Top 10 live acts of all time (according to Rolling Stone Magazine)

[That 70s Guy]

#10-KISS
#9-The Grateful Dead
#8-Pearl Jam
#7-Queen
#6-U2
#5-Led Zeppelin
#4-Pink Floyd
#3-The Who
#2-The Rolling Stones

#1 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

 

[Syd]

Nice list. Seems like a really decent choices.

I don't really like Springsteen, but I understand all his power is in his live shows. Nice to see Pearl Jam doing well in the TopTen. I would take out The Grateful Dead and put some other band. I don't know, I just think others are better.

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

Personally I think The Who should outrank both The Stones and The Boss (combined) but it's not my list. Now I understand they have a legacy but I personally wouldn't rank The Rolling Stones in the top ten. I'm just not a fan of watching Mick Jagger stomp around like a drunk with lead in his shoes.

 

[Sunny]

The only one of those I have seen live is Pearl Jam and they were excellent

 

[architect]

I agree with all but Springsteen, U2, and Pearl Jam. I'm not a huge fan of KISS or The Dead either, but their concerts are supposedly legendary, so they're worthy.

As for the Stones, if you're at the back of the venue, all you got is Jagger jumping around and preening on the jumbotron. So how does that rank as a great concert experience?

And since we're talking live concert experiences here, Pink Floyd should be at the top. How do 3 bands with no inclusive audio/visual experience get ahead of a band who pioneered the stadium concert extravaganza?

 

[Prime]

Not a bad list. I haven't really heard much of Grateful Dead, but otherwise I think the others are pretty well chosen. The closest i've gotten to a Pink Floyd concert is the Pink Floyd laser show here in Seattle.

 

[LG]

I would have Pink Floyd at the top of the list and Jethro Tull next on mine.

Still that is a pretty good sample, of older bands...it's not really fair to a lot of the newer bands though.

 

[Nololob]

I don't trust all of those "specialists" from Rolling Stone. Sometimes they seem to miss a lot or mention something they shouldn't.

 

[Lynch]

u2? Really? I've seen concert footage (no, I'll never go to one of their concerts, even if it was free) and I don't see the draw or why they'd be ranked so high. Bono is nothing special as a frontman, Edge just stands there, same with the bassist. *shrug*. I'd really like someone to point out a concert vid to me showing why they deserve to be on this list.


And I'd also put KISS a lot higher. Not just because I'm a fan, but they put more energy and showmanship into a concert than ANY other band I've ever seen. The who? no. The stones? no. Kiss? Yes, the most energetic and fantastic stage show on earth. Pink Floyd puts up one of the greatest light shows ever, well they used to. I think Trans Siberian Orchestra has everyone beat in that category now.

 

[LG]

I don't think TSO could surpass the PF concert I saw over 15 years ago, it was the most amazing show I have ever seen.

I am not surprised you would place KISS ahead of a few of those bands.