Boston’s Fourth of July headliners, ranked
A look at the best performers to join the Boston Pops on the Fourth of July through the years.
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In 1974, Arthur Fiedler led the Boston Pops in its first Fourth of July celebration on the Esplanade, playing a rousing “1812 Overture’’ as fireworks illuminated the Boston skyline. Just two years later, 400,000 people attended the bicentennial celebration, which, at the time, was marked by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest crowd for a classical music concert.
The tradition grew midway through the 1980s as special guest artists began joining the Pops to help celebrate the nation’s birthday. Since 1987, 26 years have included guest performers playing the Esplanade on the Fourth, a gig that continues to draw hundreds of thousands. The years beforehand featured the Pops as headliners, led by Arthur Fiedler and John Williams after him. Including special guests didn’t become an annual tradition until 1990.
In 2016, the Pops welcome Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, and Little Big Town. How will this line-up compare to other acts who have shared the Hatch Shell stage on July 4? We ranked them to help find out.
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