Pollstar Top Twenty Concerts
 

Top 20 Concert Tours from Pollstar

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/...ar-4627854.php

By The Associated Press, Updated 2:35 pm, Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

1. (1) The Rolling Stones; $7,969,276; $346.08.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,072,961; $84.02.

3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $1,829,281; $76.47.

4. (4) Bon Jovi; $1,622,485; $106.01.

5. (New) Fleetwood Mac; $1,426,254; $111.75.

6. (5) Maroon 5; $879,457; $62.99.

7. (6) Jason Aldean; $754,571; $51.28.

8. (7) Brad Paisley; $578,398; $36.74.

9. (8) Carrie Underwood; $497,868; $62.07.

10. (9) Leonard Cohen; $489,734; $106.77.

11. (10) Green Day; $469,164; $50.47.

12. (11) Motley Crue; $332,400; $78.37.

13. (New) Widespread Panic; $281,496; $42.36.

14. (12) Bassnectar; $179,128; $36.44.

15. (13) Diana Krall; $176,499; $83.60.

16. (15) Chris Tomlin; $163,206; $28.29.

17. (17) Shinedown / Three Days Grace; $156,081; $39.40.

18. (16) Il Divo; $152,184; $76.21.

19. (19) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; $142,644; $52.23.

20. (20) Willie Nelson; $133,423; $55.67.

It's interesting what an economic force country music has become. Taylor Swift & Kenny Chesney outselling Fleetwood Mac & Bon Jovi- pretty unexpected!

Anyone think that Taylor Swift and/or Kenny Chesney would've made it big back during the years when country music was country music?

I don't know if this is overreaching but I feel that at least in the States, country music benefits a lot from the cultural/political polarization (the culture wars) that's snowballed in the last 20 years or so. People who like country music often like strictly country music, meanwhile people outside of it treat it like that embarrassing uncle at family reunions, so it really digs in to its niche very well and has its loyal base that's glued together perhaps by a cultural element.

To me, things seem nearly the opposite. I think it's more cross over than ever, going between political and cultural lines. Just as music genres have blurred and become hybrids of one another, so have their audiences.

I mean, sometimes things do get entrenched, but it seems to me that happens more outside of the music based on off-stage personalities. The music seemed to have wide appeal, but sometimes things are said outside of the music (Toby Keith, Dixie Chicks, etc.) that causes people to take sides.

Michele

Fleetwood Mac BOK Center Tulsa, Okla. May 1, 2013 $938,420 9.563 / 9.563 1 / 1 $149.50, $49.50 Live Nation

this billboard chart is updated every week. i saw fleetwood mac was on there four times last week. they must be slow in reporting the sales figures because these were for dates back in april and may.

http://www.billboard.com/biz/current-boxscore

I think there's increasing crossover between country and pop and there's always been a kinship between country and rock, but I think things like Tim McGraw's and Nelly's "Over and Over" and Brad Paisley's and LL Cool J's (puzzling) "Accidental Racist" are notable for their rareness, they're like attempts to reach across the aisle because attempts are necessary.

But even if there are a lot of hybrid genres now, I don't think that necessarily eats in to bedrock of country establishment. I grew up a fan of country radio, I adored Dwight Yoakam and Patty Loveless and all that, and I really can't stand country radio now. It seems to me there are far more mainstream country songs associated stridently and unsubtly (to the point of lyrical clunkiness) with things like patriotism, uncultured-and-proud-of-it attitudes, I'm-just-a-small-town-boy/girl sentiments, etc. Not all of it is stuff that offends me or anything, but I did feel it's kind of an in-your-face "Don't mistake which side of the culture war I'm on".

Then again since I haven't been able to stand mainstream country radio for a while, maybe I'm a few years behind. I think though that even if country has crossover appeal (I may underestimate how much it does ... but I still think that things like alternative country, folk, and bluegrass have more clout and further reach than just mainstream modern country, if not its numbers), it has something that you can't really find anywhere else for a segment of American culture, and that ensures it a loyal base.

But your argument is certainly strengthened by the fact that Taylor Swift and Keith Urban do have crossover appeal. It's very probably not just country-only fans lifting them up to such numbers, so I have to backtrack from what I said a bit in attributing polarization as a cause of what we're seeing here.

