Atlantic Records 40th anniversary
A 13-hour concert celebrating Atlantic Records' 40-year history.
The Atlantic Records 40th anniversary was a concert held on May 14, 1988, at Madison Square Garden in New York, celebrating the label's four decades of operation. The event, dubbed "It's Only Rock And Roll," featured a non-stop performance lasting almost 13 hours, from noon to shortly before 1 am the following morning, with only artists who had released material on the Atlantic label in the United States.
- Date
- May 14, 1988
- Venue
- Madison Square Garden, New York
- Duration
- Almost 13 hours (noon to shortly before 1 am)
- Event name
- It's Only Rock And Roll
- Broadcast us
- FM radio and HBO television (live); ABC (edited version later that year)
- Broadcast uk
- BBC Two over four weeks as hour-long episodes
Lore & Background
The concert featured a wide range of Atlantic artists, from Lavern Baker and Ruth Brown, the longest tenured acts, to Debbie Gibson, the most recent. Several groups that had split up or not performed together for years re-formed for the event, including The Rascals, Iron Butterfly, and the former members of Led Zeppelin. Other notable performers included Yes, Genesis, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Foreigner, Bee Gees, and many others.
Reader's Guide
The Atlantic Records 40th anniversary concert was a landmark event that brought together artists spanning the label's entire existence. The former members of Led Zeppelin closed the show, performing without rehearsal. The concert was broadcast live in the US on FM radio and HBO, with an edited version airing later on ABC. In the UK, BBC Two aired the event over four weeks. A video release, "Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary: It's Only Rock 'n' Roll," intercut concert footage with older archival material. The event highlighted the label's diverse roster and its impact on rock, soul, and pop music over four decades.
Did You Know?
- The former members of Led Zeppelin performed as the last act, with Jason Bonham on drums.
- HBO's live broadcast began a few hours into the event and interspersed earlier taped footage.
- Banners heralding the Led Zeppelin reunion were taken down before HBO's live feed.
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