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