Well, I don't even consider such contrivances music for the most part. And I wasn't talking about songs that deliberately aim to state a message. I'm just thinking of hearing Come Over on a pop station and liking it so much that I went to look at the video and I thought to myself, "Dang, Kenny is looking hawt." Country stars weren't getting my attention like that in the past. I mean there were exceptions like Dolly Parton, but they just weren't on my radar as a whole, because they weren't mainstream. I mean you'd get Mel Tillis and Glenn Campbell and I was hearing Kenny Rogers on my oldies station (Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town) even before he became a massive success. But most of country was on some static-filled AM station that I never accessed on my dial.

Now, I listen to more country than anything else and I didn't go searching for it. It kind of took over.

I don't care for the patriotic songs and as far as values go, I know there will be some songs like Cornbread and Chicken that make me go, "Really? Seriously?" I mean, I'm not offended actually, but it is, though very amusing, an insult RED STATE song that would drive me away from the genre if they were all like that. But for the most part, the songs that just eschew the big city life and promote small town values don't push me away, even though I'm a big city gal, born in Detroit, living in Los Angeles.

I mean, no offense to my beloved Christine, but there are times in my life where I'd have rather heard Tim McGraw's Everywhere over hers.

But that's not true today, Christine. So, if you want to play that in London ...

Michele

I should clarify, I never meant that music has become more polarized, rather that there was a cultural polarization that maybe benefited a certain genre of music because that genre of music could be said to fulfill a certain social need (akin to more people attending church ... kind of ... ). The effect wouldn't have to be limited to artists who make explicit political statements in their music, it could've been a subtle spill-over thing.

But I was just tossing it out there as a possibility, not married to the idea.

I'm not at all opposed to things like small town values in and of themselves, I like variety, I just felt like songs were becoming statements of What Country Is/Who Country Listeners Are, even if (or maybe as a result of how) they were becoming poorly written. A song like "Time Marches On" by Tracy Lawrence, the lyrics of that song -- which isn't even that old -- seemed like genuine poetry to me, colloquial as it was, and comparing that to something like Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats", even though I can appreciate the sentiment and spirit, I don't think the lyrics can even compare in sophistication ... although I'm not saying "Before He Cheats" is especially politically or subculturally coded, I just can't recall the lyrics of songs I really dislike so that comes to mind. Even Toby Keith, whose politics I don't share much fwiw, I bought a CD of his back in the day and I genuinely adored songs like "Tired", but his newer songs seem far less artful (which I don't think has to happen just because the genre is country). My waning appreciation for mainstream country also happened along the same timeline that pop acts like Britney Spears and N'Sync started taking over the pop scene, which is an unpopular time for music for a lot of music critics/snobs/whatever outside of country, so I don't think it's isolated to country music or anything. Lots of things going on.

As a die-hard country fan, I cannot stand any modern country. It's like they think faking an accent and singing about tractors & Jesus just officially makes them country. Then there's people like T Swift and Keith Urban who aren't even remotely southern and sing crappy pop songs with fake accents and call it country. I love real country. Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Johnny & June, Dottie West, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Tanya Tucker, that kind of stuff. Dolly's like my favorite person ever, and I follow her kind of obsessively and have met her and all that jazz. But even she bothers me sometimes with her pop records from the late 70s up until the late 80s.

Yes, to me a lot of modern mainstream country songs have a lot in common with a lot of middle of the road pop songs, but just with added twangy accents and possibly a steel guitar and a few examples of genre-specific cultural posturing thrown in. I could be generalizing, but that sums up my aversion, fair or not.

I've thought that about Toby and about a lot of artists that peaked (to me) 10 or 15 years ago like Melissa Etheridge and Mary Chapin Carpenter (not that I'm Feeling Lucky was a song of substance, but she had them). They don't seem to be writing as deeply as they once did. Then again, some find that to be true of IYD, when they compare it to Stevie's older songs.

Michele

Yes you're right, a lot of artists peak at a certain stage. But then there are new artists who take their place. For me country mostly stopped giving me that in an available radio format.

"I Feel Lucky" was a damn fine song, as is any song that name drops Lyle Lovett and Dwight Yoakam ;) I mean, substantial, no, but it was really just a party song, it sounded great and the lyrics weren't at all awkward and had their own sort of ambition. Like "Down at the Twist and Shout".

As a fan of old country music and early 90's country music, I COMPLETELY agree with you on this. While I did enjoy Shania Twain and Garth Brooks, country music really changed directions after them, particularly in the late 90s, and then it changed again post-911.

