Catch These 20 Rock Bands and Artists From the '70s in Concert—While You Still Can!
One of the more beloved playlists on Amazon Music is the Rediscover the ‘70s: Rock collection. And it’s a pleasure to confirm that so many of the bands and artists on that playlist are still going strong as of this writing. Many of them, in fact, are out there on the road and playing to the classic rock masses.
Not to bum any readers out, but that is not the case for all of the legends who appear on the playlist, unfortunately. It’s sad to think about, but music fans have officially missed their opportunity to see Thin Lizzy, the Cars, the Allman Brothers Band, Rush, Mountain, Lou Reed, Bob Seger (if you believe he’s really retired), and of course, the late great Tom Petty.
Meanwhile, it’s up in the air as of this writing whether bands like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra, the Kinks, Boston, or the remaining members of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones say yea, Robert Plant says no way) will ever play meaningful shows together again.
There are some bands who decide to keep performing regardless which lineup of the band takes the stage—even if only one, or sometimes none of the original members take part. For their part, Kiss have left the door open for new musicians (vetted by them, of course) to take the place of remaining original members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons once they retire from the road, keeping the Hottest Band in the World chugging along in perpetuity with all-new band members playing the parts of the Demon, the Starchild, the Spaceman, and the Cat.
But ideally, music fans want the guys and gals who actually created the music they love to also be the ones to perform it live, in person, right in front of their eyes. The below, then, highlights 20 luminary rock ‘n’ roll artists and bands popular in the 1970s who fans still have a chance to watch and listen to, in the flesh!
1. AC/DC
The late rhythm guitarist and co-songwriter Malcolm Young was certainly instrumental in AC/DC’s meat-and-potatoes heavy rock sound. But as long as brother and bandleader Angus Young is still willing to dress up in his signature schoolboy outfit and twirl around on his back on stage as he churns out another blistering solo on his Gibson SG, you’ll be getting the real deal. Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose filled in for the briefly retired Brian Johnson on vocals for a tour, but Johnson returned, making an AC/DC live experience as authentic as can be. Come for the massive songlist of heavy metal staples like “Back in Black,” “Highway to Hell,” and “You Shook Me All Night Long,” stay for the trademark live moments like the giant bell ringing before “Hells Bells” and the deafening cannon fire during “For Those about to Rock (We Salute You).”
Listen Live on Amazon Music: AC/DC, If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (1978, Bon Scott-era vocals); Live (1992, Brian Johnson-era vocals).
2. Aerosmith
Singer Steven Tyler might not be doing his patented backflips on stage anymore (or maybe he is on a good night?), but even if the Boston bad boys sat on fold-out chairs and didn’t move a muscle all night, an Aerosmith show would still be worth seeing. Whether one’s preference is the old, grittier stuff like “Sweet Emotion” from Toys in the Attic or “Last Child” off of Rocks, or you prefer the super-gigantic MTV and radio staples like “Love in an Elevator” or “Janie’s Got a Gun,” it’s going to be an evening full of both raunchy blues-rock and sugary pop megahits galore. (And they’re not gonna sit on fold-out chairs, promise.)
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Aerosmith, Classics Live! (1986).
3. Alice Cooper
How would one feel—especially if you’re someone who dabbles in the kind of classic rock that is also considered “shock rock”—if you never got to see the undisputed Godfather of Shock Rock do his wicked worst live in concert? The boa constrictor, the mannequin decapitations, the fake execution of Mr. Cooper himself at the end of the night...it’s historic stuff, really. It’s just hard to imagine rock concerts becoming the theatrical events they morphed into starting in the mid-1970s without Alice Cooper—the band, and especially the man who took on the name. Plus, the Emcee of Evil released some killer songs, too: “I’m Eighteen,” “School’s Out,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” and for fans of his foray into hair metal in the ‘80s, “Poison.” All classics!
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Alice Cooper, The Alice Cooper Show (1977).
4. Blondie
To many, it’s just important that singer Debbie Harry show up for a Blondie gig. She’s the face, she’s the voice, she’s focus of the band. But the other half of the New Wave group’s founding duo, Chris Stein, still performs with the band when health doesn’t force him to sit shows out, and legendary and influential original drummer Clem Burke remains behind the kit as always. So the bones of the band are still plenty strong enough to unleash sassy dance-rock hits like “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me,” One Way or Another,” and the proto-rap tune “Rapture.”
