1994 proved a massive year for music tours, with Barbra Streisand, Elton John/Billy Joel, the Eagles, Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd all cementing their part of music touring history.
It was the year A Tribe Called Quest asked us to show that we “loved ourselves” at Lollapalooza, 17 Deadheads got arrested in connection with laughing gas, and we saw spectacular special effects, including the Rolling Stones” inflatables and Pink Floyd’s airships.
Here’s a countdown of the epic tours of that year:
Reba McEntire
‘94 was a big year for Reba McEntire. As well as touring, she released her 18th studio album, Read My Mind, which included the single “Why Haven’t I Heard From You” and “’Til You Love Me,” which reached no 2. in Billboard’s Hot Country Songs.
Lollapalooza Tour
Lollapalooza is the tour Nirvana never got to do; they were booked to play, but 1994 was the year of singer Kurt Cobain’s death. Kurt’s widow Courtney Love made many appearances to speak about the loss. The Lollapalooza line-up included Beastie Boys, L7, and A Tribe Called Quest, who ended their set in a memorable way by asking the audience to each raise a fist and chant, “I love myself!”
Phil Collins
Phil Collins took his Both Sides of the World Tour worldwide and split his set list into two parts, “Black and White” and “Colours.” The former mostly promoted songs from his Both Sides album, and “Colours” included his ‘80s chart toppers “Two Hearts” and “Sussudio.”
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand’s first full tour broke box office records in every city it visited. Phone requests for tickets reached a staggering 5 million during the first hour of being on sale. Barbra’s set list included the no. 1s “The Way We Were” and “Evergreen.”
The Grateful Dead
Although the Grateful Dead weren’t really at their peak musically in ‘94, with vocalist Jerry Garcia’s health in unfortunate decline, fans still flocked to see them, partly drawn by the unpredictability of the shows they would see at this point. The performance at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Aug 3 is also remembered for 17 people being arrested for possessing or distributing laughing gas.
Elton John
‘94 was great for Elton John: Not only did he tour with percussionist Ray Cooper to benefit his AIDS foundation, he also became part of the longest running and most successful concert tandem in pop music history when he toured Face to Face with Billy Joel.
The Eagles
April ‘94 marked the Eagles first time on stage in 14 years and led to the band recording their live album Hell Freezes Over—the title a reference to the time Don Henley commented that the Eagles would reunite “when hell freezes over.” The tour was a good move—it remains notable in rock history.
Billy Joel
Billy Joel performed with Elton John on their highly successful Face to Face tour. They played a combination of their own songs, each other’s songs, and duets. ‘94 was also the year Billy Joel divorced “Uptown Girl” and model/actress Christie Brinkley.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones’ Voodoo Lounge Tour started at the RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. in August of ’94, and included Mexican inflatables on stage. Despite an early snag of Keith Richards breaking a string and needing a replacement guitar, the tour went on to become recognized as one of the biggest and most financially successful rock ‘n’ roll tours to date.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd may have performed their final tour as a group in ‘94, but they certainly left an impression: the Division Bell Tour was later announced as the biggest tour to date. Fans will also remember their impressive special effects which included two customary designed airships. Despite mixed reviews, the Division Bell album reached no. 1 in both the US and the UK.