When we talk about the texture and the shape of the live in making a significant impact. After all, a stage without art to populate it is nothing more than a body without a heart and a shell missing a soul. By the same token, though, those same artists and bands also need these spaces' iconic personas to establish their own renowned talents, simply through appearing in these storied places and becoming more seen and known.
At the end of the day, the relationship between creator and creative live space is a symbiotic one. Each side could not hope to exist as prosperously without the other, and that, in turn, benefits the eager listening audiences that come to see the sparks that fly as a result. From the promising debuts to the grand finales, every musical win, drama, and defeat has been kept and experienced behind the doors and in the bones of these venues. Because pressured performance can make diamonds, and in the hallowed walls of these places (past and present), every surface shines.
10 Fillmore East, 1968-1971 (Closed)
A Short-Lived Church Of Rock
Concert promoter Bill Graham opened the Fillmore East in 1968, converting the space in the current East Village of New York City from a dilapidated movie theater into a music venue. Graham opened Fillmore East in order to have an East Coast companion to his Fillmore West venue in San Francisco, California, and would alternate acts he'd book between the separate coasts. Fillmore East would host two-show, triple-bill concerts several nights a week, quickly becoming a rock and roll temple for countless legacy acts of the period.
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The Grateful Dead played over 40 shows at the venue, while the Allman Brothers performed at the Fillmore so much that they were occasionally referred to as the Fillmore house band. Jimi Hendrix stopped by the Fillmore in 1970, and other acts like Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, and Neil Young & Crazy Horse also made storied appearances. Despite the Fillmore East's success, changes in the music industry and the greater booking of arena shows forced Graham to close it by 1971. Nevertheless, the legend (and many albums recorded there) keep the Fillmore East name alive.
9 CBGB, 1973-2006 (Closed)
A Punk Rocker Playground
Another iconic spot in New York City's East Village neighborhood was CBGB. The legendary music club's letters stood for country, bluegrass, and blues, as part of the initially intended style of acts for the space of what was once a former dive bar. What eventually resulted, however, was a sacred haven for many of the significant punk rock and new wave acts of the period, including the initial shows of the Ramones, as well as the early days of Talking Heads, Television, Patti Smith, and Blondie.
CBGB crowds were also privy to shows featuring singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, as well as the Police playing their first shows in the United States. More intense hardcore bands like the Beastie Boys, Bad Brains, and Cro-Mags were also booked, though much less often after violence took place. Unfortunately, despite the lengthy fame CBGB had accrued, by the early 2000s, issues with overdue rent and property disputes led to CBGB's closure in 2006. Sadly, another legacy hole-in-the-wall place that couldn't survive in modern times.
8 Ryman Auditorium, 1892-Present
A Country Music Mecca
When Nashville, Tennessee's Ryman Auditorium first began, it was known as the Union Gospel Tabernacle and was a house of worship after being opened in 1892. The first ever concert in those doors took place the same year, courtesy of the May Music Festival and the Theodore Thomas Orchestra. The Ryman's name grew in notoriety in 1943, when it became the home of country music's legacy show, the Grand Ole Opry, for 31 years. Musicians such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Hank Williams all appeared at various points.
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After the Opry left in 1974, the Ryman sat abandoned for nearly two decades, and was nearly considered for demolition before being saved as a National Historic Landmark. Since then, country acts like Emmylou Harris and Neil Young have played there, Wu-Tang Clan became the first hip-hop group to book the venue in 2019, Bob Dylan held a concert in 2007, and R&B star Lizzo sold out the Ryman in 2019. Fortunately for all fans of live concerts, both country music and otherwise, the Ryman shows no signs of slowing down their live entertainment.
7 Apollo Theater 1913-Present
A Harlem Entertainment Institution
New York City's Harlem neighborhood has been home to the Apollo Theater since 1913, where it initially started as a burlesque venue. The Apollo began its legacy as a space for Black performers in 1934, providing a vital outlet for Black creative voices during a time when a lot of venues wouldn't allow them access. Jazz singer and Broadway star Adelaide Hall was the Apollo's first major musical talent to hit the stage, and would soon be followed by many storied creators, primarily in the R&B, blues, and jazz genres.
Iconic singers/players like Billie Holiday, James Brown, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, Ben E. King, Duke Ellington, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Wilson Pickett, Lou Rawls, and Otis Redding all lit up the Apollo. Comedy and dance acts have also been featured over the years, along with storied Amateur Nights. Despite a period of closure, the Apollo Theater returned and continues to go on as a cultural powerhouse, particularly as a love letter to the prestige of Black arts.
