#40. The Talking Heads
The American rock band was formed in 1975 and they were active until 1991. The official announcement of the break up was made by drummer Chris Frantz, who said: > "We were shocked to find out about [Byrne's departure] via the Los Angeles Times. As far as we're concerned, the band never really broke up. David just decided to leave."
Things got awkward after David Byrne found out the band got back together without him in 1996 for the album “No Talking, Just Head”. Byrne wanted to sue them, but he didn’t. And against all odds, the band (all of them) reunited for one final concert, in which David Byrne agreed to sing three songs.
#39. Creedence Clearwater Revival
The American rock band known as Creedence went their separate ways in 1972. However, they technically broke up in 1971 when lead singer, Tom Fogerty, decided to leave. Out of the blue and 11 years later the band (except Fogerty) played at their high school reunion under the name Blue Velvets.
Tom Fogerty commented in Swedish magazine Pop: > “I was alone when I made that [Creedence] music. I was alone when I made the arrangements, I was alone when I added background vocals, guitars and some other stuff. I was alone when I produced and mixed the albums. The other guys showed up only for rehearsals and the days we made the actual recordings.”
#38. Cream
The British rock band had quite a few breaks through the years. In 1968, you could say they had broken up but, they came together for a short set at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Even though the trio wasn’t very sure about performing but Robbie Robertson encouraged them to do it. Once again, and by Eric Clapton’s request they had a series of four shows, in May, 2005 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
It seems they did not bury the hatchet, however, as later confessions of the band’s members revealed they did not plan to continue playing or try to fix the relationship. Baker said about Bruce: > "When he's Dr. Jekyll, he's fine ... It's when he's Mr. Hyde he's not. And I'm afraid he's still the same. I tell you this – there won't ever be any more Cream gigs, because he did Mr. Hyde in New York last year." >
#37. The Police
The acclaimed new-wave band, The Police, had a good run with their career. After the 1984 tour “Synchronicity tour” the band went on hiatus while Sting decided to focus on his solo career. However, in 1986 they played some gigs and made a studio album, unfortunately, it was a failure and the band effectively disbanded.
For the next 20 years, each member had a successful solo career, made numerous albums and played all over the world. Having said that, throughout the 90s and early 00s The Police made a few appearances here and there. In 2007 and 2008 they toured the world, and their last performance was at Madison Square Garden in 2008.
#36. Journey
In 1973, American band Journey was formed in San Francisco. Over the years, The band went through several lineup changes; they had Steve Perry as the lead singer from 1978 until 1987, which was the peak of their commercial success. In 1996 Perry came back for their album Trial By Fire.
After Perry, the band decided on another lead singer, and that’s when Steve Augeri got involved. He stayed with the band from 1998 to 2006. Those were the primary lead singers, even though they both left, the band continues to make music with a different singer, but it just isn't the same.
#35. R.E.M
The band originated in 1980 and was originally made up of drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe. They, as a whole, last played together in 2007. But in 2008 the band, except Bill Berry, did a final show in Mexico City.
On September 21, 2011, R.E.M. announced via their website that the band was splitting up, "calling it a day as a band". Michael Stipe reported: > “it "wasn't an easy decision," "All things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way."
#34. Led Zeppelin
The iconic British Rock band that was formed in 1968, called it quits in 1980. However, they got fans excited when a reunion concert was announced. Everyone got hyped to see the band together again but sadly it was a one-time thing since the band refused to keep playing.
After their last gig in 2007, a film of the O2 performance called “Celebration Day”, premiered on 17 October 2012. The feedback was huge and people hoped for one last performance. It never happened. But who knows what the future holds!
#33. Pink Floyd
We all heard "Another Brick in the Wall” and wish we could see them perform it live once more. Sadly, this is impossible since the band split up. The first to go was keyboardist Richard Wright,and after him was lead singer Roger Waters in 1985. They stayed off the radar for a long time.
After 24 years Waters, Gilmour, Mason, and Wright performed together as Pink Floyd on the 2nd of July, 2005, at the Live 8 concert at Hyde Park, and one last time in London, 2011. Fans were euphoric to see the original lineup again so it was a massive event they will remember forever.
#32. Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix will always be remembered as one of the most influential guitarists in history. His career lasted only 7 years, but it was enough to make an impact. His last show was on September 6, 1970, on the Isle of Fehmarn in West Germany.
He died 12 days after his last performance due to barbiturate-related asphyxia. The cause of his death wasn’t very clear because details of his last day were quite confusing so a post-mortem was required. Despite everything, his las gig will live forever, thanks to the footage that survived.
#31. Aaliyah
American R&B singer, Aaliyah, had a short career due to a tragic end. On August 25, 2001, the singer and eight others were killed in a plane crash. They were coming home after filming the music video for “Rock the Boat.”, the pilot was unlicensed and the toxicology tests revealed cocaine and alcohol in his system.
