highest grossing tours wiki

The 10 Highest Grossing Tours of All Time

There are some names you probably wouldn’t expect on the list.

There’s nothing like the thrill of live music . The euphoria of connecting with your favorite artist in a giant room filled with like-minded people is powerful enough to make you forget about the exorbitant ticket prices, the ridiculously long bathroom lines, and even the $16 beers. In a digital world where it’s easy to feel lonely and isolated, concerts are more important than ever.

They’re also big business, as evidenced by this roundup of the 10 highest-grossing concert tours of all time (as of August 2024). The list includes some veteran rockers, a couple of pop superstars, and two very powerful women whose influence transcends music. You can probably guess their names.

10. The Rolling Stones’ No Filter Tour (2017–2021) // $547 million

It took just 58 shows in North America and Europe for the Stones to gross more than a half-billion dollars. The No Filter Tour started in 2017 and lasted until November 2021 due to COVID-19. Sadly, it marked the end of the road for drummer Charlie Watts, who died on August 24, 2021, at the age of 80.

9. The Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang Tour (2005–2007) // $558 million

This lucrative two-year outing for the Stones included two nights at the Beacon Theater in New York City—filmed by Martin Scorsese for the concert film Shine a Light —and the halftime performance at Super Bowl XL in Detroit. In 2006, the Stones also played one of the biggest free shows of all time, rocking 1.5 million people at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

8. Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour (2023) // $579 million

Queen Bey needed just 56 shows in 2023 to land herself on the list of all-time touring champs. Notably, she’s the only Black performer in the Top 10, and she’s one of only two women.

7. Guns N’ Roses’ Not in This Lifetime… Tour (2016–2019) // $584 million

At long last, classic-era GNR members Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan settled their differences and decided to go make a lot of money. The Not in This Lifetime… tour spanned more than three years, and while it wound up being a huge success, it got off to a rocky start: Axl broke his foot prior to the second show in Las Vegas and had to perform in a special throne Dave Grohl had previously used when he suffered a broken leg.

6. Harry Styles’s Love On Tour (2021–2023) // $617.3 million

Originally slated to start in 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, Love On Tour lasted nearly two years and coincided with the promotion of two different albums: 2019’s Fine Line and 2022’s Harry House . The tour included a pair of memorable Halloween gigs at New York City’s Madison Square Garden where Harry dressed up like a clown and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz .

5. U2’s U2 360° Tour (2009–2011) // $736 million

When you’ve been in the game as long as U2, the challenge is finding new ways to keep fans coming back for more. For U2 360°, the Irish rockers played in the round on a 164-foot structure nicknamed “The Claw.” According to Rolling Stone , it was twice as large as the stage the Stones constructed for their A Bigger Band Tour, which held the previous record for biggest stadium stage set. U2 360° became the highest-grossing tour of all time—until the next one on our list bested it.

4. Ed Sheeran’s The ÷ (Divide) Tour (2017–2019) // $776 million

In August 2019, with 12 dates remaining, The ÷ (Divide) Tour surpassed U2 360° as the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. As The Guardian reported , Sheeran brought his poppy folk-rock stylings to smaller audiences—an average attendance of 34,541, compared to U2’s 66,091—and sold tickets for 14.2 percent lower than U2 did. He made up the difference by playing more shows—255 in all.

3. Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (2018–2020, 2022–2023) // $939 million

Sir Elton sold 6 million tickets and came this close to topping a billion dollars with his triumphant farewell tour. Along the way, John rocked the legendary Glastonbury Festival with a performance billed as his last ever in the UK.

2. Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour (2022–2024) // $945 million

Environmentally conscious rockers Coldplay worked with BMW to develop the “world’s first rechargeable show battery,” which helped to power their super-lucrative Music of the Spheres World Tour. Chris Martin and company also promised to plant one tree for every ticket sold. For a while, Music of the Spheres was parked behind Elton’s farewell on the list of highest-grossing tours, but Billboard announced on August 16, 2024, that Coldplay had moved into second place.

1. Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour (2023–2024) // $1.04 billion (and counting)

In December 2023—with plenty of dates still to come—Taylor Swift’s career-spanning Eras Tour became the first tour to top a billion dollars in gross revenue. If there had been any doubt, the tour solidified Swift’s status as the most famous person on the planet. Between the friendship bracelets and surprise song sets , the 3.5-plus-hour shows quickly became the stuff of legend, and when she released Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour on the big screen in October 2023, it naturally became the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

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Highest-grossing Concert Tours of All Time

Who has hauled the highest-grossing tour total of all time? From Elton John to Harry Styles, find out who made the top 10 of all time.

These days, scoring a ticket to see your favorite music artist has proven to be a Herculean task. With bots replacing scalpers, superfans are struggling more than ever to get a ticket to the show. However, someway, somehow, people are showing up in record numbers.

Looking back on the top 10 highest-grossing tours, the list may surprise you. Harry Styles ‘ most recent marathon Love on Tour propelled him to become the first of his contemporaries to crack the list. However, these numbers are all under fire as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are expected to shatter tour totals and breaking the billion mark.

As T Swift takes over for Elton John, The Rolling Stones logged the largest sum per show. The British sensations took in an average of $9.4 million per show with 58 performances between 2017 and 2019.

Let’s dive in with the top 10 highest-grossing tours of all time.

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Highest-grossing Tours of All Time: The Top 10

1. taylor swift — eras tour (2023-2024).

Total Gross: $1.04 billion (via Pollstar )
Tickets Sold: 4.35 million
Average Gross per Show: $1.67 million

2. Elton John — Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (2018-2023)

Total Gross: $939.1 million
Tickets Sold: 6 million
Average Gross per Show: $2.84 million

3. Ed Sheeran — The ÷ (Divide) Tour (2017-2019)

Total Gross: $776 million
Tickets Sold: 8.9 million
Average Gross per Show: $3 million

4. U2 — U2 360° Tour (2009-2011)

Total Gross: $736 million
Tickets Sold: 7.3 million
Average Gross per Show: $6.69 million

5. Coldplay — Music of the Spheres World Tour ( 2022-2023 )

Total Gross: $617.8 million
Tickets Sold: 6.3 million
Average Gross per Show: $5.77 million

6. Harry Styles — Love on Tour (2021-2023)

Total Gross: $617.3 million
Tickets Sold: 5 million
Average Gross per Show: $3.65 million

7. Guns N’ Roses — Not in This Lifetime… Tour (2016-2019)

Total Gross: $584 million
Tickets Sold: 5.4 million
Average Gross per Show: $3.69 million

