LED ZEPPELIN, RUSH, AC/DC, VAN HALEN, IRON MAIDEN, And More - Top 10 Tours In Which The Opener Gave The Headliner A Run For Their Money

Greg Prato, reporting for Ultimate-Guitar.com: "Back in the good ol' days, a golden opportunity for an up-and-coming rock act to be introduced to a wider audience was to tour with an already-established arena headliner. However, there were several instances where it was widely stated by concert attendees - or in the press - that a young and hungry opener eclipsed (or at the very least, met the challenge) of the headliner. Here is an excerpt from my latest book, "50 Rock Lists + Surprise Twists", in which I listed/analyzed a few of the most famous/infamous...

Led Zeppelin (opener)/Vanilla Fudge (headliner): 1968

By the close of 1968, Vanilla Fudge was still riding high with their hit psychedelic-rock remake of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and able to headline arenas. Who would have thought that the obscure British band invited to open a week's worth of dates (and had yet to issue an album) would soon be one of the most in-demand rock bands and concert attractions just a short while later? Of course, I'm talking about Led Zeppelin – who had just stopped going by the name "the New Yardbirds" a short while before (to show just how early in their career they were) but were already wowing audiences with renditions of such soon-to-be classic tunes as "Dazed and Confused," "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You," and "How Many More Times." No contest.

Rush (opener)/KISS (headliner): 1974 and 1975

It was virtually impossible to blow KISS off the stage circa the early to mid-'70s (when audiences were left gobsmacked after experiencing their over-the-top stageshow, back before word got out). But with drummer Neil Peart having just solidified the classic Lee-Lifeson-Peart line-up – and touring in support of such early classics as their Zep-like self-titled debut, Fly By Night, and Caress Of Steel – the Canadian trio were probably one of KISS' few opening acts from this era that held their own. And this was thanks in part to their extraordinary instrumental chops while rocking the heaviest tunes of their entire career on stage ("Working Man," "Anthem," "By-Tor and the Snow Dog," etc.).

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