Few music concerts have made a mark in history books. There’s the free love and chaos of Woodstock 1969. The For Those About to Rock: Monsters in Moscow concert in 1991 saw a reported 1.6 million people come to see AC/DC, Pantera, and Metallica, among others.

Then there was Live Aid, a concert that used rock and roll to save lives. It’s said that the concerts took humanitarian work and put it at the forefront of foreign policy. But it also brought some of rock and roll’s most legendary acts together for a good cause and to rock out. All in the name of saving lives.

The Big Hits – A Double Sell Out

The concert took place on Saturday 13 July 1985 at two venues: The Wembley Stadium in London and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, America. Big bands including Queen, Status Quo and U2 among others played the England stage, while Madonna, Bob Dylan, and a reformed Led Zeppelin rocked the American event.

The venues were sold out, with 72,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium and 89,484 people into the John F. Kennedy Stadium. But while the American event had its moments, it was the one in England that really turned on the style on an uncharacteristically clear and sunny day.

The Organiser Performs – Geldof and The Boomtown Rats Take The Stage