8. Beyoncé — Renaissance Tour (2023)

Total Gross: $579 million (via Forbes )
Tickets Sold: TBD
Average Gross per Show: $10.34 million

9. The Rolling Stones — A Bigger Bang Tour (2005-2007)

Total Gross: $558 million
Tickets Sold: 3.5 million
Average Gross per Show: $5.02 million

10. The Rolling Stones — No Filter Tour (2017-2019)

Total Gross: $547 million
Tickets Sold: 2.9 million
Average Gross per Show: $9.4 million

10. Coldplay — A Head Full of Dreams Tour (2015-2017)

Total Gross: $524 million
Average Gross per Show: $4.56 million

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List of highest-grossing concert tours

The following is a list of concert tours that have generated the most gross income , largely from ticket sales. The rankings are based largely on reports by trade publications Billboard and Pollstar . Billboard , which launched the boxscore ranking in 1975 through its spin-off magazine Amusement Business , has featured the ranking in its own magazine since the issue date of October 3, 1981. [1] Pollstar began reporting box office data on November 29, 1981, [2] but it has relatively little information regarding tours carried out before 2000. [3]

Highest-grossing tours

Timeline of the highest-grossing tour, highest-grossing tours by decade, highest-grossing tours by year.

Michael Jackson 's Bad World Tour and Pink Floyd 's A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour , which both ran from 1987 to 1989, were the first tours to have reportedly surpassed $100 million in revenue. As record sales collapsed in the early 21st century, musicians began relying on live music shows for their income, causing the touring industry to skyrocket. [4]

In 2024, Coldplay 's Music of the Spheres World Tour became the first tour to surpass $1 billion in revenue based on verifiable data, [5] though estimates indicate that Taylor Swift 's Eras Tour – which did not report its numbers officially – achieved the feat first back in 2023. [upper-alpha 1] She allegedly made $1.039 billion from 60 shows, the highest earnings for a calendar year .

While the touring industry is largely dominated by bands and male soloists of rock music , [8] some of the highest-grossing tours have featured pop stars such as Swift, Ed Sheeran , Harry Styles , Beyoncé , Pink , and Madonna , as well as country singer Garth Brooks . The Rolling Stones set the all-time tour-revenue record three times (1990, 1995, and 2006); their Voodoo Lounge Tour held the record for 11 years (1995–2006), longer than any other record-holder. They are the only act to have the highest-grossing tour of the decade twice, in the 1990s and the 2000s. U2 has mounted the highest-grossing tour of the year at least eight times, more than any other act.

This list represents the top-grossing tour of each year according to either Pollstar or Billboard Boxscore (formerly Amusement Business ). The two publications may differ on their annual figures due to different total of dates reported or different year-end tracking period. For example, Pollstar listed Madonna 's Sticky & Sweet Tour as the top tour of 2008 with $281.6 million, but Billboard ranked it third on their year-end chart whose tracking period ended on November 11, 2008, thus excluding 20 shows by Madonna. [70] [71] In 2019, Billboard listed Ed Sheeran 's ÷ Tour as the top tour of the year ($223.7 million), instead of Pink 's Beautiful Trauma World Tour ($215.2 million) as reported by Pollstar . However, the Billboard ' s figure included Sheeran's gross from November 2018 shows, therefore the Pollstar ' s figure is closer to accurate for the 2019 calendar year. [72] [73]

List of highest-grossing concert tours by women
List of highest-grossing concert tours by Latin artists
List of most-attended concert tours
List of most-attended concerts
List of highest-grossing concert residencies
List of highest-grossing live music artists
1 2 3 4 The figure, calculated after 60 shows, is an estimation "based on Pollstar box office reports combined with extensive research including ticket prices in each market, record capacities at each venue and comparable tour data". Swift has yet to report her numbers formally. [6] [7]
↑ Eagles ' Hell Freezes Over Tour grossed $79.4 million in 1994, $63.3 million in 1995, and $10.2 million in 1996. [43] [44]
1 2 U2 's 360° Tour grossed $311,637,730 in the 2000s decade (2009) [50] and $424,783,856 in the 2010s (2010 and 2011). [51] [52]
↑ Celine Dion 's Taking Chances World Tour grossed $236.6 million in 2008 and $42.6 million in 2009. [53] [54]
↑ Within the 2000s decade, AC/DC 's Black Ice World Tour grossed $37.5 million in 2008 and $226.6 million in 2009. [55] [54]
↑ Cher 's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour grossed $194,683,927 from 280 reported shows according to Billboard , bringing an average gross of $695,000 per show. [56] Total gross for the tour's 325 dates is estimated between $200 million and $250 million. [57]
↑ Bruno Mars ' 24K Magic World Tour grossed $200.1 million in 2017 and 167.6 million in 2018. [60] [61]
↑ Within the 2020s decade, Elton John 's Farewell Yellow Brick Road grossed $87.1 million in 2020, [64] $274 million in 2022, [65] and $110.3 million in 2023. [66]

List of highest-grossing concert tours

Highest-grossing tours of all-time [ ].

bold indicates tour was the highest grossing of all-time at some point.
Tours highlighted are ongoing.

The World's Highest Grossing Tours of 2023

According to analysts at Pollstar, total grosses for the top 100 tours that year were up 46 percent from $6.28 billion in 2022 to $9.17 billion last year. Attendance figures were also up, rising from 59 million to 70 million - an increase of 18.4 percent.

The following chart is based on data collected by Pollstar on the world’s highest grossing tours of 2023. It reveals that at the top of this list, comes Taylor Swift with her record-breaking “ Eras Tour ” - the first ever to break the $1 billion mark - which visited 60 stadiums in total. It was followed by Beyoncé’s “Renaissance Tour”, which grossed some $580 million in 56 shows and Bruce Springsteen’s “Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour” which grossed $380 million across 66 venues.

Ticket prices for the top 8 grossing worldwide tours ranged between an average of $105.16 for an Ed Sheeran ticket to more than double that for Taylor Swift - $238.95.

Description

This chart shows the box office gross of the highest-grossing music tours worldwide in 2023.

