The best acts at Lollapalooza by year

In the festival's inaugural year, this fun little experiment ran into obstacles and the expected growing pains such a fest invites. Jane's Addiction, getting closer to breaking up with each passing date, would occasionally get into fights, and Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor often got upset about sound issues, sometimes cutting his set short after just two songs. While Siouxsie and the Banshees were seasoned vets at this point and Living Colour firestarters, Ice T, debuting his hard rock side project, was perhaps one of the most surprising and relentless sets on the ground. His hybrid sound soon set the festival up for years of cross-genre pollination and crowds that were ready to mosh hard in response.

It's hard to beat the Red Hot Chili Peppers in terms of stage antics (especially this early, where Flea wore little in terms of clothes just as Anthony Kiedis went through multiple costume changes), but Pearl Jam at this early highpoint in its career was virtually unstoppable. While all three guitarists paced the stage with wild energy, their antics pushed frontman Eddie Vedder to absolute extremes. He would wail, entertain the female fans when they tried to crawl onto stage and climb the venue scaffolding to positively scary heights. Anything for a good show, right?

While Rage Against the Machine railed against Lollapalooza's merch pricing strategies despite being on the bill (they infamously didn't sell merch during this run) and Fishbone laid claim to a giant mechanical fish skeleton as a great prop, the real winner here was Arrested Development, riding high on a litany of Top 10 hits and bringing a show that was filled with choreographed dancers and an optimistic, peaceful energy that served in stark contrast to other acts on the lineup like (the still excellent) Tool.

While you shouldn't count out the lineup that was taking over the increasingly prominent Side Stage (where The Flaming Lips, Verve, and The Pharcyde all stood out), the headliners still drew the biggest crowds on the tour's fourth outing. The Beastie Boys had live percussion during their songs and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds delivered even if they admitted in interviews that their labels were pushing them to join this Lolla. The Smashing Pumpkins may have headlined, but the raucous, costume-filled party extravaganza that was George Clinton running through a mess of Parliament and Funkadelic classics was all anyone needed to have a good time.

It's somewhat strange to think now, but back in 1995, Sinéad O'Connor was a huge deal and beloved by many of the hard rock bands on this lineup. (They found her voice enchanting.) Yet O'Connor made headlines when she dropped out after a few dates due to pregnancy. Elastica served as a suitable replacement, and although the presence of Sonic Youth, Hole, Pavement, and an energetic Cypress Hill made for a decibel-peaking run this time out, it was the quirky staging and do-anything attitude of Beck that truly made him shine, with milkman costumes and his neck harmonica really highlighting what this whole "alternative" thing was about.

Over two decades ago, what the idea of Metallica headlining a festival meant for "alternative music" was nothing short of sacrilege. With a bill that featured so many flavors of rock music (Soundgarden, Rancid, the friggin' Ramones), Metallica's inclusion made some hardcore Lolla fans feel like the festival had lost its way. These gripes didn't faze Metallica one bit, however, as the thrash kings put on consistently fiery, lightning-intense sets that pummeled the crowd and left them wanting more. While their '90s albums remain a point of contention with fans, their live performances more than made up for any misgivings.

Oh yes: the "electronica" year. While the festival tried to change as the very genre of "alternative music" (however you want to define that) did, this was the year when the organizers put a few too many chips on those upstart dance-and-rock hybrid acts that most of us aren't talking about today (The Prodigy, Trick, both The Orb and Orbital). With KoRn dropping out part way through the run and side-stage joys like Old 97's and the short-lived Radish picking up some slack, it was Tool's return to Lolla that really left a mark. Their earlier 1993 set was focused and intense, but this time out they aimed for the theatrical, with elaborate lighting and backdrops telling their art-metal story. Some would argue it was the only reason to go this year.

With Jane's Addiction reforming once again, Lollapalooza came right back with them. Resetting with a hard rock focus, this lineup featured a litany of all-time classic performers like Chris Cornell and Maynard James Kennan coming back with new bands Audioslave and A Perfect Circle (respectively). Incubus may have the abs and Jane's new songs might be a bit poppier than most, but a seasoned pro like Cornell is hard to keep down. With his voice stretching a bit thin on some dates, Audioslave nonetheless delivered night after night, the band finding its chemistry and even trying out new songs that weren't on its still new-ish debut album. Even with this, ticket sales were lower than previous Lollas. It was profitable but not by the margin Farrell and Co. would've liked.

