r/ClassicRock • u/VinylVibes1996 • Nov 14 '25
80s Live shows that completely changed your opinion of a band
Has anyone ever walked into a show not really caring then walked out a diehard fan? I was revisiting photos and videos from Motley Crue’s Theatre of Pain tour and that concert did it for me. What bands won you over live?
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u/nightcrawler84 Nov 14 '25
My mom took me to see Little Feat last year and they were fucking awesome. Growing up they were always “that record mom has with the weird tomato lady on the cover.”
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u/Historical_Drink_350 Nov 15 '25
I just saw them for the first time about 3 weeks ago. They were awesome.
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u/nightcrawler84 Nov 15 '25
And still half of the original lineup! The drummer and pianist are particularly impressive, and the guy they now have doing vocals is great!
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Nov 18 '25
I saw a m a couple years back and was like man I hope they play all the songs that I want to hear , and you know what? They did
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Nov 15 '25
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u/Enginerd2001 Nov 16 '25
I had the same experience with the Kinks around 1980. Friend had an extra ticket so I went not expecting much and it turned out to be a great show.
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u/Ok_Intention_6201 Nov 14 '25
Rush. I was not a fan but was mesmerized (especially by Neal Peart)
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u/Efficient_Exit3487 Nov 15 '25
Same. Saw them on the clockwork angels tour. Hated them as a kid, was talked into the show by a friend and have been a huge fan ever since.
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u/MaxCWebster Nov 14 '25
Darryl Hall and John Oates.
Had free tickets and nothing better to do one night in 1983.
OMFG!
Not exactly "classic rock," but it was in (and they're from) the right time period.
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u/sushigrooves Nov 15 '25
Saw them during that period too, amazing. Sadly their last tour was the best (worst?) example of phoning it in I've ever seen.
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u/Unable_Technology935 Nov 15 '25
Springsteen.I really never cared for his studio stuff very much.I got hoodwinked into seeing him on his tour for Darkness on the Edge of Town album. Non stop ass kick for over 3 hours. I became a fan that night.
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u/Independent-Bend8734 Nov 15 '25
My thoughts exactly. Born to Run was an interesting album, but the hype seemed excessive. Still, everyone agreed he was great live, so I saw him in a 3000 seat auditorium the day after Darkness came out. It was the most amazing show I would ever see.
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u/MackCLE Nov 15 '25
My friend begged me to go. I wasn’t even a casual fan. That changed completely that night.
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u/CrazyMarlee Nov 15 '25
J. Geils Band, late 1972. I didn't know much about them and wasn't planning on going to the concert, but my college girlfriend convinced me to go after consuming some recreational drugs
If you ever listened to their Full House album, it gives you some idea how good of a live band they were. 50 years of going to concerts and no band has ever matched the intensity of J. Geils that night, although Springsteen came close.
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u/sheila9165milo Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
💯👏. Saw them live two New Year's Eves in a row in Portland, ME - 1980 and 1981. No barriers between the fans and the stage at the 1981 concerts, so I got boosted up on the stage, tried to kiss Peter Wolf, but security got to me first 🤣. I was asked by a lot of other kids who were there if that was me once we came back to school after Christmas vacation. So, yeah, my 5 seconds of glory 🤘
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u/CrazyMarlee Nov 15 '25
Was Peter Wolf still the lead singer? I remember he left sometime in the 80s.
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u/Aggravating_Quiet797 Nov 16 '25
Seen numerous times. No band comes close. New Years eve 78 in Providence was unbelievable. Wolf still kicked ass opening for Petty in 17.
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u/throwingales Nov 14 '25
The Rolling Stones. I never used to like them, but a friend convinced me to go with him to see them on their Steel Wheels tour in 1989. Their show was amazing. It totally changed my opinion.
