Top 20 Greatest Concert Tours of All Time

Guns N’ Roses & Metallica


This was an idea that probably looked really good on paper. Bringing together two of rock and metal’s heaviest hitters, at the heights of their creative powers. There were a lot of other factors at play, though factors beyond Axl Rose made this Stadium tour with Metallica and Guns N’ Roses more than a little chaotic. During a stop in Montreal, Metallica’s James Hetfield suffered severe burns in a pyrotechnics accident. When GNR cut their set short due to other technical issues, a riot broke out. The tour remained successful despite these setbacks, and earned rave reviews at the time from the hard rock press.

Beyoncé

The hits kept on coming for Beyoncé in the aftermath of her Renaissance World Tour in 2023. It showcased a marked progression in organization and spectacle when compared to the singer’s three previous stadium outings. The Renaissance World Tour also proved to be the most financially successful for Beyoncé, earning over $579 million at the box office and bringing roughly $4.5 billion into the U.S. economy. It helped underline Beyoncé’s relationship with her fans, as this globetrotting experience brought the former Destiny’s Child performer’s music to more people than ever before. It also further solidified the “Renaissance” album with solid live performances of Beyoncé’s hit singles from this era.

Arcade Fire


Jumping from indie darlings to worldwide phenomenon with hits like “The Suburbs” and “Afterlife,” Arcade Fire has become one of the most critically acclaimed bands in music today. With the Reflektor Tour, the Montreal band demonstrated that they could put on a spectacle just as well as they can write beautiful music, while lead singer Win Butler validated himself as a joyful frontman. Complete with glass hexagons above the group, and fans decked out in their flashiest costumes, the Reflektor Tour was a glorious practice in visual and auditory bliss.

Daft Punk


Whoever said that electronic music can’t pack stadiums obviously hasn’t been listening to the hubbub surrounding France’s Daft Punk. The Alive 2007 tour validated hype going back to their inception in 1993. The shows combed style and substance in a way that felt timeless. Daft Punk have never shied away from their influences, and the Alive 2007 tour made the group’s electronic dance music feel commercially approachable, while also sounding progressive. The spirit of pioneers such as Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Giorgio Moroder loomed large over Alive 2007, but this tour proved, beyond a shadow of doubt, that Daft Punk was here to stay.

AC/DC


AC/DC is one of the most celebrated, revered, and popular musical acts of all time, making it impossible to deny the amount of publicity and acclaim that their world tours receive. Perhaps none was bigger or better than the infamous Razors Edge World Tour, when AC/DC were at the top of their game. Playing more than 160 shows across the world, the band was touring on their “Razors Edge” album and featured fan-favorite songs like “Thunderstruck,” “Back in Black,” and “Highway to Hell.” Full of the typical manic energy that AC/DC is known for, this tour was hard rock at its absolute best.

Kate Bush

As the old saying goes, “You had to have been there.” Kate Bush has only toured twice in her career, with the most recent being a 2014 residency at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. The Tour of Life was Bush’s first and to-date only “real” tour; but boy, was it a doozy. The art rock icon’s dedication to performing necessitated the invention of wireless microphones for “The Tour of Life,” freeing up Bush to dance while she sang. Gigs at this time also incorporated other arts forms such as mime and magic, bringing together so much vibrant artistry under one roof. For fans of Kate Bush, it was basically perfect.

Pink Floyd

This was the last go-round for psychedelic and prog rock elder statesmen Pink Floyd. Granted, the group has reunited occasionally to perform for special events, but The Division Bell tour was the last time they took their incredibly influential music out on the road. It was one heck of a way to go out, however, basically silencing any of those that had doubted the David Gilmour-led version of Pink Floyd. This was moody, atmospheric and melodic magic that made each night feel totally brilliant. The Division Bell Tour also brought out more stage dynamics and special effects, celebrating Pink Floyd’s history, as the group effectively called it quits.

Elton John

Farewell tours are always a bittersweet affair, but at least Sir Elton John was able to go out in style. The classic rock legend’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour was an almost six-year victory lap that took Elton John from the United States to Sweden, and every place in between. There were delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet Elton John and his crew still managed to finish the job without any real loss of momentum. A balanced set list of cult cuts and fan favorites also made Farewell Yellow Brick Road feel unique, rewarding those who stuck around and dove deep into the man’s work.

David Bowie

Reinvention always seemed to be key when it came to the success of David Bowie over the course of his career. The Serious Moonlight tour represented a Thin White Duke that was ready for the 1980s…and ready to dance! Specifically, “Let’s Dance,” which was the title of Bowie’s fifteenth LP, and the album supported by this tour. This was an era of change for Bowie, and this tour reflected the eclectic, upbeat and funky nature of “Let’s Dance.” The psychedelic and glam rock were all but forgotten here, with the Serious Moonlight Tour instead shifting things over for yet another new chapter for Bowie’s legacy.

Bon Jovi


In support of their wildly successful and seven-time platinum-selling album “New Jersey,” Bon Jovi took off on their equally successful encompassing New Jersey Syndicate Tour. It spanned just under two years. At the height of their powers, Bon Jovi put on wildly erratic performances night after night. In fact, their energy was so intense and exhausting that the band had to take an extended hiatus after the completion of the tour. Featuring explosive pyrotechnics and even a catwalk above the crowd, Bon Jovi proved to everyone that they could put on a killer show.