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Bank-Busting Beats: The Highest-Grossing Concert Tours Of All Time

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Harry Styles - Love On Tour
U2 - 360° Tour
Ed Sheeran - ÷ (Divide) Tour
Coldplay - Music Of The Spheres World Tour
Elton John - Farewell Yellow Brick Road
Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour

Key Takeaways

Concert tours are evolving with high attendance, earning billions as musicians like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran captivate huge crowds.
The dwindling interest in live theaters due to the technology shift is overshadowed by the massive success of top-grossing concert tours.
In the digital age, musicians like Harry Styles, U2, and Coldplay draw millions worldwide to their massive concerts, despite screen distractions.

The world is evolving — with the internet and a slight nudge from the pandemic, the dynamics of concert tours and live entertainment are shifting too.

Live performances held steady as one of the major sources of entertainment in the twentieth century; now, live theaters are in rapid decline , with technology often considered the culprit.

Many have speculated that with the prevalence of screens at home, there's little impetus to drive and spend money to see a performance, when we can enjoy virtually everything from our couches.

The music industry has also changed, as people now prefer to buy or stream music online , slowly eroding the trek to the store to buy physical copies of albums or merch.

But thankfully, one thing hasn't changed: musicians' ability to craft magical tunes to lure crowds from the comfort of their sofas to their concert tours in massive arenas.

Fans still flock in huge numbers to concert tours, and these gatherings are getting bigger and bigger — and on balance, it's hard to imagine anything that could replace live music.

Recent concert tours are smashing records in every aspect, from massive ticket sales to drawing enormous crowds.

Today, we're taking a look at which musician is the biggest draw for crowds by looking at the highest-grossing concert tours, as well as related factors like ticket sales, the number of shows per tour, and the average gross per concert.

Update, September 2024 : Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour has made history by becoming the first rock tour to gross over $1 billion. Launched in March 2022, the tour has spanned four continents, performing 156 shows and selling nearly 9.3 million tickets as of August 2024. With an average of over 50,000 tickets sold per show across its nine legs, Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour has consistently drawn massive crowds, highlighting the band’s unmatched global appeal. Furthermore, having crossed the $1 billion threshold, the Music of the Spheres World is now the second-highest-grossing concert run of all time.

It surpassed the previous record held by Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour , which grossed $939 million, and U2’s 360° tour, which sold 7.3 million tickets. Coldplay’s tour continues to set new records, and with more shows planned, ticket sales are expected to exceed 10 million. This feat puts the band in an elite category, joining Taylor Swift, whose Eras tour also surpassed $1 billion in revenue. Swift's ongoing tour is now edging closer to $2 billion, having recently completed its 48-date European leg and rapidly approaching 10 million tickets sold worldwide.

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6 Harry Styles - Love On Tour

Love on tour total gross (estimated): $617.3 million.

Harry Styles – a three-time Grammy winner with massive charisma and immense talent (in music and acting) – remains a top draw among fans.

It is no surprise that he's a major crowd-puller, and typically, millions of fans attend his concerts.

Styles' second tour, dubbed Love On Tour, secured its place in history as the sixth highest-grossing concert tour of all time.

During a two-year span (and 132 concert tour stops), a staggering five million people from all over the world witnessed his brilliance.

In the post-pandemic era, Harry's voice became a source of comfort, drawing people eager for fun — and drumming up profits of $617 million from the tour.

However, a divide existed; not everyone attended concerts, due to lingering fears about public health.

Undoubtedly, under normal circumstances, Harry Styles would have attracted an even larger audience.

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5 U2 - 360° Tour

360° tour total gross (estimated): $736.4 million.

U2 is regularly ranked as one of the greatest rock bands of the modern era – full stop – making it exceedingly unlikely any of their tours wouldn't be well-attended.

U2's 360° Tour remained the highest-grossing concert tour of all time for eight years — until Ed Sheeran's ÷ Tour dethroned it in 2019.

Over the past five decades, countless bands have emerged and faded, but U2's dominance remains unshakable (and growing).

U2's blockbuster tour boasted extra allure with its round stage and a giant claw-like structure.

Complete with screens and a scenic lighting system, the tour became even more captivating.

More than seven million people turned out to their 110 concerts to experience the unique vibe of "the claw."

U2's 360° Tour grossed a shocking $736 million in 2011, a figure that would likely surpass a billion dollars in today's economy.

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4 Ed Sheeran - ÷ (Divide) Tour

÷ tour total gross (estimated): $776.2 million.

Four-time Grammy winner Ed Sheeran quickly earned a place among today's greatest musicians, thanks to his brilliant compositions.

Fans admire him, enjoy his music tremendously, and show up in huge crowds for his concert tours.

Which is why his ongoing +–=÷× tour, famously known as the Mathematics Tour, earned $556 million and is currently ranked eleventh among the most profitable concert tours of all time.

However, this is not about his recent tour but his third world tour, ÷ Divide, which held the title of highest-grossing tour for nearly three years.

Ed Sheeran's ÷ Divide worldwide tour remains the most attended tour of all time, with 8.9 million fans experiencing his on-stage magic across the globe.

The English singer's enormous crowd-pulling magnetism led to an impressive profit of $776.2 million over two years of the tour.

After adjusting for inflation, earnings for all tour stakeholders would reach around $951 million.

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3 Coldplay - Music Of The Spheres World Tour

Ongoing music of the spheres world tour total gross (estimated): $811 million.

Despite ongoing debates among musical pundits – sparked by U2's lead singer , Bono – about whether Coldplay is a rock band or not, their distinctive music style continues to delight fans, and secures their place among the greatest bands in the world today.

Seven-time Grammy-winning band Coldplay is known not only for their chart dominance, but also for their empathy, making headlines for their decision to reduce the carbon footprint of their concert tours to preserve the environment.

Their eighth tour, Music Of The Spheres, is the first after that resolution.

Due to regulations and SOPs ("standard operating procedures"), they achieved 50 percent fewer CO2 emissions.

Audiences have been showering love on their favorite band, enjoying the shows, and supporting the fight against climate change.

Coldplay's latest tour ranks as the third highest-grossing tour, amassing $811 million in revenue and claiming the title of the second most attended tour of all time, with 7.6 million attendees.

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2 Elton John - Farewell Yellow Brick Road

Farewell yellow brick road tour total gross (estimated): $939.1 million.

Iconic English singer Elton John consistently astounds, reaching new musical heights at the age of 77, and making history.

In 2018, he announced his forty-ninth and final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road — this announcement brought a wave of emotion from fans, who were saddened to hear their favorite musician was hanging up his touring shoes after 53 years.

More than six million fans attended Elton John's final performances, savoring and celebrating his music in person for the last time.

Five-time Grammy winner Elton John’s final tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road, grossed an astounding $939 million from 330 shows.

