Posted on 07/13/2025 12:00:56 PM PDT by Rummyfan
Forty years ago this month, Bob Geldof unleashed his “global jukebox”. With the help of Midge Ure and promoter Harvey Goldsmith, he staged a concert across two venues on either side of the Atlantic, starting at midday on Saturday July 13 1985 in London and ending at the John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia 16 hours later.
Around the world, 1.7 billion people tuned in, and it is seen as one of the great charity success stories of all time, raising $140 million for famine relief in Ethiopia.*
Live Aid was so big that it has its own folklore: Status Quo’s backstage antics, Bono’s messiah impression, Phil Collins hopping on Concorde to play both venues, Geldof swearing on TV and, of course, Queen’s show-stealing performance.
Yet Live Aid’s impact on music itself is often overlooked – perhaps because no-one wants to sound uncharitable. But the truth is that it was a disaster. In Britain, up until this point, we had enjoyed a long tradition of innovation and reinvention, but this brace of charity concerts changed all that, although few people noticed at the time. It resuscitated artists on life support, invented the idea of a concert as a greatest hits parade, strangled the “second British invasion” of great pop acts in America, and provided the model for a new consumerism, encouraging us to purchase (or repurchase on compact disc) the back catalogue of musicians who had been slipping out of public consciousness for a decade
Ultimately, Live Aid heralded an era of musical regurgitation and nostalgia, an era from which we have never escaped.
(Excerpt) Read more at uk.news.yahoo.com ...
I thought it was “The Concert for Artists Who Wished They’d Been Old Enough to Play in George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh and Maybe Get Some Screen Time in the Movie.”
Except for Eric Clapton, who played in both.
Wow, how many things can they get wrong in 1 article. I mean nostalgia had been selling well for over a decade before Live Aid. Shanana got their prime time TV show. Punk lasted a lot more than 4 years and was no where near its peak in 1978. He says it was bad for newer artists and then lists a bunch of newer artists that got huge career boosts from Live Aid. What happened to pop after that had nothing to do with Live Aid and everything to do with the rise of metal, specifically hair metal, but with hair bringing millions of fans to metal it moved from underground to the dominant form of popular music for the next decade and change.
As for whether it helped Africa, hey at least Bob tried. He saw a problem and instead of saying “somebody should do something” he said “what can I do”. And he did a lot. Raised a lot of awareness, brought a lot of international pressure, taught popular music to try. Unfortunately in the end none of it worked, because dictatorships are hard. But he gave it a shot. Who among his critics that insist he failed put more effort in?
I imagine the money from Farm Aid similarly bypassed the intended recipients.
The mega-boring Spandau Ballet did something that could be called their “best work”?
Music is *always* being ruined forever, in the opinions of the people who are old enough to remember and like whatever it was that came before whatever it is that’s popular now.
“That may be true, compared to stuff from the early 70s, but late 70s music wasn’t very good. The 80s were a big improvement. GenX, though, didn’t have as big a media footprint as the Boomers.”
This is my opinion too. Seems like about ‘73 or so the music became less creative (stale?) and then when disco took over it was particularly dismal (most of my college years).
The punk/new wave trend allowed new blood to burst onto the scene which helped until about ‘86 when rap began to slide into the mainstream.
The concert can be watched on YouTube if interested ..”
40 years ago today I broke up with my girlfriend. Not 5 minutes from the house on the way to Philly, we were having our typical fight in the car. She said stop the car and got out. We are on the Jersey turnpike. I then in my calmest voice said, “please get back in car or I’m leaving.” She said I wouldn’t do it. I did. Left her between exit 9 and 8A. Last I heard from her. We were dating for 2 years.
Meanwhile, Country Music reached a peak in the late ‘80s and ‘90s.
Queen has one of the greatest live performadces in history.
Chairman Mengistu, the dictator of Ethiopia, was really grateful to Live Aid.
Meanwhile, Country Music reached a peak in the late ‘80s and ‘90s.
And then came Garth Brooks.
They should have gotten Sam Kinison on stage.
The big “What If?” is would The Beatles have performed if John Lennon was alive?
Which was quickly spread around to the corrupt politicians of Ethiopia. It certainly didn't 'feed the world'. What a bunch of posers and phonies.
Anybody under 50 don’t buy CD’s.
Country Music peaked when Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith were in their prime imo.
LOL
Theyd say “can’t do that, now”
Yeah, I know...everyone now streams and saves on whatever device. Even though I go to YouTube on my 65" 4K display to watch music videos, I still enjoy my large CD collection on my multi-disc player. Plus it gives me more material to play along with on my drums.
Lastly: I can still discern the highs between analog and compressed MP-4. Think the sizzling of the high hat.
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