Madison Square Garden has long been synonymous with the biggest and the best names in rock and pop music. To play at the Garden has been recognized as an achievement in itself for decades, and many world class performers have released live recordings of their shows there. From the heady days of the 50s and 60s, through the flamboyant 1970s, and on through the yuppie-idealized 80s and 90s, into the new millennium, MSG has proved to be the touchstone for many of the world's best loved and most famous artists.
Whether it was Frank Sinatra's "Main Event", playing a remarkable comeback set to 20,000 adoring fans in October, 1974, or Guns 'n' Roses rocking the house in 2002, the Garden has witnessed some of the most awesome gigs ever seen.
The famous "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out" album, released in 1970 by the Rolling Stones, was also recorded at Madison Square Garden in 1969, during the Stones legendary American tour of that year, but at a place as big in the popular musical imagination as The Garden, this was just another drop in the ocean of the venues vast and mesmerizing history.
Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, John Lennon, Genesis, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, all have participated in what were often landmark performances at the mythic venue. And the list goes on till the present day, with many bands in the new millennium clamoring for the opportunity to mount that distinguished stage and make their contribution to history.
Presley was responsible for producing the fastest ever turnaround from live performance to on-sale album, when his Saturday evening performance from June 1972 was available in stores just a week later.
English electro rock pioneers Led Zep produced two sound and vision extravaganzas, from 1973 and 1976, one of which was the revered Song remains the Same album, available on record and video.
Pink Floyd's most famous visit to MSG was notable for a notorious run-in with a local union, who insisted they use their technicians for the light-show. When things didn't go as smoothly as Floyd may have liked, due to lighting and fireworks-in-the-crowd issues, frontman Rodger Waters let loose with with a barrage of obscenity that probably went largely unnoticed by the frenzied, pyrotechnic crowd.
John Lennon made his last ever public concert appearance at Madison Square Garden, when he joined veteran rocker Elton John onstage. Lennon released part of this set in his later Here and There album, the "Here" referring to a concert Lennon gave at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and the "There" being his final public song on the stage at MSG.
The Garden continues into the millennium to be a source of inspiration and pride in the artists who play there. 2007 will see musicians such as The Police, Kenny Chesney and Justin Timberlake play, and each and every one of them knows deep down that to play Madison Square Garden is to attain the summit of a universally loved and respected mountain in the realm of public performance.