Rhino Historic Tours: Farm Aid IV

26 years ago today, the fourth Farm Aid concert took place at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana, and while it’s no surprise that Willie Nelson was on the bill, who could’ve seen it coming that Guns ‘N’ Roses and Gorky Park would hit the stage before the day was done?

When Farm Aid IV kicked off on April 7, 1990, it had been a little over two and a half years since the previous Farm Aid concert, which took place on September 19, 1987 in Lincoln, Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium. The aforementioned Mr. Nelson had taken the Farm Aid name on the road for 16 tour dates in 1989, but it just wasn’t the same without the all-star cast of characters surrounding him, so when the big day arrived at the Hoosier Dome, it was a pretty big deal.

As with previous years, the list of performers was full of big names, including both platinum-selling artists and living legends like Carl Perkins and Bill Monroe. Among the bigger names from the rock side of things were Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Don Henley, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby, Elton John, John Mellencamp, Poco, Bonnie Raitt, and Lou Reed, country was represented by Asleep at the Wheel, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, K.T. Oslin, and Dwight Yoakam, and for the folk fans, John Denver and Arlo Guthrie were in the house. Rather surprisingly, there was also a heavy metal presence, with Russian hard rockers Gorky Park performing a set, but certainly the biggest deal of the day was when Guns ‘N’ Roses took the stage for what would prove to be Steven Adler’s last show with the band.

To celebrate the anniversary of this grand show, we’ve put together a playlist featuring some of the songs played during the concert by artists on our roster. Give ‘em a listen!