The 30 greatest Coachella performances of all time, ranked

Coachella invented the modern music festival, drafting the blueprint for genre-hopping lineups that place equal emphasis on fads and classics. Ever since the inaugural two-day celebration in 1999, Coachella has been imitated, expanded, and replicated, all to various degrees of success. Why did the Southern Californian festival have such an impact? It’s combination of desert destination and clever curation has kept Coachella at the epicenter of pop culture for over two decades. With the 2023 iteration of the festival under way—this year headlined by Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean, er, Blink-182—it’s a good time to look back at the sets that defined Coachella in the public imagination.

30. LCD Soundsystem (2007)

LCD Soundsystem are mainstays of Coachella, appearing four times since 2004. Of these, the most legendary is the second time they played the festival. It was in 2007, just weeks after they released Sound Of Silver, their second album and the record that’s roundly considered their masterpiece. Armed with this dynamic new album and hits that already seemed like classics, the group ruled the Sahara tent, prompting the packed crowd to dance with abandon.