Top Concert Grosses for 2003
 

Top Concert Grosses for 2003

By DAVID BAUDER
.c The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - The top concert acts in 2003 and the money grossed from ticket sales, according to the concert industry publication Pollstar:

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - $115.9 million.

Celine Dion - $80.5 million.

Eagles - $69.3 million.

Fleetwood Mac - $69 million.

Cher - $68.2 million.

Simon & Garfunkel - $64.5 million.

Aerosmith-Kiss - $64 million.

Dixie Chicks - $60.5 million.

Billy Joel-Elton John - $50.9 million.

Summer Sanitarium Tour with Metallica - $48.8 million.

Dave Matthews Band - $47.1 million.

Toby Keith - $44.2 million.

Shania Twain - $40.8 million.

The Rolling Stones - $38.5 million.

Phish - $35.8 million.

Kenny Chesney - $34.5 million.

Tim McGraw - $32.7 million.

Justin Timberlake/Christine Aguilera - $31.8 million.

Jimmy Buffett - $29.3 million.

Pearl Jam - $29.1 million.



12/23/03 16:43 EST

Eight of the top ten are veteran acts. That says a lot.

It irks me that the Eagles pipped Fleetwood Mac :)

Thank God...
 

FM beat Cher! I couldn't handle it if they didn't.

DJM

I was thinking the same thing:laugh:

billboard.com article has different numbers theyhave the list as follows :

the Rolling Stones (grossing $299.5 million)

Bruce Springsteen ($181.7 million)

and Cher ($76.3 million).

Fleetwood Mac ($69.2 million)

Dixie Chicks ($62.2 million)

Eagles ($53.7 million)

Dave Matthews Band ($52.6 million)

Aerosmith & Kiss ($50 million)

I don't know why their numbers for the Rolling Stones are so drastically different than the article you posted..lol...oh well...regardless the mac did great

Chris

Hmmm, we'll have to get to the bottom of this! ;) Hey at least they were both pretty much in agreement with the Mac's numbers. I wonder how much Stevie pulled in from that 69 mil? Maybe she'll have enough money to buy a new dress now. :laugh:


Joe

Not bad. How many of the other listed artists vary their sets?

- Jake

Joe

I was wondering if it had to do with timing and cut off dates for when the statistics are gathered.

But what makes it even more odd is that the Pollstar article cites The Rolling Stones 1994 tour as the highest grossing tour of all time with 121 million.

The Billboard article says the Stones grossed 299.5 million in their last tour. That's more than double figures.

one is a list of worldwide sales and the other's US domestic sales only.
still, it doesn't explain how FM managed to gross only 0.2 mil.$ from their european leg of the tour. other than if they were giving away most of the tickets or something, in such case, i've really been screwed!

Rolling Stones tix were $300 for nosebleed, Cher was $80 for floor and lower arena, FM was $125 for floor and lower arena.

I'd like to know who sold the most tickets. One of those sources also said that FM played 71 US shows, it was 70. :D

I'd like to know which acts had the most repeat attendees. Some of us went to multiple shows. Pattie, just how many Celine performances DID you attend?:laugh:

- Jake

The numbers that people are seeing today are US numbers through Mid December. The Billboard numbers were worldwide through Mid November. The Eagles number is wrong. They played 44 US dates this year and grossed 53 million. About 1.2 million per show. Fleetwood Mac played 70 US dates 1 cancelled show is why some reports mention 71. Below are some posts of mine I copied from buckinghamnicks.com board that add some info in relation to the billboard article. They jump around as they answer some other posters' questions.

The numbers posted are for their 70 US dates and do not include the 15 dates they played in Europe in November and December.

My understanding of the money breakdown. The cost per show was around 600-700k. This included a 250k guarantee to the band. (Which is why concerts west got the deal. Clear Channel was only offering a 200k guarantee) The remaing 300k per night was profit. A good chunk of which went to Concerts West. However based on a 300k profit the band was splitting another 100-150k per night in addition to the guarantee. The range there depends on how much the band was giving back as profit sharing to its additional players and 80 or so tour personnel. Rough estimates on what the band made for 70 us dates. Lindsey and Stevie 8-9 mil. Mick and John 5-5.5 mil.
A good 6 months of work. The 15 dates in Europe, the dozen dates down under and 30 dates in the US this summer stand to gross them another 40 million. Profits will be a little less in in EU & Aus, but a little more if they play sheds. So the band members stand to bring in 9-15 million each for there 130-145 dates of touring.






No they don't include merchandise. That is a whole other segment. Most likely that works out to paying the promotions company they contract with to coordinate its design, production, and sale. After costs that company takes it share and the rest is usually split evenly among the band. It is a signifcant chunk of change to you and I, but in terms of the other money we are talking about not all that much. Probably adds another 500k to each of there total takes.




Stevie and Lindsey get more because their agents got them more during negotiations with Concerts West and the band. Nothing to do with songwriting royalties per se. Has to do with the fact Stevie and Lindsey are the front men for the tour and without them there would be no million dollar per night grossing tour. The 50,000 per show guarantee is the most money Mick and John have realized from long term touring ever. This practice is common with established bands. Henley and Frey make more when the Eagles tour. The only money Christine now makes from Fleetwood mac are for songwriting royalities and album share payments for albums in which she was a member.

THANK YOU John Run. Pretty much answered my questions. The band did rather well, to say the least. If it's not for the love of music, I can definitely see what keeps them on the road.... $$. I can't say that they don't deserve to make the money they do. After all, they do bring a lot of happiness and joy to people through their music. If people are willing to pay the price they do for tickets, then more power to FM for exercising their capitalistic opportunities. Honestly, in relation to ticket prices, I would have given Stevie $125 bucks just to sing "Beautiful Child" like she did on the SYW Tour, and better yet to have it to listen to for years to come makes it ALL seem worthwhile. :)


Joe

Wow. That's a lot of cash. Thanks for the info.:)

Jake, it was Justin Timerlake/Christina Aguilera that I followed.:laugh:
But really I wonder how many crazy die hard fans do those other artists have? I knew of a few people that really love the Stones and The Boss but I don't know if they are as insane as I am with The Mac following them to different shows.