Roger Waters.
16:49With The Wall Live, Roger Waters confirmed that he could put on an ambitious show, even
16:54without the Pink Floyd brand.
16:56The first time that The Wall was performed in its entirety since Waters' 1990 Berlin concert,
17:07the tour grossed over $450 million and was easily one of the most complex tours of all
17:13time.
17:14Loaded with dramatic flair, props, and a gigantic wall erected on stage, The Wall Live was less
17:21a musical experience and more a visual art piece.
17:35No other concert has attempted what Roger Waters maniacally and miraculously pulled off.
17:42Number 2.
17:43ZooTV Tour.
17:44U2.
17:45While there's no denying that U2's 360 tour was amazing from a production standpoint,
17:51their ZooTV tour was revolutionary and changed the concept of what a concert could be.
17:57It's alright, alright, alright.
18:02It should move, it's the biggest world down.
18:06Visiting stadiums throughout 1992 and 1993, the tour was meant to give audiences a new perspective
18:12of the band.
18:13And boy, did it succeed.
18:15It was elaborately staged and satirized the media by giving a sensory overload to the crowd.
18:21It was something you had to see to believe.
18:23By completely reinventing their image and sound, U2 also reinvented the musical and concert world
18:37forever.
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18:521.
18:54Bad World Tour
18:56Michael Jackson
18:57While the tour's title may have suggested otherwise, this massive Michael Jackson tour
19:03was anything but bad.
19:05Before his classic Dangerous Tour, Jackson embarked on his first solo attempt with Bad,
19:11and his infectious energy wowed the world over.
19:21Filled with unstoppable songs like Beat It and Billie Jean, Jackson pranced and danced around
19:27the stage like only he knew how, amazing everyone with his vocal and physical skills.
19:33He may have had his troubles off stage, but on it, MJ was simply untouchable.
19:47Do you have any favorite concert memories?
19:49Share them with us in the comments.
19:59We'll see you next time.
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