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25 biggest acts to ever play Coachella
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg helped Coachella succeed at extending the festival to two weekends. Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

25 biggest acts to ever play Coachella

From semi-modest beginnings in the late '90s, Coachella has ballooned into a six-day, two-weekend extravaganza that has featured some of the biggest musical acts to ever grace our ears with their mellifluous tones. It's not just fun spring break in the desert, it's the a must-stop for some of the most influential bands of all time. Here are 25 of the biggest acts to ever take the stage at Coachella.

 
1 of 25

Morrissey

Morrissey
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

Morrissey has been involved with Coachella from its start, appearing as a headlining act back in 1999 when the festival only spanned two days. He returned to the festival in 2009 but famously stormed off the stage because he smelled "burning flesh."

 
2 of 25

Jane's Addiction

Jane's Addiction
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

The early years were slow going for Coachella — after the inaugural festival, the organizers ended up not hosting one in 2000. They seemed doomed to repeat that fate in 2001, since the organizers were having no end of trouble trying to book a headliner. Fortunately, the freshly reunited Jane's Addiction agreed to take the top spot that year.

 
3 of 25

Daft Punk

Daft Punk
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Given the fact that they go around with robot masks on, it's not surprising that Daft Punk seems to be a bit shy. They don't do many live performances. That said, their set at Coachella back in 2006 was, by all accounts, one of the best Coachella performances in history. They returned to the festival back in 2014 as well, performing songs from "Random Access Memories."

 
4 of 25

Prince

Prince
Dove Shore/Getty Images

Prince joined the Coachella family back in 2008, putting on a show for the ages. Interestingly enough, his headlining spot wasn't enough to ensure a sold-out festival. For the first time since 2003, there were face-value tickets available for Coachella throughout the entire festival.

 
5 of 25

Madonna

Madonna
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

Madonna has made multiple appearances at Coachella festivals, most recently appearing alongside Drake during his set back in 2015. Her first performance at the festival came back in 2006.

 
6 of 25

Iggy Pop and the Stooges

Iggy Pop and the Stooges
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Coachella has made a habit of hosting newly reunited bands at the festival. Back in 2003, right as Iggy Pop and the Stooges decided to start performing together again, Coachella approached them and offered the legendary band a headlining spot. They took it, and the rest is history.

 
7 of 25

The Pixies

The Pixies
J. Shearer/Getty Images

Speaking of reunited bands, Coachella really hit the jackpot in 2004, featuring the Pixies at the top of the bill. Their set was an eclectic one. They even threw in a cover of the David Lynch song "In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)." They returned to the festival once again in 2014.

 
8 of 25

Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg

Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

In 2012, Coachella expanded, taking over a second three-day weekend. There were concerns over whether or not the festival would be able to sell enough tickets to justify the decision, but thanks to booking the twin billing of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, tickets sold out in just under three hours.

 
9 of 25

Guns N' Roses (Kinda)

Guns N' Roses (Kinda)
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Another band to file under the "reunited for Coachella" tab, the 2016 festival featured Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan performing Guns N' Roses hits together. The band was, notably, missing former members DJ Ashba, Ron Thal and Tommy Stinson.

 
10 of 25

Beyonce

Beyonce
Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

Funnily enough, though she has performed at Coachella before as a surprise guest for both her sister and her husband, Beyonce has never officially been on the bill. That was scheduled to change this year, but her pregnancy forced her to push her headline performance back to 2018.

 
11 of 25

Steely Dan

Steely Dan
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Steely Dan took the Coachella stage back in 2015, bringing their unique blend of classic rock to music fans in Indio — complete with a monologue from Walter Becker that included the wonderful quote, "We're here, we still got it, and if you want it, come and get it."

 
12 of 25

Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

Rage Against the Machine has multiple Coachella appearances to their name. Not only were they one of the festival's original headliners, but they appeared at both the 2007 and 2011 festivals as well. And that's not even counting Zack de la Rocha's surprise cameo during Run the Jewels' set in 2016.

 
13 of 25

Roger Waters

Roger Waters
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

Roger Waters' 2008 appearance at Coachella was notable not just for the Pink Floyd guitarist's amazing musicianship, but also for an unplanned moment where a giant inflatable pig escaped its guide lines and simply floated away into the night sky.

 
14 of 25

Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

Depeche Mode doesn't come stateside incredibly often, but Coachella was determined enough that the organizers were able to wrangle the band over to California for their 2006 festival. The performance went so well that the band ended up pressing the set as a live album.

 
15 of 25

Björk

Björk
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

Coachella has been lucky enough to host Iceland's prodigal daughter Björk twice in its history — once in 2002 and again in 2007. Interestingly enough, it was the only time a woman headlined Coachella and will remain so until 2018, when Beyonce headlines the festival.

 
16 of 25

The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses
Helen Boast/Getty Images

The story of the Stone Roses at Coachella 2013 is fraught. Though they are and were undoubtedly one of the biggest bands ever over in the United Kingdom, they never had that kind of success stateside. They were originally slated to be a headliner, but when American audiences didn't recognize the band, they ended up being demoted further down the bill.

 
17 of 25

Blur

Blur
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

The Stone Roses' loss, however, was Blur's gain. When the Stone Roses moved down the bill, Blur was slotted up into their headlining spot — presumably because they are more recognizable here in the USA.

 
18 of 25

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

The former Beatle made his Coachella debut in 2009, headlining alongside the Killers and the Cure. He must have liked the area, because he was an integral part of the Coachella organizers' new festival Desert Trip, whose 2016 inaugural lineup included Bob Dylan, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and, of course, Paul McCartney.

 
19 of 25

The Specials

The Specials
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

The Specials are, without a doubt, the most influential ska band in the history of the genre. And though founder Jerry Dammers left the band in 1984, the band reformed in 1993. They got an invitation to Coachella in 2010, to the delight of checkered-vans-wearing ska fans everywhere.

 
20 of 25

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

You may have noticed it already, but Coachella has a habit of bringing the festival's favorite acts back multiple times for future festivals. Queens of the Stone Age are no exception. After becoming the first local band to play the fest back in 2002, they returned to the festival once again in 2014.

 
21 of 25

Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire
Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Arcade Fire fans had a lot to love in 2014. Not only did the band play an amazing Coachella set, but they also made a cameo during Daft Punk's performance. As if that weren't enough, they also staged an impromptu performance in the middle of the crowd with members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

 
22 of 25

The Cure

The Cure
Trixie Textor/Getty Images

The Cure's performance at Coachella 2009 was a literal showstopper, as their set went so late that festival staff had to cut power to the stage. The band had broken curfew by over a half hour.

 
23 of 25

Beck

Beck
Karl Walter/Getty Images

Beck was a headlining act for the first-ever Coachella, and he ended up returning to the festival in 2014, where he performed a whirlwind set including a cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love."

 
24 of 25

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Given the fact that they wear their California roots on their sleeves, it's not surprising that the Red Hot Chili Peppers have, more or less, been staples at Coachella. They have appeared at the festival three times — in 2003, 2007 and 2013.

 
25 of 25

LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Let's be honest, when James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem made a movie about his band's breakup, we all knew he would get them back together at some point. And when he did, Coachella was there, offering them a headlining spot at the festival's 2016 iteration.

Sam Greszes is unlockable by beating the game on Very Hard difficulty without losing a life. You must then defeat him to unlock him for Arcade and Versus modes. You can follow him on Twitter @samgreszeseses, and check out his podcast with David Rappoccio here. He also hosts weekly twitch streams at twitch.tv/robotsfightingdinosaurs.

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