I'm from a tribal community, and country music and rap were both huge here in the 80s and 90s, and it's probably one of the few places where rap songs would play right after country songs. And I think country music was very popular with Native people because it often spoke to our rural lives, our relationships, and our familial values, but the music then rarely ever had the nationalistic leanings that it now has today. The music I hear today doesn't really relate to my rural, country life, as a Native person, because these songs come primarily from a "white" small-town, nationalistic perspective. This music, as you mentioned, pits me against it, and excludes me culturally. The old country music didn't have the same political and nationalistic elements to it either that is so common now. If it did have patriotic elements to it, it wasn't done in a way that felt divisive or exclusive, or felt self-righteous. Songs like Time Marches On or Where the Corn Don't Grow have that same sense of humility and simplicity that I find always found endearing within the genre.

In regards to Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, etc. I don't even touch that stuff. That's not country music, but I think most older country music fans recognize that to some degree.

BTW, thanks Redbird! You articulated so well the social and cultural changes that have occurred within country music. I just tried to have a conversation with a friend about the politicization of country music, but I couldn't quite articulate any of it. But here you are explaining it all to me! Thanks :)

Yes, the namedropping itself has become a cottage industry. Sometimes I think they believe they've finished writing a song and have done their job, if they just throw in a Hank Williams reference.

Thinking of the concert figures, I'm not surprised about Taylor Swift because of her age demographic. I think young people will go see anyone in concert (i.e. Justin Bieber). It doesn't matter what kind of show they put on. But I guess I am surprised that the older country stars are selling out arenas.

As far as available radio formats go, it makes me wonder what's out there that you have to explore in order to find. I've never looked. It's easy to find traditional country on Sirius/XM so you can listen to classic music from the legends 24/7. But are there new country artists out there who are creating old school country music, but just aren't getting the airplay or exposure? Like a country version of indie, maybe. I don't know, because I've never really tried to find them.

I like music that tells a story and country seems to do that more than other genres. I think that's why I veer to it. One of my earliest musical memories is the pop song Honey by Bobby Goldsboro and I would cry every time I heard it. There are a lot of country songs that follow that format, introduction, dramatic event, conclusion and I remain a sucker for it. Actually, I like Michael Jackson's Billie Jean because it tells a story too. I'm kind of easy that way.

Michele

That's an interesting idea, in regards to new artists creating old school country music. I think there are still old artists creating old school country music, but unless you're a big draw (like George Strait or Alan Jackson), you're not going to get radio play. Although, I think I'd be a little weary towards new artists creating old school sounding country music, probably since I've become more skeptical towards country music. I think I'd honestly wonder if the sound is really a genuine reflection of the artist, or is it being used as a way to gain "street cred" or to just stand out from the mainstream (in an attention-seeking way).

I'm with you on loving music that tells a story, and country does seem to do that very well. Personally, I've always had a love for its murder-ballads and the songs that would engage with my fears of isolation and loneliness. Long Black Veil by Lefty Frizzell seems to combine all of those things into one song. Actually, sometimes it's not necessarily even the words that have to tell the story, but the music itself that can give me that same feeling. Time Precious Time is a song that for some reason reminds me of driving on isolated country roads here in nowhere South Dakota. Actually, I feel that quite a few of his songs have a way of telling an emotional story just through the structure of the song and the music itself. I've always loved songs where the sound of the guitar can give you a feeling that sometimes elaborates or causes you to doubt that lyrics in the song- i.e. the tension I get from hearing sad or angry lyrics over happy and catchy melodies. Lindsey does that really well.

Yes, sometimes lyrics are very evocative, but sometimes it's really the vocal (combined with the music) that brings a sentiment home and for me that happens a lot in country not because of the twangy accent, but because there's often a roughness to a country vocal, where the singer sounds either old or tired or hoarse and it gives me this sense that they're a little world weary or emotionally spent or breaking. Loss seems more palpable. It adds extra gravitas to the song's words and music, somehow, even if they're very simple. Or maybe it's because they're very simple.

I cried when George Jones died, not because I was saddened by his passing, but because they kept playing "He Stopped Loving her Today" and that song and the way he sang it still gets to me.

But Stevie can do that with a vocal too. That's why as awful as the Gate and Garden lyrics are, I can get wrapped up in the passionate way she says "do I love you, well I always did. Nobody knows nothing about it . . ."

I like murder ballads too. Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town is a favorite. Ode to Billie Joe. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.

