Lollapalooza at 20: The Most Memorable Moments in the Festival's History

Posted by Nadine Cheung
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This year marks the 20th anniversary of Lollapalooza, the celebrated festival that has come a long way in the past two decades. It's evolved from an alternative music tour to a cross-genre mainstay in the summer festival circuit, where concertgoers happily brave the 100-plus-degree heat index with a gourmet hot dog in one hand and a pint of locally brewed beer in the other. A lot has happened during the history of this iconic event, so as its birthday approaches, we take a look back at Lollapalooza's most memorable moments.

20. Daft Punk Open Headlining Set With Epic Light Show

2007

Daft Punk kicked off their 2007 Lollapalooza set with an unforgettable performance of 'Robot Rock,' which was accompanied by a jaw-dropping light show that instantly electrified the crowd. On the first night of the festival, the French electronic duo teased the audience with a minute-long intro before launching into the 'Human After All' track.

19. Radiohead Create Fireworks

2008

Radiohead's ethereal set received some extra mood lighting when an elaborate fireworks display for the Chicago Bears launched in the distance during the UK band's headlining set. While the group already had an impressive light show set up, their performance of 'Everything in Its Right Place' was further enhanced by the colorful explosions in the sky.

18. Green Day Invite Fan to Sing 'Longview' on Stage

2010

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong forever changed one fan's life when he invited the "skinny little s---" on stage to sing 'Longview.' The elated concertgoer planted a kiss on the frontman before taking over lead vocals and winning the crowd over. Ever so impressed, Armstrong unstrapped his guitar and gave it to the fan, who is probably still snuggling up to it this very day.

17. Wilco Debut New Song 'One Wing'

2008

Wilco don't rely on elaborate stage shows to carry their sets, but the hometown heroes were still able to make fans lose control when they unveiled their then-brand-new song 'One Wing.' The track would be featured on their 2009 full-length, 'Wilco (The Album),' which later earned them a Grammy nomination.

15. Perry Farrell Performs 'Jane Says' on Kids Stage With Slash

2008

While it had all the ingredients for a killer performance, Perry Farrell and Slash's rendition of 'Jane Says' ultimately fell flat. The collaboration occurred on the kids stage in 2008, a place where many surprise guests were known to appear, but the Guns N' Roses guitarist's lackluster solo was hardly what it could have been.

16. Arcade Fire Prove Indie Rock Can Anchor Lollapalooza

2010

Just six days after the release of their third album 'The Suburbs,' Arcade Fire closed out Lollapalooza with a set that had hipsters, bloggers, industry execs and the like buzzing for weeks. The Canadian outfit performed several new songs for the audience, and while nothing controversial happened, the flawless performance proved to be a precursor to their winning Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammys.

14. Lou Reed Makes Band of Horses Exercise Their Patience

2009

In 2009, Lou Reed indulged in 20 extra minutes on stage, and though he graced the crowd with Velvet Underground hits, Band of Horses were waiting patiently in the wings to go on. Then, at the end of Band of Horses' delayed set, Jane's Addiction began playing, causing a musical pile-up. Still, it proved to be worthwhile for the iconic rocker, who plans on releasing a live DVD of his Lollapalooza set this year.

13. Kanye West Pays Tribute to His Mama Without Obama

2008

Pre-Taylorgate, Chi-town native Kanye West lit up Grant Park with hits from his 2007 album, 'Graduation,' as well as a mesmerizing laser light show. West dedicated his set to his late mother, Donda, before segueing into an emotional rendition of 'Hey Mama.' Then-presidential candidate Barack Obama was rumored to introduce West on stage, but never turned up.

12. Hole Set Cut Short After Courtney Love Loses It

1995

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

One year after Kurt Cobain's death, Hole was booked on the then-traveling Lollapalooza tour. On Aug. 19, 1995 (daughter Frances Bean's third birthday), the band appeared at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif. where an emotional Courtney Love reportedly flipped off two men and lunged after them for not showing enough enthusiasm. She was carried off the stage by a security guard.

