With music sales not like they used to be, musical artists have to run big, live concert tours as it’s the only thing that fans can’t illegally download.
The concert tour numbers for 2011 are out, and many artists we love ranked high on the list!
The top 25 North American tours grossed $1.19 billion collectively, off about 4% from $1.24 billion in 2010. The top 25 worldwide tours brought in a $2.1 billion gross, virtually flat compared to last year.
U2 sold 1.7 million tickets, at an average cost of $91.67, in North America during the year, for an average of 81,000 tickets per show. The elaborate stadium tour mounted 25 shows in 21 markets.
Domestically, country was hot this year, with Taylor Swift (grossing $97.7 million) and Kenny Chesney ($84.6 million) occupying the No. 2 and No. 3 slots respectively among North American attractions.
Other top North American live acts included Lady Gaga ($63.7 million), Bon Jovi ($57.1 million), Elton John ($51.8 million), Sade ($48.6 million), Kanye West and Jay-Z ($48.3 million), Lil Wayne ($44.4 million) and Celine Dion ($41.2 million).
Did you see any of these artists or others live in 2011? Who do you hope to see in 2012? This writer and co-founder Richard will be attending a few Bruce Springsteen shows in the new year.