Tue 12 Jul 2022

Re-living the Live Aid Experience, 37 Years Later

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Live Aid 1985 (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

This week marks the 37th Anniversary of Live Aid!

Billed as “The Day the Music Changed the World” and the “global jukebox”, Live Aid captured the imagination of music-lovers worldwide – now widely considered to be one of the defining concerts in music history.

The plan was simple. Gather a legion of star-studded performers, put them in front of a global audience, and stagger the line-ups to maximise TV viewing figures. Thanks to iconic sets from Queen, David Bowie, Madonna, U2, Elton John, Status Quo, Sting, The Who, and many more… Bob Geldof pulled it off.

The concert was a massive success, viewed by over one billion people across 100 nations – which accounts for almost 40% of the world’s population. Around 89,484 attended the event at John Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, USA, in addition to 72,000 at London’s Wembley Stadium, where the concerts were simultaneously held.

In a triumph of music, technology and goodwill, the event raised over $125 million for famine relief funds in Africa, setting an incredible precedent for what can be accomplished through music and unity.

To celebrate it’s anniversary, we’re re-living 30 of the concert’s most memorable performances- starting with Queen’s rip-roaring ‘Radio Ga Ga’ rendition at Wembley Stadium…

Queen “Radio Ga Ga”

David Bowie “Heroes”

Sting “Roxanne”

Elton John / George Michael “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”

Sade “Your Love Is King”

Sting / Phil Collins “Every Breath You Take”

Simple Minds “Ghost Dancing”

Madonna “Holiday”

Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Billy Ocean “Caribbean Queen”

Duran Duran “The Reflex”

Phil Collins “In The Air Tonight”

Simple Minds “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”

Dire Straits / Sting “Money For Nothing”

U2 “Bad”

Queen “We Are The Champions”

The Who “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

Status Quo “Rockin’ All Over The World”

Hall & Oates “Maneater”

Bryan Adams “Summer Of ’69”

David Bowie “Modern Love”

Eric Clapton “Layla”

The Cars “Just What I Needed” 

Spandau Ballet “True”

The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations”

Black Sabbath ft. Ozzy Osbourne “Paranoid” 

Band Aid “Do They now It’s Christmas”

Phil Collins “Against All Odds” 

Run DMC “King Of Rock”

Paul McCartney “Let It Be”

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