For most artists, performing at Madison Square Garden even once in their lifetime can be considered the pinnacle of success. But a very lucky and talented few have graced the famous stage dozens and, in some rare cases, more than a hundred times. Today, we’re counting down the top 10 artists who have performed the most times at Madison Square Garden.
A Brief History of the Garden
First, a little history. Madison Square Garden (MSG for short) as we know it in modern times has hosted concerts, sporting events and other performances since the 1960s.
But the first iteration of MSG dates back to 1874. It was created by none other than P.T. Barnum (yes, the same one of famous circus lore). He converted the New York and Harlem Railroad Station into an open-air arena he called the .Great Roman Hippodrome.
In 1979 he sold his creation to William Vanderbilt, who renamed the building Madison Square Garden. This building and various other versions of MSG were built and demolished, several times, changing location, and architectural style every time.
The current iteration we enjoy today opened in 1968, and is the subject of all the concerts and records to be discussed.
#10: Neil Diamond
Coming in at 10th place is Neil Diamond who has performed at MSG 28 times.
Arguably his most famous performance was a four night sold-out run at the arena in August of 2008. The shows were filmed and released as a live album with accompanying in video titled as Hot August Night/NYC. It was all part of a massive world tour that same year. This particular performance features a career-spanning collection of hits such as “Solitary Man,” “Cracklin’ Rosie” and “Sweet Caroline.”
#9: Rod Stewart
In the number 9 slot is none other than Rod Stewart, having played 32 times at Madison Square Garden. For Stewart himself, it seems his favorite performance occurred during a two-show run on November 27th and 28th of 1981. He recently posted some photos from the concert on Facebook, writing, “What a night to remember! Here’s to the music, the memories, and one hell of a show. Were you there?”
This particular run of shows consisted of a string of hits including. “Maggie May,” “Little Queenie” and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
A New York Times review of the show published a few days after seemed mixed saying the “pacing of his show was a little off.” But remarking, “Tune for tune, his two-hour set was consistently impressive.
One other memorable show of Stewart’s at MSG includes his “Heart & Soul Tour” in 2011, in which he performed with Stevie Nicks.
#8: Madonna
The Queen of Pop has performed at MSG a total of 35 times over the years. Madonna has deep roots in NY, getting her famed start at the iconic Danceteria in the ’80s after initially arriving in NYC when she was 19 years old with $35 in her pocket. As a result, playing in New York always is a homecoming of sorts and she frequently sells out the stadium.
Madonna most recently performed 3 shows in a row at MSG in the beginning of 2024 as part of her Celebration tour with a performance spanning decades of hits.
Perhaps Madonna’s most iconic performance was her final show of The Virgin Tour which was held at MSG on June 11, 1985 and was a sold out show.
#7: The Who
Who is at Madison Square Garden You Ask? Yes, I reply. (Excuse the Abbot & Costello style pun)
The Who has performed at MSG 36 times over the decades.
One of their most famous shows at the Garden occurred at The Concert for New York City in 2001, a benefit concert following the 9/11 attacks. The concert was was organized by Paul McCartney and featured a massive list of musicians including David Bowie, Destiny’s Child and Bon Jovi ,among others
Although the Who’s set was less than 30 minutes, performances of hits like “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” were particularly moving.
Forbes Magazine, hailed this particular performance “The night The Who saved New York.”
#6: Eric Clapton
Clocking in at #6 is Eric Clapton, who has performed a whopping 39 times at MSG. Perhaps his most legendary performance was on June 30th ,1999. Here, Clapton hosted his first ever Crossroads concert.
This concert served as a fundraiser for Crossroads Centre Antigua, a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation clinic founded by Clapton himself. This in many ways could be considered the impetus for his Crossroads Music Festival which started in 2004 and has grown into a massive recurring event in the years since.
This particular MSG show was over 3 hours long and featured a variety of guest stars including Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan and Mary J Blige.The show featured hits from all artists involved and concluded with an encore performance of “Bright Lights, Big City,” a popular blues cover, originally by Jimmy Reed.
The concert ran a little over three hours and was filmed for home video release and for television broadcast. The performance of “Layla” at this concert has amassed over 160 million views on Youtube and for good reason.
