WATCH: 4 of the Most Legendary Live Recorded Sets From Rock History

When rock music exploded in the mid-20th century, nobody could anticipate how wild live performances would eventually become. From the 1960s to the 1980s, let’s look at four of the most legendary live recorded sets from rock music history! Just keep in mind that this is definitely not an exhaustive list.

1. The Who, 1967

This is one of the most legendary live recorded rock music sets of all time, namely because The Who’s ferocity was more or less unheard of on live television. The band appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour back in 1967 to perform “My Generation”, and it has to be one of the legendary band’s best sets of their heyday. 

It wasn’t even a “real” performance either. The band lip-synced and pretended to play before ultimately launching an explosive out of Keith Moon’s drum kit. Was it dangerous? Yes. Was it really freaking cool? Also yes.

2. Queen, 1985

Few bands (even the biggest names) have one particular live performance that stands out from the rest while also standing the test of time. Queen is one of the lucky few rock bands to have such a performance in their backlog, and young fans today still get sucked into video footage of the magic the band made on stage at Live Aid in 1985.

This was Queen at their peak. They absolutely stole the entire show, which featured other big names like Elton John and U2. The others were easily overshadowed.

3. Fear, 1981

There have been a few legendary (and also controversial) musical performances to take place on Saturday Night Live through the years. However, Fear’s performance was both insane and unexpected. John Belushi demanded that the band perform on SNL in order for him to agree to make a guest appearance. 

The showrunners obliged, but quickly wished they hadn’t. The powerhouse punk band absolutely destroyed the set, as did many of the punks in the audience, which also included Minor Threat’s Ian MacKaye.

4. The Beatles, 1964

This is probably The Beatles’ most revered live performance, as well as their most well-known televised set. It’s surprising that viewers at home could even hear them on their television sets; the screaming was almost deafening. 

This set took place during the height of Beatlemania, and the audience was in shambles over seeing their beloved Fab Four on stage. By the end of its initial broadcast, 73 million people had watched the set from their living rooms.

Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images

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