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Blondie, Live (1999).
5. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
It might be a concert featuring just “the Boss.” It could be a one-man show of some kind, like his Tony Award-winning Springsteen on Broadway revue. But most fans would agree, the premier format for seeing Bruce Springsteen perform tracks from touchstone poetry-and-rock albums such as Nebraska, Born in the U.S.A., and Born to Run is with his E Street Band. Three-hour-plus marathon concerts have been common in the past. Don’t miss out and finally see him for the first time when he can only manage a measly two and a half hours!
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Live in New York City (2001).
6. Cheap Trick
Rockford, Illinois, power-poppers Cheap Trick became a bona fide sensation in the late 1970s on the strength of a live album. As the old joke goes, they were already “big in Japan,” so after live LPs like Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive! and Kiss’s Alive! went gangbusters, they decided to record some Tokyo shows and release the result as Cheap Trick at Budokon. That album went gangbusters, too, helping to pave the way for ‘80s pop-metal and ‘90s alternative rock in the process.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Cheap Trick, At Budokon (1978 [Japan]; 1979 [USA]).
7. Chicago
Sure, Chicago’s most famous member, bassist and ‘80s pop crooner Peter Cetera, has long since left the band. And some might feel obligated to suggest that they’re more of a jazz-rock band than a real rock band. But that’s crazy. Chicago is a rock institution, and with the remaining original members being the horns and keys players, a live Chicago show these days will hearken back to the ‘70s rock era (“25 of 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day”) as much as to the ‘80s ballad era.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Chicago, Live in Japan (1972).
8. Deep Purple
It wouldn’t be founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (Rainbow) playing them, but wouldn’t it be worth going to a Deep Purple concert just to hear those opening chords to “Smoke on the Water” live and in person? (And besides, current Purple guitarist Steve Morse from Kansas isn’t a bad consolation prize.) The late organist Jon Lord was also a huge part of the band’s earth-shaking hard rock aesthetic (Lord was replaced by another great rock keys player in Don Airey), but singer Ian Gillan and the rhythm section of Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums) from the classic DP lineup are still there to curate the band’s classic sound.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Deep Purple, Made in Japan (1972).
9. The Doobie Brothers
Here’s something rare: not only are a majority of the key players involved in founding the Doobie Brothers still aligned with the band, but a Doobie Brothers concert in the 21st century delivers a more classic lineup than most fans could’ve gotten in the ‘70s! Michael McDonald, who went on to have a successful solo career, (“I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near”) joined the Doobies in 1975 to spell singer Tom Johnston during a streak of bad health. Johnston bowed out fully two years later, so there were only a couple years there back in the mid-’70s when a Doobie Brothers show featured both lead vocalists. But Johnston recovered and rejoined, and McDonald returned to the fold in 2019 as well.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: The Doobie Brothers, Live at the Greek Theatre 1982 (2011).
10. Eagles
The guys in the Eagles were never, ever, ever (ever) getting back together. Until they did, in 1994, and many years of spirited live runs gave music fans of all ages another chance to experience all the many Eagles hits, from “Take It Easy” off their self-titled debut album, to “I Can’t Tell You Why” from the final album before their late-’70s breakup, The Long Run. Singer/guitarist Glenn Frey’s passing in 2016 could easily have delivered a mortal blow to the future of the band. But with classic lineup members Don Henley and Joe Walsh manning the fort and country legend Vince Gill brought onboard, fans can be sure the cherished Eagles catalog is still in the best of hands.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Eagles, Eagles Live (1980).
11. Fleetwood Mac
By now, anyone who’s casually kept track of the trials and travails of the popular lineup of Fleetwood Mac probably knows the story. Their greatest album, 1977’s Rumours, was recorded during the dissolution of two band romances: one between singer/guitarist/songwriter Lindsey Buckingham and singer/songwriter/sorceress Stevie Nicks; and the other between singer/keyboardist/songwriter Christine McVie and bassist John McVie. All sorts of different variations of the band would hit the road thereafter. Buckingham was not involved at the time of this writing, but check local listings since it’s just a bit hard to believe he’ll not return to the fold at some point, somehow (although any incarnation of Fleetwood Mac is likely to be positively sublime).
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Fleetwood Mac, Live (1980).
