Bands/artists you never got to see live in their heyday, but would've liked to.

The Doors

Janis Joplin

But I did see:

Gram Parsons*

Bruce Springsteen*

Tim Buckley**

Jimi Hendrix**

Jefferson Airplane (many times)

Cesora Evora

Astor Piazzola

Gypsy Kings

Philip Glass (Einstein on the Beach, at Lincoln Center)

and a number of others

* at Max’s Kansas City

** at The Filmore East

@misterspooky - I saw the New York Dolls, I think at the Santa Monica Civic. They were awful. All posing. No talent to speak of. I actually sold my New York Dolls record soon after seeing them. I later saw David Johansen solo. Yeah he was actually good. I still enjoy his only(?) elpee.

Blue Cheer(1968) My curiosity wants to know were they really that loud and skilled live or is it just a baby boomer tale?

I would not have wanted to see the Beatles in concert - girls shrieking in my ears over a crap-sounding PA for 40 minutes would not be my idea of a good time; the band didn't even like it. So glad they went for studio magic instead. 

I do wish I'd seen Nirvana, though - it was always 'next time they're back'.... 

Good observation about the NYD’s, @edcyn (The Sex Pistols also sucked live). When I was living in NYC in 1982 I saw Jerry Nolan’s pink Ludwig drumset in a pawn shop. Guess he needed a quick fix.

@larsman: Seeing The Beatles live was not about actually hearing them (they were barely audible when I saw them in San Francisco in ’65), but about the entire experience. I was about 10 yards away from John Lennon, and seeing him up close brought him down to human level for me. By the way, though it may be sacrilege to say it, they were not that good a band live. Honest. Now NRBQ, THERE was a great live band.