Michele

Swift Justice? Westboro Baptist Church Plans Protest At ‘Wh*re’ Taylor’s Concert
 

Swift Justice? Westboro Baptist Church Plans Protest At ‘Wh*re’ Taylor’s Concert: http://radaronline.com/exclusives/20...-taylor-swift/

Well personally I'm not a strict traditionalist-only person when it comes to country music. As long as it's well written and well sung and has something of value to it in general (and everyone's values in music differs, of course). I don't mind countrypolitan or country-rock or such in themselves, I just don't like the bad writing and posturing that I guess I felt became more prominent on country radio. But the bad writing part, I'm sure, is not limited to country. Like you said with the Taylor Swift example there are a lot of things going on across genres.

As for country indie, well alternative country has been a thing since around the time alternative rock started becoming mainstream, and there is such a thing as indie folk, but it's not really neotraditional. Alt. country can have a similar appeal to traditional country, but it can also be country that likes to mix with other genres besides just pop (like punk).

I have a soft spot for FM radio, I miss the days when I could just turn on the station in the car to a great song. But yes internet radio has been an option for a while and it (plus more spending money and access to record stores) is what's allowed me to keep my love of country music going as I've gotten older. I just hate the whole elite = good/mainstream = bad divide and I wish that mainstream radio could be less homogenized. But that's the same old story for a lot of radio formats.

Other than my news station, I don't even listen to terrestial radio any more. I don't even know what station country is on. I turned off when the Dixie Chicks were played twice an hour and then they were erased from the format altogether, overnight and I don't believe that was the will of most listeners. They were blacklisted to quiet the protests of a minority. Within 2 years after that censorship wave, the longtime country stations in Los Angeles actually were replaced with something else.

Now, there are 3 stations I listen to on XM/Sirius, 57, 58 and 59 and I go back and forth between those. When a song comes on that I don't like, I switch the dial up or down. That's why I don't hear Lady Antebellum. Even though they're played a lot, I just turn to one of the other stations when they come on. When Stevie duets with them, the content is going to be a complete surprise to me.

But I do know there are other country stations that are less homogenous than those 3 on satellite that are available. I haven't tried them out. I guess I just take the Pontoon that's handed to me. :laugh:

Michele

Is there really that much Bon Jovi love in the world? That really surprised me! :laugh:

Top 20 Concert Tours from Pollstar Mercury News
http://www.mercurynews.com/celebriti...-from-pollstar

By The Associated Press Posted: 07/11/2013 10:19:41 AM PDT

1. (1) The Rolling Stones; $7,969,276; $346.09.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,188,099; $85.18.

3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $1,919,435; $74.36.

4. (4) Bon Jovi; $1,612,999; $104.13.

5. (5) Fleetwood Mac; $1,390,010; $108.91.

6. (6) New Kids On The Block; $838,510; $66.69.

7. (7) Jason Aldean; $780,014; $51.47.

8. (8) Tim McGraw; $575,811; $36.47.

9. (9) Brad Paisley; $566,551; $36.20.

10. (11 Carrie Underwood; $495,724; $62.39.

11. (13) Widespread Panic; $416,309; $46.05.

12. (14) Barry Manilow; $354,265; $57.72.

13. (15) Motley Crue; $329,571; $75.99.

14. (16) Styx / REO Speedwagon / Ted Nugent; $221,234; $38.78.

15. (17) Jeff Dunham; $211,902; $48.20.

16. (18) Bassnectar; $179,128; $36.44.

17. (20) Chris Tomlin; $163,206; $28.29.

18. (21) Willie Nelson; $153,714; $55.53.

19. (22) Il Divo; $152,184; $76.21.

20. (New) Juanes; $146,839; $53.27.

Thanks for sharing.

Its nice to see FM in the top 5.

Maybe they should went ahead and record a country album.


In the meantime its nice to see some of my favorite country artists on top too.

I'm glad they are beating out the new pop artist on tour.

Willie Nelson is still cranking along with his tours.He is in 70's.


Taylor Swift beating FM out.She's hot now.

http://news.investors.com/newsfeed-a...-pollstar.aspx

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

1. (1) The Rolling Stones; $7,969,276; $346.09.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,774,218; $86.95.

3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $2,167,270; $76.33.

4. (4) Fleetwood Mac; $1,367,517; $107.85.

5. (5) Dave Matthews Band; $1,241,722; $54.62.

6. (6) Justin Bieber; $1,165,093; $80.54.

7. (10) Jason Aldean; $1,017,425; $61.43.