12. Heart
There was a time, there, when the heart and soul of Heart, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, stopped speaking to one another and placed the band on indefinite hiatus. Fans hopefully learned their lesson from that scare and will grab tickets to see the band, with sisters happily reunited, whenever they take to the road. Nancy Wilson is still a monstress on guitar, and Ann Wilson’s vocals are still a revelation.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Heart, Alive in Seattle (2003).
13. Billy Joel
Those Elton John/Billy Joel “Face to Face” touring tandems made so much sense, and were so successful in the ‘90s and ‘00s. Think of all the incredible, rock ‘n’ roll-defining, music world-shaping hits that were rolled out during that long evening! John might show up to play some post-retirement shows here and there under special circumstances, but Joel plans to keep his full-on rock ‘n’ roll shows going. And more good news: his setlists won’t be constrained, so concertgoers will get all the goods—with any luck, everything from “Piano Man” (from 1973’s Piano Man) to “The River of Dreams” (from 1993’s River of Dreams).
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Billy Joel, 12 Gardens Live (2006).
14. Journey
If attendees closed their eyes at a modern-day Journey concert as the San Fran band took the stage, they’d rejoice as soon as they heard the first few notes of the lead vocal. “Surely the leather-lunged singer with the crazy-high vocal range from the band’s heyday, Steve Perry, has returned!” they’d shout. But alas, once they opened their eyes they would see not Perry, but the next-best thing: Journey’s frontman since 2007, Arnel Pineda. Pineda was discovered singing Journey songs on YouTube by the band and was immediately asked to join. (By the way, when you go to a Journey concert, the guitar will also sound just like that of the band’s heyday—because original guitarist Neil Schon still leads the group and sounds as killer as ever.)
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Journey, Greatest Hits Live (1998 release date; recordings from 1982-83).
15. Kiss
Ozzy Osbourne pulled the same trick back in the early 1990s: he released one of his more successful solo albums (No More Tears) and then announced that the accompanying tour (the “No More Tours” tour) would be his last. However, not only did he keep touring for decades, but he also created his own festival, Ozzfest, for which he usually headlined. Kiss, too, conducted a farewell tour back at the turn of the century, but that decision was brought about by fraught relations amongst the original members, who had reunited in 1995. Instead of calling it quits, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons ultimately decided to simply hire a new “Ace” and “Peter” (phenomenal players Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, respectively) and keep on rockin’ and rollin’ all night. Depending on when this article is read, Kiss’s final-final farewell tour, embarked upon starting in 2019, might be over. Or it very well might not! And if not, rock fans owe it to themselves to see this band at least once in person. Since Ringling Brothers closed shop, Kiss really are the Greatest Show on Earth.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Kiss, Alive! (1975).
16. Paul McCartney
Sometimes it doesn’t seem as though the Beatles could possibly have been a real thing. There’s no way one collection of English blokes from the same town could have come up with all those masterpiece tunes. How lucky is the world to still have opportunities to see Macca, half of the greatest pop songwriting duo in music history, still tear up stages across the globe? John Lennon was taken from us far too soon, as was George Harrison. But hearing Paul McCartney recreate hits from his Beatles period, as well as from his Wings and solo eras, is an otherworldly experience. Not a dry eye in the house.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Wings, Wings over America (1976).
17. Robert Plant
Another band that scarcely seems like they ever could have existed—for folks born after the ‘70s, at least—were Led Zeppelin. If one believes singer Robert Plant, the Zeppelin will never fly again. Plant believes the only good reason to do shows again with guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and presumably Jason Bonham, the son of late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, would be for the payday. And that’s not a good enough reason. But Plant is still happy to perform as a solo artist or with his partner in Americana stylings Alison Krauss. Even if he refuses to play one Zeppelin song, it would still be a thrill to see the shiniest of golden gods in person.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Led Zeppelin, Celebration Day (2012).
18. Queen
It’s certainly possible for a classic ‘70s-era rock band to bring in another lead singer to replace the original. If the songs are good and the band is made up of original members who can accurately recreate the sound of the band? Sure, go for it. But there are times when such experiments are not only disappointing, but downright disastrous. So the surviving members of bands like Queen would have to be careful, because how could you ever hope to replace Freddie Mercury? They knew the answer: you can’t. However, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor did reconvene, first with the masterful Free and Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers in the mid-’00s. It was an amazing collaboration, but was never meant to sound like classic Queen. The subsequent collab with American Idol wunderkind vocalist Adam Lambert, however, definitely was. It will never compare with the Mercury-led version, but as long as May’s one-of-a-kind guitar sound and Taylor’s precision drumming persist, taking in a “Queen + Adam Lambert” performance, as they bill it, will always be beyond worthwhile.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Queen, Live Killers (1979).
