(06-23-2003) U2 Is The Best Live Band In The World! - Rolling Stone *

[HelloAngel]

http://www.rollingstone.com/

Best In Show

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine, issue #926, featuring American Idol participant Clay Aiken on the cover, U2 is ranked Number One in the "Twenty Greatest Live Acts in the World" article. The following is said about U2 in the article:

Somewhere in the late Eighties, the E Street Band took a break, and U2 became the best live band in the world. They'll do whatever it takes to connect: jump into a stadium crowd and slow-dance with a fan, as Bono did at Live Aid in 1985; take a gospel choir on the road (Joshua Tree tour, 1987); overwhelm the audiences with multimedia (ZooTV Tour, 1992); or just play uplifiting rock & roll with a lot of feeling (every tour).

Last Tour: The Elevation Tour, 2001
Best Tour: The ZooTV Outside Broadcast, 1992-93 - a mind-altering stage setup, plus exceptional songs from Achtung Baby.
Best Live Album: 1984's explosive Under a Blood Red Sky EP. Bono's enthusiasm and emotion conquer America for the first time.

"We've got the energy, we've got the electricity, we've got the buttons to push! Sometimes, size matters." Bono, RS 761, May 29th, 1997

The Rest of the Best:

2. Radiohead
3. Bon Jovi
4. Dave Matthews Band
5. Tori Amos
6. Phish
7. Metallica
8. PJ Harvey
9. Nine Inch Nails
10. Guns n' Roses
11. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
12. Pearl Jam
13. Bob Dylan
14. Tool
15. Prince
16. Widespread Panic
17. The Roots
18. Red Hot Chili Peppers
19. No Doubt
20. The Rolling Stones

 

[bayernfc]

Just one question....Radiohead and Bon Jovi at #2 &3.....???????

 

[adamswildhoney]

Good Choice for #1

 

[Flaming Friar Sr]

http://www.rollingstone.com/

Best In Show

19. No Doubt
20. The Rolling Stones

alright i cannot take this seriously anymore. what a joke, the stones at a mere 20th place with fing no doubt just ahead.

nice to see u2 and radiohead up there though, but this totally spoils it for me.

 

[Edgette]

PJ Harvey!!

 

[ouizy]

that list is not worht the glossy paper it is written on (except for U2 of course...)

 

[Strato Edge]

Springsteen should be two, McCartney 3, then Radiohead

 

[Red Ships of Scalla-Festa]

no strato edge, your completely wrong.

bon jovi at number 3? what kind of a list is this?

 

[Red Ships of Scalla-Festa]

oh, and its great that beck and sigur ros werent on there. its not like theyre any good live or anything.

 

[ThatGuy]

Who here (or in the same thread in EYKIW) who thinks Radiohead is too high has actually seen them live? If you had I'm sure you would think differently.

 

[verte76]

I agree with #1; I don't know about the rest of the list.

 

[MrBrau1]

Who here (or in the same thread in EYKIW) who thinks Radiohead is too high has actually seen them live? If you had I'm sure you would think differently.

Same can be said for Bon Jovi. If you've never seen them, how can you say they're ranked too high? Having seen both Radiohead and Bon Jovi, both are ranked too high.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

I agree big time with this article! I can vouch for seeing no doubt , the stones, phish and Dave Matthews. They all good live bands.
BUT...
IMO, no other band can top U2!...They are "THE BEST" LIVE band I've seen in my 38yrs on the planet earth. And I have seen a few.
When and if I see a live act that moves me and takes me off the planet earth the way U2 does will I be the first to admit it here!


That's my 2 cents..

 

[scatteroflight]

Unless a band has to be currently active, Midnight Oil should be in the top five, if not three. They only just broke up--Peter Garrett left last fall. I still hope they might get back together...I saw them just over a year ago (thank God, as I didn't know they were going to break up soon after) and they were good beyond words. I generally rank that as the best concert I've ever seen, and I have seen U2 (and it was a great great show.) I suppose the fact that I saw the Oils in a very cool small venue, and was mere metres from the stage, instead of being miles away like I was for U2, might make a different, but the Oils were often ranked as one of the top three live bands in the world--often along with U2 and Queen (also defunct, of course.)

Anyway, who takes lists like this seriously ?!

 

[Red Ships of Scalla-Festa]

Same can be said for Bon Jovi. If you've never seen them, how can you say they're ranked too high? Having seen both Radiohead and Bon Jovi, both are ranked too high.

im not sure how to reply to this, so i wont.

why im posting anything at all, i dont know.

but i wanted people to know i tried my hardest to come up with something.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Yeah, this poll is kind of funky, but remember it was conducted via email, which is not a good indication of RS readers as a whole. U2, sure, but Radiohead and Bon Jovi? I loved No Doubt on the Elevation Tour, but one of the Top 20 Live Bands? Of all time, or in recent history? Either way, they're good, but not great.

 

[DaveC]

What about Pink Floyd??? Surely The Wall tour and the PULSE tour should put it somewhere on this list!!!

 

[Englndsocr]

Dave Matthews Band at number 4... how about number 1. I cant say I've never seen U2 live.. next year! But I am sure they are sweet.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Dave Matthews at number 1? No way...I have seen them live and they aren't even close to U2... They are a jamming type band live and not on the same level as U2. I never felt moved and taken to another place like I have with U2 everytime I have seen them since 1987.
U2 has the passion, showmanship and the pure connection to their fans. As has been said, its like going to church!.. You leave a different person all together.

Just wait til next year you will see what I mean.

 

[LPU2]

My 3 favorite live bands are '85 U2, '92 U2 and '02 U2, but I've never seen Springsteen, Dave Matthews or Bon Jovi. BJ might be a great live band for all I know; I just wouldn't be able to get past the cliche.

Actually, most of the best shows I've seen have been in clubs: Uncle Tupelo, Sonic Youth, Bob Mould.

 

[rio589]

Just one question....Radiohead and Bon Jovi at #2 &3.....???????

i've only heard a couple of their songs live, and fuck thay can't be in this list

wll, maybe Radiohead should go lower, but what the hell is bon Jovi doing there????

 

[steelwater]

Very good! I allways thought like that...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

all this list proves is that tommy and gina have internet connections... rubbish i say

 

[joyfulgirl]

Wow. I can't believe Tori Amos made the top 5. I voted several times for both U2 and Tori.

 

[HelloAngel]

all this list proves is that tommy and gina have internet connections... rubbish i say

That is just classic.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Who here (or in the same thread in EYKIW) who thinks Radiohead is too high has actually seen them live? If you had I'm sure you would think differently.

if you're referring to me my post was a bit of a piss take because I knew darling bear would come running to their aid.

 

[U2MaNaIcWeIdO]

I'm happy with this list. I'm probably the only person who thinks this way, maybe

 

[david]

I wonder what jick thinks of Bon Jovi being #3.

 

[celia]

Of course they are the damn bestLIVE group in the world lol!!!

nice to see RADIOHEAD DMB, TORI AMOS and PJ HARVEY up there

Wahooooooo

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Anyone who has experienced a U2 show knows this.

I'm shocked to see that Bruce is so far down the list. He should be in the top 5, if you ask me.