Top 10 list Festival line-ups

By Nate Adams
Collegian Editor
April 9, 2008

Last week, the good people of Lollapalooza, one of the country’s biggest alternative music festivals, announced its lineup for the ’08 show in Chicago. What better time to run through the top 10 best festival line-ups in recent memory?

10) The Lilith Fair, 1998—Named after a biblical woman rumored to be the first wife of Adam, this traveling lady-fest was a watershed moment for female musicians, who, before the days of the fair, had to operate within the male-dominated concert scene. While the festival was short-lived (quits were called after ’99), the ’98 line-up was something to behold. With artists like Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris and Missy Elliott, it was the best year for the concert.

9) Coachella, 2002—Boasting big names like Beck and Oasis, as well as several up-and-comers like Citizen Cope and Jack Johnson, not to mention the red-hot Strokes, this was the start of Coachella’s rise to prominence.

8) Lollapalooza, 2007—With headliners like Muse, Modest Mouse, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem and TV on the Radio, not to mention grunge all-stars Pearl Jam, ’07 was a banner year for music fans.

7) Big Day Out, 2004—Touring the down-under countries of Australia and New Zealand, BDO had it’s banner year in ’04 when the likes of Metallica, Muse, Kings of Leon, Mars Volta and the Black Eyed Peas rocked the Aussies and kiwis.

6) The Newport Folk Festival, 1963, ’64—These two years will forever live in history as the dates that Bob Dylan was booed for switching from acoustic to electric guitar and “abandoning” folk music. Silly, silly people.

5) Woodstock, 1999—With a line-up of rap and nu-metal “all-stars” like Korn, Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizket and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Woodstock ’99 will always be remembered for the violent destruction that forever marred the memory of a festival built on ideals of peace and love.

4) Bonnaroo, 2006—Sure, there were big names like Beck, Elvis Costello, Sonic Youth and Tom Petty. But this festival will go down in the annals of history for Radiohead and their performance, which has been described as legendary and unforgettable.

3) Lollapalooza, 1994—This was the year that legitimized Lollapalooza as a mainstay in the festival world, as well as alternative music as a genre. Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, The Jesus and Mary Chain, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Temple Pilots and Rage Against the Machine helped make this concert a success.

2) Monterey International Pop Music Festival—Featuring acts like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin and Otis Redding, this would probably go down as the most important and influential American rock festival of all time if not for…

1) Woodstock Festival, 1969—The Who. Arlo Guthrie. Joan Baez. Santana. Canned Heat. Credence Clearwater Revival. Jefferson Airplaine. The Band. Jimi Hendrix. How could this festival not be number one?

adamsn1@lasalle.edu