19. The Rolling Stones
Everyone loves to marvel at how Rolling Stones guitarist and co-songwriter Keith Richards is still alive after all the hard living he’s done. And many pundits are not above joking that he looks, shall we say, worse for wear. But even the most casual rock ‘n’ roll fans must keep three things in mind when mulling over the saga that is “Keef.” Number one: Keith Richards is, indeed, never going to die. Number two: if he does die, it will likely be on stage with the Stones. And number three: when Keith Richards does pass, or simply retires, there will instantaneously be millions of fans kicking themselves for never going to see the living history that is the Rolling Stones in concert. Don’t be one of those millions!
Listen Live on Amazon Music: The Rolling Stones, Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! (1970).
20. Ringo Starr
Yeah yeah yeah, technically Ringo is thought of as more of a ‘60s artist. Paul McCartney got his start in the ‘60s, too, as did Robert Plant, and the Stones. But McCartney, Plant, and the Stones were still all at the top of their game in the ‘70s. As was Ringo Starr! Lest the music world forget, he was the first Beatle to release a solo record, and his third solo effort, 1973’s Ringo, did phenomenally well (with a little help from all three of his Beatles compatriots). No ex-Beatle has performed live as consistently as Starr, either. Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, a constantly fluctuating touring band of ringers, became the über-underrated drummer’s preferred live concert outlet starting in the late ‘80s. Setlists feature not only Starr’s hits with the Beatles and as a solo artist, but giant hit songs from the fellow stars playing in the touring band (which has featured everyone from Todd Rundgren to Toto’s Steve Lukather to Edgar Winter to Cream’s Jack Bruce to Men at Work’s Colin Hay). Ringo in person (quick reminder, he was in THE BEATLES): not to be missed!
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Ringo Starr, VH1 Storytellers (1998).
One of the more beloved playlists on Amazon Music is the Rediscover the ‘70s: Rock collection. And it’s a pleasure to confirm that so many of the bands and artists on that playlist are still going strong as of this writing. Many of them, in fact, are out there on the road and playing to the classic rock masses.
Not to bum any readers out, but that is not the case for all of the legends who appear on the playlist, unfortunately. It’s sad to think about, but music fans have officially missed their opportunity to see Thin Lizzy, the Cars, the Allman Brothers Band, Rush, Mountain, Lou Reed, Bob Seger (if you believe he’s really retired), and of course, the late great Tom Petty.
Meanwhile, it’s up in the air as of this writing whether bands like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra, the Kinks, Boston, or the remaining members of Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones say yea, Robert Plant says no way) will ever play meaningful shows together again.
There are some bands who decide to keep performing regardless which lineup of the band takes the stage—even if only one, or sometimes none of the original members take part. For their part, Kiss have left the door open for new musicians (vetted by them, of course) to take the place of remaining original members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons once they retire from the road, keeping the Hottest Band in the World chugging along in perpetuity with all-new band members playing the parts of the Demon, the Starchild, the Spaceman, and the Cat.
But ideally, music fans want the guys and gals who actually created the music they love to also be the ones to perform it live, in person, right in front of their eyes. The below, then, highlights 20 luminary rock ‘n’ roll artists and bands popular in the 1970s who fans still have a chance to watch and listen to, in the flesh!
1. AC/DC
The late rhythm guitarist and co-songwriter Malcolm Young was certainly instrumental in AC/DC’s meat-and-potatoes heavy rock sound. But as long as brother and bandleader Angus Young is still willing to dress up in his signature schoolboy outfit and twirl around on his back on stage as he churns out another blistering solo on his Gibson SG, you’ll be getting the real deal. Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose filled in for the briefly retired Brian Johnson on vocals for a tour, but Johnson returned, making an AC/DC live experience as authentic as can be. Come for the massive songlist of heavy metal staples like “Back in Black,” “Highway to Hell,” and “You Shook Me All Night Long,” stay for the trademark live moments like the giant bell ringing before “Hells Bells” and the deafening cannon fire during “For Those about to Rock (We Salute You).”
