ACL 2015 Predictions

My updated thoughts available here.

Now look, I have no freaking clue more than any of you, but I feel like the ACL lineup usually includes artists who meet a few different attributes:

• Groups who are doing the festival circuit this year (i.e. Outkast in 2014)
• The bands who are playing Lolla
• In 2014, Eminem, Outkast, Calvin Harris, Skrillex, Foster the People, Avett Brothers, and Lorde overlapped between Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Fest, which is 7/9ths of the top three rows of the Lolla concert poster.
• Maybe also those playing other C3 festivals like Big Day Out in Australia (welp, except it got cancelled for 2015) or Orion Music Festival in New Jersey/Detroit (doh!  Also not happening again).  Counterpoint is also booked by C3, but their 2015 lineup is not nearly as big time as I would expect from ACL.
• Those with new music out that they want to pimp with some appearances
• Bands that C3 books/manages for their other venues

With that in mind, here is my entirely uninformed guess list.

1. Madonna.  Now that LiveNation has purchased a controlling interest in C3, I think that we will get some additional access to the big artists tied up by the LiveNation behemoth.  Madonna, Jay-Z, Shakira, Nickelback (?!) and U2 each have the big 360 degree deals with LiveNation, so any of them could fall into this category, but Madonna has a new album coming out this year (once she leaks each individual track out to the world over the first few months of the year), just appeared on the Grammys, and would absolutely sell tickets.  A hits-filled Madonna show would be bad ass.
2. Prince.  I know it is not likely that they would do two classic pop acts in the same year, but bear with me.  They kind of did that two years ago with the 80's Depeche Mode/Cure fest.  The big Symbol just put out two new albums he likely wants to pimp, he just appeared on the Grammys with a sweet afro, I saw that he played an after-show for the NBA all-star game, and I just have a feeling.  Can you imagine how freaking cool a double bill like this would be?  Would destroy the Depeche Mode/Cure year.  Prince played SXSW a few years back and I remember people being blown away.  However, I just checked his touring schedule and he's not slated to do anything in the States in 2015.  Maybe not...
3. AC/DC.  New album, Grammy headliner, named as a headliner for Coachella 2015, and still have a large following.  I think it will happen.  They feel like the Outkast of last year.
4. Drake.  The ACL folks have shown a recent bent towards the hip music of the year for the big guns, not just nostalgia acts like the three above.  Drake is huge right now, just put out a new surprise album, is a headliner for Coachella, and would definitely add young butts in seats.
5. I had been planning on guessing Dave Matthews, but they are playing two shows in Austin this Spring, so I doubt they'll be back right away for the festival.
6. Jack White is playing all three of the Lollapalooza South America dates in March, so he may be a good bet.  I know he played ACL a few years ago and just did two nights in Austin, but if not him, then another big alternative rock act like Foo Fighters (although they just came) or Queens of the Stone Age (ditto).  Dear God don't let Muse come again.  Following up on the Foo Fighters thought, it looks like they are playing a tour that will be in the south right around early October, however, they are slated to play Atlanta on the final night of weekend one (10/4).  I expect that the Foos would get top billing, meaning Sunday night show, so either they can't do it this year or they will take a different night slot to fit around their other concerts.
7. Florence and the Machine.  Dr. Dog.  Purity Ring.  Bad Religion.  Jungle.  Either playing Coachella, Emo's, Stubb's, or I just have a feeling.
8. Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters.  Also playing all three of the Lolla South America dates.  He last came to ACL with Allison Krauss a few years ago, he lives (or used to) in Austin, and he would be a huge name to draw folks in.
9. Maybe Metallica will play since they are apparently cancelling their own festival?  No new music that I know of, but they've never played ACL.  Might be time.
10. Uhhh, Asleep at the Wheel.  Since they play every single year, I'm not going out on the huge limb here.  BUt I'm certain to get one prediction right!
11. Tweedy.  Like Asleep at the Wheel, I think Wilco have played ACL Fest about 278 times.  I can see Tweedy stealing that slot.
12. Lotus.  New album out at the end of last year, playing Stubb's soon.  I dunno, feels right.
13. Sturgill Simpson.  Playing Stubb's soon, highly popular right now, and would draw country-fied Texas frat-bros who drink lots of beers.  Count it.
14. Father John Misty.  Playing Stubb's soon, new album out.  Also feels right.
15. Hozier.  Playing Coachella, and needs to make up for missing the festival last year.
16. Maybe the Roots or Widespread Panic because they are playing Counterpoint?  I feel like the Roots were just here though.
17. Lenny Kravitz. Super Bowl high, new album out, if he plays Mama Said from start to finish I'll go nuts. 
18. Shakey Graves. New album, blowing up right now, and from Austin. Right?
19. What about Taylor Swift?  She is playing Dallas on October 17 and Houston on October 13.  I know that she would be outside of the normal genres that ACL generally aims for, but I would also say that Calvin Harris or Lana Del Rey also come from pop radio and not ACL-esque genres.  Like U2, she likely doesn't need a festival to make a jillion dollars at every show, but I can also see her wanting the cool-ness factor of playing a festival.  Maybe she'll bring Haim along with her?  She really doesn't fall within the other categories I noted up above, but I'm just looking at her schedule and imagining...

And how about a wish list too?

• Paul Simon.  A friend and I were talking about this the other day, and he brought up the thought of Paul Simon playing the festival, which would be super cool.  I don't know that Simon even tours any more, but I would freaking love to hear him go back to Graceland and Rhythm.
• Decemberists.  That new album is kick ass.  They should come to Austin and sing it to me.
• Ghostface Killah.  Heck, maybe the Wu Tang Clan will reunite for the festival to pimp their new (not very good) album.
• Pearl Jam.  Seriously.  I'd go back for both weekends if this happened again.
• Green Day.  Fresh off their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, I think they are due.
• U2.  I mean, that would be amazing.  I just can't see them taking festival money when they can easily book the biggest venues on the planet at any time.  Although I'm not so sure about Bono's health after that accident.  he might not yet be up for 100 degree Texas fun.
• Springsteen.  Zeppelin.  Jimi Hendrix.  I mean, if we're wishing, right?

As I keep thinking about this stuff, I'll keep updating.  Anyone out there have their own ideas?