On July 13, 1985, Phil Collins played “Against All Odds” at Live Aid in London. It was just him and a piano in front of 72,000 people at Wembley Stadium.
The crowd had already seen big performances. U2 had just finished and Queen was still coming up. But when Collins came out, things got quiet.
He wore a plain white shirt and pants. There wasn’t any showmanship or extra setup. He just sat down and started playing. The opening chords were soft and simple. Then he started singing: “How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace?”
It wasn’t perfect, but it felt honest. His voice cracked a little, and that just made it feel more real. The song was about heartbreak, but in the middle of a global concert for famine relief, it somehow fit.
It stood out because it didn’t try to be big. It wasn’t about putting on a show. It was just a quiet few minutes that stuck with people.
Later that day, Collins flew on the Concorde and performed again in Philadelphia. He did “In the Air Tonight” and joined Led Zeppelin’s set. He was the only artist to play both concerts on the same day. That’s impressive, but most people still talk about the London performance.
Even now, watching the video online, it still holds up. You can see how focused he is and how serious the moment feels. “Against All Odds” was already a popular song, but this version gave it something extra. It was stripped down and raw in a way that hit people.
Sometimes the big performances get all the attention, but this one worked because it was small. It gave people a break from the noise.
You can watch it in the following video.