His tour remained the highest-grossing tour for nearly a year, demonstrating the powerful influence of the legend's music.

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1 Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour

Ongoing eras tour total gross (estimated): $1.04 billion.

Taylor Swift is the most influential musician today, with an enormous fan base, impeccable musical legacy, heartfelt and widely-beloved lyrics, and now, a billion-dollar empire .

Since she turns everything she touches into gold, how could she possibly falter in terms of concert tours?

Fourteen-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift’s sixth tour, The Eras Tour, is the first tour in history to shatter the billion-dollar mark .

Surprisingly, The Eras Tour broke a slew of records after just 60 shows (out of a total of 152).

Usually, musicians take home between $3 million and $8 million per show on a concert tour.

But Swift's average concert gross is an astonishing $17.3 million.

At just 34, Taylor Swift is dominating every chart, earning accolades, drawing millions of people to her concerts – if they're fortunate enough to even get tickets – and making the biggest splash.

Unsurprisingly, Taylor Swift reigns supreme in terms of concert tours, topping our list while the Eras Tour is still conquering Europe.

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List of highest-grossing concert tours

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Timeline of the highest-grossing tour

List of highest-grossing concert tours by women
List of highest-grossing concert tours by Latin artists
List of most-attended concert tours
List of most-attended concerts
List of highest-grossing concert residencies
List of highest-grossing live music artists
The figure, calculated after 60 shows, is an estimation "based on Pollstar box office reports combined with extensive research including ticket prices in each market, record capacities at each venue and comparable tour data". Swift has yet to report her numbers formally. [6] [7]
Eagles ' Hell Freezes Over Tour grossed $79.4 million in 1994, $63.3 million in 1995, and $10.2 million in 1996. [43] [44]
U2 's 360° Tour grossed $311,637,730 in the 2000s decade (2009) [50] and $424,783,856 in the 2010s (2010 and 2011). [51] [52]
Celine Dion 's Taking Chances World Tour grossed $236.6 million in 2008 and $42.6 million in 2009. [53] [54]
Within the 2000s decade, AC/DC 's Black Ice World Tour grossed $37.5 million in 2008 and $226.6 million in 2009. [55] [54]
Cher 's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour grossed $194,683,927 from 280 reported shows according to Billboard , bringing an average gross of $695,000 per show. [56] Total gross for the tour's 325 dates is estimated between $200 million and $250 million. [57]
Bruno Mars ' 24K Magic World Tour grossed $200.1 million in 2017 and 167.6 million in 2018. [60] [61]
Within the 2020s decade, Elton John 's Farewell Yellow Brick Road grossed $87.1 million in 2020, [64] $274 million in 2022, [65] and $110.3 million in 2023. [66]
[2] Waddell, Ray D.; Barnet, Rich; Berry, Jake (2007). This Business of Concert Promotion and Touring . Billboard Books . p. 56. ISBN 978-0-307-87500-6 . Retrieved August 25, 2023 – via Google Books.
[3] Allen, Bob (March 27, 2020). "Ladies Might: Box Office Triumph By Top Female Earners" . Pollstar . Retrieved 27 March 2020 .
[4] Bloomberg (September 12, 2019). "Why concert tickets cost four times as much as 20 years ago, and why we're happy to pay for them" . South China Morning Post . Retrieved August 25, 2023 .
[5] "Coldplay Tops July Boxscore Report As Tour Surpasses $1 Billion in Grosses" . Billboard . 29 August 2024. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024 . Retrieved 29 August 2024 .
[6] Gensler, Andy (December 8, 2023). "Taylor Swift Sets All-Time Touring Record With $1 Billion Gross" . Pollstar . Archived from the original on December 8, 2023 . Retrieved December 8, 2023 .
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Highest-grossing tours

Highest-grossing tours by decade, highest-grossing tours by year.

Ranked: The 20 Highest-Grossing Concert Tours Of All Time

Highest-Grossing Concert Tours of All Time

Old hippies love to brag about the time they paid a mere $6.50 to see Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden in 1973. How times have changed. Today, when your favorite marquee act comes to town, you'll plunk down the equivalent of a new car payment (plus those fun processing fees) for a pair of seats you hope are in the same zip code as the concert stage.

Now more than ever, major concert tours translate to megabucks for superstar artists who otherwise earn only fractions of a cent per digital song download or stream. To help ensure arena and stadium sellouts, today's stage sets and audio-visual razzle-dazzle must go bigger than ever, which means obscenely high production costs that are passed on to ticket buyers.

The result is box-office numbers that routinely reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars. To give you an idea of how much scratch there is to be made from playing "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" for the thousandth time, we've rounded up the highest-grossing concert tours ever.

47. Depeche Mode 'Global Spirit Tour'

Years: 2017-18

Number of shows: 130

Gross: $202 million

Note: The numbers are from Pollstar and Billboard . Each gross amount is in the original U.S. dollars and hasn't been adjusted for inflation.

Bottom Line: Depeche Mode 'Global Spirit Tour'

Fans just couldn't get enough of this Depeche Mode tour that spanned the globe and mined their back catalog for '80s New Wave gems like "Black Celebration" and "Everything Counts."

The Mode made a mint and in 2020 were welcomed to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

46. Bon Jovi 'Lost Highway Tour'

Years: 2007-08

Number of shows: 99

Gross: $210.7 million

Bottom Line: Bon Jovi 'Lost Highway Tour'

The final full Bon Jovi tour to feature lead guitarist Richie Sambora was originally intended as a greatest hits outing. But the surprise success of the band's "Lost Highway" LP turned it into an album-support affair.

Among the band's faithful, it's remembered as the tour when an over-excited female fan jumped Jon Bon Jovi onstage at a concert in Ireland, smothered him with hugs and kisses, and had to be dragged off stage by security.

45. Metallica 'World Magnetic Tour'

Years: 2008-10

Number of shows: 187

Gross: $217.2 million

Bottom Line: Metallica 'World Magnetic Tour'

Headbangers celebrated the 2008 release of Metallica's "Death Magnetic."

After years of subpar albums and radio-friendly hits like "Enter Sandman," the LP signaled a return to the band's bone-crunching, thrash-tastic roots.

On the record's supporting tour, arenas packed with longhairs wearing faded "Kill 'Em All" T-shirts helped make this the 12th highest-grossing endeavor of the 2000s.

44. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'The Rising Tour'

Years: 2002-03

Number of shows: 120

Gross: $221 million

Bottom Line: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'The Rising Tour'

Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, Patty Scialfa

In the aftermath of 9/11 and hot off the first new album recorded with the E Street Band since "Born in the U.S.A.," Bruce and company hit the road for a cathartic world tour that had fans in Boss-induced bliss.

Notable gigs included the first concerts held at Boston's Fenway Park since 1973, plus a 10-night stand at New Jersey's Giants Stadium that grossed $38.8 million alone.

43. Justin Timberlake 'The Man of the Woods'

Years: 2018-19

Number of shows: 115

Gross: $226.3 million

Bottom Line: Justin Timberlake 'The Man of the Woods'

The pop superstar's tunes aren't everyone's cup of tea, but like his hero Michael Jackson (Justin Timberlake has called him "untouchable"), there's no question the man puts on one of helluva an entertaining show.

This tour for the 2018 album "Man of the Woods" played to more than 1.75 million fans and won raves from even the snobbiest of music critics.

42. Lady Gaga 'The Monster Ball Tour'

Years: 2009-11

Number of shows: 203

Gross: $227.4 million

Bottom Line: Lady Gaga 'The Monster Ball Tour'

Lady Gaga's "Little Monsters" (as her fans are known) came out of the woodwork for this extensive worldwide arena tour the diva described as "the first-ever pop electro opera."

The high-concept show, with its over-the-top costumes and stage sets, sold so many tickets it set a record for the highest-grossing ever by an artist making their tour-headlining debut.

41. Justin Timberlake 'The 20/20 Experience World Tour'

Years: 2013-15

Number of shows: 134

Gross: $231.6 million

Bottom Line: Justin Timberlake 'The 20/20 Experience World Tour'

Bottom line: Smooth as silk, Justin Timberlake knocked 'em dead on this tour that's his biggest moneymaker to date.

If you missed it in person, the final show in Las Vegas was captured by director Jonathan Demme for the highly entertaining concert film "Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids" — available for streaming on Netflix.

40. Bon Jovi 'This House Is Not for Sale Tour'

Years: 2017-19

Number of shows: 95

Gross: $232.1 million

Bottom Line: Bon Jovi 'This House Is Not for Sale Tour'

No Bon Jovi devotee will ever rank the band's 14th studio album "This House Is Not for Sale" up there with the likes of "Slippery When Wet."

Yet that didn't stop the '80s hair-metal stalwarts from selling some 2.26 million tickets on this trek that traveled the globe from Las Vegas to Lima, Peru.

39. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'Magic Tour'

Number of shows: 100

Gross: $235 million

Bottom Line: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'Magic Tour'

The Boss blew away audiences in North America and Europe on this outing that would sadly be the last for founding E Street Band member and organist Danny Federici, who passed away in spring 2008.

Though the shows clocked in at just over two hours (shorter than usual for Springsteen), the band brought it with a mix of greatest hits, tunes from the underappreciated "Magic" album, and covers of rock 'n' roll oldies like "Gloria" and "Wooly Bully."

38. The Eagles 'An Evening With The Eagles'

Number of shows: 87

Gross: $248.6 million

Bottom Line: The Eagles 'An Evening With The Eagles'

Following the 2016 passing of founding band member Glenn Frey, the Eagles' touring juggernaut seemed done for.

"I did say that I thought that was the end of the band," Don Henley told the Los Angeles Times in 2017, "But I reserve the right to change my mind."

Don never met a dollar he didn't covet, and later that year, the group hit the road with a revamped lineup, including Frey's son Deacon and country star Vince Gill.

36. Pink Floyd 'The Division Bell Tour' (Tie)

Number of shows: 110

Gross: $250 million

Bottom Line: Pink Floyd 'The Division Bell Tour'

The last-ever tour under the Pink Floyd banner saw sold-out stadium crowds spacing out to early psychedelic jams like "Astronomy Domine" and, on occasion, "The Dark Side of the Moon" album played in its entirety.

Though chief songwriter and bassist Roger Waters had quit the band nearly a decade earlier, that didn't deter some 6 million fans from turning up to hear guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour play "Comfortably Numb" through a 232,000-watt quadraphonic sound system, blowing their minds — and eardrums.

36. Cher 'Living Proof: The Farewell Tour' (Tie)

Years: 2002-05

Number of shows: 326

Bottom Line: Cher 'Living Proof: The Farewell Tour'

For this marathon retirement tour, the self-dubbed "Cher-est show on earth," the diva pulled out all the stops.

She made a flamboyant, grand entrance atop a giant crystal chandelier; rode a paper-mâché pachyderm on stage; and in her late 50s, wore her infamous fishnet/thong outfit for " If I Could Turn Back Time ."

In 2008, those who believed they'd already seen "Believe" performed for the last time were ecstatic when Cher re-emerged to launch a lengthy Las Vegas residency and, in 2014, embark on yet another farewell tour.

35. Taylor Swift 'The 1989 World Tour'

Number of shows: 85

Gross: $250.7 million

Bottom Line: Taylor Swift 'The 1989 World Tour'

You doubted Tay-Tay's drawing power? Shame! Form a heart with your hands and show love for the country-turned-pop superstar's mega-grossing tour in support of her mega-selling album "1989."

How could your average "Swiftie" afford an average $380-per-ticket price for the tour's North American legs? Only the Visa and Mastercard collections departments know for sure. But no doubt the selfies were worth it.

34. Eagles 'Long Road Out of Eden Tour'

Years: 2008-11

Number of shows: 161

Gross: $251.1 million

Bottom Line: Eagles 'Long Road Out of Eden Tour'

Like your local classic rock radio station still getting mileage out of spinning "Life in the Fast Lane" for the millionth time, this aptly named Eagles tour had legs for four long years.

Just two years prior, the band had completed its third wildly successful reunion tour and certainly wasn't strapped for cash.

But if fans were willing to pony up for "Desperado" one ... more ... time, Don Henley and the gang were happy to oblige.

33. The Eagles 'History of the Eagles — Live in Concert'

Number of shows: 147

Gross: $253 million

Bottom Line: The Eagles 'History of the Eagles — Live in Concert'

Timothy B. Schmit, Bernie Leadon, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh

Bottom line: The last tour to feature guitarist/vocalist Glenn Frey before his death in 2016, this lucrative Eagles' flight was launched not to promote a new album, but rather a DVD documentary chronicling the band's history.

It paid off big-time with more than 2 million fans turning out to hear a nightly setlist of hits and early rarities like "Train Leaves Here This Morning."