The last performance she ever made was on live television, at The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, one month before she tragically lost her life. She sang “More Than A Woman” and luckily, there is footage of the actual performance, so we can enjoy it and remember such a great talent.
#30. Chris Cornell
In a string of tragic last performances, we now take a look at Chris Cornell. the American musician had suffered from depression his whole life and committed suicide on May 18, 2017. His last performance was hours before the incident, he played with Soundgarden in downtown Detroit at the Fox Theater.
He was found by his bodyguard because Cornell called him to help with some computer problems. His wife Vicky reported: > “When we spoke after the show, I noticed he was slurring his words; he was different. When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him.” What a sad story.
#29. Black Sabbath
One of the most important and legendary heavy-metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath, had their last performance on February 4, 2017, at Birmingham, UK. However, the original members have not released any studio albums since 1978 with “Never Say Die!“.
In June 2018, on an interview ITV News, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne hinted at a reunion for a performance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at heir home town of Birmingham. Nothing was confirmed and no one really talked about it again. You may say it's tomorrow’s dream.
#28. Johnny Cash
This one is an emotional rollercoaster. The great Johnny Cash had his last live performance on July 5, 2003, in Virginia, it was the final show of a series of surprise shows. He died on September 12, 2003, aged 71 and only four months apart from his wife’s death.
In the middle of his performance, right before “Ring Of Fire” he dedicated some word for his recently deceased wife: > “The spirit of June Carter overshadows me tonight with the love she had for me and the love I have for her […] We connect somewhere between here and heaven. She came down for a short visit, I guess, from heaven to visit with me tonight to give me courage and inspiration like she always has.”
#27. The Beatles
It is safe to say The Beatles were, and still are, the biggest band in the world. So the final live performance they ever did was just as iconic. It took place at the rooftop of the Apple Corps building at 3 Savile Row, London, on 30 January 1969.
The reason for that place was because the band could not agree on a location to film a concert. The show was a surprise to the people passing by, and even though it was announced, it wasn’t a regular place to play a Beatles concert. The footage was part of the documentary “Let It Be”* and it lasted 42 minutes, funny enough the police shut them down before they could finish.
#26. Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison, lead singer of one of America’s greatest rock bands, The Doors, had a troublesome couple last years. The Doors had a bad reputation due to those last shows, and Morrison was not in his right mind. the bands last gig on December 12, 1970, at the Warehouse in New Orleans.
Morrison was losing his battle with alcohol and drugs and that translated into his performance, where he would degenerate into a wrenching self-parody and intentionally ruin the songs. It was a very tense situation. He died of an apparently overdose on July 3, 1971, at age 27.
#25. Lynyrd Skynyrd
American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was formed in Florida in 1964. After many successful years, the last concert with the original line up was on October 19, 1977, at South Carolina’s Greenville Memorial Auditorium.
The day after said concert the band suffered a tragic accident that took the life of the lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines. Nearly ten years later the band made a come back with Ed King and Johnny Van Zant taking his brother’s place.
#24. The Band
The great Canadian-American roots-rock band had quite the career. The one and only Bob Dylan actually picked the name of the band (not a hard one, right?) and toured with them, along with other artists like Muddy Waters, Van Morrison.
Even though they had a successful career they decided to put an end to their time together on November 25, 1976. They wanted to do a big goodbye performance, so for their last show they performed on Thanksgiving at the Winterland in San Francisco.
#23. Nirvana
Everybody knows the tragic end of Kurt Cobain’s life and that also meant the end of Nirvana. Many people had claimed that Unplugged for MTV was the band’s last performance, which took place in November 1993. It is one of the most iconic Unplugged but it was not their last live gig.
On March 1, 1994, they played what it would be their last live performance, at Terminal 1 in Munich, Germany. On March 4, Cobain’s wife Courtney Love found him unconscious in their hotel room due to a combination of drugs and alcohol. And only one month after, on April 8, Kurt Cobain took his own life.
#22. John Lennon
The ex-Beatle did an exclusive appearance on Elton John’s show on November 28, 1974, in which he sang as a special guest. So, technically, that was his last live show ever. However, his last time playing solo was on a television special for the entertainment company Lew Grade.
On 9 October 1975, John Lennon’s son was born, so he decided to take a break from music and focus on being a stay-at-home dad. His hiatus lasted five years, and in 1980 he released the album “Double Fantasy” but sadly he couldn’t tour it because he was murdered by Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980.
#21. Motörhead
English rock band formed in June 1975 by the lead singer and songwriter Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, had a long and successful career. The band’s last live show was on December 11, 2015, in Berlin. And almost a month after Lemmy died due a long fight with cancer.