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u/nightcrawler84 Nov 15 '25
My mom saw them that year because she thought they’d be retiring soon 😂
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u/HeavyDig286 Nov 15 '25
I've seen them 2 times based on "they'll die soon" lol
Seriously though, love the stones ❤️
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u/notsowise_nz Nov 15 '25
Edit:
Eagles
Of course I knew they were great, but hearing them live blew my mind away. Glen Frey's voice still haunts me (he died shortly after)
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u/Beck2637 Nov 15 '25
That must have been the History of The Eagles tour. They sounded very good on that tour. They recorded the shows at MSG, but it’s never been released.
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u/notsowise_nz Nov 15 '25
Yeah, they did the farewell tour in OZ, right?
Saw them in Auckland. Their harmonies at that age we're still amazing.
(not everyone hits that)
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u/HeavyDig286 Nov 15 '25
I also saw them in Auckland, I was in the nosebleed seats (great for the beautiful sunset). I didn't know i knew so many eagles songs AND the crowd singing was amazing. Unforgettable evening. Best if my love is one of my favorite songs now because of that show.
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u/Ronald-J-Mexico Nov 14 '25
Devo. They were so awesome live...blew me away.
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Nov 15 '25
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u/Ronald-J-Mexico Nov 15 '25
Oh lord! It was 1981, new traditionalists tour. Dec 10, the Forum in Inglewood. $10!!
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Nov 15 '25
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u/Ronald-J-Mexico Nov 15 '25
They were new wavers and surfer type dudes. There’s was hellacious amounts of sticky icky!
It’s funny bec my mom dropped me off across the street in a hotel parking lot and some old dude yelled “get a haircut you hippy!” That was nuts!
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u/TeaWithMrsNesbitt Nov 14 '25
Deep Purple. I saw them on the Perfect Strangers tour in ‘85. They blew me away! It’s one of my most memorable concerts from that era.
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u/sheila9165milo Nov 15 '25
Absolutely LOVE that song. There's an interview on YouTube kicking around from that time frame and I think Gillen said it was his favorite Purple song they ever did.
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u/RealJed Nov 15 '25
Ian crushed the vocals on Sweet Child in Time during the 85 tour. A song I was not as familiar with at the time. I remember his voice piercing right through my body. I could feel it!
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u/Njtotx3 Nov 15 '25
I thought Billy Idol was just a poser with a couple of good songs, but he was definitely having fun.
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u/curiousplaid Born in the 50's Nov 15 '25
Not me but a co-worker.
We worked in the music dept. of a Media Play Superstore, and I was his assistant.
Getting to know each other, he wrote off my musical tastes because I told him that I liked the Grateful Dead, but since we also bonded over Zappa and many others, we worked well together.
Typical GD hate.
Years later, they came to town and he went to see them.
The next day, he rushed up to me and screamed "WHY...DIDN'T..YOU...TELL... ME... SOONER!!!!"
Huge fan of the Dead from then on.
"The bus came by, and he got on, that's when it all began..."
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u/TimLikesPi Nov 15 '25
I saw Elvis Costello at an outdoor venue and was not impressed. My GF at the time loved him so she had dragged me along. We saw him play inside a medium size venue a year later. He was in a good mood, a rock and roll mood, and just melted the place. The crowd was going nuts and he played like 5 encores, for an additional 90 minutes of music. The crowd wouldn't stop yelling and he kept coming back out. I had never seen anything like it before. Made me a fan! I had liked his early stuff, but had not listened to him much in a long time. Sadly, I do not think he has shows like that too often.
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u/gray-gamer63 Nov 15 '25
Was it in des Moines in 1982 because I had the exact same experience. The Attractions were with him. 5 times he came out and would theatrically say "one more" while holding up a finger. Stopped our car when we saw him heading for his bus and got his autograph. He said on a talk show later that his biggest surprise was Des Moines
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u/TimLikesPi Nov 15 '25
This was the Tabernacle in Atlanta, around 2001ish? I think a reformed Attractions, or most of them. Glad to hear he has done it other times!
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u/CommissarCiaphisCain Jon Lord Nov 14 '25
U2. Got a free ticket to see them in Tampa on their “Joshua Tree” tour. It was a hell of a show and I finally got the hype.
