10 Most Iconic Live Music Performances Of All Time

Having officially formed in 1960, The Beatles has already amassed a huge following in the UK by the time they headed over to America in an attempt to spread the Beatlemania phenomenon across the world. Prior to their arrival the media had declared that ‘The Beatles are coming’ and the nation were greatly anticipating what these four young lads from Liverpool would bring to their shores, and frankly what the hype was all about. To add to the excitement, in the weeks leading up to the event radio stations across the country had been saturating the airwaves with their music.

On Sunday the 9th of February Ed Sullivan introduced the Fab Four to choirs of screaming fans just after 8pm, with the band opening with one of their better-known records, All My Loving. An estimated 73 million Americans watched the show at home, obliterating all previous TV viewing figure records, as the group played a 35-minute set, including a brief interlude and a second half re-introduction by Sullivan with a simple ‘ladies and gentlemen, once again.’ At this point he knew that those five words were enough.

The band then closed out the show with big hitters I Saw Her Standing There and I Want To Hold Your Hand. American audiences had almost immediately taken to the group, which paved the way for other acts such as The Rolling Stones and Gerry & The Pacemakers to try and break America, affectionately dubbed The British Invasion. The Beatles would continue steamrolling their way across the USA and the rest of the globe following this show, cementing their place as the biggest band of all time.

If you have not done so already, or not for a while, I urge you to go and watch all these performances even if you are not a fan of every artist. They are all iconic for a reason and well worth your time.