8. (7) New Kids On The Block; $838,685; $66.04.

9. (8) Tim McGraw; $575,811; $36.47.

10. (9) Brad Paisley; $568,346; $36.19.

11. (11) Carrie Underwood; $520,651; $65.05.

12. (12) Widespread Panic; $396,997; $46.52.

13. (13) Barry Manilow; $350,088; $61.19.

14. (14) Motley Crue; $329,192; $75.94.

15. (15) Styx / REO Speedwagon / Ted Nugent; $208,359; $37.85.

16. (18) Bassnectar; $171,548; $34.95.

17. (19) Willie Nelson; $164,400; $54.31.

18. (20) Il Divo; $162,835; $81.55.

19. (22) Chicago; $147,311; $50.45.

20. (new) Juanes; $146,949; $53.31.


Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/newsfeed-a...#ixzz2aSd400a3
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Wow they move up a notch from 5 to 4.{I sound like Casey Kasem}

Thats great for FM.

The Stones are still hot.They will hot for years to come.


Again I'm glad to see the country artists on the top then any other current pop artists.

The dollar amount listed is for just one show, not the whole tour as the article title states.

http://www.bloomberglaw.com/exp/ewog...J2IjogIjEiCn0K

Aug 02 2013 10:11:28

By The Associated Press
(AP) -- The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

1. (1) The Rolling Stones; $7,969,276; $346.09.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $3,092,783; $86.73.

3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $2,157,820; $74.97.

4. (4) Fleetwood Mac; $1,367,517; $107.85.

5. (5) Dave Matthews Band; $1,209,646; $54.43.

6. (6) Justin Bieber; $1,165,093; $80.54.

7. (7) Jason Aldean; $1,017,425; $61.43.

8. (8) New Kids On The Block; $830,439; $65.06.

9. (9) Tim McGraw; $578,200; $37.60.

10. (10) Brad Paisley; $568,346; $36.19.

11. (11) Carrie Underwood; $520,651; $65.05.

12. (12) Widespread Panic; $391,954; $46.27.

13. (13) Barry Manilow; $350,088; $61.19.

14. (14) Mötley Crüe; $329,192; $75.94.

15. (15) Styx / REO Speedwagon / Ted Nugent; $208,359; $37.85.

16. (New) Hillsong United; $197,990; $31.04.

17. (New) Darius Rucker; $191,717; $39.60.

18. (16) Bassnectar; $171,548; $34.95.

19. (18) Il Divo; $162,835; $81.55.

20. (17) Willie Nelson; $160,635; $55.43.

http://www.kimt.com/2013/08/23/top-2...om-pollstar-6/
Top 20 Concert Tours from Pollstar

By The Associated PressPublished: Friday, August 23, 2013, 11:36 am

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week’s ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

1. (2) Paul McCartney; $3,620,049; $131.27.

2. (3) Taylor Swift; $3,126,773; $86.58.

3. (4) Kenny Chesney; $2,182,829; $75.32.

4. (New) One Direction; $1,805,905; $65.73.

5. (5) Fleetwood Mac; $1,427,403; $110.90.

6. (6) Phish; $1,391,413; $48.76.

7. (7) Justin Bieber; $1,225,230; $80.77.

8. (8) Dave Matthews Band; $1,134,333; $55.10.

9. (9) Bruno Mars; $1,027,571; $71.30.

10. (10) New Kids On The Block; $807,690; $65.24.

11. (11) Blake Shelton; $672,657; $32.24.

12. (12) Tim McGraw; $603,511; $38.11.

13. (14) Rascal Flatts; $567,025; $40.02.

14. (13) Brad Paisley; $551,796; $36.88.

15. (17) Widespread Panic; $376,122; $47.11.

16. (18) Bad Company / Lynyrd Skynyrd ; $311,304; $31.44.

17. (19) The Postal Service; $230,087; $40.66.

18. (New) Imagine Dragons; $203,574; $34.34.

19. (22) Hillsong United; $197,990; $31.04.

20. (New) Alice In Chains; $175,522; $49.24.

Jesus, they are really raking it in.

Ok Thats what I figure.

I'm glad to see them still on the top 5.

Sir Paul is still hot after all these years. Hats off to him.

http://news.yahoo.com/top-20-concert...183327003.html

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

1. (1) Paul McCartney; $3,812,872; $127.84.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $3,240,739; $86.74.

3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $2,247,437; $74.74.

4. (4) One Direction; $1,728,956; $65.83.

