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Every era gets its definitive music festival.
The boomers had Woodstock.
Gen X had Lollapalooza 1.0.
Millennials and Gen-Zers haveCoachella.
And in the case of therecently released 2025 bill what the hell does Travis Scott designs the desert mean?
But it also made us wonder which Coachella lineup was the best (and worst).
25.2016
25.
Meanwhile, Major Lazer and Jack U were in the second-biggest font size on two different days.
I dont care how much people inexplicably loved Diplo in 2016, thats too much Diplo.
The Headliners:4.8
The Undercard:7.1
TOTAL:11.9
24.2001
24.
The first Janes Addiction reunion in 1997?
Their second, in 2001, without founding bassist Eric Avery or a new album?
A little weak, especially as the sole headliner for the bare-bones second Coachella.
The fest makes things up only slightly thanks to a peak-backpack rap-era undercard.
The Headliners:5.1
The Undercard:7.9
TOTAL:13
23.2007
23.
It felt like Coachella stumbled when it booked three acts who had all headlined a previous Coachella.
The Headliners:5.9
The Undercard:7.2
TOTAL:13.1
22.2023
22.
Bad Bunny made history as the first Spanish-language artist to headline the festivals main stage.
The Headliners:6.9
The Undercard:6.4
TOTAL:13.3
21.2013
21.
The Headliners:5.6
TOTAL:13.4
20.2022
20.
When Coachella returned post-COVID, it finally made the shift from typical one-of-a-kind rock festival to toothless everything-to-everyone festival.
The Headliners:6.4
TOTAL:13.5
19.2025
19.
(If the results of this game were binding, my 15-year-old son and I would swap bodies.)
The Undercard:8.9
TOTAL:14
18.2015
18.
The Headliners:7.4
The Undercard:7.8
TOTAL:15.2
17.2003
17.
TOTAL:15.3
16.2019
16.
The Headliners:6.8
The Undercard:8.8
TOTAL:15.6
15.1999
15.
The very first lineup is a snapshot of a pre-Coachella world.
The lineup, heavy on dance music, was also ahead of rave cultures eventual American takeover.
The Headliners:8.0
TOTAL:15.9
14.2010
14.
For years, old bands would play Coachella because they were on a reunion tour.
would be making an unannounced appearance.
The Headliners:8.4
The Undercard:7.5
13.2020
13.
The Headliners:7.6
The Undercard:8.4
TOTAL:16
12.2012
12.
(Would they have ascended to that level if the White Stripes had stayed together?
I know Jack White doesnt think so.)
Radiohead remains a perennial gold standard for festival bookings, though.
The Headliners:8.3
TOTAL:16.1
11.2011
11.
The Headliners:8.6
The Undercard:7.7
TOTAL:16.3
10.2002
10.
Bjork and Oasis make an ideal yin-yang for Coachella headliners.
Every great festival lineup needs an eccentric art-pop groundbreaker and some loutish guys who write anthems.
The Headliners:9.3
TOTAL:16.4
9.2009
9.
Amy Winehouse canceled a few weeks ahead of the festival amid legal issues, but M.I.A.
was a solid replacement, in her first performance since becoming a mother.
The Headliners:7.9
The Undercard:8.6
TOTAL:16.5
8.2024
8.
The Headliners:9.1
TOTAL:16.8
7.2005
7.
The Headliners:8.8
The Undercard:8.3
TOTAL:17.1
6.2006
6.
Coachellas best undercard: Daft Punk, Sigur Ros, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
The Undercard:9.8
TOTAL:17.2
5.2008
5.
TOTAL:17.3
4.2004
4.
The Headliners:9.4
The Undercard:8.1
TOTAL:17.5
3.2014
3.
The Undercard:8.7
TOTAL:18
2.2018
2.
An insanely strong lineup Migos, Cardi B, Nile Rodgers, David Byrne.
The Headliners:9.5
Undercard:9.6
TOTAL:19.1
1.2017
1.
The Headliners:9.7
The Undercard:9.5
TOTAL:19.2
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