Best hour of music I’ve ever seen on TV:
Austin City Limits, 1991- Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks Reunion; DH and The Acoustic Warriors
(I’m lucky to have taped this, as it’s never been rebroadcast or released.)
Best short musical performance:
SNL, 1979: Linda Rondstat & Phoebe Snow, “It’s In His Kiss” (also has Robert Fripp playing with the backing band)
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It was 2004
Mandy Patinkin is awesome.
Someone mentioned his role as Inigo Montoya, but I remember him best in his role on Criminal Minds (this is when I get a chance to cringe in expected mockery). He was Jason Gideon, the leader of the totally improbable team of FBI profilers. It really didn’t suck.
(Waiting for wet dishrags and rotten apples to be thrown at him).
Remember the overwrought 1980 pop song Into the Night? Here’s Benny Mardones in a 1990 HBO benefit tribute to Roy Orbison, singing Roy’s Running Scared.
The audience goes from “Who’s this fucking guy?” to “Holy fuck! Did you hear that guy?”
not the best ever, but a good one from last month: josh krajcik’s rendition of “hallelujah” from the last cycle of x factor. i really think he should have saved that performance for the final vote, his chances would’ve been better. it moved me to tears.
I think he’s really good, FWIW, and I really liked his song selection too. I claim to hate American Idol and I never watch it when the show airs…but I will catch glimpses of it on Youtube and whatnot and it almost never fails to make my eyes leak, starting with the Susan Boyle thing. Damn tobacco bits I put in the corners of my eyes, trying to stay awake…
I am amazed at how good Patinkin is.
I found out that before he played on ‘Criminal Minds’, he was on stage playing and winning an Emmy for Evita.
Well doggone, no wonder he is so good.
This guys has pipes. I say this as a singer. One of my only useful skills.
My OG this guy can sing.
I had no idea. I knew he left Criminal Minds because he genuinely hated the gore and violence inherent in the series. I miss his work, but the writers have done a pretty good job of replacing him. He brought a really nuanced characterization to what had, at that time, become as a genre quite boring.
However, his exit and then finding out that he is an incredibly talented actor/singer is kickbutt!
One of the best televised performances I’ve seen would be Cyndi Lauper’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s Carey at an all star tribute to Joni. The best parts of the video (besides Cyndi) are the shots of Joni moving in her chair, gracefully wearing Cyndi’s performance as the tribute it is.
The Wallflowers and Bruce Springsteen doing One Headlight on the 1997 MTv Video Music Awards.
Who knew that in the middle of the cheese-fest that was American Idol Gives Back, we’d hear something like this?
I was never a big Kelly Clarkson fan but, …damn.
I’m not sure if it’s the clip that’s already been mentioned, but I was really blown away by the Vaughn Brothers duet that I saw on MTV, both of them wailing away on a single double-necked guitar.
It was an absolute crime for Barbra S. to cast him in a movie musical and not have him sing.
His finish was awesome.
One of the best I’ve seen would have to be Queen stealing the show at Live-Aid. Freddy Mercury at his best; he had the crowd of 72,000 at Wembley Stadium in the palm of his hand.
Bohemian Rhapsody & Radio Ga Ga
Thanks! Still makes me want to dance! 
He certainly did leave Judy in the dust on that one. In fact my answer to the OP is *anything *sung by Mandy Patinkin. I saw him with Bernadette Peters 3 times, in *Sunday in the Park with George. *According to Stephen Sondheim (and I’m paraphrasing): “We are blessed to live at the same time as Mandy Patinkin.”
I didn’t see it when it aired (on whatever channel it was on), but I love this Jeff Healey performance of “See the Light”. He goes all out, takes some big risks, and totally nails it.
NPH’s rendition of “What You Own” also sticks with me, possibly because it was the first time I’d heard anything from RENT. Unfortunately the video and sound quality in the link are kind of crap.
Judy Garland doing “Battle Hymn of the Republic” in tribute to President Kennedy three weeks after a commie murdered him.
What a fun thread - I am enjoying clicking on the links and hearing some great stuff. I’ve loved Patinkin for a long time too.
I’m glad at least two other folks here also liked David Cook. Here is a fine musical TV performance by him on Idol of Chris Cornell’s version of “Billie Jean”. Deserves to be mentioned here because it was such a game-changer for that show, not to mention so well done: David Cook - Billie ( Billy ) Jean - American Idol Top 10 - YouTube
Later with Jools Holland is pretty hard to beat for the quality of the performances. I don’t know what it is about their set-up but, regardless of the type of act they have on, they always sound their best. Even though you may not be a fan of their work.
Some classics that caught my attention.
Grounds for Divorce by Elbow
“That’s not my name” by the Ting Tings
"The Suburbs"by Arcade Fire
“Pyro” by Kings of Leon
And something a little less obvious, “The Look” by Metronomy.
I not suggesting these as favourite bands of mine, but I think the show in general tends to give a great live platform. If you can’t sound good here …forget it.