Coachella Through the Years - Part 1: Every artist to headline the desert festival since 1999

Every Coachella headliner since 1999 - Part 1

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival returns this week with Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator, and Doja Cat as the festival's headliners and So Cal ska-punk icons 'No Doubt' performing their much-awaited reunion act. Meanwhile, let us go back in time and check out every headliner since the California music festival's inception in 1999.

1999: Beck, Tool, Rage Against the Machine

Beck, Tool, and Rage Against The Machine headlined the first Coachella in 1999. The event's debut in the festival scene coincided with the post-grunge era, so it included prominent rock bands Tool and Rage Against the Machine. Beck, who came to fame in the 1990s for fusing hip-hop, folk, and rock, was also featured on the lineup with his experimental sounds, as per The Independent.

2001: Jane's Addiction

Owing to its location in Southern California, a drought in 2000 forced the festival to be suspended. But it returned in 2001 with Jane's Addiction to lead the bill for their one-day concert. The frontman, Perry Farrell, is best known for starting the traveling extravaganza Lollapalooza, however, in 2001, he made time to support the newly established Coachella festival by bringing the rock band together after its 1990 split.

2002: Bjork, Oasis

An invitation to the desert festival as the first female headliner solidified Icelandic singer Bjork's success worldwide. The huge lineup of the next day included Oasis, Foo Fighters, The Strokes, and The Prodigy, launching the festival back into its original two-day structure. Day One saw some standout performances from rapper KRS-One, and Bjork, whose eerie, intimate music strangely resonated on the expansive Polo Field.

2003: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys

Bringing Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beastie Boys to the main stage further demonstrated the value of rock music at Coachella 2003. The Coachella organizers doted on Red Hot Chili Peppers as Paul Tollett, the co-founder of Coachella, said at the time, "We have promoted the Chili Peppers since the early days and they were the first band that gave us a shot at promoting an arena show."

2004: The Cure, Radiohead

The festival sold out for the first time in 2004, with two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers—Radiohead and The Cure—performing as the headliners. Radiohead, the mainstage headliners, wowed a sizable crowd with a hit-filled performance that included encores of 'Paranoid Android', 'National Anthem', 'Karma Police', and 'Creep', as per Rolling Stone.

2005: Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails

Coldplay made their US headliner debut a few months before the release of their third album, 'X&Y', further cementing their place among the world's top bands. They opened with their brand-new track, 'Square One', whose melancholic, churning tune grew as the band's black-clad frontman, Chris Martin, banged it on the piano. Nine Inch Nails' lead vocalist, Trent Reznor, gave one of his first sober performances at the event, following a visit to a rehab.

2006: Depeche Mode, Tool

While Daft Punk's grandiose LED pyramid performance made history, Depeche Mode and Tool were the weekend's main attractions at Coachella 2006. Hard rockers Tool joined art rockers Depeche Mode as headliners for the seventh annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. With previous lineups including the Cure, Beastie Boys, and Pixies, Depeche Mode continued the festival's tradition of honoring seminal '80s acts.

2007: Rage Against the Machine, Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers

In 2007, Coachella decided to imitate the three-day event hosted by rival music festival Lollapalooza. Rage Against the Machine's comeback was heralded by Billboard as the group's second-best festival performance ever. Over the next few years, Rage made its way onto the hugely profitable festival circuit, but never released a new song, as per Rolling Stone. 

2008: Prince, Roger Waters, Jack Johnson

In an attempt to boost ticket sales at the last minute, Prince was added to the itinerary just weeks before the 2008 event was set to take place. The decision benefited the organizers, as the initial lineup of Roger Waters and Jack Johnson had stalled sales. 

2009: Paul McCartney, The Killers, The Cure

Paul McCartney became the first Beatle to headline the Mojave Tent 2009 with a first-day performance, which went 54 minutes above his assigned time. Footage from 'The Beatles: Rock Band' game debuted on the big screen as McCartney strummed his guitar, surprising the crowd. 

2010: Jay-Z, Muse, Gorillaz

The response was mixed for Coachella 2010 as the festival tried a new strategy by offering only three-day passes rather than the usual day tickets. Nonetheless, the year was particularly remarkable, as Jay-Z became the festival's first-ever rap headliner. Moreover, Damon Albarn’s virtual band Gorillaz came alive to close out Coachella 2010, their first gig since 2005. The 15-piece group premiered nearly every song from their album, 'Plastic Beach', adding a vibrant new energy to Gorillaz's three-album discography for over 90 minutes.