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Concert Reviews, Music, Music Countdowns, Pop Music, Rock Music, Woodstock

Woodstock Iconic Performances: Back in the Summer of ’69

A couple of weeks ago was the 56th anniversary of the legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair. This event was held at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York from August 15 to 18 in 1969.

Woodstock, as it is commonly referred to here in the 21st century, was a musical extravaganza that was billed by its promoters as “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music.”

32 musical artists performed at Woodstock with attendance estimated around 450,000 individuals strong. This outdoor event is considered by many historians as one of the most important musical happenings during the 20th century.

DJ Dave at the site of Woodstock 1969 at Bethel, New York. July 14, 2024.

Last summer, my wife Priscilla and I traveled to New York state and made a pilgrimage to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which is located at the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.

The Bethel Woods complex features an amphitheater, a performing arts center and a museum. For anyone interested in learning more about the Woodstock music event, I strongly encourage a visit to this outstanding site.

Further Information on the historic 1969 festival can also be found on the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and the Woodstock Ventures websites.

For my music blog article this month, I will be counting down what I consider to be the 10 best musical artists and bands who performed and defined the historic Woodstock music festival during August 1969.

The top ten performances that I have selected are all personal favorites that I deem to be culturally, historically, aesthetically significant, meaningful or relevant.  These musical acts still sound good to me 56 years later.

Please note: my article is not a definitive ranking of all 32 artists and bands that performed at Woodstock. For a more thorough accounting of this historic event, I would encourage you to search the Internet.

Obviously, there were more outstanding musical performances at Woodstock besides those listed on my countdown. Below are some worthy artists and bands that didn’t make my top ten tabulation. These performers are not ranked, but placed in a random order.

  • Canned Heat
  • Joan Baez
  • Blood Sweat & Tears
  • Richie Havens
  • Arlo Guthrie
  • Melanie
  • Mountain
  • Grateful Dead
  • Ten Years After
  • Country Joe and the Fish
  • Johnny Winter
  • Paul Butterfield’s Blues Band

Before starting my countdown, I want to highlight three miscellaneous songs on the topic of Woodstock. One composition was performed during the festival itself, while the other two songs were written after Woodstock took place.

The first song I am sharing was actually played at Woodstock by the rock band Mountain but was un-named during the group’s performance. Subsequently, that song was titled “For Yasgur’s Farm” after the historic concert venue site in Bethel.

Another performer at Woodstock was pop rock folk singer-songwriter Melanie. After her festival gig, she was inspired to write the song “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).”  This anthem describes what Melanie felt on stage at Woodstock, as she looked out upon a sea people in the audience during a pouring rain storm.

One artist who wasn’t at the August 1969 festival was Joni Mitchell.  She was motivated to write the song “Woodstock” after hearing an account of the peace and love gathering from her boyfriend at the time Graham Nash.

Mitchell recorded her version of “Woodstock” shortly after the August 1969 event happened and it immediately became the anthem for peace, love and the counterculture movement.

Crosby Stills Nash & Young covered the anthem in early 1970 and it was a major hit for the successful musical supergroup.

A second rendition of “Woodstock” by Matthews Southern Comfort became an international hit for the British country rock folk band during 1970 and 1971.

Without further ado, my Top 10 countdown of best Woodstock performances begins:

10. “Piece of My Heart”. Janis Joplin

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “Ball & Chain”

Singer-songwriter Joplin left Big Brother and the Holding Company earlier in 1969. Then formed a new backup group, the Kozmic Blues Band prior to Woodstock event. 

9. “I Want to Take You Higher” Sly & the Family Stone

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “Stand”

The soul/funk band played 8 songs, with 4 coming from Sly & the Family Stone’s landmark summer of 1969 “Stand!” album.

8. “Evil Ways” Santana  

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “Soul Sacrifice”  

Latin rock band Santana gained national prominence following their gig. The group’s self-titled debut album was released just days after their Bethel performance.

7. “The Weight” The Band

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “I Shall Be Released”

The Band played mostly songs from their 1968 debut release “Music from Big Pink” album. Bob Dylan’s former band did not disappoint that day in Bethel.

6. “White Rabbit”. Jefferson Airplane

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “Somebody to Love”

Psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane soared during their Sunday morning appearance. They played many crowd favorites from the summer of love 1967 “Surrealistic Pillow” album as well as songs from a then upcoming LP, “Volunteers.” (Released November 1969).

5. “See Me Feel Me” The Who

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “I’m Free”

The Who played a whopping 21 songs. From early hits like “My Generation” and “I Can’t Explain” to performing most of the rock opera “Tommy”, the British band’s set list was well received by those in attendance.

4. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” Crosby Stills & Nash

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “Marrakesh Express

This was only the 2nd concert ever performed by the supergroup. Neil Young actually was at Woodstock and joined CS&Y on some songs but he refused to be filmed for this event. Consequently, Young’s name is left off the official Woodstock billing.