With all the festival gears in motion, Farrell had his eyes on expansion, envisioning the 2004 outing not as a single-day festival experience but a double-day event at each stop. As exciting a prospect as it was — imagine going to a place where you can see Morrissey, PJ Harvey, The Polyphonic Spree, Modest Mouse, and The Coup all in one place. Instead, due to the cancellation, a lot of the lined-up acts booked individual sets at surrounding venues for the tour dates, forcing fans to unfortunately choose seeing maybe one act instead of a bunch together.

Now finally in its new permanent home of Grant Park in Chicago, this three-day festival offered a litany of striking, in-the-moment groups that were experiencing their first tastes of true stardom (even in the middle of a blistering Chicago heat wave). While Weezer and Widespread Panic played very different sets and rap was largely underrepresented this year, the beloved indie darlings Arcade Fire proved very much why they were considered one of the breakthrough live bands of their generation, using little in the way of elaborate sets or props to keep audiences interested. They just had their string-laden anthems of ennui and a chemistry that was infectious, blowing every other band out of the water. (Even when they headlined several years later, they weren't able to quite capture the fury they had here.)

With Grant Park now the home base for Lolla, the festival got a lot more comfortable with its surroundings, expanding the lineup to include audacious choices like Lady Sovereign, The Reverend Horton Heat, and even friggin' Blues Traveler. Lots of Chicago natives stopped by (Wilco, Common), and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were riding high off the success of their double album "Stadium Arcadium." But it was Kanye West who took the showmanship to absolute theatrical levels. His massive catalog of hits, even-back-then-notorious on-stage rants and guest appearances by the likes of Lupe Fiasco and Twista made Kanye's appearance so notable that he headlined Lolla again only two years later.

Let's all remember that one of the stages this year was the MySpace stage. Good times, but we digress. Although a rainy Saturday depressed some turnout, there was a litany of amazing acts this year, several of which later went on to become headliners in their own right. Yes, that's a pre-"Fame" Lady Gaga performing with Lady Starlight. Boy, that LCD Soundsystem sounds great, right? Yet even with a headlining slot from Muse, a live appearance by Amy Winehouse, and a fiery set by Femi Kuti, let's call this year for what it is: Daft Punk, at their pyramid, mixing up their own hits in surprising, funky and wonderful new ways. Iconic.

In truth, this might very well be the hardest year to determine a top dog. Remember, not all sets have to win you over with stage pyrotechnics, and Wilco playing elongated jams like "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" is nothing short of daring. Plus you have an amped-up Jack White leading The Raconteurs during their second appearance, Nine Inch Nails bringing industrial-pop realness, Battles proving to be a genuine live force and both Radiohead and Kanye West delivering epic deep dives into their catalogs with spectacular staging to boot. Coming out the victor, however, is a reunited Rage Against the Machine. Pointed, ferocious and featuring one of the most lively shout-back-every-word crowds that Lolla has ever seen, the chemistry between RATM and their fans was absolutely dynamite, leaving everyone in Grant Park absolutely breathless.

There were so many new and prominent names featured in this lineup (Kings of Leon! Tool again! The Killers ... also again!), and the 2009 edition of the festival seemed bent toward a specific kind of nostalgia, with Depeche Mode headlining along with an again-reunited Jane's Addiction. Lou Reed, unfortunately, disappointed with his mere eight-song set on the Budweiser Stage, which one day prior hosted an absolutely explosive TV On the Radio. Furious guitar strums, shoutable vocal hooks, live horns — it all made for a dynamite package from a band performing at the peak of its powers.

Prior to going international, the 2010 lineup might go down as the most diverse in Lolla's history. From Erykah Badu (sporting a killer mohawk) to Spoon to a reunited Soundgarden and upgraded Gogol Bordello (having come off a killer set two years prior) to Jimmy Cliff to The XX to AFI, there truly was something for everyone this year. And while Green Day never fails to bring thrills to its live shows, it was former 2007 side-stage performer Lady Gaga who brought the kind of pop excess that Lollapalooza was designed for, with sparkler bras and standing piano interpretations and dancers galore rounding out a spectacle that was truly, unabashedly Gaga.

This was the year when Lollapalooza went international, setting up a new yearly tradition of satellite festivals in Chile and later Brazil, Berlin and Argentina. While there are numerous expert acts of note across all of those festivals, we're keeping our eyes on the U.S. edition still, and for this year, the big go-to ticket was Eminem. He...performed admirably but also did a lot of medleys or shortened versions of his biggest hits, leaving some disappointed. Muse, Coldplay, Bright Eyes, Damian Marley & Nas: The selection was there, but as it started to rain on Sunday night, Dave Grohl was determined to power through and gave an energetic, hits-filled and alarmingly fun performance of the entire Foo Fighters catalog. It was worth getting soaked for.

