Fall 2015 brought an impressive lineup of concerts and tours, featuring legendary performers, major pop stars, indie favorites, hip-hop heavyweights, and some highly anticipated reunions.
25. Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder continued his Songs in the Key of Life celebration with an extended North American run. The tour offered fans a chance to experience one of his most celebrated albums performed live.
Tour period: September–November 2015 | Highlight: Madison Square Garden, New York
24. FIDLAR
Los Angeles punk-rockers FIDLAR brought their famously chaotic live energy to North America and Europe. With songs from Too, the shows promised loud crowds, sing-alongs, and plenty of mosh-pit action.
Tour period: September–November 2015 | Highlights: New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris
23. Ride
After reuniting following nearly two decades apart, shoegaze pioneers Ride embarked on a major international tour. Their return gave fans an opportunity to hear the band's influential classics live again.
Tour period: September–November 2015 | Highlights: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle
22. Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo toured behind Stuff Like That There, with original guitarist Dave Schramm returning to the lineup. The run included performances across North America, Europe and Japan.
Tour period: September–December 2015 | Highlights: Brooklyn, Chicago, London and Tokyo
21. HEALTH
HEALTH supported Death Magic with a tour showcasing their trademark intensity alongside the album's bigger hooks and more accessible sound.
Tour period: October–December 2015 | Highlights: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and London
20. Tobias Jesso Jr. with Wet
Tobias Jesso Jr. took his intimate piano-driven songs from Goon on the road, joined by Wet for much of the North American leg before continuing through Europe.
Tour period: September–December 2015 | Highlights: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and London
19. Titus Andronicus
Titus Andronicus celebrated their 10th anniversary with an ambitious tour supporting the sprawling rock opera The Most Lamentable Tragedy. Their famously energetic performances made this one of the season's essential rock tours.
Tour period: September–November 2015 | Highlights: Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and London
18. Garbage with Torres
Garbage celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut album with the 20 Years Queer Tour. Torres joined the band for the highly anticipated anniversary run.
Tour period: October–November 2015 | Highlights: Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Paris and London
17. Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle continued his return to live performance with a series of comedy shows across the United States. His unique perspective and long-awaited appearances made the tour a major attraction.
Tour period: September–October 2015 | Highlights: Red Rocks, New York and several Northeast cities
16. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
The Canadian post-rock collective brought their immersive live performances to North America and Europe. Their combination of expansive music and projected visuals made the concerts especially distinctive.
Tour period: September–November 2015 | Highlights: New York, Philadelphia, London, Paris and Berlin
15. Beach House
Beach House toured behind Depression Cherry, bringing their atmospheric dream-pop sound to venues across North America and Europe. The tour later returned to the United States for a series of West Coast performances.
Tour period: September–December 2015 | Highlights: New York, London, Los Angeles and San Francisco
14. Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens continued touring behind Carrie & Lowell, delivering intimate and emotionally powerful performances built around the album's deeply personal material.
Tour period: September–November 2015 | Highlights: Berlin, New York, Atlanta and Nashville
13. Neil Young & Promise of the Real
Neil Young continued his touring run with Promise of the Real, mixing material from The Monsanto Years with classics from across his extensive catalog. His unpredictable setlists remained a major attraction.
Tour period: September–October 2015 | Highlights: Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco
12. Beirut with Julia Holter
Beirut toured behind No No No, offering a new live interpretation of the band's evolving sound. Julia Holter joined select dates, adding another compelling reason to attend.
Tour period: September–November 2015 | Highlights: New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Toronto
11. Kurt Vile
Kurt Vile toured in support of b’lieve i’m goin down…, bringing his laid-back indie-rock style to North America and Europe. Waxahatchee, Cass McCombs and other artists joined portions of the tour.
Tour period: October–November 2015 | Highlights: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London and Paris
10. Grimes with Nicole Dollanganger
Grimes' Rhinestone Cowgirls Tour was one of the season's most anticipated electronic-pop runs. The tour featured Nicole Dollanganger on select dates and previewed material surrounding Grimes' highly anticipated new music.
Tour period: October–November 2015 | Highlights: Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Chicago
9. Duran Duran
Duran Duran returned with new music and a major touring schedule. The new-wave icons combined their classic hits with material from their upcoming album and brought the tour to North America and the UK.
Tour period: September–December 2015 | Highlights: Red Rocks, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London
8. A$AP Rocky & Tyler, the Creator
A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator teamed up for a major hip-hop tour featuring Danny Brown and Vince Staples. The lineup brought together four of the most distinctive voices in contemporary rap.
Tour period: September–November 2015 | Highlights: New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco
7. Deerhunter with Atlas Sound
Bradford Cox appeared in two forms on this tour, opening with Atlas Sound before performing with Deerhunter. The tour supported Deerhunter's Fading Frontier and covered North America and Europe.
Tour period: October 2015–January 2016 | Highlights: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, London and Berlin
6. Chance the Rapper
Chance the Rapper brought his energetic live show on the Family Matters tour, joined by D.R.A.M., Metro Boomin and Towkio on the club-focused run.
Tour period: October–November 2015 | Highlights: Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Denver and Los Angeles
5. Florence and the Machine
Florence Welch and Florence and the Machine continued touring behind How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. After a strong festival season, the band brought its powerful live production to North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
Tour period: September–December 2015 | Highlights: London, Los Angeles, New York, Sydney and Paris
4. The Weeknd
The Weeknd's rise continued with the Beauty Behind the Madness tour. With major hits including "Can't Feel My Face" and "Earned It," the singer made the jump to larger arenas across North America.
Tour period: November–December 2015 | Highlights: Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Miami
3. Dead & Company
Dead & Company brought together Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and the band's drummers with John Mayer for a new chapter in the group's history. The tour gave fans another opportunity to hear the Dead's legendary songs performed live.
Tour period: October–December 2015 | Highlights: New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles
2. Disclosure
Disclosure returned with Caracal, bringing their electronic-pop sound to major venues across the United States and the UK. The album's impressive list of collaborators added even more anticipation to the live shows.
Tour period: September–October 2015 | Highlights: London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York
1. Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson's Unbreakable World Tour was arguably the biggest comeback tour of fall 2015. Her first major concert run since 2011 supported her first new album in seven years and extended well into 2016.
The ambitious schedule included major arenas across the United States and Canada, giving longtime fans a chance to see one of pop's most influential performers return to the stage.
Tour period: August 2015–2016 | Highlights: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C.
From Janet Jackson's major comeback and Dead & Company's debut to reunions from Ride and massive tours from The Weeknd, Florence and the Machine, and Disclosure, fall 2015 delivered one of the strongest concert seasons of the year.
