Rolling Stone has published a list of the "50 Greatest Concerts of the Last 50 Years." To be accurate, most of what they list are not individual concerts but entire tours.
The writers say that the "concerts and tours that made the final cut weren't just huge spectacles, they deepened the power of rock and roll itself." You be be the judge.
- 1967: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Worldwide Tour
- April 5th, 1968: James Brown at Boston Garden
- 1968: Big Brother and the Holding Company American Tour
- December 3rd, 1968: Elvis Presley Comeback Special
- 1968: Cream Farewell Tour
- February 24th, 1969: Johnny Cash at San Quentin Prison
- 1969: Ike and Tina Turner American Tour
- 1969: Led Zeppelin World Tour
- 1970: Black Sabbath American Tour
- February 14th, 1970: The Who at the University of Leeds
- 1970: Neil Young and Crazy Horse Winter American Tour
- August 25th–30th, 1970: Elton John at the Troubadour
- March 5th–7th, 1971: Aretha Franklin at the Fillmore West
- September 10th, 1970: B.B. King at the Cook County Jail
- March 11th–13th, 1971: The Allman Brothers at the Fillmore East
- December 28th–31st, 1971: The Band at the Academy of Music
- 1972: The Rolling Stones North American Tour
- 1972–73: David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars World Tour
- 1973: Van Morrison North American Tour
- 1975: Patti Smith Group and Television at CBGB
- July 17th–18th, 1975: Bob Marley at the Lyceum Theater, London
- 1975–76: Rolling Thunder Revue North American Tour
- 1977: Grateful Dead North American Tour
- 1977: The Ramones European Tour
- 1977–78: Eagles U.S. Tour
- 1978: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band American Tour
- 1979: The Clash North American Tour
- 1980-81: Pink Floyd The Wall Tour
- 1983: Talking Heads Speaking in Tongues Tour
- June 23rd, 1984: Fela Kuti at Glastonbury
- 1984–85: Prince Purple Rain Tour
- 1986: Run-DMC Raising Hell Tour
- 1988-89: Metallica Damaged Justice Tour
- 1990: Madonna Blond Ambition Tour
- 1990: Public Enemy Sizzling Summer Tour
- 1990: Sonic Youth and Nirvana European Tour
- 1992–93: U2 Zoo TV Tour
- June 28th, 1997: Radiohead at Glastonbury
- 1997: Sleater-Kinney American Tour
- 1998: Pearl Jam American Tour
- December 31st, 1999: Phish at Big Cypress
- February 20th, 2004: Brian Wilson at the Royal Festival Hall
- 2006–07: Daft Punk Alive Tour
- 2008–13: Leonard Cohen Worldwide Tour
- October 29th–30th, 2009: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert
- April 2nd, 2011: LCD Soundsystem at Madison Square Garden
- 2011–12: Jay Z and Kanye West Watch the Throne Tour
- 2014–2015: Fleetwood Mac On With the Show Tour
- 2015: Taylor Swift 1989 Tour
- 2016: Beyoncé Formation Tour
Go to RollingStone.com for the explanations on each of these shows and tours.