3. “Born on the Bayou” Creedence Clearwater Revival

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “Green River”

1969 was a prolific year for John Fogerty’s band. Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) released 3 albums and had 5 singles at peak at #3 or higher in the U.S. Their Woodstock gig added to the band’s outstanding year. Their Woodstock set list contained 8 Fogerty written songs including the popular “Proud Mary” and “Bad Moon Rising” hits.

2. “With a Little Help from My Friends” Joe Cocker

  • Second Favorite Song Performed: “Feelin’ Alright”

One of the crown jewels of Woodstock is Joe Cocker’s rendition of the Beatles song, “With a Little Help from My Friends.”  I consider the soulful vocals by Cocker to be the second-best cover song from the 60s and 70s.

  1. “The Star-Spangled Banner” Jimi Hendrix
  • Second Favorite Song by Artist: “Purple Haze”

Without a doubt, my #1 best performance of Woodstock is by Jimi Hendrix. The legendary guitarist’s solo performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was absolutely brilliant and ground-breaking.

Many music historians consider Hendrix’s innovative guitar rendition of the U.S. National Anthem as a defining moment for the Woodstock music festival.  This musical highlight is the most iconic performance to take place 56 years ago in Bethel, New York.

That wraps up my countdown of what I consider to be the best performances at Woodstock in August 1969.

I realize that my listing of songs in this category was written from my point of view and is subjective. My countdown of top performances is based completely upon my personal humble opinions.

If you were creating a similar listing of outstanding Woodstock performances, your tabulation may be totally different from my selections. There are no right or wrong answers. I welcome your thoughts.

Here is hoping that you will listen to and/or watch YouTube videos of Woodstock performances after you have read this music blog message.

I still have fond memories of music that was performed at Woodstock from back in the summer of ’69.  The music still sounds excellent here in 2025.  Rock on!

I leave you with edited lyrics of “Woodstock” written by Joni Mitchell below:

Well, I came upon a child of God, He was walking along the road, And I asked him, “Tell me, where are you going?”

And this he told me, Said, “I’m going down to Yasgur’s Farm, Gonna join in a rock ‘n’ roll band, Got to get back to the land, Set my soul free”

By the time we got to Woodstock, We were half a million strong, And everywhere was a song, And a celebration

And I dreamed I saw the bomber jet planes, Riding shotgun in the sky, Turning into butterflies, Above our nation

We are stardust, we are golden, We are billion-year-old carbon, And we’ve got to get ourselves, Back to the garden

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Concert Reviews, Music, Pop Music, Retro Rock, Rock Music

Live Aid Top Performances:  London & Philadelphia 1985

Earlier this month was the 40th anniversary of Live Aid which was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on July 13, 1985.

The Live Aid musical happening was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, England and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This event was organized by Irish singer-songwriter Bob Geldof, lead singer of the Boomtown Rats band, along with Scottish singer-songwriter and record producer James “Midge” Ure.

Geldof and Ure conceived the dual concert extravaganza after they co-wrote and collaborated together on a successful fund-raising charity single, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” recorded by Band Aid in 1984.

More than 70 artists and bands performed over 16 hours of live music across the London and Philadelphia concerts.  For a complete listing of performing acts and ultimate info about dual charity shows, please access this Live Aid webpage.

For this article, I will be counting down what I consider to be the ten best artists and bands performing at Live Aid.

The top ten performances that I have selected are all personal favorites that I deem to be culturally, historically, aesthetically significant, meaningful or relevant.  These songs still sound good to me 40 years later.

Please note: my article is not a definitive ranking of all 70 artists that performed at the Live Aid venues in July 1985. For a more thorough accounting of this historic event, I would encourage you to search the Internet for that information.

Before I start my countdown, I will be highlighting two anthems that were performed at the end of each trans-continental shows.

At the end of the London segment, “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid closed the U.K. concert.

And on the American side, “We Are the World” from USA for Africa was the Philadelphia finale, which ended the entire event.

Obviously, there were more outstanding musical performances at Live Aid besides those listed on my countdown. Below are some worthy artists and bands that didn’t make my top ten tabulation. Those performers are not ranked and place in a random order.

  • Crosby Stills & Nash
  • Elton John (with George Michael)
  • Led Zeppelin
  • Hall & Oates
  • The Pretenders
  • Simple Minds
  • Bryan Adams  
  • The Beach Boys
  • Crosby Stills Nash & Young
  • REO Speedwagon  
  • The Four Tops
  • Santana
  • Sade
  • Joan Baez

Without further ado, my Top 10 countdown of best Live Aid performances begin:

10.   The Who

Songs Performed:

  • “My Generation”
  • “Pinball Wizard”
  • “Love, Reign o’er Me”
  • “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

My favorite of the set list: “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

British Invasion band the Who performed 4 of their biggest and most renowned songs in London. “Pinball Wizard” from the “Tommy” rock opera and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” from the “Who’s Next” album were the highlights by this influential 20th century band.

9.     The Cars  

Song Performed:

  • “You Might Think”
  • “Drive”
  • “Just What I Needed”
  • “Heartbeat City”

My favorite of the set list: “Just What I Needed”

New Wave and power pop rock band the Cars were at the height of their popularity in 1985 when they performed at Live Aid. Leaders of the band, Benjamin Orr and Ric Ocasek, gave a spirited performance on fan favorites like “You Might Think”, “Drive” and “Just What I Needed.”

