Big Day Out 2014 Headliners Make Rolling Stone’s Best Live Acts List

Rolling Stone, in all their wisdom, has released yet another list with controversy written all over it – The 50 Best Live Acts Right Now.

This time round, the international music authority has declared Australians Tame Impala as a more impressive live act than Sigur Rós, Tool and several other legendary performers, and placed Big Day Out headliners Pearl Jam and Arcade Fire in respectable positions.

A list of this nature is always going to ruffle a few feathers, and given the caliber of artists relative newbies Tame Impala have beaten out there’s definitely some debates opening right now. Coming in at #41, Tame toppled Sigur Rós who came in at #47, Tool who came in at #46 as well as Green Day at #48 and Mumford & Sons who came in at a fairly lousy #43.

The list also lends serious credibility to upcoming Australian tours, with Beyonce at #33, Queens Of The Stone Age at #38 and Muse at #29. Big Day Out headliners Pearl Jam scored well at #23, with Arcade Fire cracking the top 10 at a highly respectable #4. Blur failed to make the list, but we all know they’ll be rad.

Bruce Springsteen capped off the list in pole position with The Rolling Stones, Prince Neil Young also making the top 5. Check out the full list below.

The top 10…

..And the rest…

11) U2

12) Wilco

13) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

14) The Black Keys

15) Paul McCartney

16) Alabama Shakes

17) Nine Inch Nails

18) Metallica

19) The Roots

20) Kanye West

21) Red Hot Chili Peppers

22) Tom Waits

23) Pearl Jam

24) Dave Matthews Band

25) Phish

26) Leonard Cohen

27) Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds

28) Patti Smith

29) Muse

30) Madonna

31) David Byrne

32) Sleigh Bells

33) Beyoncé

34) Foo Fighters

35) Bruno Mars

36) Florence and the Machine

37) The National

38) Queens Of The Stone Age

39) Rush

40) Eric Church

41) Tame Impala

42) Skrillex

43) Mumford & Sons

44) Janelle Monáe

45) Lady Gaga

46) Tool

47) Sigur Rós

48) Green Day

49) Taylor Swift

50) Fiona Apple