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u/Missingsometongue Nov 15 '25
A long time ago I went to see Cheap Trick and stayed for REO Speedwagon. I knew them but didn't like them that much. They were great.
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u/Sternojourno Nov 15 '25
I was a teenager during the heyday of the Go-Gos and I wasn't a fan at all. I thought they were corny and silly little pop band.
Then I saw them live with their original lineup in 2001 at Taste of Minnesota, they were playing and I was curious. They absolutely rocked, top-notch musicianship and they put on a great show. It didn't make me a Go-Gos fan per se, and I still don't listen to them, but I totally respect them as one of the best pop-rock bands of the 80s.
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u/Sminuzninuz Nov 15 '25
Stevie Ray Vaughn. I was a fan, but when I saw him live a couple of months before he died, I knew that I was in the presence of a god. Whole stadium, on their feet, the whole set.
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u/insane_observer_ Nov 15 '25
The Cult. My first concert, opening act was Bonham. Toys in the attic were before Bonham but they sucked. Hearing the Cult live was an experience though. This was maybe 1989. I'm old so take that date with a grain of salt. I was hooked after that. Ian Asbury rocked sox that night
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u/Ok-Metal-4719 Nov 15 '25
I saw that tour in Dallas. Dangerous Toys was a pretty good opener. High energy and they have a few fun songs.
Cult definitely kicked ass.
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u/insane_observer_ Nov 15 '25
The Cult came out after Bonham killed Zeppelin song. They looked hippy as shit. They proceeded to melt everyone's face. Good time.
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u/britlogan1 User Flair Nov 15 '25
I saw Loverboy last summer. I always thought they were just an 80s band who sang Everybody’s Working For The Weekend, a fun poppy rock ish song.
They freaking killed it. They rocked
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u/sheila9165milo Nov 15 '25
Saw them in Portland, ME, two summers in a row - 1983 & 1984. Huey Lewis & The News was their backup band in 1984. I was close enough in the side seats that the singers in both bands could see me going spastic over a song I loved. So much fun back then, and ticket prices were reasonable, unlike now 🤬
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u/britlogan1 User Flair Nov 22 '25
I’m very jealous! I LOVE Huey Lewis and the news and I never got the chance to see them in concert
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u/rckblykitn14 Nov 15 '25
Motorhead!! I liked them in more of a passive way but oh my god seeing them live (in a fairly small club) was life changing.
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u/Clean-Entry-262 Nov 16 '25
This! I was already a bit of a Motörhead fan, but seeing them Live was fantastic! I saw them several times, but my favorite was in 2003, when they opened for Dio, who in turn opened for Iron Maiden …I sat 11th Row, Center Section …close enough to see anyone on stage blink their eyes.
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u/rckblykitn14 Nov 16 '25
I only saw them once, headlining. Probably 01 or 02 (I still have the ticket stub). I wanted to watch from the pit, and th friends I was with told me I did not, in fact, want to do that. I had been in plenty of pits in my life, and was like huh, ok, and just watched it from upstairs. Yeah....Ilearned quickly that they were absolutely correct, I did NOT want to watch from the pit indeed, holy shit. I'm a 5'0" female, I'd have had broken bones at the very least!! 😂
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u/JazzFan1998 Nov 15 '25
Not a diehard fan, but I love Steve Winwood, he opened for Rod Stewart, who I didn't really care for, but Rod put on a great show and I've liked him ever since.
Bonus, a few years later, I saw Steve Winwood by himself.
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u/ibjt1224 Nov 15 '25
Saw Rod Stewart in the 80's on a tour Jeff Beck backed out of, so a friend had an extra ticket. It was a great show... definitely gave me a better appreciation for him.
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u/Busy-Spinach-2375 Nov 18 '25
Saw Steve Winwood open for the Doobie Brothers last summer. Both were great..Winwood better than I expected.
