10 Most Iconic Live Music Performances Of All Time
'There is only one thing better than music, live music' - Jacek Andrzej Bukowski.
To quote the late, great Jimi Hendrix: ‘Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.’ The infinite power of music is almost unfathomable, and throughout the ages there have been so many defining moments that has shaped its legacy, from the release of Beethoven’s 9th symphony, to ‘the day the music died’ and the inauguration of MTV and the cultural phenomenon it would eventually become.
At its core, music has always been about the connection between the artist and the audience, and because of this the live music experience can become so iconic for several different reasons; they can be shaped by the current political climate or world events, they can be the comeback of a once iconic act or can simply be the debut of a legendary artist.
For one reason or another, the events within this article have had such incredible historical and cultural significance that they have remained in our collective consciousness throughout the ages, and will no doubt live long on in our memories.
Please join us as we count down the 10 most iconic live music performances of all time…
10. Bruce Springsteen Helps Bring Down The Berlin Wall
On the 19th of July 1988, amidst the Germany East and West divide, as well on-going uncertainty regarding the Cold War, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played a gig to an estimated three hundred thousand people (with millions more watching at home) which many believed was a contributing factor in the fall of the Berlin Wall some Sixteen months later.
The feeling in East Germany at the time was that many people were unhappy, and the ‘Free German Youth’ Authorities booked Springsteen (under a false premise initially it must be said) in an attempt to unite the two opposing sides of the nation.
Delivering a short speech in German, Springsteen proudly proclaimed: "I'm not here for any government, I've come to play rock and roll for you in the hope that one day, all the barriers will be torn down." After this he broke into his own rendition of Bob Dylan’s Chimes of Freedom. The gig lasted for four hours, Springsteen never let up, nor did the crowd. Politics and music coming together to change the world.