32. Beyonce and Jay-Z (aka The Carters) 'On The Run II Tour'

Number of shows: 48

Gross: $253.6 million

Bottom Line: Beyonce and Jay-Z (aka The Carters) 'On The Run II Tour'

The hip-hop/pop power couple — known as The Carters when performing as a duo — played to packed stadiums on this European and North American trek, ringing up one of 2018's most lucrative tours.

Forbes estimates Bey and Jay have a combined worth of $1.255 billion. "My great-great-grandchildren already rich," Beyoncé sings on the track "Boss" from The Carters' latest album "Everything Is Love," adding, "That's a lot of brown children on your Forbes list."

31. Beyoncé 'The Formation World Tour'

Number of shows: 49

Gross: $256.1 million

Bottom Line: Beyoncé 'The Formation World Tour'

Only time will tell, but in the eyes of many Beyonce fans, known as "The Beyhive," this stadium-tour extravaganza to promote the acclaimed "Lemonade" album will go down as her most iconic and visually stunning.

Not only did Queen Bey serve up "Lemonade" songs and greatest hits with intensity, but she did so on a massive stage set featuring a revolving, 60-foot-high video-screen cube nicknamed the "Monolith."

Just as impressive was the conveyor-belt catwalk extending into the audience, where Bey and her dancers stomped and splashed in a pool of water for the encore numbers.

30. Justin Bieber 'Purpose World Tour'

Years: 2016-17

Number of shows: 162

Gross: $256.5 million

Bottom Line: Justin Bieber 'Purpose World Tour'

Doing his part to crush the spirits of true musical artists everywhere, this two-year Bieb parade proves there's a boatload of bucks to be made from reportedly lip-synching at least half the setlist and pouting like a spoiled teen through every other dance routine.

"Beliebers" were prepared to shovel even more cash into the pop star's coffers, but he canceled the final 14 shows, citing physical and mental exhaustion.

29. Bon Jovi 'Because We Can'

Number of shows: 102

Gross: $259.5 million

Bottom Line: Bon Jovi 'Because We Can'

This list's only 1980s hair metal band, Bon Jovi raked it in on a busy 11-month tour that'd technically be the last for lead guitarist Richie Sambora, who called it quits after a single show — the tour opener in Washington, D.C.

Jon Bon Jovi and the band pressed on, playing "Livin' on a Prayer" to some 2.65 million ticket buyers and winding up with the No. 1 grossing tour of 2013.

Perhaps the tour should've been renamed "Because We Can ... Still Make a Fortune Sans Sambora"?

28. The Rolling Stones 'Bridges to Babylon Tour'

Years: 1997-98

Number of shows: 97

Gross: $274 million

Bottom Line: The Rolling Stones 'Bridges to Babylon Tour'

Fans forever remember this stadium tour for the surprise spectacle of the Stones sprinting over a 150-foot-long telescoping bridge that extended from the main stage to a smaller "B stage' where they'd rock a three-song set of rarities.

Mechanical catwalks are common now, but in the 1990s, it was a fairly new gimmick dreamt up by Mick Jagger, drummer Charlie Watts and the late great stage designer Mark Fisher , who spent his long career creating elaborate concert backdrops for everyone from Madonna to Metallica.

27. Paul McCartney 'Out There! Tour'

Number of shows: 91

Gross: $275.7 million

Bottom line: In support of the album "New," Sir Paul traveled a long and winding tour road that featured his first-ever performances in Poland, Costa Rica and South Korea.

Another memorable first happened on stage in Goiânia, Brazil, where Macca was swarmed by grasshoppers , one of which he introduced to the audience as "Harold."

Bottom Line: Paul McCartney 'Out There! Tour'

In support of the album "New," Sir Paul traveled a long and winding tour road that featured his first-ever performances in Poland, Costa Rica and South Korea.

26. Celine Dion 'Taking Chances World Tour'

Years: 2008-09

Number of shows: 132

Gross: $279.2 million

Bottom Line: Celine Dion 'Taking Chances World Tour'

Celine Dion temporarily left the comfy confines of her Caesars Palace Las Vegas residency for this worldwide jaunt that hit the box-office jackpot.

Like her Sin City shows, the production razzle-dazzle and chest-thumping vocal thrills were off the charts.

And as sure as the Titanic sits at the bottom of the Atlantic, every performance climaxed with a soaring "My Heart Will Go On."

25. One Direction 'Where We Are Tour'

Number of shows: 69

Gross: $290.1 million

Bottom Line: One Direction 'Where We Are Tour'

The English boy band made serious bank on this stadium tour that incredibly managed to fill massive venues like London's Wembley Stadium; Foxborough, Massachusetts's Gillette Stadium; and Pasadena's Rose Bowl for three nights each.

Take that, 'N Sync!

24. Madonna 'The MDNA Tour'

Number of shows: 88

Gross: $305.1 million

Bottom Line: Madonna 'The MDNA Tour'

When fans griped that ticket prices for this tour were too high, Madge famously told Newsweek, "So work all year, scrape the money together and come to my show. I'm worth it." Hmm. Has someone forgotten their starving-artist days, working at a New York City Dunkin' Donuts to pay the rent?

Those who saved their pennies saw the Material Girl stage a series of provocative, big-budget production numbers that were at turns violent, campy, political and, of course, sexual.

Fans and critics ate it up. Every date sold out. Madonna was in box-office ecstasy.

23. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'The River Tour'

Number of shows: 89

Gross: $306 million

Bottom Line: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'The River Tour'

Jake Clemons, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt

For most (if not all) of the tour's U.S. leg, after opening with an outtake from the "The River" LP, Bruce and cohorts played the much-loved 1980 double album in its entirety — fulfilling the wildest dreams of so-called "Bruce Tramps," as hardcore fans are known.

Along with rarely played gems "Stolen Car" and "Wreck on the Highway," the faithful also rocked out to old faves like "Hungry Heart" and "Out in the Street."

Many gigs ran more than 3-1/2 hours, offering lots of bang for your Bruce bucks.

22. The Rolling Stones 'Licks Tour'

Gross: $311 million

Bottom Line: The Rolling Stones 'Licks Tour'

This hit parade in support of the Stones' 40th anniversary "Forty Licks" compilation album found "The World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band" rocking a mix of small theaters, indoor arenas and stadiums. Yet no matter the venue's size, then as now, Mick and the gang charged among the steepest ticket prices in the biz.