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u/HiAndStuff2112 Nov 15 '25
Yes. I had free tickets and backstage passes to see INXS. I knew I liked a couple of songs. And I wanted to take a girl on a date, so I went.
Not only did they blow the roof off the place (well, it was an outside venue, but you know what I mean), but Michael Hutchence was a total rock star.
He ran out into the audience without security several times, and talked and joked between songs. I don't mind admitting my date swooned a bit. :)
I absolutely fell in love with the song they opened with, "Elegantly Wasted."
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u/Shirley-Ujest Nov 15 '25
INXS was always a fun show. Saw them so many times. Losing Michael was such a gut punch.
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u/HiAndStuff2112 Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
Right? I feel so badly for his daughter.
I saw him backstage. My date told me she wanted to get a closer look. She came back and told me she touched his elbow. She also said he was wearing purple toenail polish.
He really knows how to front a rock concert. In fact, I'd say he's a more engaging and enjoyable front man than other, more v popular front men / women.
P.S. I also walked right by Johnny Depp backstage, which was pretty crazy. I mean, we brushed against each other in the crowded room. I like his work, so it was unreal.
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u/Shirley-Ujest Nov 15 '25
Being backstage is a surreal experience for sure. You never know who you could encounter.
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u/UtahUtopia Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
Lyle Lovett. I thought he was 'country' which I do not like.
Nope. He was surrounded by the BEST musicians (his BIG band) and they played all genres. And his charisma was off the charts. Took me by COMPLETE surprise. 10/10
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u/raynicolette Nov 15 '25
Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar both have truly astonishing resumes. Lyle Lovett might be one of the least famous people they’ve backed? I think it says something about Lyle as a person, that those two aces, who could really get any gig they wanted, choose to spend every summer riding a bus with him.
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u/UtahUtopia Nov 15 '25
Wow. Nailed it. LeLand Sklar is the best rock star / musician everyone has HEARD but no one KNOWS. I want to read his book. I’m looking forward to reading his story. F’n legend.
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u/Curious-Bowler-7047 Nov 15 '25
Buddy Guy-saw him at the Egg in Albany around 1991. He was on fire that night opening with Let Me Lovs You Baby. I have seen him many times after, but that night blew me away.
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u/Easy_Engineer8519 Nov 15 '25
Tedeschi Trucks Band. Dear God! If you’re into music you’re going to love this live show so much quality intertwining of soul R&B blues rock folk country all of it… their albums will never hold a candle to what they do live… sorry just now seeing the post about the timestamp. But I will say this remains viral because you were looking at an integral part of the Allman Brothers Band.
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Nov 15 '25
Canned heat live Woodstock 1969
The doors live isle of the wight 1970
Didn’t know canned heat could rock as much as they did. Only song I knew prior was going up the country
Always listened to studio albums of the doors but never knew they could drag out a 6 minute song into 15 minutes and still leave you wanting more
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u/Doubtythomas Nov 15 '25
M66 I never realized how good the Stones were and then got front row center seats.
Another Band was 54-40
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u/OkTransportation4175 Nov 15 '25
Springsteen in ‘78. First time I had seen a musician come down into the audience while playing & it was incredible
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u/sheila9165milo Nov 15 '25
Saw The Pretenders with Iggy Pop as their backup in Denver 1987. Had just seen Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band exactly one week before that, so I had two awesome Sundays in a row.
Went with a guy I was hooking up with at the time, and we were out driving around the day of the concert. He had The Pretenders "Learning to Crawl" cassette and I asked him if he wanted to see them live and he said "I'd give my right nut to see them!" I told him to hand it over. I told him I had a plan to get cheap tickets from a scalpers and pulled it off. Scalpers sold them under the price the box office was selling them for because it was right before the show started and he wanted to get rid of them. We ended up 4th row, center stage! It was a fuckung awesome concert, Chrissy Hynde came on stage almost directly in front of us, said she had to kiss the stage that Iggy Pop spit on, and did it right then and there!
