Phil Collins was at his commercial and creative peak in the mid-'80s, with many years of major tours under his belt. But mistakes are unavoidable, even for chart-dominating rock stars, and sometimes screwing up a melody or lyric is endearing to the audience—a glimpse of humanity behind the bright lights and billowing fog. During the Live Aid benefit concert on July 13, 1985, on a bare stage with no accompaniment, the Genesis frontman made a particularly glaring piano flub. Decades later, it’s preserved online as a powerful moment of perseverance.
First, we need a little backstory about Collins’ daunting schedule at Live Aid, the massive benefit concert supporting famine relief in Ethiopia. The event was staged simultaneously at two venues, London’s Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia’s John F. Kennedy Stadium, and Collins agreed to perform at both—traveling via plane and helicopter to complete this logistical puzzle. If there was ever a time to pull off a monumental, absurdly ambitious feat of live music, this was it.
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Still, it’s hard to fathom the stamina it must have taken. Along with playing two solo songs at each venue, he was recruited to play drums for Sting, Eric Clapton, and Led Zeppelin’s reunited surviving members. (Famously, the latter show did not go well, but it wasn’t the drummer’s fault. That’s a whole other story.) Because he seemed to be everywhere at once—playing to tens of thousands in person and being broadcast to over 1 billion TV viewers—Collins felt uneasy with the optics that he might be attention-seeking. (He even used the tongue-in-cheek subtitle "the show-off must go on" for the Live Aid chapter of his 2010 memoir, Not Dead Yet.) But he really just seemed like a happy-go-lucky rock star pulling up his sleeves and maximizing his talents for a good cause. And no moment better exemplifies that hustle than his solo rendition of 1984 hit "Against All Odds," highlighted by that brief blunder on the keys.
The performance in question took place in London, during a set also featuring Sting and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Collins was always an incredible singer and drummer—but never a super confident piano player, and he seemed to acknowledge some nerves when introducing the song, muttering, "Let’s see if I can get through this." The tune starts smoothly but hits the aforementioned speed bump around 1:05 in the clip, prompting Collins to smile and shake his head. But with basically the entire planet watching, it’s not like he can stop and start over, so he just keeps rolling. From there, it’s an elite rendition of an all-time classic ballad, with Collins nailing every dramatic chord change and belted melody.
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The singer even acknowledged his flub—with a good-natured spirit—during a backstage interview: "A couple of little goofs on the piano, but that makes it all the more human, doesn’t it, really? That’s what I keep telling myself anyway." It’s also worth noting that Collins played the song again in Philadelphia—this time without any obvious mistakes.
If you scroll through the YouTube comments, you’ll see a lot of fans inspired by Collins’ piano "goof." Sometimes flawed passion resonates more deeply than cold perfection.
"'To play a wrong note is insignificant, to play without passion is inexcusable.' - Beethoven"
"There's more talent in that wrong note that he played than most modern artists."
"Phil makes a mistake at 1:06, shakes his head and smiles and carries on. A true legend. That's how greatness is achieved. When you screw up, shrug it off, smile, and keep pushing."
"Sometimes there can be beauty in imperfection. But only a world-class performer can make a mistake one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!"
"I love the part where he’s messes up, cringes, and keeps going. A true professional."
"When he missed that one key and grinned, I was so grateful to know he is human just like the rest of us. Bravo Sir Collins! We'll remember this forever!"
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Northern Lights bands above Vuopajanniemi, Finland
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