The Beach Boys may be the fathers of the 'California Sound', but their largest concert ever took place on the other side of the US: west coast Philadelphia. The entire concert was recorded and released as a standalone album - although in bad quality - and it features two songs with Jimmy Page, who joined the band on stage that afternoon.

Paz sin Fronteras, literally translated to 'Peace without Borders' was a historic event organized as a peaceful protest against the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis. The concert took place in Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana, one of the largest city squares in the world. The US government not only supported the event but also cooperated with the Cuban government to facilitate the artists with musical and production equipment!

Extreme weather conditions, a NASA disaster, the FBI, and Muammar Gaddafi. What do these have in common? They all contributed to making Jean-Michel Jarre's 'Rende-vous' one of the most memorable events in modern music history. The concert, a celebration of Texas' 150th birthday, was almost canceled on four occasions: (1) after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster which killed Jarre's friend and astronaut Ron McNair, (2) after extreme rain and wind destroyed the stage's giant projection screen, (3) when Houston's fire department expressed concerns that the crowd will be showered in firework debris and (4) when the 30 large lamps that had been installed on top of the FBI headquarters for the event caused electricity problems to the bureau's attempts to surveil Colonel Gaddafi, who was visiting the city at that time! And to think that this is not Jarre's biggest concert ever...

It was the weekend before the beginning of the festivities of the biggest Carnival in the world, and preparations in Brazil were in full swing. But for two hours that Saturday evening, the city of Rio did not dance to the rhythm of samba. As Mick Jagger and co. took the stage in Copacabana Beach, more than 1 million people jumped and sang to the Rolling Stones' legendary hits. Because of the police force required for the event, authorities had to forbid carnival parades, which resulted in widespread protests from the locals. It's only rock 'n roll, but when it interferes with a country's traditions, some don't like it!

10 concerts, on 4 continents, on 1 day, with a single message. Make Poverty History. Live 8, one of the largest charity events in history, could not have a clearer purpose. And five days later, its goal was achieved, as the G8 leaders pledged to double the aid to poor nations from $25 billion to $50 billion. The city of Philadelphia not only played a big role in making this happen but also wrote another piece of music history. An audience of 1.5 million stretched out for one mile along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, making it the sixth-largest music crowd ever!

Just 3 months before the official dissolution of the Soviet Union and only days after the failed August Coup, Moscow opened its doors to some of the West's most popular heavy metal bands. Monsters of Rock, the annual festival that originated in England, facilitated the first-ever free outdoor Western rock concert in Soviet history. More than 1.6 million rockers flooded the Tushino Airfield, in anticipation of the legendary bands Metallica, Pantera and AC/DC, whose music was formally banned until a few years before the event. The entire concert was televised and to this day the footage remains surreal, with police helicopters flying low above the massive crowd and guardsmen headbanging to the riffs of 'Enter Sandman'!

On the 14th of July every year, France celebrates Bastille Day, commemorating the Storming of the Bastille in 1789, which ignited the French Revolution. The festivities include Europe's largest military parade, a spectacular 30-minute firework show, an outdoor opera concert, several public dances, and, in 1990, the first music show to be attended by more than 2 million people! Jean-Michel Jarre's breathtaking concert took place in Paris' La Defense district and featured a pyramid-shaped stage, a steel drum band, vast grotesque marionettes, and, of course, huge screens that covered the surrounding skyscrapers. If you are not amazed yet, let me tell you that no, this is not Jarre's biggest concert ever...

It's not only the Carnival that sparks ecstatic celebrations in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Every New Year's eve, millions of Brazilians flock to the Copacabana beach to celebrate the coming of the new year and put the problems of the past behind. The festivities culminate with a massive concert that broke the world attendance record two times in a row. The first one happened in 1993, when the father of samba rock Jorge Ben played in front of 3 million people, nearly as many as today's population of neighboring Uruguay! Unfortunately, his record only lasted for exactly one year, before it was broken in the same place, for the same occasion!

On New Year's Eve 1994, the world witnessed the greatest rock concert of all time. More than 3.5 million Brazilians filled the Copacabana beach to celebrate the new year dancing to the iconic songs of Rod Stewart. But the concert didn't go off without a hitch. Only a few hours before the show, Rod Stewart got food poisoning. Although not in the best condition, he managed to make it to the show with the help of injections but had to arrive at the beach by ambulance. However, the reason for that was not his health, but the need to not be recognized on the way!

In 1997, Moscow celebrated its 850th birthday and Jean-Michel Jarre was invited to play in front of the iconic building University of Moscow, in what went down in history as the most attended concert ever! More than 3.5 million Muscovites turned up en masse to the historic show, which featured all of the arrows in Jarre's quiver. Spectacular lights, giant screens, huge marionettes, exotic organs, fireworks, an orchestra, and the most unforgettable moment of the evening, a live connection with the Russian Space station! This concert marked Jarre's 4th one with an audience of over a million people and 3rd on the top 10 list. 23 years later this record remains unbroken!