The following list of the most played live song by 40 classic rock legends often mirrors their biggest and most enduring hits — but not always.
It stands to reason that once an artist scores a blockbuster, career-defining hit, it will follow them for the rest of their lives.
Just take a look at Bon Jovi, whose chart-topping Slippery When Wet hits “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer” are neck-and-neck for the most played live songs of their career (with “Wanted Dead or Alive” right at their heels). Or Black Sabbath, who wrote “Paranoid” in an hour of desperation and unwittingly scored their biggest hit and most popular concert staple.
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But not every artist on our list adheres to this rule. Sometimes, the songs that formally introduce a band or solo act to the world are the ones that stay permanently lodged in their set lists for decades.
For example, the Police released “Roxanne” as the lead single off their debut album, Outlandos d’Amour. It was far from their highest-charting hit, but it remained the most played live song in their oeuvre. The same goes for the Eagles, whose “Take It Easy” opened their self-titled debut album, was released as their first single and just so happened to become one of their most enduring hits, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
And who could forget Guns N’ Roses, who kicked off Appetite for Destruction and ignited a hard rock revolution with “Welcome to the Jungle,” which has remained a live staple for decades, even if it wasn’t their biggest hit?
Read about all of these bands and more in the following list of the most played live song by 40 classic rock legends, according to setlist.fm.
The Most Played Song Live by 40 Classic Rock Legends
These artists’ biggest hits and introductory songs followed them for decades.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