Listen Live on Amazon Music: AC/DC, If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (1978, Bon Scott-era vocals); Live (1992, Brian Johnson-era vocals).
2. Aerosmith
Singer Steven Tyler might not be doing his patented backflips on stage anymore (or maybe he is on a good night?), but even if the Boston bad boys sat on fold-out chairs and didn’t move a muscle all night, an Aerosmith show would still be worth seeing. Whether one’s preference is the old, grittier stuff like “Sweet Emotion” from Toys in the Attic or “Last Child” off of Rocks, or you prefer the super-gigantic MTV and radio staples like “Love in an Elevator” or “Janie’s Got a Gun,” it’s going to be an evening full of both raunchy blues-rock and sugary pop megahits galore. (And they’re not gonna sit on fold-out chairs, promise.)
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Aerosmith, Classics Live! (1986).
3. Alice Cooper
How would one feel—especially if you’re someone who dabbles in the kind of classic rock that is also considered “shock rock”—if you never got to see the undisputed Godfather of Shock Rock do his wicked worst live in concert? The boa constrictor, the mannequin decapitations, the fake execution of Mr. Cooper himself at the end of the night...it’s historic stuff, really. It’s just hard to imagine rock concerts becoming the theatrical events they morphed into starting in the mid-1970s without Alice Cooper—the band, and especially the man who took on the name. Plus, the Emcee of Evil released some killer songs, too: “I’m Eighteen,” “School’s Out,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” and for fans of his foray into hair metal in the ‘80s, “Poison.” All classics!
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Alice Cooper, The Alice Cooper Show (1977).
4. Blondie
To many, it’s just important that singer Debbie Harry show up for a Blondie gig. She’s the face, she’s the voice, she’s focus of the band. But the other half of the New Wave group’s founding duo, Chris Stein, still performs with the band when health doesn’t force him to sit shows out, and legendary and influential original drummer Clem Burke remains behind the kit as always. So the bones of the band are still plenty strong enough to unleash sassy dance-rock hits like “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me,” One Way or Another,” and the proto-rap tune “Rapture.”
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Blondie, Live (1999).
5. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
It might be a concert featuring just “the Boss.” It could be a one-man show of some kind, like his Tony Award-winning Springsteen on Broadway revue. But most fans would agree, the premier format for seeing Bruce Springsteen perform tracks from touchstone poetry-and-rock albums such as Nebraska, Born in the U.S.A., and Born to Run is with his E Street Band. Three-hour-plus marathon concerts have been common in the past. Don’t miss out and finally see him for the first time when he can only manage a measly two and a half hours!
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Live in New York City (2001).
6. Cheap Trick
Rockford, Illinois, power-poppers Cheap Trick became a bona fide sensation in the late 1970s on the strength of a live album. As the old joke goes, they were already “big in Japan,” so after live LPs like Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive! and Kiss’s Alive! went gangbusters, they decided to record some Tokyo shows and release the result as Cheap Trick at Budokon. That album went gangbusters, too, helping to pave the way for ‘80s pop-metal and ‘90s alternative rock in the process.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Cheap Trick, At Budokon (1978 [Japan]; 1979 [USA]).
7. Chicago
Sure, Chicago’s most famous member, bassist and ‘80s pop crooner Peter Cetera, has long since left the band. And some might feel obligated to suggest that they’re more of a jazz-rock band than a real rock band. But that’s crazy. Chicago is a rock institution, and with the remaining original members being the horns and keys players, a live Chicago show these days will hearken back to the ‘70s rock era (“25 of 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day”) as much as to the ‘80s ballad era.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Chicago, Live in Japan (1972).
8. Deep Purple
It wouldn’t be founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (Rainbow) playing them, but wouldn’t it be worth going to a Deep Purple concert just to hear those opening chords to “Smoke on the Water” live and in person? (And besides, current Purple guitarist Steve Morse from Kansas isn’t a bad consolation prize.) The late organist Jon Lord was also a huge part of the band’s earth-shaking hard rock aesthetic (Lord was replaced by another great rock keys player in Don Airey), but singer Ian Gillan and the rhythm section of Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums) from the classic DP lineup are still there to curate the band’s classic sound.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Deep Purple, Made in Japan (1972).