A treat for Stones freaks, the setlists occasionally featured deep cuts like "Loving Cup" and "Neighbours." And lucky fans at a handful of gigs saw AC/DC's Malcolm and Angus Young join the band for a cover of the blues classic " Rock Me Baby ."

21. The Rolling Stones 'Voodoo Lounge Tour'

Years: 1994-95

Number of shows: 124

Gross: $320 million

Bottom Line: The Rolling Stones 'Voodoo Lounge Tour'

Following the release of "Voodoo Lounge" — the Stones' first album sans original bassist Bill Wyman — the band embarked on a global trek that would become the highest-grossing tour of the 1990s.

Replacement bassist Darryl Jones (still playing with the Stones to this day) joined drummer Charlie Watts in laying down the beat as Keith Richards riffed and Mick Jagger aerobicized across stages in 31 countries.

Also earning nice tour paychecks were the variety of opening acts (Blind Melon, Spin Doctors, Stone Temple Pilots), now buried in a mid-'90s time capsule.

20. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'Wrecking Ball World Tour'

Years: 2012-13

Number of shows: 133

Gross: $340.6 million

Bottom Line: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'Wrecking Ball World Tour'

This was the first outing after the death of Bruce Springsteen's legendary saxophonist Clarence "The Big Man" Clemons, and the tour was a cathartic experience for the band and fans alike.

With Clemons' nephew Jake taking over sax duties, and backed by a larger-than-usual ensemble — including backup singers and a horn section — The Boss showcased several tracks from 2012's "Wrecking Ball" album, which featured some of his rawest songwriting in years.

During the encore, fans heard classics like " Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out ," performed as a tribute to the late Clemons.

19. Taylor Swift 'Reputation Stadium Tour'

Number of shows: 53

Gross: $345.7 million

Bottom Line: Taylor Swift 'Reputation Stadium Tour'

In the process of topping the take from her own 2015 tour (see this list's No. 35), Tay-Tay traveled to seven countries, averaged an eye-popping $6.5-million gross per show, and solidified her reputation as one of the most bankable acts in the biz.

18. Elton John 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road'

Years: 2018-present (in progress, on hiatus)

Number of shows: 272 (scheduled)

Gross: $358.6 million (and counting)

Bottom Line: Elton John 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road'

After more than half a century on the road, in 2018 Sir Elton announced he'd be hanging it up, but not before a marathon retirement tour to let fans sing along to "Tiny Dancer" one last time.

Though John shelved his Donald Duck costume back in the '80s, the show is still packed with enough production bombast and greatest hits to ensure his yellow brick tour road is paved with box-office gold.

17. The Police 'Reunion Tour'

Number of shows: 151

Gross: $362 million

Bottom Line: The Police 'Reunion Tour'

After enduring the band's 21-year hiatus, not to mention Sting's string of snoozer solo albums, Police devotees were ultimately rewarded with a reunion tour that revisited all the hits — from "Roxanne" to "Every Breath You Take."

Early in the tour, it seemed as if old rivals Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland might soon be back at each other's throats, but there's nothing like big box-office bucks to help smooth troubled waters.

16. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood 'World Tour'

Years: 2014-17

Number of shows: 390

Gross: $364.3 million

Bottom Line: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood 'World Tour'

After the country superstar's 13-year "retirement," fans again got the chance to hoist a $14 cup of Bud Light and sing along to " Friends in Low Places " on this extensive North American tour co-headlined by Brooks' wife, Trisha Yearwood.

If you're wondering why it took four years of gigs for this tour to gross what others earn in a year or two, it's largely due to Brooks' longstanding policy to charge the same price for every ticket in a given venue, regardless of seat location.

15. Bruno Mars '24K Magic World Tour'

Number of shows: 215

Gross: $367.7 million

Bottom Line: Bruno Mars '24K Magic World Tour'

Channeling the likes of Prince and James Brown, Mars' uber-slick stage show pumped a pretty penny into his treasure chest as it circled the planet, including a penultimate string of stadium concerts in his hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii.

14. U2 'Vertigo Tour'

Years: 2005-06

Number of shows: 131

Gross: $389 million

Bottom Line: U2 'Vertigo Tour'

Bono counting off " Uno, dos, tres, catorce! " kicks off this hugely successful tour's title song, "Vertigo." Want more numbers? The tour sold some 4.6-million tickets across five continents. During Vertigo's Latin American leg, more than 700 hours of footage were shot for the concert film "U2 3D."

Throughout the endeavor, the band played 60 different songs, including rare tracks from their 1980 debut album "Boy." And for concertgoers who arrived early, the tour featured 17 different opening acts, including The Killers, Kanye West and Arcade Fire, who at the time were arguably a hotter band than U2.

13. U2 'The Joshua Tree Tours 2017 and 2019'

Year: 2017 and 2019

Number of shows: 66

Gross: $390.8 million

U2 'The Joshua Tree Tours 2017 and 2019'

The Edge,Bono,Larry Mullen Jr.,Adam Clayton

In the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, U2 realized the themes of their signature 1987 album, "The Joshua Tree," were as relevant as ever. So the band embarked on a five-month string of stadium concerts that featured the platter played in its entirety, plus some of their early hits.

Snooty critics charged U2 had become a nostalgia act, but those who missed the album's original tour clearly weren't concerned — snapping up more than 2.7-million tickets for a joyous journey through the past.

In 2019, the tour was revived for 15 dates in Oceania and Asia.

12. Pink 'Beautiful Trauma World Tour'

Number of shows: 159

Gross: $397.3 million

Bottom Line: Pink 'Beautiful Trauma World Tour'

The pop diva took her powerhouse vocals and Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatics to arenas for this wildly successful jaunt that did notably huge business Down Under — where Pink's rabid Aussie fan base cheered an impressive run of 27 shows.

11. Madonna 'Sticky and Sweet Tour'

Gross: $408 million

Bottom Line: Madonna 'Sticky and Sweet Tour'

While M maniacs generally agree nothing can ever touch the controversial, legendary heights of 1990's "Blond Ambition Tour," this worldwide jaunt in support of the underrated "Hard Candy" album was no slouch.

Performing in front of more than 3.5 million fans in 32 countries, Madge underwent countless costume changes and worked a monster stage backed by dazzling video screens and a platoon of dancers.

A sweet treat for longtime fans, the stripped-down "Old School" segment of the show featured Miss Ciccone strapping on an electric guitar for a head-banging version of " Borderline ."