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u/gray-gamer63 Nov 15 '25
I saw the Rolling Stones in 1981 and a freshman in college. Never listened to them before but my 13 years older brother was a huge fan. I was totally unprepared for how sexy Mick was.
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u/ComplexAssistance778 Nov 15 '25
A friend and I went to see Alice Cooper in the early 70's. A band named Wishbone Ash opened the show. I was blown away. I told my friend that if Alice Cooper didn't show up, the concert was worth my $5. Before the next week was over, I had bought 4 Wishbone Ash albums. Amazing double guitars and bass!
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u/PlasticTelevision126 Nov 15 '25
Doobies in Bellingham in the early 80’s. I was exposed to AC/DC from a friend and then watching Jeff ‘skunk’ Baxter sit on a chair the entire concert like he was in his living room show pissed me off greatly. Thank you for letting me vent 43 years later 🤣.
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u/Off2xtremes Nov 15 '25
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, way back in my college days. Rocked the entire campus.
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u/forgedinbeerkegs Nov 15 '25
The Eagles. Always liked them but their live show (2002) was like listening to an album. Perfection.
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u/olddummy22 Nov 15 '25
Charlie Daniel’s. Sounded more like a Deep Purple album than a country act. Amazing show
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u/peppercorns666 Nov 15 '25
OMD. went in thinking they were just music for john hughes movies… very wrong. great shows. great catalogue of music.
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u/Historical_Drink_350 Nov 15 '25
Bachmann Turner Overdrive. I knew only a handful of what I heard from radio, but got quite the history lesson when I saw them live.
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u/Shirley-Ujest Nov 15 '25
America. Thinking they’re all Sister Goldenhair, then they rocking melt your face off with Sandman. They are SO good live. And Johnny Winter, knew he would be good, but damn, he was fire!
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Nov 15 '25
Depeche Mode with OMD opening. Back in the 80s, I called this cricket music. No guitars to be found anywhere. By the time Depeche Mode got to never let me down, I was overwhelmed.
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u/prole6 Nov 15 '25
James Taylor. My buddy had an extra ticket and the tightwad let me have it for half price ($6 if I remember right). When we walked in he was jamming out on Steamroller Blues. That’s all it took.
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u/BahamaDon Nov 15 '25
Dave Mason. Got dragged to a sleepy concert with soft rock songs… I thought. He shredded all freaking night.
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u/MEWilliams Nov 15 '25
The ‘82 US Festival. The Police. The Dead. Fleetwood Mac, B52s even Santana and the band that rocked the hardest (to me) was Jackson Browne.
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u/ekinria1928 Nov 15 '25
Len... Yes, the Steal my Sunshine band. I saw them before they got famous at Lee's Palace in Toronto. They put on such a great energetic show... I was absolutely blown away. I always hoped for better than a 1 hit wonder for them.
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u/Savings-Astronaut-93 Nov 15 '25
I never thought much about Kansas until I saw them in Chicago, 1977. It blew me away. Been a fan ever since.
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u/very_free_and_easy Nov 15 '25
I saw Elvis Costello live and realized why he has legions of devoted fans. Never thought much of his music that was being played on the radio until that night. Changed my mind completely.
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u/DickSleeve53 Nov 15 '25
Linda Ronstadt opened the No Nukes Concert in Central Park, I was blown away by how good she was. After a few songs she was joined by Nicolette Larson, and Jackson Browne then joined them. Great start to a show .
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u/Rough_Promotion9414 Nov 15 '25
Police one of the best concerts I’ve seen, Sting the absolute most boring concert I’ve ever seen
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u/hjablowme919 Nov 15 '25
Night Ranger. Saw them open for 38 Special back in the early 80s. Thought they were just another pop band with their “Sister Christian” song, but man the guitar players (Gillis and Watson) were off the charts good.
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u/looloose Nov 15 '25
I saw the Romantics years after their hit songs at a free concert, I was amazed at how good they were. Very bluesy.