9. The Doobie Brothers
Here’s something rare: not only are a majority of the key players involved in founding the Doobie Brothers still aligned with the band, but a Doobie Brothers concert in the 21st century delivers a more classic lineup than most fans could’ve gotten in the ‘70s! Michael McDonald, who went on to have a successful solo career, (“I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near”) joined the Doobies in 1975 to spell singer Tom Johnston during a streak of bad health. Johnston bowed out fully two years later, so there were only a couple years there back in the mid-’70s when a Doobie Brothers show featured both lead vocalists. But Johnston recovered and rejoined, and McDonald returned to the fold in 2019 as well.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: The Doobie Brothers, Live at the Greek Theatre 1982 (2011).
10. Eagles
The guys in the Eagles were never, ever, ever (ever) getting back together. Until they did, in 1994, and many years of spirited live runs gave music fans of all ages another chance to experience all the many Eagles hits, from “Take It Easy” off their self-titled debut album, to “I Can’t Tell You Why” from the final album before their late-’70s breakup, The Long Run. Singer/guitarist Glenn Frey’s passing in 2016 could easily have delivered a mortal blow to the future of the band. But with classic lineup members Don Henley and Joe Walsh manning the fort and country legend Vince Gill brought onboard, fans can be sure the cherished Eagles catalog is still in the best of hands.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Eagles, Eagles Live (1980).
11. Fleetwood Mac
By now, anyone who’s casually kept track of the trials and travails of the popular lineup of Fleetwood Mac probably knows the story. Their greatest album, 1977’s Rumours, was recorded during the dissolution of two band romances: one between singer/guitarist/songwriter Lindsey Buckingham and singer/songwriter/sorceress Stevie Nicks; and the other between singer/keyboardist/songwriter Christine McVie and bassist John McVie. All sorts of different variations of the band would hit the road thereafter. Buckingham was not involved at the time of this writing, but check local listings since it’s just a bit hard to believe he’ll not return to the fold at some point, somehow (although any incarnation of Fleetwood Mac is likely to be positively sublime).
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Fleetwood Mac, Live (1980).
12. Heart
There was a time, there, when the heart and soul of Heart, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, stopped speaking to one another and placed the band on indefinite hiatus. Fans hopefully learned their lesson from that scare and will grab tickets to see the band, with sisters happily reunited, whenever they take to the road. Nancy Wilson is still a monstress on guitar, and Ann Wilson’s vocals are still a revelation.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Heart, Alive in Seattle (2003).
13. Billy Joel
Those Elton John/Billy Joel “Face to Face” touring tandems made so much sense, and were so successful in the ‘90s and ‘00s. Think of all the incredible, rock ‘n’ roll-defining, music world-shaping hits that were rolled out during that long evening! John might show up to play some post-retirement shows here and there under special circumstances, but Joel plans to keep his full-on rock ‘n’ roll shows going. And more good news: his setlists won’t be constrained, so concertgoers will get all the goods—with any luck, everything from “Piano Man” (from 1973’s Piano Man) to “The River of Dreams” (from 1993’s River of Dreams).
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Billy Joel, 12 Gardens Live (2006).
14. Journey
If attendees closed their eyes at a modern-day Journey concert as the San Fran band took the stage, they’d rejoice as soon as they heard the first few notes of the lead vocal. “Surely the leather-lunged singer with the crazy-high vocal range from the band’s heyday, Steve Perry, has returned!” they’d shout. But alas, once they opened their eyes they would see not Perry, but the next-best thing: Journey’s frontman since 2007, Arnel Pineda. Pineda was discovered singing Journey songs on YouTube by the band and was immediately asked to join. (By the way, when you go to a Journey concert, the guitar will also sound just like that of the band’s heyday—because original guitarist Neil Schon still leads the group and sounds as killer as ever.)
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Journey, Greatest Hits Live (1998 release date; recordings from 1982-83).
