John Mayer, Beyonce, Eminem, The Foo Fighters and the Top 15 Live Bands of the Last 30 Years – Forbes

Any list of the greatest live artists in music today rightly begins with the legends – the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2, Neil Young and my vote for the greatest live artist of all time, Bruce Springsteen . And it’s understandable, they have iconic catalogs and, more importantly, decades of experience in the scene.

But if you remove the legends from this list, who are the biggest live artists in the world today? Watching John Mayer’s stellar opening night performance at the Forum in Los Angeles this week, the first of his three sold-out shows, I realized Mayer might be right at the top of this list.

So I started thinking about who are the greatest performers of the last 30 years. The only criteria to be included in this discussion is that an artist’s debut album must have been released in 1992 or later.

I had the chance to see all the great artists who correspond to these criteria. So when thinking about who number one is, it’s almost impossible to pick one out of three iconic acts – Mayer, Eminem and Beyonce. Each has their own unique skill that sets them apart as a truly great performer. This is the case for every artist that makes this list.

So here, categorized by levels like in the Fantasy Football rankings, are the biggest live artists to emerge post-1992 and why they can’t be missed in concert (Linkin Park, if still active, would absolutely have made the list. Also Portishead, while still together, don’t tour enough, otherwise they would have been on the roster (well strictly for 1992 or later, Alanis Morissette, who would also have been on the roster, has been ineligible since the release of her debut album in 1991 ).

Level 1

John Mayer

Thinking last night about how to write about Mayer and what consistently makes his shows so special, I had a thought. If John Mayer were a character in a musical film, the writers would be ridiculed for making a musician so unreal. Think about it: here’s a guy who can write hit pop songs that both top the charts and win awards (“Daughters” won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2005), he looks like a matinee idol, he’s funny enough to host his own talk show and, oh, by the way, a pretty good guitarist and a pretty passionate music fan to have played with the likes of Buddy Guy, BB King and Eric Clapton. Yet Mayer is real. And when you see him in concert, he puts it all together like he did at the Forum last Sunday. You get a performer who delivers an incendiary guitar solo like the one he does in “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room” and can hilarious riff on a sign that reads “WOBM Who Love John Mayer,” which turns out to have meant wives. of bald men who love John Mayer, and you have one hell of a fun night. But the greatest thing about Mayer live, besides his superior musicianship, is his authenticity. At one point during Sunday’s show, he thanked the crowd, with a heartfelt speech, for allowing him to pursue a career in music. It’s a win-win for all parties involved.

Eminem

If every great performer has this trait that separates him from his peers, Eminem’s is also easily spotted. It was on display at the Super Bowl halftime show. And it can be found in the opening lyrics of Oscar-winning “Lose Yourself.” Listen, if you had a chance or an opportunity/to grab everything you ever wanted in an instant/would you capture it or just let it slip away? “What’s amazing about Eminem is that despite being arguably the biggest rock star of the 21st century, he still approaches every show like he’s an unproven artist fighting for his first contract.His intensity and ferocity on stage are unmatched, making every show absolutely riveting.

Beyonce

Beyoncé’s defining trait: star power. As Beyonce showed during her legendary performance at Coachella, when she’s on stage, the whole world is obsessed with her. She has the kind of generational star power of a Mick Jagger or a Prince. Combine that with his renowned perfectionism and ambition and you have the undisputed pop star of his generation.

foo fighters

Amusing. This is where every Foo Fighters show begins. For the past three decades, the band led by Dave Grohl has been the happiest rock and roll party on the planet. From Bee Gees and Queen covers to rock star cameos, the Foos know how to throw a party like no other.

Level 2

Florence + The Machine

To find out what makes Florence and her Machine one of the best live bands in the world, just watch a video of them performing “Dog Days Are Over”. Exuberant and passionate, their live rendition, where the crowd jumps as Welch urges them on, is as uplifting as any music out there right now. And they keep that zeal and drive going throughout their can’t-miss show.

Fiona Apple

There was a saying when there were such things as telephone books that James Earl Jones could read the telephone book and make it interesting. Well, in the contemporary version, Apple’s exquisite voice could sing a Reddit thread and make it beautiful. Quite simply, her intense and beautiful voice makes every performance magical.

The National

With perhaps the best songwriting of any band this century, The National has translated this incredible diversity of songs from the beautiful “Slow Show” and “Pink Rabbits” to the ferocious “Mr. November” and “Bloodbuzz Ohio” into one. Stellar live show, one that takes viewers on an incredible journey from start to finish.

Jay Z

A member of both the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame, Jay-Z is rooted in music as an all-time great. And you see success translates into swagger and bravado every time he takes the stage. He knows fans expect greatness when they come to see him. And he delivers.

ASAP rocky

Rocky is one of the friendliest people you’ll meet, able to work with everyone from Mercedes to Guess and fit right in. And he brings that same charisma to the stage, combined with his passion for music and the fervent energy of old punk. rock shows like Blackflag and Circle Jerks.

Brandi Carlile

Like Apple, Carlile features one of the most compelling and beautiful live vocals you’ll ever see. And on stage, she connects those voices with the laid-back ease and relaxed candor of a natural emcee. The result is always an evening of pure joy.

Rage against the machine

Rage guitarist Tom Morello has played with some amazing vocalists including Chris Cornell, Springsteen and Chuck D. But he’s said many times that Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha is the best frontman he’s ever played with. play. It’s easy to see why. When the four members of Rage come together, there’s the potential for a musical explosion in every moment that propels the quartet to greatness.

Adele

Adele might have the best musical voice since Aretha Franklin. That alone is enough to get it on this list. But what she does so brilliantly isn’t just relying on her impeccable voice. She is a talented performer, making the crowd feel like one of them, despite being perhaps the biggest superstar in the world today. So when you see Adele, you’ll not only be musically blown away, but you’ll be pretty damn entertained and have a bit of a laugh in between musical highlights.

Taylor Swift

The Swifties swear by their hero’s superb writing, likability and top-notch production to explain why his shows are so compelling. It’s all there. And so is, just as importantly, the feeling of being relatable. Like Adele, Swift makes her fans feel like she’s one of them, despite being a megastar. And that ease translates into his live shows.

Dave Matthews Band

One of the greatest touring bands not only of the last 30 years, but also of the rock era, DMB, as they are called, show why night after night. Mix in a band with virtuoso musicianship and the ability to craft accessible, upbeat songs and you’ve got DMB and a fiercely loyal following.

Roots

The Philadelphia Roots are now known to many as the house band for years The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. But music aficionados know the band got that gig by being one of the best live bands on the planet. Whether it’s their annual picnic or their legendary Grammy week jam sessions, The Roots have become the band of choice for today’s top musicians. A show will prove why.