Showtime! The 10 Best Concert Moments of 2012

November 28, 2012 - 4:41 pm by Chris Yuscavage

There were a ton of different concerts, tours, and festivals that took place in 2012. Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller took part in the Under the Influence Tour. Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Wale, and the rest of the Maybach Music Group roster went on the MMG Tour. And, Jay-Z held the Made In America Festival. As a result of all of these concerts, tours, and festivals, there were also a ton of memorable concert moments that took place in 2012.

From special guest appearances to live reunions, we saw a little bit of everything at concerts this year. So, as we inch closer and closer to the end of 2012 (can you believe it?!), we thought it'd be fun to take a look back at The 10 Best Concert Moments of 2012. These are the moments that made concerts so much fun this year. And, they're the reason we'll be standing in line again for tickets to shows in 2013.

#10. The Moment: Jay-Z christening the Barclays Center by performing there for eight consecutive nights The Date: October 2012 Why It Was So Special: Hovi's home! For the first time ever, an artist took the stage at the Barclays Center and brought the house down. And, it was only right for that artist to be Jay-Z, who played a big part in bringing the Nets to Brooklyn and getting everyone in the NYC borough so excited about the Barclays Center being built.

#9. The Moment: A$AP Rocky grabbing Rihanna's butt on stage at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards The Date: September 2012 Why It Was So Special: A$AP Rocky isn't a star…yet. But, he made his first real impression on the mainstream media when he made an appearance at the VMAs to perform "Cockiness (Love It)" with Rih-Rih and ended the performance by squeezing her backside. If he was looking for attention, he definitely got it by doing that.

#8. The Moment: Beyonce performing for the first time since the birth of her daughter Blue Ivy at the Revel Presents: Beyonce Live shows The Date: May 2012 Why It Was So Special: Less than a month after Revel Atlantic City opened, Bey took the stage there to help prove that she was "back to business" after the birth of Blue Ivy (it was even billed as the "Back to Business" show). And, she proved to the world that she hadn't lost a step by running through all of her classics.

#7. The Moment: Kanye West going on a rant during his performance at Revel Atlantic City The Date: July 2012 Why It Was So Special: Beyonce wasn't there only artist to make memories at Revel. Just two months after her shows in Atlantic City, 'Ye also took the stage and went on one of his epic rants, much to the crowd's delight. He admitted his flaws, took some shots at MediaTakeOut, and even compared his musical impact to Beethoven. Classic Kanye.

#6. The Moment: Lauryn Hill making a surprise appearance at the Rock The Bells Festival The Date: September 2012 Why It Was So Special: Fans gathered on a rainy Sunday to see Nas run through a bunch of his classics at RTB. And, they're sure glad they did. Midway through his performance, Nasty brought L-Boogie out to perform "If I Ruled the World" and then let her run through some of her hits, including "Lost Ones," "Fu-Gee-La," and "Doo Wop (That Thing)."

#5. The Moment: 50 Cent, Fat Joe, Missy Elliott, and other artists paying homage to Chris Lighty at the 2012 BET Awards The Date: October 2012 Why It Was So Special: Because of the first two names listed above. 50 Cent and Fat Joe put aside their differences—for one day, at least—and came together in a tribute for the legendary manager/executive Chris Lighty. That's something you definitely don't see everyday.

#4. The Moment: Jennifer Hudson putting on an emotional tribute to Whitney Houston at the 2012 Grammy Awards The Date: February 2012 Why It Was So Special: Just a couple of weeks after Houston's death, Hudson took center stage to perform Houston's classic, "I Will Always Love You." And, with the entire world watching her, she nailed it.

#3. The Moment: Lil Wayne canceling Nicki Minaj's appearance at Hot 97's Summer Jam The Date: June 2012 Why It Was So Special: Okay, okay, so Wayne canceling Nicki's performance at the last minute after Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg criticized her song, "Starships," wasn't all that special. But, she more than made up for it when she scheduled a special show at New York City's Roseland Ballroom in August that featured guest spots from Lil Wayne, Drake, and even Foxy Brown.

#2. The Moment: President Obama delivering a special message during Jay-Z's concert at the Made In America festival The Date: September 2012 Why It Was So Special: There were lots of memorable moments during the MIA Festival. Kanye West came out to perform with Jay. Jay performed with Pearl Jam on the second day of the festival. And, everyone from Drake to Odd Future ran through their own sets as well. But, Jay got the President to drop a special message for the audience on the first day. No other artist could get the President to do that. And, Jay returned the favor earlier this month when he went to Ohio to perform at President Obama's final rally alongside Bruce Springsteen.

#1. The Moment: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg performing with the 2Pac hologram at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival The Date: April 2012 Why It Was So Special: Do we really even need to explain this one? If you had told us back in 2011 that we were going to watch a live 2Pac performance in 2012, we would have called you crazy. Even now, we can't believe that we got to witness it. What a moment.

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