Live 8 was an event that lived up to the hype as the world's greatest concert ever. Particularly for those watching on America Online's simultaneous live links, it was an unforgettable experience to move from city to city around the world seeing the world's greatest music stars giving their all for people to simply live without the ravages of poverty. Picking just 10 moments is supremely difficult, but here's a stab at 10 of the greatest moments specifically related to pop music.
1. Madonna - "Like a Prayer"
She strode onto the stage, clad entirely in white, hugged and kissed Birhan Woldu, survivor of the Ethiopian famine that inspired Live Aid 20 years ago, and kicked off a powerful performance of "Like a Prayer" backed by the London Community Gospel Choir. With her question "Are you ready for a revolution?" Madonna had the crowd of 200,000 in London and much of the world in her hands. As Bob Geldof said in introduction, she is the "Queen Bee Of Rock."
2. "Hey Jude" Finale
Yes, it was mushy and all that, but Sir Paul McCartney bringing together the musicians onstage and the crowd of 200,000 to sing "la, la, la, lalalala..." really was moving. It brought a magnificent end to an amazing day in London.3. Stevie Wonder Duets With Rob Thomas and Adam Levine
Stevie lived up to his status as a living legend at Live 8 Philadelphia. Earlier, Rob Thomas' own solo performance seemed somewhat subdued, but he caught fire singing with Stevie on "Higher Ground," and then Maroon 5's Adam Levine took it to the next level on "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Wow!4. Green Day - "We Are the Champions"
Green Day have proven they have the musical chops to be one of the world's greatest bands, and vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong has the charisma to match. "We Are the Champions" was an inspired choice of songs to close out Green Day's Berlin performance.5. Mariah Carey - African Children's Choir
Mariah Carey brought on the African Children's Choir, a group of African orphans with incredible voices, to help her perform "Make It Happen" and "Hero." It was a moment with a great deal of charm and humility from the world's biggest pop star of the moment.6. Sting - "Every Breath You Take"
Sting's entire performance was powerful, but the video screens of G8 leaders while Sting sings "We'll be watching you" brought chills.7. U2 and Paul McCartney - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
A brilliant way to kick off London's Live 8 show. The song has rarely ever been performed in public by the Beatles or any ex-Beatles, but it was a perfect choice for this event.8. Duran Duran - "Save a Prayer"
It probably got overlooked by many, but in Rome Simon LeBon said "20 years ago we thought maybe we were going to save the world. We sang this song. Now, we have a second chance, and we're going to play it again." It's a beautiful tribute to the necessity and power of perseverance.9. U2 - "Beautiful Day"
Bono: "We cannot fix every problem, but the ones we can, we must." U2 were fantastic as usual. "Beautiful Day," for me, is quintessential U2. Throw in the release of doves, and it's amazing.10. Destiny's Child - "Say My Name"
We will miss them, but nothing will stand in the way of Beyonce being a star. "Say My Name" was the highlight of a strong performance by the trio.Live 8: What Did You Think?
Discuss your thoughts and opinions on Live 8 in the forum.