6 Red Rocks Ampitheatre, 1906-Present
A Naturally Formed Performance Space
The natural rock formations surrounding Colorado's Red Rocks Ampitheatre (near Morrison) were first formed millions of years ago, with the reddish color emerging due to the presence of oxidized minerals. The earliest performances on the site began in 1906, though the amphitheater itself wasn't fully built and dedicated until 1941. Red Rocks didn't begin holding regular concert seasons until 1947, with the first rock performance occurring with The Beatles in late 1964.
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Since then, Red Rocks Ampitheatre has also played host to both classic and modern acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Diana Ross & the Supremes, U2, Rush, Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews Band, Mumford and Sons, and The Lumineers. Many Red Rocks performers have also recorded live albums in the space; even comedians like Steve Martin and Bill Burr have gotten in on the act over the years. With the naturally gorgeous setting and plenty of widespread popularity, Red Rocks Ampitheatre's future continues to look as vibrant as its scenery.
5 The Troubadour, 1957-Present
A Singer-Songwriter Folk/Rock Haven
West Hollywood, California's famous nightclub, the Troubadour, was started by owner Doug Weston in 1957 as a coffeehouse that was inspired by the Troubadour café in London. Shortly after opening, the venue switched to its current location, where it has continuously remained ever since. The Troubadour quickly became a center for both folk musicians and singer-songwriters in the '60s and '70s, boosting the careers of artists like Carole King, James Taylor, Tom Waits, Neil Diamond, Elton John, and Linda Ronstadt.
Later on, the Troubadour had more varied acts in the realm of punk, new wave, glam metal, and rock as well as their familiar folk and singer-songwriter roots. The venue did experience financial concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, but continues to push on well into the current era, exposing more eager audiences to both classic and modern musical stars.
4 Radio City Music Hall, 1932-Present
Another NYC Live Landmark
One of the main staples of New York City's Midtown Manhattan neighborhood, Radio City Music Hall first opened its doors in December 1932 as part of the construction of Rockefeller Center. Initially envisioned as a space for live shows, Radio City largely showed films for quite some time. As the decades advanced, live stage productions and concerts took the place of movies, like Radio City's famous dancing Rockettes, as well as bands such as the Grateful Dead, and solo artists like Liberace, Gracie Abrams, and Adele.
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Radio City Music Hall has also been the site for the taping of a wide variety of television programs, like game shows and theme specials, sporting events, and award ceremonies. Despite a few issues over the years, Radio City Music Hall remains a hub for many different types of entertainment, with modern music still being a presence at the forefront.
3 Madison Square Garden, 1968-Present
A Fourth Time Around Musical Mainstay
Opened in 1968, the current Madison Square Garden we know so well is the fourth venue site in New York City's Manhattan area to hold the name after the prior three were demolished. Also known as a major hub for sporting events like basketball and wrestling, MSG has long made a name for itself as the site for many major concert events. That includes George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, Michael Jackson's Bad World Tour in 1988, and the Concert for New York City following the 9/11 terror attacks.
Madison Square Garden was also the location of John Lennon's final concert appearance at a 1974 Elton John show before his murder in 1980, and jam band Phish's 2017 "Baker's Dozen," a 13-night set of concerts in which 237 songs were played with no repeats. Famed pianist Billy Joel holds the record for most appearances at the Garden with 150, and perhaps said it best about the venue when he called it "an iconic, holy temple of rock and roll for most touring acts."
2 Royal Albert Hall, 1871-Present
A London Legacy Of Music
A music venue that certainly has no lack of prestige, London's Royal Albert Hall was opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria and named after her husband, Prince Albert, who had ed away several years prior. It's been the site of famed speeches, boxing matches, community events, ballet, and, of course, a significant number of concerts. Beginning with Arthur Sullivan's 1871 cantata On Shore and Sea, the Hall has played host to acts like Pink Floyd, Petula Clark, Bob Dylan, One Direction, and Adele over the lengthy span of its history.
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Annually, the Royal Albert Hall holds over 390 events in its auditorium per year, with over 400 more held in non-auditorium sections. Given how much it is a signature part of London, that frequency is only likely to continue amid the Hall's prosperity.
1 Hollywood Bowl, 1922-Present
A Los Angeles Musical Staple
The Hollywood Bowl is an outdoor amphitheater and park area located in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. Opened in the early '20s with its distinctive bandshell shape, the Hollywood Bowl was initially known for musical performances from various orchestras, ballet, and opera talents. As the years went on, the genres of the acts at the Hollywood Bowl expanded, as the Beatles performed there twice, in 1964 and 1965, and were followed by groups like the Supremes, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Doors, and the Jackson 5.
Comedians like Dave Chappelle and the Monty Python comedy troupe have also performed at the Bowl several times, though music ranging from the modern to the classic, and the classical continues to hold sway when it comes to the Hollywood Bowl. It comes as no surprise that it's been periodically ranked as one of the best music venues in the United States.