5. (5) Fleetwood Mac; $1,409,843; $106.97.

6. (6) Phish; $1,391,413; $48.76.

7. (7) Justin Bieber; $1,225,230; $80.77.

8. (8) Dave Matthews Band; $1,161,567; $55.05.

9. (9) Bruno Mars; $1,019,349; $70.50.

10. (10) New Kids On The Block; $791,588; $65.08.

11. (11) Blake Shelton; $672,657; $32.24.

12. (12) Tim McGraw; $615,468; $38.58.

13. (13) Rascal Flatts; $591,962; $38.75.

14. (14) Brad Paisley; $549,485; $36.36.

15. (15) Widespread Panic; $376,122; $47.11.

16. (16) Bad Company / Lynyrd Skynyrd; $311,304; $31.44.

17. (17) The Postal Service; $233,726; $41.30.

18. (18) Imagine Dragons; $210,740; $34.49.

19. (19) Hillsong United; $197,990; $31.04.

20. (20) Alice In Chains; $175,522; $49.24.

Roger Waters Passes Madonna for Solo Boxscore Record with $459M Wall Live Tour News /

http://www.billboard.com/biz/article...459m-wall-live

Billboard By Bob Allen, Nashville | October 04, 2013 7:14 PM EDT

Rock legend Roger Waters sets the solo artist Boxscore record with totals submitted from the final leg of the Wall Live tour, which also place him at No. 1 on our weekly ranking of Hot Tours. With $81.3 million in ticket sales reported for the final leg through 26 European cities, which kicked off on July 18 in Arnhem, Netherlands and wrapped in Paris on Sept. 21, the three-year world tour totaled an impressive $459 million from 219 performances. The tour originally launched in September 2010 and played six legs in North and South America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand during a three-year span.

The $459 million gross surpasses the solo record of $407 million previously set by Madonna with her Sticky & Sweet tour in 2008-09 and grants Waters with the third highest-grossing tour of all time Only U2 and the Rolling Stones grossed more from a single tour. Sales from U2’s 360° tour totaled $736 million (2009-2011) and the Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang tour grossed $558 million from 2005-2007.

Roger Waters will also be giving the Keynote Q&A at the 10th Annual Billboard Touring Conference, scheduled for Nov. 13 and 14 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.


Roger Waters To Give Keynote Q&A at Billboard Touring Conference

Second on the weekly ranking of Hot Tours is Jay Z & Justin Timberlake with sales reported from their Legends of the Summer tour that played 12 North American stadiums during July and August. With grosses totaling $69.7 million, the co-headliners played to sellout crowds at each show. Altogether in all markets the attendance count was 622,559 during the summer trek. The top grosser was a two-night stand in New York City at Yankee Stadium (July 19-20) with $12 million in sales and just over 89,000 fans in attendance. The tour also played one other two-show engagement with performances on Aug. 10-11 at Boston’s Fenway Park.

Beyoncé, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney and Jason Aldean all earn slots among the weekly slate of top-grossing tours with grosses reported from their summer touring efforts. Beyoncé is third with $38.9 million in sales from concerts at a string of 23 North American arenas on the Mrs. Carter World tour. The final stop was a three-show run at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with $5.3 million from 42,000 sold seats. Bon Jovi is No. 4 with sales from Because We Can tour appearances in the U.S. during July and in South America in September. Two concerts at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. produced the top gross with $9.5 million from 96,000 fans.

McCartney’s Out There! Tour lands in fifth place with $22.2 million in revenue reported from arena and stadium dates in North America during July and August. Aldean is No. 6 with third-quarter grosses reported from 17 venues on his Night Train tour. Although the tour primarily played outdoor amphitheaters, included in this week’s counts is a sold out concert on July 20 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field with $3.1 million in sales.



Weekly .com Boxscores - Oct. 2, 2013



Rank

ACT

Total Gross

Show Dates

Show Venue/City (Shows/Sellouts)

Total Attendance (Capacity)



1 ROGER WATERS

$81,305,650

July 18-Sept. 21

GelreDome, Arnhem, Netherlands (1/0)

Werchter Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium (1/0)

Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia (1/0)

Stadio Euganeo, Padova, Italy (1/0)

Stadio Olimpico, Rome (1/0)

Olympic Stadium, Athens (1/0)

ITÜ Stadyumu, Istanbul (1/0)

O2 Arena, Prague (1/0)

Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt (1/0)

Parken Stadion, Copenhagen (1/0)

