Rock in Rio kicks off this Friday its 10th Rio edition, completing 41 years since its debut in 1985, when Brazil was practically untouched by major international shows. The festival, which over the decades has transformed into one of the world's largest music events, returns to Rio de Janeiro.
Among the great rockers of the inaugural edition, some are no longer with us, like Ozzy Osbourne and Freddie Mercury, from Queen. Others, however, continue touring the world as "proud dinosaurs who refuse to retire," including AC/DC, Iron Maiden, and Scorpions.
Rock'n'roll, the style that gives the festival its name, remains a tradition preserved on the first day of the event, although longtime attendees complain that this genre has been disappearing from the lineup over the years. The organization itself acknowledges that even in the 1985 edition, Rock in Rio was not entirely dedicated to rock.
The world has changed significantly since the first edition, as has music itself, and many children who accompanied their parents at the first festivals are now parents or even grandparents attending the event with their own families.
