Music History

In Denver, political activity surrounding the 2008 Democratic National Convention began, and artists including Kanye West, Rage Against The Machine and John Legend came to the city to perform.

Rage Against The Machine took part in protests against the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, but police prevented them from performing. The band went into the crowd and played two songs through a megaphone, after which riots broke out.

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fell from the stage during a performance at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. He suffered injuries, and the rest of the band's tour was canceled.

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fell from the stage into the crowd during a concert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota after improvising for waiting fans on the front stage during a sound outage. He suffered a fractured left shoulder, a deep head laceration requiring 20 stitches and minor neck injuries. He was airlifted to Rapid City Regional Hospital, and the remainder of Aerosmith's 2009 North American summer tour was canceled.

They broke the attendance record at Wembley Stadium when 88,000 people attended their concert. The previous record was held by Rod Stewart, whose 1995 concert drew 83,000 people.

Brooks & Dunn played their final joint concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville as part of a benefit event for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Farm Aid concert marked the 25th anniversary of the benefit event in Kansas City. Performers included Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and others.

Before their performance at the Indiana State Fair, a powerful gust of wind tore the stage structure into the crowd. Five people were killed and dozens more were injured; Janet Jackson and Lady Antebellum subsequently also canceled their performances.

Madonna vystoupila v Moskvě a během koncertu vyjádřila podporu skupině Pussy Riot, jejíž členky byly uvězněny za vystoupení v moskevské katedrále.

The Geto Boys reunited and performed at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos.

The closing ceremony of the London Olympics featured a three-hour musical program with performances by a number of prominent British artists.

The London Olympics concluded with an extensive musical closing ceremony featuring performances by the Spice Girls, George Michael, The Who, Take That, Muse, One Direction, Queen and others.

Lisa Marie Presley made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where she sang three songs from her then-current album “Storm & Grace” before a sold-out audience. Nervously joking, she said she hoped there would not be a truck waiting outside, a self-deprecating reference to the legendary and probably fictional story that the Opry manager supposedly told Elvis after his 1954 debut to go back to driving a truck.

Coldplay set attendance records at several European concerts during their Mylo Xyloto tour.

N Sync reunited for a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Justin Timberlake received the Video Vanguard Award. It was their first joint performance since 2004.

Billy Joel zazpíval „Uptown Girl“ své bývalé manželce Christie Brinkley během koncertu v Madison Square Garden v New Yorku.

Kate Bush asked fans not to photograph or record her upcoming series of 22 concerts in London using mobile devices. The 56-year-old singer said she very much wanted to connect with the audience rather than with iPhones, iPads or cameras, and admitted that it was a big request.

Kate Bush returned to the stage after 35 years with a concert at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. The series of 22 sold-out concerts ran from August 26 to October 1, and tickets sold out in less than 15 minutes. The “Before The Dawn” production featured acting elements, puppeteers and an illusionist, and the concerts received enthusiastic reviews; the following week, eight of her albums returned to the UK Top 40.

Seattle was in a celebratory mood as reigning Super Bowl champions the Seahawks played their first game of the season and local band Soundgarden performed during the pregame program.

Supertramp canceled their planned European tour so that Rick Davies could undergo treatment for multiple myeloma.

Westboro Baptist Church, known for its protests against homosexuality, staged a demonstration before the Foo Fighters concert in Kansas City. The group responded by positioning a truck in front of the demonstrators and mocking them by loudly playing Rick Astley's song “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

Wilko Johnson, known for his work with Dr. Feelgood, returned to the stage after overcoming cancer, performing at the Rye Jazz Festival in East Sussex, England.

Van Morrison performed two concerts on Cyprus Avenue in Belfast on his 70th birthday. The street had inspired him to write the song "Cyprus Avenue".

Paul McCartney performed at Busch Stadium in St. Louis as part of the One on One tour.

The Tragically Hip played their final concert together in the hometown of their singer Gord Downie, Kingston, Ontario, at the end of a 15-date farewell tour. Downie had been diagnosed with incurable brain cancer in December 2015. The sold-out concert took place at the Rogers K-Rock Centre and was broadcast to more than 11.7 million viewers. Public screenings were held across Canada, with approximately 22,000 fans attending the screening in Kingston. The concert was later released as “The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration”.

The Tragically Hip drew a sold-out audience to a concert in Kingston, Ontario, where their dying singer Gord Downie said farewell to Canada. The concert was broadcast live across Canada and screened at hundreds of public viewing events in bars and outdoor venues.

Bruce Springsteen set his personal record for the length of a concert in the US by playing for four hours. He surpassed his previous performance of 3 hours and 52 minutes, which he had played two nights earlier with The E Street Band.

Kanye West began his Saint Pablo Tour with a concert in Indianapolis. During the performance West sang on a floating stage suspended about 15 feet above the audience.

During the historic solar eclipse, Bonnie Tyler performed “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”, while Ozzy Osbourne performed “Bark At The Moon”.

The first edition of the LOVELOUD festival took place in Orem, Utah, featuring Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees and Walk The Moon. Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds founded the festival to support the LGBTQ+ community.

During the Reputation Tour, Taylor Swift headlined at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where Tim McGraw and Faith Hill joined her on stage for a performance of her landmark country hit “Tim McGraw”.

Arlo Guthrie opened the weekend commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Original Woodstock veterans Carlos Santana and John Fogerty also performed after plans for a much larger anniversary festival collapsed.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga played the second of two sold-out concerts at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It was Tony Bennett's final public performance.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett played the second of two sold-out concerts at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It was Tony Bennett's final public performance.

Jason Isbell became the first major artist to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a current negative test for admission to his concerts.

After two pandemic-related postponements, Harry Styles finally began his Love On Tour in Las Vegas. The tour consisted of 169 shows, lasted nearly two years, sold five million tickets and grossed $617 million, more than One Direction earned throughout their entire career.

Bad Bunny launched his first stadium tour, the World's Hottest Tour, in Orlando.

A tribute concert for Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins was held at Wembley Stadium in London. Among those taking part were Paul McCartney, Kesha, Nile Rodgers, Queen and AC/DC.

A tribute concert for Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins was held at Wembley in London. Among those who performed were Paul McCartney, Queen, AC/DC and Liam Gallagher; Dave Grohl performed Foo Fighters’ first concert since Hawkins’ death in March of the same year.

The Hip Hop 50 Live concert took place at Yankee Stadium, celebrating 50 years since the birth of hip hop, associated with DJ Kool Herc and his Bronx party. Performers included Snoop Dogg, The Sugarhill Gang, Lauryn Hill and Run-D.M.C., for whom it was their final performance.

The Jonas Brothers launched their Five Albums, One Night tour at Yankee Stadium with a 66-song setlist.

Diana Ross made a surprise appearance at a Beyoncé concert in Los Angeles to wish her a happy 42nd birthday. After singing her hit “Love Hangover,” Ross led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday.”

Phoenix closed the Paris portion of the 2024 Olympic Games with a performance at the closing ceremony, playing “Lisztomania” and “1901” among other songs. Singer Thomas Mars made his way into the crowd of athletes and was carried above their heads.

Olivia Rodrigo held the Daisy Chain Fields festival at Great Park in Irvine, California. The event was attended by Chappell Roan, among others.