The charity music event Live Aid 7-1985, the predecessor of this year’s Live 8, made Queen the name with the most impressive live music performance in the world of all time. The results have just been announced by the British television channel Channel 4.

Freddie Mercury and Queen performed for 20 minutes at the charity concert Live Aid 1985
TTO – The charity music event Live Aid 7-1985, the predecessor of this year’s Live 8, made Queen the name with the most impressive live music performance in the world of all time. The results have just been announced by the British television channel Channel 4.

“A performance that captivated everyone” was the verdict of the jury – made up of 60 artists, journalists and music industry experts – on Queen’s historic Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium, where 75,000 spectators clapped along to the beat of Radio Ga-Ga with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

In second place was Jimi Hendrix’s performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. The performance, which is often voted one of the greatest musical moments of all time, saw the world’s leading guitarist perform in front of 400,000 British fans at what was billed as “three days of peace and music”.

The Sex Pistols’ concert at the Manchester Free Trade Theatre in 1976 came third. Radiohead’s performance at the 1997 Glastonbury Festival was the most recent to feature in the Top 10.

The next acts to feature were Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Bob Marley and Oasis.

Notable performances in this year’s poll include Nirvana’s final UK performance at the 1992 Reading Festival, Brian Wilson’s ‘Smile’ concert at London’s Royal Festival Theatre in February 2004 and the Rolling Stones’ free concert in Hyde Park in 1969 – held two days after guitarist Brian Jones’ death.