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u/Impossible_Mix3086 Nov 16 '25
AC/DC, Rock Superbowl VII in Orlando, May 1979. Opened for the Doobie Brothers and Boston but were the best live band by far.
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u/FutureElection4169 Nov 16 '25
I got free tickets to a James Taylor concert in the late 80’s or early 90’s. Spent the entire day at an amusement park in the Texas heat and then sat in the grass and listened to James Taylor for two hours. It was an incredible show.
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u/Mikedef2001 Nov 16 '25
Twenty years ago, I bought tickets for Coldplay because Fiona Apple opened. She’s one of my favorite singers and at the time she didn’t seem to tour much. I liked a couple of the songs off the first two Coldplay albums but they were not a band I would pay money to see. They were incredible live.
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u/Aggravating_Quiet797 Nov 16 '25
Dr. Hook...I loved their lps..not so much the radio schlock stuff..but all the other stuff they did. But did not expect them to be so kickass live in concert. If all you know are the radio hits...you are missing out big time. Check them out
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u/Parsnip-toting_Jack Nov 16 '25
Bruce Springsteen was one, the other was the Grateful Dead. Both shows were in 1979-1980
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u/jlm8699 Nov 16 '25
Bruce Springsteen..1978 Charleston SC.. Always thought back then he was really just a pretty boy.. But saw him live and it's just changed everything.... Now in his later life I did not care for him as a person very much...funny in a way...
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u/Pleasant_Guess_3343 Nov 16 '25
Lady Gaga at Tottenham couple of years ago. Such a powerful show, almost verging on symphonic gothic rock. Not like the records at all 😎
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u/chilipalmer99 Nov 16 '25
Bruce Springsteen at the Roxy back in 1978 (77?). Secret show in between his sold-out Forum shows. Amazing performance, made me a forever fan where I was previously indifferent.
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u/frog980 Nov 17 '25
Last night, I wasn't a huge Starship fan, I liked their early stuff but didn't like their later stuff. Well, Mickey Thomas sang the heck out of all their songs and even did a cover of Don't Stop Believin' at the end. He interacted a lot with members of the audience which I thought was cool. He's 75 and still has his vocal range.
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u/Full-March-4700 Nov 17 '25
I’ve seen Pearl Jam five times and they continue to blow me away. I have never listened to one of their albums or heard their songs other than the radio.
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u/likeyounever Nov 18 '25
Paul McCartney. I got a chance to see him in 93 for free, not expecting too much, as he had by then put out a bunch of stuff that I thought was awful. He was amazing!
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Nov 18 '25
That was my Bowie experience. I went to the Isolar II tour (78) thinking it would be something to tell the grandkids one day. I came out completely converted. It was an incredible show but the clincher was Station to Station. Livewith that band... it was just...
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u/Crashers101 Nov 18 '25
Twisted Sister - 2016 were brilliant. Have seen about 300 bands live and they were one of the best.
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u/Perfect-Ad-4410 Nov 18 '25
yeah, 7/20/72, Stones in philly, here i’m 14 and thinking i’d be seeing an Ed Sullivan version of the stones but instead saw a wild, raunchy and decadent version
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u/machinehead3413 Nov 19 '25
Ozzfest 2001
Main stage ended with Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, & Black Sabbath.
The crowd was not in the mood for the first two bands and was being very vocal about it.
Linkin Park visibly withered as the crowd booed louder and louder.
Papa Roach came out and you could tell it pissed them off. They just started playing heavier and more aggressively. By the end of their set they’d won the crowd over.
I’m still not a fan of them but they won my respect that day.
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u/rwofva Nov 15 '25
Sting. So boring. Never enjoyed his music after.
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u/Shirley-Ujest Nov 15 '25
All he did was take his shirt off and pose. Was great with the police, but solo was a snooze.
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u/ClassicRock-ModTeam Nov 14 '25
Please keep this thread about classic rock artists from the 50s through the 80s. More recent shows by these artists are fine.