Telenor Arena, Oslo (2/0)

Ullevi Stadion, Gothenburg, Sweden (1/0)

Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw (1/0)

Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna (1/0)

Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Budapest (1/0)

Piata Constitutiei, Bucharest (1/0)

Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria (1/0)

Arena Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia (1/0)

Olympiastadion, Berlin (1/0)

Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf (1/0)

Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam (1/0)

Stadion Letzigrund, Zürich (1/0)

Wembley Stadium, London (1/0)

Phones 4u Arena, Manchester, U.K. (1/0)

Aviva Stadium, Dublin (1/0)

Stade de France, Paris (1/0)

830,123 (915,081)



2 JAY Z & JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

$69,753,905

July 17-Aug. 16

Rogers Centre, Toronto (1/1)

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y. (2/2)

Soldier Field, Chicago (1/1)

Candlestick Park, San Francisco (1/1)

Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif. (1/1)

B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver (1/1)

Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, Pa. (1/1)

Ford Field, Detroit (1/1)

M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore (1/1)

Fenway Park, Boston (2/2)

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia (1/1)

Sun Life Stadium, Miami (1/1)

622,559 (622,559)



3 BEYONCÉ

$38,945,536

June 29-Aug. 5

MGM Grand Garden, Las Vegas (1/1)

Staples Center, Los Angeles (1/1)

SAP Center, San Jose (1/1)

Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City (1/1)

American Airlines Center, Dallas (1/1)

BB&T Center, Sunrise, Fla. (1/1)

American Airlines Arena, Miami (1/1)

Arena at Gwinnett Center, Duluth, Ga. (1/1)

Bridgestone Arena, Nashville (1/1)

Toyota Center, Houston (1/1)

United Center, Chicago (1/1)

Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn. (1/1)

Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Mich. (1/1)

Air Canada Centre, Toronto (1/1)

Bell Centre, Montreal (1/1)

TD Garden, Boston (1/1)

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia (1/1)

Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J. (1/1)

Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte (1/1)

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. (2/2)

Izod Center, East Rutherford, N.J. (1/1)

Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn. (1/1)

Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. (3/3)

343,821 (343,821)



4 BON JOVI

$38,865,524

July 3-Sept. 29

Hampden Park, Glasgow, U.K. (1/1)

Soldier Field, Chicago (1/1)

Ford Field, Detroit (1/1)

Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass. (1/1)

Saratoga Perf. Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (1/1)

Darien Lake Perf. Arts Center, Darien Center, N.Y. (1/1)

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. (2/2)

Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil (1/1)

Estadio Monumental, Santiago (1/1)

Estadio Vélez Sársfield, Buenos Aires (1/1)

Foro Sol, Mexico City (1/1)

461,910 (461,910)



5 PAUL MCCARTNEY

$22,250,619

July 7-Aug. 14

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario (1/0)

Fenway Park, Boston (1/0)

Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. (1/1)

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis (1/1)

Investors Group Field, Winnipeg, Manitoba (1/1)

Mosaic Stadium, Regina, Saskatchewan (1/1)

173,855 (173,979)



6 JASON ALDEAN

$13,522,018

July 20-Sept. 19

Wrigley Field, Chicago (1/1)

Farm Bureau Live, Virginia Beach, Va. (1/1)

Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, Pa. (1/1)

Saratoga Perf. Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (1/0)

Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati (1/1)

First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown, Pa. (1/1)

Darien Lake Perf. Arts Center, Darien Center, N.Y. (1/1)

Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (1/1)

Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, N.J. (1/1)

Toyota Pavilion, Scranton, Pa. (1/0)

Tallahassee-Leon Co. Civic Center, Tallahassee, Fla. (1/0)

MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa (1/0)

Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Fla. (1/0)

Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Charlotte (1/0)

Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, Raleigh, N.C. (1/1)

Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, Va. (1/1)

Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb. (1/1)

341,488 (354,454)



7 MICHAEL JACKSON THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR

$6,565,130

Sept. 26-29

Allphones Arena, Sydney (6/0)

50,593 (58,848)



8 FLEETWOOD MAC

$6,435,480

Sept. 24-27

O2 Arena, London (3/0)

47,906 (49,122)

I think Redbird is on to something regarding the appeal that modern Nashville music (I won't call it country) has to a, let's call it, "god, guns and country" crowd. It's a huge contrivance about pickups and drinking and shooting guns and being a small-town guy/gal. Jesus drives for you, you can smash car windows when you're pissed, and god will bless everything you do and the USA because, you know, god has nothing better to do. Most of this music is mundane and unappealing. There are exceptions, like Kacey Musgraves, but most of it is poop. Nashville actually follows certain song structure formulas that have been test-driven to elicit a certain response. Creativity is out the window.

