iHeartRadio Music Festival Friday: Katy Perry Roars, But The Old School Soars

Even the most forward-looking Top 40 diehard switches over to the oldies station every once in a while, and the first evening of the 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival acted as that much-appreciated change-up.
The Internet radio platform's yearly gathering at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas always turns a bunch of performances of massive artists from dissimilar styles into a once-in-a-lifetime live playlist, and the lineup on Friday night (Sept. 20) once again suggested that EDM, down-home country, quirky alt-rock and bubblegum pop could all exist under one roof and dazzle one audience.


 While performers like Katy Perry, Chris Brown, Muse and J. Cole made their cases as enduring artists while the gargantuan showcase slithered on, a pair of wily veteran artists -- Elton John and Queen -- effectively stole the show, with timeless songs that music fans of all genres can sing along to. Perry may have more than a half-dozen No. 1 singles on the Hot 100, but Queen has "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions" to pull out as back-to-back finales. It wasn't a fair fight from the start.