8.     Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Songs Performed:

  • “American Girl”
  • “The Waiting”
  • “Rebels”
  • “Refugee”

My favorite of the set list: “Refugee”

Along with his band the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty fired off four superb power pop rock songs with the raising of funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. “American Girl” and “The Waiting” were both superb, while Petty’s 1980 hit “Refugee” ended the exceptional set on a high note.

7.     Eric Clapton & Phil Collins

Songs Performed:

  • “White Room”
  • “She’s Waiting”
  • “Layla”

My favorite of the set list: “Layla”

Arguably, “Layla” is one of the greatest classic rock songs of all time.  With “Slow Hand” Eric Clapton shredding his guitar, Phil Collins on drums and Chris Stainton playing keyboards, it was an outstanding rendition of the song written by Clapton. The opening selection of “White Room” was also memorable.

6.     David Bowie

Songs Performed:

  • “TVC 15”
  • “Rebel Rebel”
  • “Modern Love”
  • “Heroes”

My favorite of the set list: “Modern Love”

David Bowie and his band played 4 up-tempo songs during his set. “Modern Love” was a rousing number with outstanding saxophone playing while the lyrics of “Heroes” fit nicely with the message and purpose of the benefit concert: “Oh, we can be heroes, just for one day.”

5.     Mick Jagger & Tina Turner

Songs Performed:

  • “Lonely at the Top”
  • “Just Another Night”
  • “Miss You”
  • “State of Shock” (w/ Tina Turner)
  • “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” (with Tina Turner)

My favorite of the set list: “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” (with Tina Turner)

Mick Jaggar sang 3 songs before Tina Turner joined him on stage as the pair performed “State of Shock” and “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It).”

During this racy two-song duet, Jagger stripped off his shirt for a mid-song costume change and then dramatically ripped off Turner’s skirt. The singer’s fun and flirty chemistry electrified the audience in London.

4.     Paul McCartney  

Song Performed: “Let It Be” (w/ David Bowie, Bob Geldof, Alison Moyet and Pete Townshend)       

The beginning of “Let It Be” was sparse: Just Sir Paul playing a piano and singing solo. McCartney didn’t want any other vocalists or instruments to accompany his performance.

 At some point during McCartney’s performance, his microphone stopped working. The crowd started singing the chorus of “Let It Be” and then fellow artists Bowie, Geldof, Moyet and Townshend joined McCartney on the stage for a powerful ending of this classic Beatles ode.

3.    U2

Songs Performed:

  • “Sunday Bloody Sunday”
  • “Bad”

My favorite of the set list: “Sunday Bloody Sunday”

U2 was an up-and-coming band in 1985 and their appearance helped the Irish band achieve a new level of stardom after their two-song set.

Kicking off the performance was the anti-war anthem “Sunday Bloody Sunday” with front man Bono giving a fiery, passionate vocal delivery.  Following the U2 signature song was a 12-minute rendition of “Bad” that was a crowd favorite in London.

2.   Dire Straits & Sting

Songs Performed:

  • “Money for Nothing” (with Sting)
  • “Sultans of Swing”

My favorite of the set list: “Money for Nothing”

British band Dire Straits (DS) performed only two songs and both selections were superb. “Sultans of Swing” is my favorite DS song of all-time:  I love the guitar riffs and vocals by Mark Knopfler on this signature song by the British band.

My absolute top performance of the day by DS was “Money for Nothing.”  Joining the band on stage was Sting and his singing of “I want my MTV” reverberated throughout Wembley Stadium as DS rocked the house with their #1 summer of 1985 smash hit.

  1.  Queen

Songs Performed:

  • “Bohemian Rhapsody”
  • “Radio Ga Ga”
  • “Hammer to Fall”
  • “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
  • “We Will Rock You”
  • “We Are the Champions”

My favorite of the set list:  “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Many music historians proclaim that Queen’s Wembley Stadium set is the greatest live rock musical performance of all-time.  The 21-minute set was actually one continuous medley of popular short snippets of some of the British band’s most beloved songs.

This was Freddie Mercury’s shining moment, along with guitarist Brian May, bassist Jon Deacon and Roger Taylor on drums.  Queen’s musical presentation is my #1 best performance during Live Aid in 1985.

That wraps up my countdown of what I consider to be the best performances at Live Aid 1985.

I realize that my listing of songs in this category was written from my point of view and is subjective. My countdown of top performances is based completely upon my personal humble opinions.

If you were creating a similar listing of outstanding Live Aid performances during 1985, your tabulation may be totally different from my selections. There are no right or wrong answers. I welcome your thoughts.

Here is hoping that you will listen to and/or watch YouTube videos of Live Aid performances after you have read this music blog message.

I still have fond memories of music that was performed at Live Aid in July 1985.  And much of the music played 40 years ago still sounds great 40 years later. Rock on!

To subscribe to my blog via email, please click the “Follow” button in the menu above.

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