2025 Headliners

[Nobody Interesting]

12 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

I'm not sure quoting gigs he did nearly 30 years ago is relevant. 

 

I'd argue that Spotify streaming figures are a more relevant metric in this day and age. Cat Stevens dwarves Neil Young in that regard.

 

Maybe part of that is because Cat Stevens played GF and it was televised bringing him into the minds of people who then went and listened to more?

[Justcalledtosay]

I’m sure there are reasons for it but it’s just an example of why I think Neil Young is more suited to the legend slot in this day and age.

[gfa]

9 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

No not really. It's just the most objectively available set of statistics to judge popularity. I get you're a big Neil Young fan but my argument stands. I'd also note that the BST show was a co-headline with Bob Dylan who, very clearly, was the draw that day.

Its really not.

 

Spotify stats are an awful measure - thought we were universally agreed on that by now here!

[henry bear]

17 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

I'd also note that the BST show was a co-headline with Bob Dylan who, very clearly, was the draw that day.

The big draw was the opportunity to see two legends on the same bill. I don't think NY would have too much trouble doing BST by himself

[henry bear]

10 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

I’m sure there are reasons for it but it’s just an example of why I think Neil Young is more suited to the legend slot in this day and age.

He is definitely a legend, but his heavy jams are not suited for the pop-orientated sing-along feelgood Sunday Legend slot

[Justcalledtosay]

11 minutes ago, gfa said:

Its really not.

 

Spotify stats are an awful measure - thought we were universally agreed on that by now here!

Clearly they've got to be used in conjunction with other information but these figures aren't fake or made up. Used in isolation i'd agree. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

4 minutes ago, henry bear said:

He is definitely a legend, but his heavy jams are not suited for the pop-orientated sing-along feelgood Sunday Legend slot

 

Indeed.  The festival dragged their feet on officially referring to it as the Legend Slot and they probably shouldnt have.  Even this year's announcement of Rod emphasises it as the Teatime Legend.

 

[Jamm]

I fear the “is Neil Young big enough to headline Glastonbury” argument will never end.

 

Yes, he is.

[MEGABOWL]

23 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

I’m sure there are reasons for it but it’s just an example of why I think Neil Young is more suited to the legend slot in this day and age.

I think he’d be a poor choice for the Legend slot. No guarantee he’ll play anything anyone knows and almost no cabaret banter.

[CaledonianGonzo]

1 minute ago, MEGABOWL said:

I think he’d be a poor choice for the Legend slot. No guarantee he’ll play anything anyone knows and almost no cabaret banter.

 

Security guards would need to go into training now for flashmobbing to a 20 minute long version of f**king Up.

[Stokesy10]

So is Fender pretty much definitely out of the question now? 

 

Is the news on 1975 pretty solid and now it's just a waiting game until they're announced?

 

Would love an absolute bolt from the blue and Gaga gets announced, but I realise there's more chance of plaiting piss.

[Punksnotdead]

54 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

No not really. It's just the most objectively available set of statistics to judge popularity. I get you're a big Neil Young fan but my argument stands. I'd also note that the BST show was a co-headline with Bob Dylan who, very clearly, was the draw that day.

I was there and judging by the huge number of people (including me) who were walking out during Dylan's pretty awful set, I'd say Neil Young was the bigger draw!

[jjgnorkett]

1 hour ago, Justcalledtosay said:

No not really. It's just the most objectively available set of statistics to judge popularity. I get you're a big Neil Young fan but my argument stands. I'd also note that the BST show was a co-headline with Bob Dylan who, very clearly, was the draw that day.

Bob Dylan was clearly the draw that day - what's that based on? Two of my top three artists ever, equal love for both of them but I was there that day and asked plenty of people in the crowd who they were there fo, 90% said Neil

Edited yesterday at 11:44 AM by jjgnorkett
punctuation

[Tfarm]

1 hour ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Of course it isn't. How can cultural relevance be defined objectively?

 

There is very little between them according to https://bestsellingalbums.org 28 million for Neil Young and 23 million for Cat Stevens. As per the original discussion, they are similar sized artists both suited to the legends slot only, in my opinion.

 

According to our AI overlord,

 

Based on UK chart performance and public recognition, Cat Stevens appears to have been more consistently popular in the UK compared to Neil Young, particularly during the peak of his career in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Key Factors:

Albums:

• Cat Stevens has had multiple albums reach the UK Top 10, including Catch Bull at Four (#1) and Teaser and the Firecat (#2).
• Neil Young’s only UK #1 album was Harvest, though he has had consistent entries into the UK charts.

Singles:

• Cat Stevens achieved several UK Top 10 singles, including "Matthew and Son" (#2) and "Morning Has Broken" (#9). These singles had widespread appeal and chart success in the UK.
• Neil Young’s only UK Top 10 single was "Heart of Gold" (#10), highlighting his lesser impact on UK singles charts compared to Stevens.

