Radiohead, Jack White, Arcade Fire Inside Rolling Stone’s List of the ’50 Greatest Live Acts Right Now’

Story by Anne Erickson
Rolling Stone’s ‘50 Greatest Live Acts Right Now’ include Radiohead, Jack White, Arcade Fire and more
Ask any longtime music fan to name some of their favorite lives shows, and chances are you’ll get served a mix of artists that are active and some that aren’t playing at all anymore. In honor of those great bands that are still gigging, Rolling Stone magazine recently polled industry insiders, writers and musicians to name the “50 Greatest Live Acts Right Now,” and the list features a good selection of rock bands.
The highest modern rockers on the list are Arcade Fire, coming in at No. 4. The magazine says the band creates “emotionally apocalyptic indie rock [that] can be as grand as U2 without losing any of its chaotic intensity.” One highlight from Arcade Fire shows, according to the magazine, is when the crowd sings along to “Wake Up,” off the group’s debut album, “Funeral.”
Thom Yorke and Radiohead enter the list at No. 7, with Rolling Stone noting that they are “the only band in rock that can leave nearly every hit song out of the setlist and still see 20,000 fans walk out of an arena happy.”
Also on the list are Jack White (No. 8), Rage Against the Machine (No. 9) and My Morning Jacket (No. 10). Additional rock artists and bands that made the cut include U2, Muse, the Black Keys, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Rush, Mumford & Sons and Green Day.
Taking the No. 1 spot on the list is Bruce Springsteen, and coming in at No. 2 is Prince and No. 3 is the Rolling Stones. Check out the full list via Rolling Stone.
- 3 One-Hit Wonders That Should Have Been Bigger - April 1, 2025
- One-Hit Wonders With Follow-Ups Better Than the Hits - March 26, 2025
- One-Hit Wonders for Metalheads - March 22, 2025
Related Posts
- Beloved Alternative Rock Band Hints at Surprise Reunion
- Pierce the Veil Go ’90s with Radiohead, ‘Karma Police’ Cover
- One of Alternative Rock’s Biggest Bands is Making a Comeback
- The Story Behind Radiohead, ‘Creep’
- Jack White Covers Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” in Malaysia