Taylor Swift


No, this wasn’t the first tour to serve as an encyclopedic look back at an artist's recorded career, nor will it be the last. The Eras Tour is, however, one of the most successful, thanks to the rabid response from the Taylor Swift faithful. This was record-breaking stuff, covering Swift’s history and reinventions as an artist, while also cementing her position for the future. The Eras Tour was virtually impossible to avoid when it came to your town, even if you weren’t a Swifty. Additionally, each night’s epic runtime and setlist were testament to Swift’s dedication to perfectionism, while also nailing what her fans wanted, each and every time.

Def Leppard


Def Leppard’s Hysteria is one of the best-selling albums of the 1980s, so it’s no surprise that the supporting tour for the record would be just as big of a hit. Totaling over 236 shows played in multiple cities around the planet, the Hysteria World Tour is notable for many reasons. This includes being drummer Rick Allen’s first tour since his life changing car accident as well as guitarist Steve Clark’s last tour before his death in 1991. With huge production value, such as a 360 degree stage set up, it’s not hard to see that Def Leppard brought their a-game to this ground-breaking tour.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band


The mid-1980s were truly some of the best times in modern music; and it is without a doubt that Bruce Springsteen's tours are some of the most popular and revered of all time. Promoting the now-classic “Born in the U.S.A.” album, Springsteen played 156 amped-up, energetic shows across the world, convincing all that a rock god was in the making. Selling out football stadiums, the tour was an enormous success, grossing between $80 and $90 million and keeping the album inside the Billboard Top 10 throughout the entire tour.

Madonna


While Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour was certainly a revolution, there's no denying the heights that Madonna reached in 1990 with her Blond Ambition World Tour. She was certainly on top of the world at this point in her career, as she had just released “Like A Prayer,” one of her most popular albums. Named the “Greatest Concert of the 1990s” by Rolling Stone, this tour was highly controversial, mostly due to the singer's exceedingly sexual act. Nevertheless, it was extremely profitable, and cemented Madonna as a musical icon.

The Rolling Stones


The Rolling Stones are certainly no strangers to fantastic concerts. One only needs to look at their Licks and A Bigger Bang tours to realize that this timeless British band can put on a better show than any other band before or since. That said, their Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour rises above and beyond. Spanning from 1989 to 1990, the band played 115 shows, and the concerts grossed nearly $100 million. It may have been bassist Bill Wyman's last go-round with the Stones. but he certainly went out with a bang.

Queen


We appreciate that Queen still goes out there and performs for their fans in the modern day. But many of those same fans will also admit that the true “magic” was gone after this tour ended in 1986. The Magic Tour was ostensibly in support of the album “A Kind of Magic,” but it would be better known for being the final time Freddie Mercury performed with the band. Performances at both Wembley Stadium and Knebworth would go on to become defining visual representations of Queen at this stage of their career. The Magic Tour would also be forever remembered by fans of Freddie, and the joy he brought to Queen fans around the world.

The Beatles


What a difference a year makes. The Beatles’ 1966 tour of North America may have been hampered by John Lennon’s infamous comments about being “bigger than Jesus,” but this was definitely NOT the case only twelve months prior. The Fab Four’s 1965 tour occurred when Beatlemania was reaching its zenith, a full-on British Invasion that saw the group existing as full-pop megastars. Iconic gigs at The Hollywood Bowl and Shea Stadium would make history for the group, whose most progressive years were still on the horizon. The success of this tour makes the band’s retreat into studio work feel even further removed from the smiling, mop-topped lads from Liverpool performing at these gigs.

Roger Waters


With The Wall Live, Roger Waters confirmed that he could put on an ambitious show, even without the Pink Floyd brand. The first time that “The Wall” was performed in its entirety since Waters’ 1990 Berlin concert, the tour grossed over $450 million and was easily one of the most complex tours of all time. Loaded with dramatic flair, props and a gigantic wall erected on stage, The Wall Live was less a musical experience and more of a visual art piece. No other concert has attempted what Roger Waters maniacally and miraculously pulled off.

U2


While there's no denying that U2's 360 Tour was amazing from a production standpoint, their Zoo TV Tour was revolutionary and changed the concept of what a concert could be. Visiting stadiums throughout 1992 and 1993, the tour was meant to give audiences a new perspective of the band. And boy, did it succeed. It was elaborately staged and satirized the media by giving a sensory overload to the crowd, something you had to see to believe. By completely reinventing their image and sound, U2 also reinvented the musical and concert world forever.

Michael Jackson


While the tour's title may have suggested otherwise, this massive Michael Jackson tour was anything but bad. Before his classic Dangerous Tour, Jackson embarked on his first solo attempt with Bad, and his infectious energy wowed the world over. Filled with unstoppable songs like “Beat It” and “Billie Jean,” Jackson pranced and danced around the stage like only he knew how, amazing everyone with his vocal and physical skills. He may have had his troubles off-stage, but on it, MJ was simply untouchable.




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