🎸🏆 The Greatest Gig Tournament: 64 Concerts Compete for the Title of Greatest Ever! 🏆🎸
1st June 2024 - 12th July 2024
Which Gig in history is the one that you wish you could have been at?
We've narrowed down 64 of the most legendary concerts ever performed, from bands at the top of their game, some that were performing their final show, some that were transformative to the scene.
Get ready to witness music history in the making as we embark on an epic journey to determine the greatest live music concert of all time! In this thrilling tournament, 64 iconic gigs from throughout history will go head-to-head in a battle for supremacy, and it's all up to you, the fans, to decide the ultimate winner!
From the electrifying energy of Woodstock to the legendary performances of Queen at Wembley Stadium for Live Aid, every concert in this tournament has left an indelible mark on the world of music. Whether it's the soul-stirring sounds of Springsteen or the groundbreaking showmanship of The Beatles, each gig represents a defining moment in musical history.
But only one concert can claim the title of THE greatest gig ever, and it's up to you to make that decision. Cast your votes in each round of the tournament as we narrow down the field, World Cup-style (Group games then knockouts), until we crown our champion.
So join us as we celebrate the power of live music and relive the magic of these unforgettable performances. Let the battle begin, and may the greatest gig win!
The Tournament Structure
At 'My Greatest Gig' we love football as much as we love live music so we decided to combine the two!
Our tournament will be structured like a (massive) World Cup competition, with 64 teams divided into 16 groups of 4. Each group will participate in a round-robin stage, where every team plays against each other once. The scoring system is standard:
- Win: 3 points
- Draw: 1 point
- Loss: 0 points
After all matches in the group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout rounds, leading us through the Round of 32, then 16, Quarter Finals , Semi Finals, and finally, the final match to crown the greatest live concert setlist of all time.
Selecting the Gigs
Choosing the 64 gigs is no small task and impossibly subjective. We've delved into the history of live music to select concerts that have left an indelible mark on the world.
As we are UK based we do have a bias towards gigs over here and we know we've left out some huge bands/artists but hopefully most music tastes will agree with at least some of those included. Each setlist is chosen for its cultural impact, the magic of the performance, and the timelessness of the event.
Believe me we could easily have created a tournament twice the size, we have 51 concerts on the reserve list!
The Group Stage
The group stage will be the first round where gigs compete. We 'seeded' the top 32 gigs (based on collating around 50 articles from NME, Rolling Stone, BBC etc.) so that they would be spread amongst the groups. No such thing as an easy group but for me, the 'Group Of Death' is Group G;
- Fleetwood Mac - Rainbow Theatre 1977
- Talking Heads - Pantages Theatre 1983
- Def Leppard - Don Valley 1993
- Nirvana - Reading Festival 1992
Fans on Twitter will vote for which concert they would have most liked to attend between the two in the match. Voting will be open for 48 hours for each, and the setlist with the most votes winning the match.
Starting Groups:
GROUP A
- AC/DC - Monsters Of Rock 1991
- Arctic Monkeys - Grapes 2003
- Bon Jovi - Wembley 2000
- ABBA - Wembley 1979
GROUP B
- Beatles - Apple Roof 1969
- Green Day - Milton Keynes 2005
- Deep Purple - Knebworth 1985
- Beyonce - Coachella 2018
GROUP C
- Bob Marley - Rainbow Theatre 1977
- Black Sabbath - Hammersmith 1981
- Blur - Hyde Park 2009
- The Jam - Brighton 1982
GROUP D
- Depeche Mode - Wembley 1993
- The Ramones - Rainbow Theatre 1977
- Bob Dylan - Manchester 1966
- Oasis - Knebworth 1996
GROUP E
- Bruce Springsteen - Hammersmith 1975
- Muse - Wembley 2007
- Joy Division - Birmingham 1980
- Hendrix - Woodstock 1969
GROUP F
- David Bowie - Hammersmith 1973
- RHCP - Slane Castle 2003
- Metallica - Seattle 1989
- Poison - Monsters Of Rock 1990
GROUP G
- Def Leppard - Don Valley 1993
- Fleetwood Mac - Rainbow Theatre 1977
- Nirvana - Reading Festival 1992
- Talking Heads - Pantages Theatre 1983
GROUP H
- Dire Straits - Nimes 1992
- Elton John - Dodgers Stadium 1975
- Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio 2001
- Radiohead - Glastonbury 1997
GROUP I
- Led Zeppelin - Knebworth 1979
- Pixies - Glastonbury 1989
- U2 - Slane Castle 2001
- Taylor Swift - Hyde Park 2015
GROUP J
- Motorhead - Hammersmith 1980
- Pulp - Glastonbury 1995
- Kiss - Wembley 1996
- Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison 1968
GROUP K
- The Who - Leeds 1970
- Pink Floyd - Earls Court 1981
- Foo Fighters - Reading Festival 1995
- Motley Crue - Marquee 1991
GROUP L
- Soundgarden - Marquee 1990
- Cream - Albert Hall 1968
- Queen - Live Aid 1985
- Stone Roses - Spike Island 1990
GROUP M
- Rolling Stones - Hyde Park 1969
- Michael Jackson - Wembley 1992
- Madonna - Wembley 1990
- Billy Joel - New York 1982
GROUP N
- Sex Pistols - Manchester 1976
- Coldplay - Glastonbury 2005
- Elvis - Comeback Special 1968
- Aerosmith - Monsters Rock 1990
GROUP O
- The Clash - Rainbow Theatre 1977
- Van Halen - Monsters Of Rock 1984
- The Cure - Glastonbury 2019
- Prince - Birmingham 1988
GROUP P
- Genesis - Marquee Club 1982
- The Strokes - Astoria 2001
- Guns N Roses - Ritz 1991
- The Smiths - Salford 1986
The Knockout Rounds
Once the group stages are complete, the top two from each group will move to the knockout rounds. Here, the competition intensifies as each match becomes do-or-die. Fans will continue to vote, with the losing gig being eliminated and the winner advancing. Each round will bring us closer to discovering which live concert is truly the greatest of all time.
Engaging the Fans
The beauty of this tournament lies in fan participation. Music lovers from around the world will get to weigh in on what they consider the most unforgettable live music experience. By voting on Twitter, fans will directly influence the outcome and help decide THE Greatest Gig.
What's the Point?
Live concerts are not just events; they are experiences that can define a generation, influence cultural shifts, and create memories that last a lifetime. This tournament honours those moments and the artists who made them possible. It’s a celebration of live music’s power to bring people together and create a sense of community, even through an online poll. That being said, it's all just a bit of fun and proves nothing at all, even if it's just us and a couple of mates voting we're gonna have a lot if fun doing it.
Join the Journey
Get ready to relive some of the greatest moments in music history and help decide which setlist reigns supreme. Follow us on Twitter/X, cast your votes, and share your thoughts using our tournament hashtag #BestGigEver.
Let the music battles begin, and may the Greatest Gig win!
Full Schedule
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