15. Kiss
Ozzy Osbourne pulled the same trick back in the early 1990s: he released one of his more successful solo albums (No More Tears) and then announced that the accompanying tour (the “No More Tours” tour) would be his last. However, not only did he keep touring for decades, but he also created his own festival, Ozzfest, for which he usually headlined. Kiss, too, conducted a farewell tour back at the turn of the century, but that decision was brought about by fraught relations amongst the original members, who had reunited in 1995. Instead of calling it quits, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons ultimately decided to simply hire a new “Ace” and “Peter” (phenomenal players Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, respectively) and keep on rockin’ and rollin’ all night. Depending on when this article is read, Kiss’s final-final farewell tour, embarked upon starting in 2019, might be over. Or it very well might not! And if not, rock fans owe it to themselves to see this band at least once in person. Since Ringling Brothers closed shop, Kiss really are the Greatest Show on Earth.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Kiss, Alive! (1975).
16. Paul McCartney
Sometimes it doesn’t seem as though the Beatles could possibly have been a real thing. There’s no way one collection of English blokes from the same town could have come up with all those masterpiece tunes. How lucky is the world to still have opportunities to see Macca, half of the greatest pop songwriting duo in music history, still tear up stages across the globe? John Lennon was taken from us far too soon, as was George Harrison. But hearing Paul McCartney recreate hits from his Beatles period, as well as from his Wings and solo eras, is an otherworldly experience. Not a dry eye in the house.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Wings, Wings over America (1976).
17. Robert Plant
Another band that scarcely seems like they ever could have existed—for folks born after the ‘70s, at least—were Led Zeppelin. If one believes singer Robert Plant, the Zeppelin will never fly again. Plant believes the only good reason to do shows again with guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and presumably Jason Bonham, the son of late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, would be for the payday. And that’s not a good enough reason. But Plant is still happy to perform as a solo artist or with his partner in Americana stylings Alison Krauss. Even if he refuses to play one Zeppelin song, it would still be a thrill to see the shiniest of golden gods in person.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Led Zeppelin, Celebration Day (2012).
18. Queen
It’s certainly possible for a classic ‘70s-era rock band to bring in another lead singer to replace the original. If the songs are good and the band is made up of original members who can accurately recreate the sound of the band? Sure, go for it. But there are times when such experiments are not only disappointing, but downright disastrous. So the surviving members of bands like Queen would have to be careful, because how could you ever hope to replace Freddie Mercury? They knew the answer: you can’t. However, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor did reconvene, first with the masterful Free and Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers in the mid-’00s. It was an amazing collaboration, but was never meant to sound like classic Queen. The subsequent collab with American Idol wunderkind vocalist Adam Lambert, however, definitely was. It will never compare with the Mercury-led version, but as long as May’s one-of-a-kind guitar sound and Taylor’s precision drumming persist, taking in a “Queen + Adam Lambert” performance, as they bill it, will always be beyond worthwhile.
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Queen, Live Killers (1979).
19. The Rolling Stones
Everyone loves to marvel at how Rolling Stones guitarist and co-songwriter Keith Richards is still alive after all the hard living he’s done. And many pundits are not above joking that he looks, shall we say, worse for wear. But even the most casual rock ‘n’ roll fans must keep three things in mind when mulling over the saga that is “Keef.” Number one: Keith Richards is, indeed, never going to die. Number two: if he does die, it will likely be on stage with the Stones. And number three: when Keith Richards does pass, or simply retires, there will instantaneously be millions of fans kicking themselves for never going to see the living history that is the Rolling Stones in concert. Don’t be one of those millions!
Listen Live on Amazon Music: The Rolling Stones, Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! (1970).
20. Ringo Starr
Yeah yeah yeah, technically Ringo is thought of as more of a ‘60s artist. Paul McCartney got his start in the ‘60s, too, as did Robert Plant, and the Stones. But McCartney, Plant, and the Stones were still all at the top of their game in the ‘70s. As was Ringo Starr! Lest the music world forget, he was the first Beatle to release a solo record, and his third solo effort, 1973’s Ringo, did phenomenally well (with a little help from all three of his Beatles compatriots). No ex-Beatle has performed live as consistently as Starr, either. Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, a constantly fluctuating touring band of ringers, became the über-underrated drummer’s preferred live concert outlet starting in the late ‘80s. Setlists feature not only Starr’s hits with the Beatles and as a solo artist, but giant hit songs from the fellow stars playing in the touring band (which has featured everyone from Todd Rundgren to Toto’s Steve Lukather to Edgar Winter to Cream’s Jack Bruce to Men at Work’s Colin Hay). Ringo in person (quick reminder, he was in THE BEATLES): not to be missed!
Listen Live on Amazon Music: Ringo Starr, VH1 Storytellers (1998).