Top musical performances (Live TV)

[Hillbeans]

Perhaps it's because we are coming into Awards/Super Bowl season but I was trying to think about the best live musical performances I've ever seen on TV. Honestly the one that comes to mind was P!nk performing "Glitter in the Air" at the 2011 Grammy Awards where she was wearing a barely-there body suit hanging upside down, dripping wet, doing acrobatics and singing live. I think Bruno Mars' SB set and Michael Jackson's 2002 performance at the Apollo were both a close second.

What is your favorite live musical performance on TV?

 

[Christine]

Well, a little bit older than your references but one that stays with me was Michael Jackson's live performance of Billie Jean. I think it was MTV. It was his breakout performance from his past as a member of the Jackson 5 and then his Off the Wall solo effort. It was truly a change in his music and persona and the performance was like nothing we'd ever seen at the time.

 

[Floridaman999]

 

[BlueStarryHat]

U2 at Live Aid.

 

[Dancind]

I enjoy the live musicals, musical theater buff here. So Grease Live comes to mind.

 

[Wendy31]

Chris Stapleton & Justin Timberlake at the Grammys!!

 

[cabanafrau]

I do really enjoy Pink's Grammy and MJ Motown anniversary performances mentioned here, but I also have to mention Bruno Mars at the Grammy's performing Runaway Baby and Ricky Martin doing Cup of Life. Not positive it qualifies as necessarily TV performance, but the live concert performance by George Michael and Elton John of Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me is one I've always loved, and of course Queen's spectacular Live Aid set. A lesser known but no less spectacular performance was Keala Settle performing This Is Me on Graham Norton.

 

[ncc1701]

U2 and Queen at Live Aid.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

I thought LL Cool J, Chuck D, Travis Barker, and some others closing thre Emmy's one year was great, and they cut it off to go to sponsers

 

[FlightlessDuck]

U2 at Live Aid.

You stole my answer.

Also, Queen at Live Aid

 

[FlightlessDuck]

The Prince solo at the end? Oh my goodness!

 

[Kitty 34]

Fun on SNL

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

So I never personally saw this one but it's a live performance that is in a favorites playlist on Amazon music, I listen to it a lot. The Amazon music version has much more of their banter before they sing the song, it makes me smile and their voices together give me chills. I'm a big fan of 80s/early 90s honky tonk Country music was so much better back then!

Also, Travis Tritt is HOT!

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

And of course...Nirvana Unplugged!!!

 

[low-key]

A great singer become a legend in one night

 

[OKW8297]

Love earlier responses. I would add Heart at the Kennedy Center honors for Led Zeppelin. They did an amazing rendition of “Stairway to Heaven “.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Definitely Queen at Live Aid.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Perhaps it's because we are coming into Awards/Super Bowl season but I was trying to think about the best live musical performances I've ever seen on TV. Honestly the one that comes to mind was P!nk performing "Glitter in the Air" at the 2011 Grammy Awards where she was wearing a barely-there body suit hanging upside down, dripping wet, doing acrobatics and singing live.

Wow! The fact that you picked that one really impresses me. DS would definitely pick that one too. Why? Because he was there, having an awesome experience. His jazz band got nominated for an Emmy that year (their awards were that afternoon), but all nominees got invited to see the nighttime emmys. He was way up in the balcony, saw Pink from way far away, but thought it was great.
For me, I'm old enough to remember the Beatles on the Ed Sulivan show, when I was a "teenybopper" of 12, so I'd have to say that one.

 

[galaxygirl76]

Queen at Live Aid is by far the best live performance I've ever seen, very clever set list of some of their greatest hits/popular live songs. Freddie was one of the best, if not the best, live performer ever. Distant second is Prince's Superbowl halftime show. There's something magical about him performing Purple Rain in the rain.

 

[bcla]

A bit before my time, but I heard about Elvis Presley's legendary Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite.

Apparently it wasn't actually broadcast live in the US because it was the same day as that NBC broadcast the Super Bowl, but it still had huge numbers broadcast on tape the next day. Possibly up to 1.5 billion viewers around the world at a time when the world's population was about 4 billion.