Top 100 Greatest Rock & Roll Moments on TV

100
Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour - Sonny & Cher introduce their daughter Chastity to a national audience.
99
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air premieres - Will Smith is the first rap star to get his own series, based in part on his successful music videos.
98
Divas Live - A live VH1 concert special. Aretha Franklin brings down the house during the finale with Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan and Carole King.
97
Pearl Jam perform on SNL the day after fellow Seattle grunge icon Kurt Cobain commits suicide; Eddie Vedder symbolically salutes his rival.
96
Hullabaloo premieres with Beatles manager Brian Epstein as guest host.
95
Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora perform an acoustic version of "Wanted Dead or Alive" at The VMA's which is the inspiration for MTV Unplugged.
94
The Grateful Dead perform on Playboy After Dark.
93
Simon and Garfunkel perform The Concert in the Park on HBO. 600,000 people attended.
92
Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii - 1 billion viewers tune-in.
91
The Carpenters special airs on ABC with an extremely thin Karen Carpenter.
90
Ricky Martin performs a showstopper on The Grammy Awards.
89
Miami Vice - Cop drama with slick music video imagery. Guest stars include Phil Collins, Ted Nugent, Glenn Frey, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis and Sheena Easton.
88
Van Halen appear with David Lee Roth at The VMA's for the first time since their split years earlier. Within days Roth is kicked out of the band again.
87
Grace Slick, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joni Mitchell and others fresh from Woodstock appear on The Dick Cavett Show.
86
Petula Clark and Harry Belafonte sing a duet on The Harry Belafonte Show. Their hand holding causes an uproar.
85
Friday Night Videos is launched by NBC.
84
U2 make their American TV debut on The Tom Snyder Show.
83
Solid Gold premieres - An 80's countdown series. Hosts include Dionne Warwick, Marilyn McCoo, Rex Smith and Andy Gibb.
82
Kiss is unmasked on MTV.
81
Milli Vanilli sing on The Arsenio Hall Show after their Best New Artist Grammy is revoked.
80
Woodstock '99 riots and looting.
79
Band Aid special airs on MTV documenting the recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
78
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction on VH1 - Bruce Springsteen reunites with The E Street Band.
77
Johnny Cash makes his TV debut on The Jackie Gleason Show. Cash sings "I Walk The Line".
76
This Is Garth Brooks - a highly rated concert on NBC.
75
Welcome Home Elvis airs on ABC welcoming Elvis back from the army. Hosted by Frank Sinatra, it features Frank and The King singing together.
74
Aretha Franklin sings the aria "Nesson Durma" on The Grammys. She is a last minute replacement for Luciano Pavarotti. Aretha was given just eight minutes of rehearsal time.
73
The Midnight Special - premieres shortly after ABC IN CONCERT. Helen Reddy is a regular guest host; Wolfman Jack is the announcer.
72
Eric Clapton performs "Tears in Heaven" on MTV Unplugged ten months after the death of his son.
71
Willie Nelson and his pals launch FARM AID.
70
Buddy Holly performs "Peggy Sue" on American Bandstand. It is his last TV appearance.
69
Madonna offends America swearing repeatedly on Late Night with David Letterman.
68
Bono gives a lifetime tribute to Frank Sinatra on The Grammy Awards. Controversy follows when Sinatra is cut off while giving his speech.
67
The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour premieres on CBS. The series is constantly at odds with network censors who object to the show's socially conscious acts, such as the blacklisted Pete Seeger.
66
Sun City protests and video.
65
The Nat King Cole Show premieres. One of the first black performers to host a variety show.
64
The Supremes meet The Temptations on Broadway -- an NBC special. It's The Supremes only televised concert of the decade.
63
Michael Jackson's Pepsi Commercial - Pyrotechnic mishap causes Jackson's hair to ignite and sends him to the hospital with severe burns.
62
SNL's Wayne's World sketch debuts, an homage to heavy metal headbangers. Madonna guest stars on SNL's Wayne's World.
61
ABC airs The Beatles Anthology, an epic six hour documentary which debuts two new songs "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love".
60
Roseanne sings The National Anthem and grabs her crotch before San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds double header.
59
Whitney Houston sings The National Anthem at Superbowl XXV during the Gulf War. The version is released as a single and becomes Arista's highest selling single.
58
Marvin Gaye sings The National Anthem at the NBA All-star game at the Forum in Inglewood, California.
57
Don Kirshner's Rock Concerty - The rock concert is packaged by Kirshner, the man behind The Archies and The Monkees.
56
Bette Midler performs on the second to last episode of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.
55
The Blues Brothers are introduced on SNL.
54
Jethro Tull wins Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Grammy - beating out Metallica and AC/DC.
53
All You Need Is Cash is broadcast on NBC, the first made-for-television mockumentary. The film satirizes the complete career of The Beatles.
52
Dance Fever premieres - Disco dancing competition hosted by Deney Terrio, Saturday Night Fever's choreographer.
51
Prince appears at the AMA's with "Slave" printed on his face protesting Warner Bros. recording contract. During a group performance of "We Are The World" he stands silently sucking a lollipop.
50
Jerry Lee Lewis performs "Whole Lotta Shakin'" on The Steve Allen Show amid controversy surrounding the song's lyrics. The Steve Allen Show - Allen makes Elvis sing "Hound Dog" to an actual hound dog.
