My friend Dave wore one of these shirts every day in high school. All black in color. A rock band logo or iconic image on the front. Maybe some concert dates on the back. He had dozens of them. If he still has them today, he could cash in.
I am speaking of those simple black concert T-shirts that became so popular in that era — and they are even more so today. Don’t believe me? Check this out. The Daily Fetch listed 10 vintage concert T-shirts that are selling for a few hundred dollars, and sometimes a few thousand. You may want to check your dresser drawers right now. Topping the list is the Nirvana (1992 In Utero Tour) shirt that sold for more than $2,000. My wife has one. It’s likely a reproduction, but I am accepting offers.
Next on the list is the Led Zeppelin (1979 Knebworth) shirt, which apparently was UK-only and is among the rarest of all rock shirts. One variant reportedly sold for $10,000. The Rolling Stones (1972 Tour of the Americas) T-shirt ranked third, fetching $479 to $638. Cool shirt. Hot price.
Also on the list are Guns N’ Roses (1987 Appetite for Destruction Tour), Beastie Boys (1986–1987 Licensed to Ill Tour), Metallica (1986 Master of Puppets Tour), Iron Maiden (1982 The Number of the Beast Tour), The Grateful Dead (1970s-1980s), Prince (1984 Purple Rain Tour) and Madonna (1985 Virgin Tour). I am 100% certain my buddy Dave never wore a Prince or Madonna shirt. Ozzy Osbourne? Of course.
According to worthpoint.com, rock T-shirts have been a staple of the music business since the 1960s. The origins date back to the 1950s with a tie to the King of Rock and Roll, as new members of the Elvis Presley Fan Club were apparently offered an Elvis shirt for joining. Blue suede shoes might have been more appropriate, but what do I know?
I do know that music promoter Bill Graham also deserves credit, as he was the first to use T-shirts to advertise musical events, according to the Worthpoint article. And it didn’t take long for his idea to spread. Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Queen, Kiss and Pink Floyd all jumped on the “bandwagon.” Interestingly, some of the simplest shirts were the most popular, adorned only with images like AC/DC’s lightning bolt, Pink Floyd’s rainbow prism, the Rolling Stones’ tongue, and the Grateful Dead’s skull. Those images still connect today.
The black concert T-shirt trend continued through the years, influenced by various fashion trends and cheap reproductions, but the original concert T-shirts are undoubtedly in demand.
A few years back, I partnered with a company in selling T-shirts like these. They were not the originals like the ones listed above, but they were still cool. We sold some but not enough to make it worth our time. The T-shirts could be purchased elsewhere online for less, and today’s consumers were savvy enough to quickly figure that out. Even so, I bought a few, with my favorite being a Waylon Jennings shirt I still have today. Classic rock? No, but it’s still one of my favorites. And for the right price, I might make a combo deal with my wife’s Nirvana shirt.
Have a great week, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 | 