11. Ramones Play Penultimate Show

1995

After the release of their 14th studio album, '¡Adios Amigos!,' the Ramones signed on to appear on the touring Lollapalooza festival, wrapping the run on Aug. 4, 1995, which ended up being the legendary band's penultimate show. Two days later, they made their final performance at the Palace in Hollywood, Calif. with guests like Lemmy, Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell and Rancid's Tim Armstrong.

10. The Strokes End Four-Year Hiatus

2010

After being dormant as a group for four years, the New York City rockers made their highly anticipated resurgence, headlining the opening night of Lollapalooza last year. They satiated the crowd with favorites like 'Last Night,' 'Someday' and 'The Modern Age,' but refrained from debuting any material from their yet-to-be-released fourth album, 'Angles.'

9. Pearl Jam Censored by Lollapalooza Sponsor AT&T

2007

During a performance of 'Daughter,' Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder launched into a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall,' altering its lyrics by singing, "George Bush, leave this world alone/George Bush, find yourself another home." Festival sponsor AT&T omitted the lines from its delayed live webcast of the show, later admitting that the censorship was a mistake.

8. Brian Jonestown Massacre Berate Dashboard Confessional

Barry Brecheisen/WireImage

In 2005, Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe felt he was being drowned out by the sounds of Dashboard Confessional, who were playing on a nearby stage. Irritated, he sneered at Chris Carrabba, calling him "Jon Bon Jovi," and said he would use the band's photo as "birth control." He added, "Don't give up your day job, punks!"

7. Lady Gaga Crowd Surfs Semi-Naked During Semi Precious Weapons Set

2010

In 2010, Lady Gaga hopped on stage with her longtime friends Semi Precious Weapons, wearing a barely-there outfit of gold-glitter pasties, gold panties and a black fishnet suit. After tongue wrestling with lead singer Justin Tranter, Gaga kept things real by flinging her body into the audience for some old-school crowd-surfing action.

6. Rage Against the Machine Incite Mayhem

2008

Rage Against the Machine headlined the second day of the 2008 festival, opening with fan favorites like 'Testify' and 'Bulls on Parade.' However, zealous moshing and uncontrollable circle pits escalated into chaos, causing singer Zack de la Rocha to stop the show three times. "We got enough problems out there in the streets with these f---ed up politicians and cops," he said. "Save that s--- for the streets."

5. Courtney Love Sings for Kurt Cobain

1994

Nirvana were set to headline Lollapalooza in 1994, but canceled just one day before Kurt Cobain was found dead. The Smashing Pumpkins filled the closing slot, and welcomed Courtney Love as a surprise guest at their Philadelphia date. The Hole singer played two songs, including 'Miss World' in which she changed a lyric to "why'd you have to die," and asked for "a moment of silence for my husband."

4. Nine Inch Nails Get Destructive in Phoenix

On the first stop of Lollapalooza's inaugural tour, Nine Inch Nails had already had enough. Bands had been dealing with a defective power generator all day, but when it interfered with NIN's set, the group took action by trashing their equipment and leaving the stage exasperated. It doesn't get any more punk than that.

3. Jane's Addiction Return to the Stage

2003

Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Jane's Addiction had been on a six-year hiatus by the time they returned to the stage to headline the festival during its 2003 reunion tour. Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro stoked the audience with renditions of 'Been Caught Stealing' and 'Mountain Song,' reclaiming the event they helped put on the map.

2. Soundgarden and Pearl Jam Unleash Temple of the Dog

1992

While it wasn't the first time Soundgarden and Pearl Jam played the song in front of a live audience, their 1992 performance of 'Hunger Strike' on the Lollapalooza tour put a spotlight on the track, which became the first and most popular single from Temple of the Dog's only album. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

1. Rage Against the Machine Stage Naked Protest

1993

Retna

Rage Against the Machine were a target of the Parents Music Resource Center, which pushed for 'Parental Advisory' stickers on "explicit" albums and singles. At the Philadelphia date of the 1993 tour, the outspoken outfit appeared on stage naked, with their mouths covered in duct tape and their bodies painted with the organization's acronym, PMRC. Their silence didn't last long, though -- the band played a complete set later that evening.

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