Monsters of Rock and Download Festival: The 20 greatest Donington headliners ever
Thousands of Planet Rock listeners voted in the poll
Over recent months, Planet Rock has been asking listeners to vote for your favourite headline act ever to grace Donington Park – either at Download Festival or its fabled predecessor Monsters of Rock.
Thousands of you exercised your democratic right to vote, however there were less than 20 votes between the Top 2 acts, Monsters of Rock and Download Festival veterans AC/DC and Iron Maiden.
As counted down on air throughout Bank Holiday Monday (26th May), below are the 20 greatest Donington headliners of all time – as voted by you.
Running from 1980 to 1996 - except 1989 and 1993 - on the hallowed turf of Donington Park, Monsters of Rock festival is firmly entrenched in music folklore.
The one-day extravaganza boasted headline sets from AC/DC, Rainbow, Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, KISS and Ozzy Osbourne to name but a few.
Seven years after the final Monsters of Rock at Castle Donington, a new two-day event called Download Festival launched at Donington in 2003 with headliners Iron Maiden and Audioslave.
Soon expanded into a three-day weekender, Download Festival has gained its own revered status over the years, and it celebrates its 22nd iteration this June.
Alongside many of the rock acts who played Monsters of Rock, other bands who have topped the bill over the past 22 years include Rammstein, Slipknot, Def Leppard, Linkin Park, System of a Down, Tool, Guns N’ Roses and Faith No More and The Prodigy.
The 20 greatest Donington headliners ever:
20 – ZZ Top
ZZ Top headlined Monsters of Rock in 1985
19 – System of a Down
System of a Down headlined Download Festival in 2005, 2011 and 2017
18 – Def Leppard
Def Leppard headlined Download Festival in 2009, 2011 and 2019
17 – Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne headlined Monsters of Rock in 1986 and co-headlined with KISS in 1996
He also topped the bill at Download Festival in 2018
16 – The Prodigy
The Prodigy headlined Download Festival in 2012
15 – Muse
Muse headlined Download Festival in 2015
14 – Status Quo
Status Quo headlined Monsters of Rock in 1982
13 – Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi headlined Monsters of Rock in 1987
12 – Guns N’ Roses
Guns N' Roses headlined Download Festival in 2006 and 2018
11 – Linkin Park
Linkin Park headlined Download Festival in 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2014
10 – KISS
KISS co-headlined Monsters of Rock with Ozzy Osbourne in 1996
They went on to headline Download Festival in 2008, 2015 and 2022
9 – Rainbow
Rainbow headlined Monsters of Rock in 1980
8 – Aerosmith
Aerosmith headlined Monsters of Rock in 1994
7 – Whitesnake
Whitesnake headlined Monsters of Rock in 1983 and 1990
6 – Slipknot
Slipknot headlined Download Festival in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2023
5 – Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath headlined Download Festival in 2005, 2012 and 2016
4 – Rammstein
Rammstein headlined Download Festival in 2013 and 2016
3 – Metallica
Metallica headlined Monsters of Rock in 1995
They also headlined Download Festival in 2004, 2006, 2012 and 2023 (twice)
2 – AC/DC
AC/DC headlined Monsters of Rock in 1981, 1984, 1991
They headlined Download Festival in 2010
1 – Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden headlined Monsters of Rock in 1988, 1992
They also headlined Download Festival in 2003, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2022