The day after Lemmy’s death, Mikkey Dee confirmed that: > "Motörhead is over, of course. Lemmy was Motörhead. We won't be doing any more tours or anything. And there won't be any more records. But the brand survives, and Lemmy lives on in the hearts of everyone."
#20. Otis Redding
The master of soul and blues, Otis Redding left a huge impact on the music industry with his talent and is considered one of America’s greatest singers of all time because of it. His powerful art influenced many artists of the genre in the 60s. Sadly, he had a short career.
His last live performance was December 9, 1967, in Cleveland, Ohio at a club called Leo's Casino. He died the next day in a plane crash in which others lives were also lost. The victims were members of the Bar-Kays—Jimmy King, Phalon Jones, Ronnie Caldwell, and Carl Cunningham; also their valet, Matthew Kelly; and the pilot, Richard Fraser.
#19. Elvis Presley
Elvis, known as The King of Rock and Roll, shaped the path for many artists to come, he didn’t get the nickname for anything. He, still to this day, is one of the most iconic musicians of the 20th century. And his music will live in our hearts and soul forever.
On June 26, 1977, Indianapolis, Indiana, Elvis did his last show. People were worried about his health, and years of drug overuse and personal issues lead to the death of Presley on the evening of August 16, 1977. There are many conspiracy theories out there about how he is still alive, but that is definitely not true.
#18. Sid Vicious
The backup singer and bassist of the punk-rock band, Sex Pistols, was a troublesome man. A heavy drug user, he was accused of the murder of his, then-girlfriend, Nancy Spungen in 1978. Later, he was charged with assault after attacking Todd Smith, brother of Patti Smith.
Just one week after that, Sid tried to commit suicide by slitting his wrists and later tried to jump off a window. He was charged with assault on December 9, 1978. His last show had been on January 14, 1978, in San Francisco. And died the night of 1 February 1979, from an overdose.
#17. Freddie Mercury
The lead singer of Queen dedicated some years of his life to having a solo career, made a few albums and toured all around the world during the 80s promoting his solo work. As a result of being diagnosed with AIDS, he had to stop the shows and focus on his health.
Freddie’s last gig was with Queen, August 9, 1986, in Knebworth, England. It was a powerful last show, over a hundred and twenty thousand people gathered to see Queen, for what it would be the last time before Freddie passed away due to AIDS on, 24 November 1991.
#16. Frank Sinatra
A man of many talents was Frank Sinatra. He worked as a singer, actor, producer and who knows what else. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. One of the reasons he is considered among the most influential musical artists of the 20th century.
We can consider two different events as Sinatra’s last performance. His final gig with a public audience was at the Fukuoka Dome in Japan in December 1994. But, where he sang for the very last time was on February 25, 1995, in front of a live audience of 1200 select guests at the Palm Desert Marriott Ballroom.
#15. Tupac Shakur
One of the most significant and important rappers of all time, Tupac earned his place by addressing contemporary social issues and quickly became a symbol of resistance against inequality. Owning to the cause he fought for, he encounters some danger.
At the House of Blues in Los Angeles on July 4, 1996, Tupac unknowingly, performed for the last time. Tragically, at 20 years of age Tupac was shot four in times and died six days later. The killer was never found but it was known Tupac was involved in the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry .
#14. George Harrison
We have another ex-Beatle on the list, this time the former lead guitarist George Harrison. “The Quiet Beatle” had written a lot of songs for The Beatles, like “Here Comes the Sun,” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” but he had a solo career after the band broke up.
With a very successful solo career, Harrison’s last performance was at Carl Perkins' funeral on January 23, 1998, in Jackson, Tennessee. He sang “Your True Love” at the memorial to honor Perkins. He died after a long battle against cancer in 2001.
#13. Michael Jackson
We have touched some of the most legendary artists, and here you have one more. The King of Pop started as a young boy with The Jackson Five and then pursued his solo career. And with that, he became one of the most recognized singers from all time.
His last ever live performance was on June 23, 2009, in Los Angeles. He had some shows scheduled for the next couple of weeks but, he died on June 25, 2009. His last concert was filmed and used for a, later released, a documentary called “This Is It”.
#12. Notorious B.I.G.
You may know him as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or Biggie, or one of the greatest rappers of all time. He had storytelling abilities that focused on the struggles of life and had some autobiographical lyrics. Sadly, his career wasn't as long as we hoped to be.
His last gig was at the 11th Annual Soul TrainMusic Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 7, 1997. Similarly to what happened to Tupac, Biggie was shot, two days after his last show, four times and died the same night.
#11. Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston was named the most awarded female artist of all time by the Guinness World Records. She wasn’t just a singer, she also did some acting, and we will never forget the emotional song she sang in “The Bodyguard”, "I Will Always Love You".
