WHO PLAYED: Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Chris Cornell, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Enrique Iglesias, Roger Cicero, MIA, Sasha, Mando Diao and more.

HIGHLIGHTS: Chris Cornell playing an acoustic version of “Right Away” for the victims of Hurricane Katrina; Yusuf Islam, who was added to the lineup at the very last minute, singing “Wild World” accompanied by a large band that included a horn section.

MOST UNEXPECTED MOMENTS: German comedian Michael Mittermeier saying, “George Bush still believes that ‘El Nino’ is a guerilla leader in Nicaragua”;
Bianca Jagger awkwardly singing along with 130 children from Hamburg.

WHO PLAYED: The Soweto Gospel Choir, Danny K, Baaba Maal, Zola, The Parlotones, Vusi Mahlasela, Angelique Kidjo, Joss Stone, UB40

HIGHLIGHTS: The Soweto Gospel Choir joining Vusi Mahlasela for a poignant rendition of “River Jordan” dedicated to Mahlasela’s late mother; Angelique Kidjo and Joss Stone’s soulful, percussion-driven “Gimme Shelter” cover; Parlotones frontman Kahn Morbee’s Alex de Large-esque eye makeup; an encore performance of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” featuring the Soweto Gospel Choir and the rest of the Live Earth Johannesburg players.

MOST UNEXPECTED MOMENT: The ever-inappropriate Pauly Shore (“I’m in South Africa, mon!”) dropping by to chat up female concertgoers and introduce Senegalese singer Baaba Maal.

From Márcio Cruz of Rolling Stone Brazil:

WHO PLAYED: Pharrell, Macy Gray, Lenny Kravitz, Guilherme Arantes, Xuxa, O Rappa, Marcelo D2, Jota Quest, Jorge Ben Jor

HIGHLIGHT: Macy Gray and her backing vocalists decked out in dresses stamped with political messages targeting racism, the crisis in Darfur and the war in Iraq. Her band also busted out live samples of “Give Peace a Chance” sprinkled with Jimi Hendrix riffs.

MOST UNEXPECTED MOMENT: An ecstatic Lenny Kravitz jumped off the stage and joined the audience of 400,000 during “Let Love Rule.” The crowd, unsurprisingly, went crazy.

WHO PLAYED:
Sarah Brightman, Joey, 12 Girls Band, Soler, Anthony Wong, Evonne Hsu, Winnie Hsin, Huang Xiao Ming and a few other impossible-to-pronounce acts.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Evonne Hsu’s ballet moves; Sarah Brightman’s “Time to Say Goodbye,” infused with Chinese instruments; and Asian rockers Soler tearing down the house (think Incubus, with better hair and in Chinese).

[Photo: Getty]

From Tomoki Ohno of Rolling Stone Japan:

WHO PLAYED:
Linkin Park, Rihanna and Japanese acts Kumi Koda, AI and Ayaka

HIGHLIGHT:
The performance by Linkin Park: the crowd was so excited that it rushed to the front of the stadium, interrupting the set for close to a half hour. Chester Bennington also gave a long, moving speech urging the crowd to get involved.

[Photo:Getty]

We asked Rolling Stone’s international editions to report on the Live Earth concerts nearest them. Here’s the report from Dan Lander of Rolling Stone Australia on Live Earth Sydney:

WHO PLAYED:
Wolfmother, Jack Johnson, Crowded House, Blue King Brown, Toni Collette, Sneaky Sound System, Ghostwriters, Paul Kelly, Eskimo Joe, Missy Higgins, John Butler Trio

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Crowded House joined by everybody on the bill for a sing-along version of “Weather With You”, a song which took on a new meaning under the circumstances.
• An intense-as-hell drum solo from the John Butler Trio’s Michael Barker, the perfect foil to Butler’s equally intense demand to Australia’s leaders not to introduce nuclear energy as an answer to global warming (we have much better options). The JBT set was a standout overall – there is no one on the planet who sounds better at an outside gig than these guys.
• Paul Kelly joined by Kev Carmody, Missy Higgins and John Butler for “From Little Things Big Things Grow”. The whole crowd sung along – all eleven verses.

MOST UNEXPECTED MOMENT:
Academy-Award nominated actress Toni Collette and her band the Finish closing their set with a very fitting cover of T-Rex’s “Children of the Revolution”, proving not every actor who tries their hand at music need be as bad as Russell Crowe.