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…