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Tell us: 20 years in, who delivered the best Fenway Park concert?

Bruce Springsteen kicked off Fenway's rock renaissance on Sept. 6, 2003, and more than 50 other artists have followed.

Zac Brown Band, Pink, and Bruce Springsteen have all turned in memorable Fenway Park performances. Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe; Ben Stas for The Boston Globe; Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin

By Peter Chianca

August 17, 2023

2 minutes to read

It may be hard to believe it now, with no fewer than seven different acts coming to Fenway Park this summer alone. But when Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band played the first major rock concert at Fenway on Sept. 6, 2003, it was a Big Deal.

Those who were there for the event will recall that then-Mayor Tom Menino dubbed the Hub “Boss-ton” in advance of the shows, complete with signage. Previews of the show led the newspaper arts sections, and when Springsteen took the stage a press helicopter hovered above to capture the event for prosperity.

And as someone who was there, I can confirm that it was no less exciting from the ground. There was a thrill in stepping out onto what the day before had been Fenway Park’s hallowed outfield — home to the likes of Williams, Yaz, Rice, and Lynn — but that on that night had been transformed into, as Springsteen might have called it, home to “the power, the glory, the ministry of rock ’n’ roll!”

FENWAY PARK CONCERTS:

A lot of tapping toes have tread that space since: There will have been at least 90 separate concert stands by more than 50 artists at the park by the end of this summer, and more than 125 total shows. But who stands out as the best to take the Fenway stage? Who most blew the non-existent roof off the joint?

Springsteen of course gets credit for being first. But in terms of sheer volume, Zac Brown Band gets the nod, with eight separate stands and 17 concerts (assuming he plays his show as scheduled this weekend). And then there’s Pink, who reportedly broke park attendance records at her shows there this summer — and got rave reviews to boot.

More Fenway Park concerts by the numbers:

Prior to this week, Billy Joel was tied with the Zac Brown Band for most Fenway stands, with seven, although Zac played a lot more total shows. Joel was actually the first artist inducted into the ballpark’s new Music Hall of Fame in 2019 — and then he scheduled a show at Gillette this summer.
Only two acts have played three-night stands at Fenway: Zac Brown Band in 2015, and Morgan Wallen, who’s playing one there this week. But both Foo Fighters (2018) and Dead & Company (2017) have played three shows over several different weeks in the same summer.
Only two women — two! — have headlined at Fenway: Lady Gaga (2017 and 2022) and Pink (2023).
Artists of color have been just as scarce: Jay-Z (with Justin Timberlake in 2013) and Bad Bunny (2022).
Only one act has played a virtual concert from Fenway: Boston’s own Dropkick Murphys, who streamed live during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic, on May 29, 2020.

But numbers aside, we want to know who you think stands out as the premier Fenway performer. You can answer the Boston.com survey below — only headliners are listed, but you can make use of “Other” if you feel like a supporting act deserves the title. We’ll share the results and some of our readers’ best Fenway Park memories to coincide with the 20th anniversary of that legendary Springsteen show this September.

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See a full list of headliners and the dates they played Fenway here.