Veteran male rock acts had biggest 2017 world tours
LOS ANGELES: Veteran, white male rock stars raked in the most cash from world tours in 2017, according to an annual list released on Thursday, while the highest-ranked women – Celine Dion and Lady Gaga – failed to make the top 10.
Irish band U2 grossed a leading US$ 316 million from its 30th anniversary, 50- date “Joshua Tree” tour. It was followed by hard rock band Guns N’ Roses which took in US$ 292.5 million, according to trade publication Pollstar’s ranking of the Top 20 worldwide tours of 2017.
British band Coldplay came in third, with US$ 238 million, on a list where Bruno Mars, 32, of Puerto Rican and Philippine descent, was the only musician of colour in the top ten. Mars grossed US$ 200 million. Ed Sheeran, 26, was the youngest singer in the top ten, pulling in US$ 124.1 million.
At a whopping US$ 1,500 average, Bruce Springsteen’s limited Broadway run had the highest ticket prices and grossed US$ 87.8 million to give the “Born to Run” singer 14th place.
In 11th place, Dion was the top female act with US$ 101.2 million, while Lady Gaga’s “Joanne” tour grossed US$ 85.7 million for 15th place.
The touring numbers mark a strong contrast with US music sales and streaming preferences, where hip hop and R& B music this year became the most consumed music genre, according to a July Nielsen Music report.
The top 20 tours grossed US$ 2.66 billion in 2017, a record high and an increase of more than US$ 264 million from 2016, Pollstar said.
Pollstar’s ranking is based on ticket sales data and does not include revenue from merchandise which can add a sizeable chunk to tour earnings. — Reuters