The Time Michigan Held The US Record For Largest Concert Ever (Led Zeppelin)

Michigan has become a powerhouse for live music over the years, with venues across the state ranging from massive venues like Little Caesars Arena to smaller ones like Pine Knob and Van Andel Arena, which have consistently brought in big acts since their inception.

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Some of the biggest names in music have come through the Mitten State: Michael Jackson's sold-out show at the Palace, the Beatles in 1964 and 1966, and also incredible stories of rock artists making legendary surprise performances like Metallica in 2013 performing under a fake name at a Detroit festival, and KISS playing at a Cadillac homecoming game.

But one of Michigan's most memorable concerts took place in 1977 and was so insane that, at the time, it set the record for the most-attended concert in US history.

Led Zeppelin at the Silverdome, 1977

Back on April 30th, 1977, Led Zeppelin was on a stadium tour ("Tour 77") that saw them have 4 nights at Chicago Stadium, 5 nights at Madison Square Garden, and 6 nights at The Forum. But of these incredible stops, it was the stop at the Pontiac Silverdome that became the star of the tour.

READ MORE: Before They Were Big, U2 Played A Concert At A Grand Rapids Church

Tickets for the concert were a mere $10.50, and according to people who were at the box office that day, it was utter pandemonium. But at the actual concert itself, police were pleasantly surprised by how tame everything was.

Sure, people were passing out left and right, leading to their bodies being crowdsurfed to the front, and Robert Plant was reportedly worried the stage would collapse from the crowd's pressing against it, but otherwise the concert went off without a hitch. Recently published footage finally gives us a look at the legendary concert, nearly 50 years later, thanks to Speedy on YouTube.

Led Zeppelin's Record-Setting Performance

The record-breaking audience of 77,229 was able to see the show even from the back thanks to the entire thing being broadcast on a massive screen, a common practice today but brand-new at the time.

The concert actually set two records, one for attendance records and another for the highest-grossing rock performance, with a total of $790,555. It did not hold the record for long, broken later that year by Pink Floyd, but Michigan still holds the record for the largest ticketed concert in US history, thanks to Zach Bryan's massive 112,000-concert at Michigan Stadium (The Big House) last year.

The show holds a special place in many people's minds and memories. You can read some of those anecdotes on Sunset Blvd. Records' Facebook post about the concert.