Cultural Influence:

• Cat Stevens, born in London, has a strong cultural connection to the UK. His music resonates with themes and styles that were particularly popular among UK audiences during the 60s and 70s.
• Neil Young, though globally iconic, is more closely associated with the North American market. His UK fan base has grown over time but was less dominant during his peak years.

Conclusion:

In terms of chart success and cultural prominence in the UK, Cat Stevens is arguably more popular, especially during the height of his career. Neil Young remains a highly respected artist but is more of a niche figure compared to Stevens' widespread appeal in the UK.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Definitely worth evaporating a swimming pool's worth of water to get that response.

[Avalon_Fields]

In my view, if the festival is to have one oldie headliner then Neil Young is one of the very few of sufficient status that’s available and who’ve not played recently (Stevie Wonder is another but they’ve tried to get him by all accounts). I do believe having one heritage act as headliner is a good thing! 

[richarddep]

47 minutes ago, Stokesy10 said:

So is Fender pretty much definitely out of the question now? 

 

Is the news on 1975 pretty solid and now it's just a waiting game until they're announced?

 

Would love an absolute bolt from the blue and Gaga gets announced, but I realise there's more chance of plaiting piss.

This - is there precedent for headliners coming completely out of the blue that people aren't aware of?

I'm pretty easy going but 1975 - NY - O-Rod seems pretty weak for me. Would love a party starter like Gaga, Eminem, Rihanna to add some real weight to the selection..!

[judyblue110]

1 hour ago, Justcalledtosay said:

No not really. It's just the most objectively available set of statistics to judge popularity. I get you're a big Neil Young fan but my argument stands. I'd also note that the BST show was a co-headline with Bob Dylan who, very clearly, was the draw that day.

 

I'm a big Yusuf fan too, I don't see your point. I have no bias to Neil, nor any musician - I love music full stop (well, mostly).

 

Great straw grasping with BST though!

[CaledonianGonzo]

29 minutes ago, Avalon_Fields said:

In my view, if the festival is to have one oldie headliner then Neil Young is one of the very few of sufficient status that’s available and who’ve not played recently (Stevie Wonder is another but they’ve tried to get him by all accounts). I do believe having one heritage act as headliner is a good thing! 

 

Shakey brings balance

[CaledonianGonzo]

5 minutes ago, richarddep said:

This - is there precedent for headliners coming completely out of the blue that people aren't aware of?

I'm pretty easy going but 1975 - NY - O-Rod seems pretty weak for me. Would love a party starter like Gaga, Eminem, Rihanna to add some real weight to the selection..!

 

You would have seen it happen if Neil Young had dropped out.

 

Though replacements are even further from being first choice, so a genuine improvement is almost unheard of.  If they had Gaga or Rihanna up their sleeves they wouldn't have been in touch with Matty Healy.

[henry bear]

17 minutes ago, richarddep said:

This - is there precedent for headliners coming completely out of the blue that people aren't aware of?

I'm pretty easy going but 1975 - NY - O-Rod seems pretty weak for me. Would love a party starter like Gaga, Eminem, Rihanna to add some real weight to the selection..!

Happy to be proved otherwise, but I believe the days of having three top-tier headliners have gone. Gaga and Eminem maybe, but those acts that can sell out multiple stadiums at eye-watering prices will carry on doing that (unless they're friends of the Eavii, or really want to do it).

[Skip997]

25 minutes ago, richarddep said:

I'm pretty easy going but 1975 - NY - O-Rod seems pretty weak for me. Would love a party starter like Gaga, Eminem, Rihanna to add some real weight to the selection..!

Sadly it’s kinda standard for the Pyramid, they’re not too big on party starters on that stage, although occasionally one slips through. 
 

If you want a party starter headliner West Holts usually provides and The Other Stage often does the job. 

[richarddep]

Just now, Skip997 said:

Sadly it’s kinda standard for the Pyramid, they’re not too big on party starters on that stage, although occasionally one slips through. 
 

If you want a party starter headliner West Holts usually provides and The Other Stage often does the job. 

Indeed. Don't worry, I'm not a complainer. Jungle-Coldplay-Justice served me very well last year 🙂

[gfa]

2 hours ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Clearly they've got to be used in conjunction with other information but these figures aren't fake or made up. Used in isolation i'd agree. 

Fair enough - although your original message was not really saying this 🙂 

[Respectfatfrog]

1 hour ago, Avalon_Fields said:

In my view, if the festival is to have one oldie headliner then Neil Young is one of the very few of sufficient status that’s available and who’ve not played recently (Stevie Wonder is another but they’ve tried to get him by all accounts). I do believe having one heritage act as headliner is a good thing! 

1 legacy 

1 established star 

1 up and coming 

 

perfect for me 

 

although not sure how to break it to my kids they need to sit through a Neil young set tho