While the modern Coachella lineup is often dominated by pop, hip-hop and EDM artists, many people often forget the festival’s roots were firmly planted in rock.
When Coachella debuted in 1999, its inaugural headliners were Beck, Tool and Rage Against the Machine. The festival was modeled after similar large-scale events in Europe, such as Glastonbury. In choosing the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California as its location, Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett noted the desire to have a destination away from daily life.
“Even before we looked at [Empire Polo Club], it hit us. We wanted it to be far. So you surrender,” the music promoter explained. “So you can’t leave your house and see a couple bands and be back home that night. We want you to go out there, get tired, and curse the show by Sunday afternoon. That sunset, and that whole feeling of Coachella hits you.”
Though the inaugural 1999 festival was a failure, Tollett and his team learned from their mistakes. Coachella would eventually flourish, becoming one of the world’s premiere music festivals and a pop culture phenomenon.
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The list of rock acts who have played Coachella is formidable, including: Paul McCartney, Prince, AC/DC, Roger Waters, Oasis, Depeche Mode, the Cure, Queens of the Stone Age and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Some of the festival’s biggest performances have come from reunited acts, including Guns N’ Roses, the Pixies, Pavement and Iggy & the Stooges.
With such an impressive history of acts, it was difficult to whittle it down to our favorites. Still, somehow we managed to come up with a ranking of the 15 Greatest Coachella Rock Performances.