Another year, another series of sets cut short due to severe weather. It was unfortunate for The Temper Trap, Alabama Shakes and Neon Indian to not perform. But this was more than made up for with headlining sets by Justice, Avicii, and Black Sabbath. In terms of the standout performer, there's a heavy case to be made for Jack White's first outing as a solo artist this time around, with his clockwork band helping give life to songs new and familiar. Yet Florence Welch is a dynamite force to be reckoned with, rocking out with a harpist on stage, getting the crowd to jump all in unison and rendering the entire crowd of people virtually pindrop silent during the dramatic climax of "Leave My Body."

Oh hey, The Killers are back...again. So is Phoenix. So is The National, Local Natives, and Queens of the Stone Age. As time went on, a lot of familiar faces — perhaps some that just had great reputations with the organizers — wound up coming back to hit the Lollapalooza grounds again, which is why we're amazed Pearl Jam or Chris Cornell wasn't performing in some iteration this year. It was fun to see Ben Gibbard's Postal Service live (and Gibbard even getting behind the drum kit at one point), and The Cure gave nothing if not a consistent set. But this was the year to shine for another Lolla vet: Nine Inch Nails. With a simple-yet-effective stage setup, the show started with Trent Reznor and a single keypad and soon expanded, "Stop Making Sense"-style, to include a full, thundering band. Reznor was angry but pointed, sharp but always entertaining.

Man, this one should've been a no-brainer. Yet unfortunately for the fans, OutKast's reunion tour truly did feel like a cash-grab. Big Boi gave it his all (he always does), but Andre 3000 gave what could best be summarized as a half-effort. At times he's smiling, at times he's into it, but his energy varied from song-to-song, and also he wore a giant "Sold" price tag on his costume. Eminem and the Arctic Monkeys returned for headlining spots, while prime non-Perry's Stage positions were given to massive EDM artists Calvin Harris and Skrillex. Ironically, the best set of the year came from a Perry's Stage performer: Chance the Rapper. He closed out Sunday night with backup singers, horns and an unflappable energy and undeniable stage presence. Even then, you could tell this Chicago native was going places.

This is perhaps best known as The Year of the Upgrade, where highlight performers from previous years — The Weeknd, Florence + The Machine, TV On the Radio — were all upgraded to notable night-closing slots at their respective stages. Metallica was back once again and The Weeknd did his best to figure out how to perform like the superstar he now was. But it's hard to beat a classic. Paul McCartney could do a two-hour show like Lollapalooza and still have energy to spare. He expectedly ran through his vast catalog of hits, switching from bass to guitar to piano with ease. Yet it was his unbelievably talented backing band members who managed to make Sir Paul sound like he was backed by a full orchestra at times. Closing out by having all of Grant Park sing along to "Hey Jude?" You knew it had to happen.

Feeling ever-so-ambitious with this tried-and-true formula, the Lollapalooza organizers decided to stretch their ambition even further, gunning for a full four days of performances this year in Chicago. The gambit paid off, as they've been doing it this way ever since, but it didn't hurt that they were able to cram that many more performers in this year, from Future to Leon Bridges to Ellie Goulding to Die Antwoord. The 1975 surprised with their energy while Disclosure played it too much by the books, to say nothing of Major Lazer's sound problems. Yet lording above all was returning champion Radiohead, who played an expertly crafted set of deep cuts, fan favorites, and well-curated selections from "A Moon Shaped Pool." When the opening chimes of "No Surprises" started, everyone was shocked and elated in equal measure.

Holy moly, we're getting a bit exhausted here. The Killers headline yet again. Arcade Fire? Again they're headliners. Muse? You got that right: they're headliners. Some were a bit displeased with the recycled top names this year, and some sets got closed out on Thursday due to rain and lightning (especially Lorde, who was just about to launch into an unheard song before she had to cut her set down to four songs). Migos started an appalling 40 minutes late and Liam Gallagher cut his set short due to ego. Thankfully, Chance the Rapper once again delivered a soaring rendition of hits, but leave it to Run The Jewels, the rapping duo of El-P and Killer Mike, to come out to "We Are the Champions," treat every song like it's their biggest hit, and even bring a fan up on stage to rap "Legend Has It." It was a late afternoon slot but they made it feel like they were the biggest group in the world.