49
Bo Diddley on The Ed Sullivan Show - one of the first black guests on The Ed Sullivan Show.
48
Bruce Springsteen is the surprise final music guest as Late Night with David Letterman leaves NBC after thirteen years.
47
Michael Jackson's "Black & White" video premieres simultaneously on 3 networks: FOX, MTV, BET. The video is withdrawn and re-edited after its first showing, amid controversy over violent content.
46
Bob Marley and the Wailers are the first reggae group to perform on network television, on the CBS premiere of The Manhattan Transfer, an evening musical variety series.
45
Schoolhouse Rock debuts with "Multiplication Rock" on ABC's Saturday morning schedule.
44
Madonna's Pepsi commercial airs only once due to the controversial scene where she kisses a black saint.
43
David Bowie sings with Bing Crosby on Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas. The two sing "Little Drummer Boy" together. This is Bing's last performance, he dies a month later.
42
Diana in Central Park - A Diana Ross concert airs on Showtime.
41
Sonny and Cher reunite for the last time on Late Night with David Letterman. Cher eulogizes Sonny Bono. It airs live in its entirety on CNN.
40
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley appear on Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer where they discuss their sex life. Jackson's teary statement to the press after he was accused of child molestation is carried live on network and cable TV.
39
Ricky Nelson performs for the first time on his family's sitcom The Ozzie and Harriet Show. He sings Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'".
38
The Partridge Family premieres on ABC - David Cassidy immediately becomes a teen singing sensation.
37
The Johnny Cash Show, On Campus episode - Neil Young performs "Needle And The Damage Done" and Cash debuts the single "Man In Black".
36
The Beatles at Shea Stadium airs on ABC.
35
Jimi Hendrix on Lulu Show - Hendrix cuts short his performance of "Hey Joe" to play Cream's "White Room".
34
Sinéad O'Connor rips up the Pope's photo on SNL.
33
Janis Joplin performs on The Dick Cavett Show right before Woodstock.
32
Lorne Michaels offers The Beatles $3,000 to reunite on SNL. Weeks later, George Harrison appears on-air to accept the check.
31
The Simpsons - Cutting edge bands are animated in the series including Sonic Youth, The Smashing Pumpkins and others in the "Homerpalooza" episode.
30
Bill Clinton plays the saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show.
29
Marvin Gaye performs "Sexual Healing" on THE GRAMMY AWARDS.
28
The Johnny Cash Show premieres - Bob Dylan's first network television performance.
27
Madonna's premiere of "Justify My Love" video - MTV bans the racy video filmed at the Royal Monceau Hotel in Paris. Madonna later defends the video on Nightline.
26
The Sex Pistols anger Bill Grundy on British Thames Television's Today Show. Grundy ends up swearing on live television and is disciplined.
25
Shindig premieres with The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Byrds and The Everly Brothers.
24
The Jackson Five, led by brother Michael, make their national TV debut on Hollywood Palace. Diana Ross is the host and The Jackson Five sing "I Want You Back".
23
The Beatles perform "All You Need Is Love". It is the first global television link-up.
22
The Rolling Stones on The Ed Sullivan Show - the band changes the lyrics of "Let's Spend the Night Together" to "Let's Spend Some Time Together" to be less suggestive.
21
Soul Train debuts - It is the first black produced television series syndicated nationwide.
20
After Martin Luther King's assassination, James Brown appears live on National TV from the Boston Garden (where he's performing). Brown appeals to rioters to exercise restraint.
19
"We Are The World" is taped as an HBO special and MTV video immediately after the American Music Awards.
18
Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video debuts on MTV. The video ushers in alternative rock as a commercial and pop culture force. Nirvana perform their last TV appearance on MTV Unplugged.
17
While Bob Dylan performs on The Grammy Awards, a dancer with "Soy Bomb" written on his chest crashes Dylan's performance.
16
The Doors rebel against CBS censors on The Ed Sullivan Show by singing the line "girl we couldn't get much higher" when specifically asked not to.
15
The T.A.M.I. Show - an amazing high energy concert originally produced for ABC, (later released theatrically). Diverse line up included The Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and James Brown.
14
John Lennon and Yoko Ono co-host a week of The Mike Douglas Show.
13
The Monkees TV series premieres - later musical guests included Frank Zappa and Tim Buckley.
12
Elton John performs his remake of "Candle in the Wind" at Princess Diana's funeral.
11
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video world premieres on MTV. It is the first video ever to be scheduled at a specific time and date.
10
The Who perform on The Smothers Brothers - Keith Moon sets twice as much flash powder in the drums. The resulting explosion singes Pete Townshend's hair and cuts Moon's leg. The explosion has since been blamed for Townshend's hearing loss.
9
Elvis is shot from the waist up on The Ed Sullivan Show.
8
The MTV Video Music Awards launch; Madonna rolls on stage singing "Like A Virgin".
7
ABC and MTV air Live Aid - Queen is highlight of show.
6
American Bandstand premieres - Seminal rock music series hosted by Dick Clark.
5
Motown 25 - an Emmy-award winning special on NBC. Diana Ross reunites with Supremes. Michael Jackson moonwalks for the first time.
4
Saturday Night Live premieres - Weekly live rock performances by every established and breaking musical performers of the past 25 years.
3
MTV launches - The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" is the first video played.
2
Elvis stages his famous comeback special called ELVIS on NBC.
1
The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show - first televised U.S. live performance. An estimated 73 million viewers tune-in.