In her last show she performed with her friend Kelly Price. It took place in Hollywood, California on February 9, 2012. It is of common knowledge her running battle with drugs and alcohol, due to this, she died two days after, on February 11, at her home.
#10. The Eagles
The American Rock band, founded in 1971, was one of the most successful groups of the 70s. They won multiples awards for their albums which ended with having “Hotel California” that ranked first and third, respectively, among the best-selling albums in the United States.
Yes, they still go on tour, but the original band members had their last show on July 29, 2015, and it was the final concert of the tour. On January 18, 2016, the founding member of The Eagles, Glenn Frey, died. He was 67 years old.
#9. Janis Joplin
One of the most known female Rock artists of the 60s, Janis Joplin, amazed the audience with her talent. No many women made it to the rock industry, so it was a big achievement for Joplin. She released three albums and then a posthumous one, that reached No.1 on the Billboard charts.
Joplin had a big final performance at Harvard Stadium in Boston for on August 7, 1970. It was a sold-out show and a perfect goodbye because sadly, she died of an accidental heroin overdose two months later. She is one of the many artists who entered the "27 club".
#8. Stevie Ray Vaughn
Stevie Ray Vaughn was one of the most influential guitarists in the comeback of blues in the 80s. That meant a very successful career and the title of being one of the best musicians from all time. He played with many great artists and was respected and loved. Sadly, things turned black very fast.
On August 27, 1990, Vaughn performed for the very last time, with his band Double Trouble as special guests at the Alpine Valley Musical Theater in Wisconsin. The show had other notorious musicians like —Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Jimmie Vaughan.
#7. B.B. King
Riley B.King also known as B.B King, was the “King of Blues” after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. King had revolutionized blues with a refined style of soloing that shaped a new style for artists to come. With a name like that, he was destined to become the King.
B.B King had a career that lasted 72 years! How crazy is that? And his last live show was at the House of Blues in Chicago on October 3, 2014. However, he couldn’t finish it because a doctor diagnosed King with dehydration and exhaustion. He died on May 14, 2015.
#6. Brian Jones
Brian Jones, the original founder of the Rolling Stones. He started as their guitarist but he played a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones such as piano, mellotron, drums and also some vocals. However, by 1968 his drug and alcohol problems were taking a huge toll on him.
On December 11, 1968, the Stones performed for a television special called the “Rock and Roll Circus.”. Little did he know that was the last time they would play together since the band decided to let him go due to his issues with drugs. Soon after, on July 3, 1969, he drowned in his pool.
#5. David Bowie
The man with many talents and an icon to many had his last European tour in 2004. The last stop on the tour was at the Hurricane Festival in Scheessel, Germany. Unfortunately, he had an acutely blocked artery and needed urgent treatment.
Due to his health problems, that was the last tour he ever did. He focused on his private life and writing albums. He had a special appearance in November 2006 with Alicia Keys, and that was his final performance. His last album “Blackstar” was released two days before his death on 10 January.
#4. Ella Fitzgerald
The American jazz singer was considered the “Queen of Jazz”. She had her first big performance at age 17 at the Apollo Theater. The begging of a long and successful career, she had the fortune to play alongside the most important musicians of that time.
The last place she ever played live was at New York’s Carnegie Hall on June 27, 1991. It was a place close to her heart since she performed 26 times there. Her health wasn’t at the finest and sang sitting down. Things became more complicated and she died five years later due to her diabetes.
#3. Jerry Garcia
The American vocalist and guitarist, Jerry Garcia, best known for his work in the Pschycodelic band “The Grateful Dead” also had some other projects. The most remarkable one being the lead of The Jerry Garcia Band, but he was also involved with many other projects.
However, his last ever performance was with his original band, the Grateful Dead, on July 9, 1995, at Soldier Field in Chicago. After a long battle with drugs, he passed away from a heart attack in August 1995.
#2. Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio was the creator of the infamous “Devil horns” which has become a symbol for Heavy-metal fans. Not only that, but he has founded and participated in many bands — Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Dio, Rainbow, and Elf.
His last show was at Atlantic City, New Jersey on August 29, 2009. He was with his band “Heaven & Hell” and that was his final show of the tour due to his poor health. He died from stomach cancer on May 16, 2010.
#1. Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, commonly known as Selena,made an impression in the music industry very early in her career. Named the Queen of Tejano Music, Selena became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century and an icon for Latin music. Unfortunately, her blossoming career was cut short.
She had her last ever live show on February 26, 1995, at the Houston Astrodome in Texas. She sang in front of thousands of people and it was televised. It was one of her most famous concert she ever did. Unfortunately, she was murdered on March 31. She was only 23 years old.