The 12 Most Underrated Live Aid Performances

The headlines and highlights of Live Aid have become legendary during the past 40 years.

Queen blew the roof off at Wembley Stadium in London — or would have if there was a roof. Lone Stone Mick Jagger rolled on his own and with Tina Turner at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia (and made that spirited “Dancing in the Street” video with David Bowie). A post-controversy Madonna declared that she “ain’t taking s–t off” at JFK. Phil Collins jetted trans-Atlantic to play on both sides of the pond, on his own and with Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton. Sets by Bowie, U2, a reunited Who and Patti LaBelle, the return of Teddy Pendergrass to the stage for the first time since being paralyzed in a car crash three year’s prior and Paul McCartney’s London-closing “Let It Be,” his first live performance in six years, are still being talked about four decades later.

And the laid eggs by Led Zeppelin, also reunited, and Bob Dylan (with Rolling Stones Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood) have achieved their own infamous stature. But keep in mind there were 57 acts between those two venues — and that’s not counting other concerts from Europe, Australia, Japan and the Soviet Union that were also part of the worldwide telethon. It’s inevitable, then, that quite a few of the day’s stellar sets fell by the proverbial wayside.

So with the world celebrating Live Aid 40 on Sunday (July 130 — including replays on the BBC and 80sCentral.com and the premiere of CNN’s four-week documentary Live Aid: When Rock ‘n’ Roll Took on the World — we wanted to dig in and steer folks to the dozen performances, that deserve greater attention and appreciation…