#5 Bruce Springsteen
The fifth slot on this list goes to “The Boss” himself, Bruce Springsteen, who has performed 50 times at MSG. Springsteen’s success started in the small New York club, the Bottom Line and since then New York City has remained a special place for the band.
Springsteen first performed at the Garden opening for Chicago in 1973. Springsteen has since graced the stage dozens of times on tour, as well as for special events like the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies and benefit concerts such as The Concert for Sandy Relief.
For the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, Springsteen performed a variety of popular covers with their original performers including “Fortunate Son” and “Proud Mary” with John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Soul Man” with Sam Moore, and “Da Doo Ron Ron” with Darlene Love. The event was filmed for an HBO special.
Another historic performance was recorded for Springsteen’s Live From New York City album, a series of concerts on June 29 and July 1, 2000. These were the final two shows in the Band’s ten-show tour-ending run at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Aside from highlighting a range of Springsteen’s hits, the performances are absolutely electric and heartfelt throughout.
#4: The Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead is one of two prominent jam bands to be in the upper echelons of Madison Square Garden history. With 52 shows under their belt, the Dead are no strangers to MSG.
January 7th and 8th of 1979 marked the band’s first performance at the venue and included classics such as “Eyes of the World” and “Scarlet Begonias” into “Fire on the Mountain.”
A fun fact: the Dead performed on September 20th at MSG, five separate times in ’82, ’87, ’88, ’90, and ’93. On July 5th 1991, they had Branford Marsalis join them on stage for the entire concert. Another interesting tidbit: the band’s current iteration Dead & Co, played their first-ever multi-night run as a band at MSG for Halloween 2015.
In recognition of their impressive track record at the venue, the Dead were inducted into the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame in 2015.
#3: Elton John
While he used to hold record for the 2nd most amount of performances, Elton John now finds himself in the #3 spot with a nevertheless impressive 80 shows under his belt at MSG.
Unfortunately, John’s most memorable performance at MSG is bittersweet. On Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1974, he performed at the Garden with John Lennon.
The two had recently released a song together called “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night.” Elton John was far more enthusiastic about the song’s prospects, sparking a bet between him and the famed Beatle. Lennon promised to appear live with Elton if the song made No.1 in the US., which it did. So the two performed their song together at MSG along with “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” It was a sold-out crowd of around 20,000 people.
Unfortunately, this would be Lennon’s last-ever live show appearance. Lennon did very few live shows in this era and was killed a few years later in 1980, making this concert a particularly poignant and historical affair in hindsight.
#2: Phish
In 2023, Phish surpassed Elton John to claim the silver spot at MSG with a total of 87 shows played. Phish made their MSG debut on December 30, 1994. Since then the band has continued to boast a memorable number of New Year’s Eve shows.
Fans widely regarded the 12/31/95 New Year’s show as Phish’s best performance at the venue. The show featured some of their most electric renditions of their original material as well as some mind-bending covers warped in typical Phish style. At this show, the band interweaved the Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain” to pay tribute to a band that had sold out six shows at the Garden just 14 months prior.
In the summer of 2017, Phish advertised a string of 13 consecutive shows at MSG called the Baker’s Dozen. In true jam band fashion, the band was committed to not repeating any songs throughout the series. The Baker’s Dozen series played off its name with each night being themed after a different donut flavor, where fans were encouraged to embrace each night with fitting attire and festivities.
#1: Billy Joel
It should come to no surprise that Billy Joel holds the #1 spot at Madison Square Garden … In fact it’s not even close. In total, Billy Joel has played at the Garden 150 times.
For over a decade, Joel hosted a monthly residency at the Garden which started back in 2014 and was briefly halted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Over those 10 years, he brought innumerable stars to join him on stage including everyone from Sting, Elvis Costello, Tony Bennett and Paul Simon to Miley Cyrus and Olivia Rodrigo.
In July of 2015, Joel officially surpassed Phish and Elton John for the most live performances at MSG.
With so many shows under his belt, it’s hard to choose the most memorable one.
It all started with his first show was December 14, 1978 and you can listen to the audio from that concert below.
His last show of his 10-year residency, which also marked his 150th MSG performance, is definitely one for the record books. This final show was held on July 25, 2024 and featured guest performer Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses who joined Joel for performances of “Live and Let Die” and “Highway to Hell.”
It’s unclear if Joel’s record will ever be beaten … It seems unlikely, but only time will tell.
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