You want creativity these days? Watch the folk-meets-alternative scene out of Brooklyn. That is where the best music in the US is coming from these days. There's plenty of other good stuff out there of course, but Nashville ain't it.

I can recognize that there are a lot of songs programmed along those lines, but there are a lot of country songs I love and I'm far, far from being one of those God, Gun and Country people. Many country songs are just about relationships and I think their appeal transcends a red state mentality.

Michele

Michele, I wasn't trying to paint you with that brush. My point is that a lot of today's country is intentionally designed to appeal to a certain segment of society. It reinforces their beliefs about a type of "real" America in much the same way that certain types of politicians and professional talkers do. It's cynical on many levels, especially at a musical, creative level because, ultimately, the music is shallow, formulaic and uninspired. That is not to say that there is no good country music or that even the bad country appeals only to the folks Redbird mentioned.

You also have to keep in mind Kenny and Taylor are playing stadiums. Only the big country artists can pull that off now. In most cities FM can't sell 40,000 tickets - they are playing arenas that are 15k or so.

I'm sure that's true of some of the music, but I would say it's less than 1/3 of the songs. I listen to 3 country stations on Sirius, 57, 58 and 59. I just flip between them and I would say I'm not inundated with that "red, white and blue" rhetoric. It's there, but it does not predominate.

Although, I'm sure there's probably a station that is DEDICATED to just that and I could hear a lot more of it, if I was so inclined. Of course, I am more familiar with country singles than albums. So, even those artists who have mostly neutral singles climbing the charts may have some propaganda on their albums. I wouldn't know. I just know that the playlists on the stations I choose to listen to are filled with a lot fewer political and patriotic songs than they were 10 years ago in the wake of the 9/11 attack.

Back then I stopped listening because not only was I protesting their censorship, I was tired of hearing Where I Come From and Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue non-stop. I don't get that today. Today my biggest complaint is too much Lady Antebellum.

Michele

2013 Highest Grossing Concerts [FM 17, 62 million. I think I thought there were more than 13 sell outs]

Billboard
http://www.billboard.com/articles/li...13?list_page=1

17
Fleetwood Mac

FLEETWOOD MAC
Total Gross: $61,899,473
Total Attendance: 554,548
Total Capacity: 579,480
No. of Shows: 45
No. of Sellouts: 13



2013′s Top Grossing Tours:
1. Bon Jovi ($205,158,370)
2. Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour by Cirque Du Soleil ($157,299,100)
3. Pink ($147,947,543)
4. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band ($147,608,938)
5. Rihanna ($137,982,530)
6. The Rolling Stones ($126,182,391)
7. Taylor Swift ($115,379,331)
8. Beyonce ($104,358,899)
9. Depeche Mode ($99,972,733)
10. Kenny Chesney ($90,932,957)
11. Roger Waters ($81,305,650)
12. One Direction ($78,311,383)
13. Justin Bieber ($77,423,264)
14. Madonna ($76,752,277)
15. Jay Z & Justin Timberlake ($69,753,905)
16. Paul McCartney ($69,584,403)
17. Fleetwood Mac ($61,899,473)
18. Maroon 5 ($54,354,974)
19. Dave Matthews Band ($52,960,667)
20. André Rieu ($49,983,266)
21. Jason Aldean ($47,814,095)
22. Lady Gaga ($46,957,070)
23. Bruno Mars ($46,417,795)
24. Luke Bryan ($45,558,589)
25. Iron Maiden ($44,980,749)

hmm, interesting numbers. Bon Jovi had all sellouts? also Rolling Stones? i don't know, i'm pretty sure there were tix for both available on the day of the show at the venues close to me. :shrug: :confused: Bruce however i was under the impression had almost all sellouts but these numbers don't show that.

this is only US right? i don't remember FM having even as many US sellouts, it seems they were mostly in Europe... but maybe i was just not paying attention to the US shows that were not relatively close to me.

Depeche Mode had relatively cheap tickets, and people who bought early more expensive platinum tickets were unhappy since the shows were not nearly selling out and great tickets dropped the week of the show, but according to this they had mostly sellouts? it was definitely not sold out in DC area. weird.