From a bear's femur to Rod Stewart

According to some scholars, the earliest musical expressions date back to about 55,000 years ago, to the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic, when the Homo Sapiens and the Neanderthal men coexisted on Earth, although the oldest instrument to date found is a flute made from the femur of a bear, which is estimated to have emitted its notes about 43,000 years ago.

A lot of ground has been covered since then. So much so, that by 2024 the world record market had sales of about $29.6 billion, marking a 4.8% increase compared to the previous year. and concert audiences are steadily increasing. The Auditorium Parco della Musica is one example. Can you name the 10 concerts with the largest number of spectators in history?

Free Concerts (Estimated Attendance):

1. Rod Stewart - Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro - 3.5 million spectators (1994)
2. Jean-Michel Jarre - Moscow State University - 3.2 million spectators (1997)
3. Lady Gaga - Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro - 2.1 million spectators (2025)
4. Madonna - Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro - 1.6 million spectators (2024)
5. The Rolling Stones - Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro - 1.5 million spectators (2026)

Paid Concerts (Tickets Sold):

1. Marko Perković Thompson - Zagreb Hippodrome - 485,430 tickets sold (2025)
2. Vasco Rossi - Modena Park - 225,173 paying spectators (2017)
3. Bijelo Dugme - Belgrade Hippodrome - 220,000 paying spectators (2005)
4. Glay - Chiba, Japan - 200,000 spectators (1999)
5. Paul McCartney - Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro - 184,000 spectators (1990