10. Rolling Stones 'No Filter Tour'

Years: 2017-present (in progress, on hiatus)

Number of shows: 60 (scheduled)

Gross: $415.6 million (and counting)

Bottom line: The Stones keep rolling — rocking stadiums from Dublin to Detroit. In 2019, Mick Jagger underwent a heart-valve surgery that sidelined the tour for months.

But the band made good on the postponed dates, culminating in a Miami show where "Gimme Shelter" was played right on cue as rain began to pour with Hurricane Dorian knocking on Florida's door.

Bottom Line: Rolling Stones 'No Filter Tour'

Ronnie Wood,Mick Jagger,Charlie Watts,Keith Richards

The Stones keep rolling — rocking stadiums from Dublin to Detroit. In 2019, Mick Jagger underwent a heart-valve surgery that sidelined the tour for months.

9. Metallica 'WorldWired Tour'

Years: 2016-present (in progress, on hiatus)

Number of shows: 178 (scheduled)

Gross: $416.9 million (and counting)

Bottom Line: Metallica 'WorldWired Tour'

The thrash metal legends have come a long way since their live debut in 1982 at a small club in Anaheim, California. The cover charge was $15. Attendance numbered around 200 (mostly the band's friends). And the only Metallica originals played were "Hit The Lights" and "Jump in the Fire."

Flash forward to this monster tour in support of 2016's "Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct" album. The average ticket price is nearly $100, and you're more likely to be sitting in a football stadium's nosebleed seats than crackin' ribs in a mosh pit.

8. AC/DC 'Black Ice World Tour'

Number of shows: 168

Gross: $441.6 million

Bottom line: AC/DC may do dirty deeds done dirt cheap, but when it comes to concert tickets, you'll pay through the nose.

The Aussie rockers averaged a $2.6 million per-show gross on this tour, which would be the last for founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young (he passed in 2017) and longtime drummer Phil Rudd. It was also the last full tour for lead singer Brian Johnson, forced to quit the subsequent "Rock or Bust Tour" due to serious hearing damage.

The band's future is up in the air. So consider yourself lucky if you attended, no matter the cost, and played air guitar to "T.N.T." and "Hells Bells" for what may have been the last time.

Bottom Line: AC/DC 'Black Ice World Tour'

AC/DC may do dirty deeds done dirt cheap, but when it comes to concert tickets, you'll pay through the nose.

7. Billy Joel 'Billy Joel in Concert'

Years: 2014-21 (in progress)

Number of shows: 182 (scheduled)

Gross: $448.2 million (and counting)

Bottom line: Joel hasn't released an album of new pop/rock material in more than 25 years, and hasn't needed to. Not when he continually packs arenas with boomers belting out "Piano Man" in karaoke mass.

This current tour, scheduled to wrap in 2021, birthed Joel's NYC Madison Square Garden residency, in which he plays his hometown venue at least once a month. Since his first MSG gig in 1978, he's headlined the arena more than 100 times. That's a lot of "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant."

Note: Joel's inclusion on this list is subject to debate. This tour is not in support of a specific album and has been extended every year in seeming perpetuity since it began. However Pollstar and Billboard consider it a single tour, hence its inclusion.

Bottom Line: Billy Joel 'Billy Joel in Concert'

Joel hasn't released an album of new pop/rock material in more than 25 years, and hasn't needed to. Not when he continually packs arenas with boomers belting out "Piano Man" in karaoke mass.

6. Roger Waters 'The Wall Live'

Years: 2010-13

Number of shows: 219

Gross: $458.6 million

Bottom Line: Roger Waters 'The Wall Live'

A politically charged concert spectacle showcasing Pink Floyd's landmark 1979 concept album "The Wall," the tour found the band's chief lyricist and bassist traveling to four continents and playing before some 4 million fans to the tune of nearly half a billion dollars in ticket sales.

While that's an unfathomable fortune to the layman, all in all, it's just another brick in Waters' behemoth financial wall.

5. Coldplay 'A Head Full of Dreams Tour'

Number of shows: 122

Gross: $523 million

Bottom Line: Coldplay 'A Head Full of Dreams Tour'

If you gambled this slot would belong to yet another Cher or KISS "retirement tour," you lose.

The winners are Chris Martin and company, who put on a massive laser/pyro extravaganza that sold over half a billion tickets worldwide, including four sellouts at London's 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium.

4. The Rolling Stones 'A Bigger Bang Tour

Years: 2005-07

Number of shows: 144

Gross: $558.3 million

Bottom Line: The Rolling Stones 'A Bigger Bang Tour

This Stones tour was so hot, even then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was scalping tickets — charging his political donors $100,000 to join "The Terminator" in his VIP box for the opening concert at Boston's Fenway Park.

Mick and Keith were not happy, but by journey's end, it was all smiles as a "Bigger Bang" busted all box-office records and became the top-grossing tour of all time. Until ...

3. Guns N' Roses 'Not in This Lifetime ... Tour'

Years: 2016-19

Number of shows: 175

Gross: $584.2 million

Bottom Line: Guns N' Roses 'Not in This Lifetime ... Tour'

In the '80s, when up-and-coming GNR was hitchhiking home from their own gigs, they surely never imagined becoming the biggest metal band in the world, let alone splitting up and ultimately regrouping for one of rock history's most lucrative tours.

Sure, Axl Rose has a potbelly, but he's still got the pipes (sort of) to belt out " Welcome To The Jungle ," bringing more than 5 million fans to their sha-na-na-na-na-knees-knees!

2. U2 '360° 'Tour'

Gross: $736.4 million

Bottom Line: U2 '360° 'Tour'

Behold " The Claw "! That's the nickname given to the gargantuan, 165-foot-high arachnid-like structure that towered over U2's stage on this monumentally successful tour.

Loaded with video screens and stacked with an ear-splitting sound system, The Claw cost an estimated $25 to $30 million, and was so massive it took 120 semi-trucks to move it between stadium concerts where seating was in the round — hence the tour's "360°" moniker.

Over three years, more than 7.2-million fans enjoyed a setlist spanning the band's formidable catalog, including Bono donning a laser-light suit for encore numbers like " Ultraviolet ." And if you're wondering whatever became of The Claw, in 2019 it was permanently installed at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, Utah .

1. Ed Sheeran '÷ Tour'

Number of shows: 255

Gross: $776.2 million

Bottom line: Step back, Bono. After touring six continents, 2019 saw Ed Sheeran leap over U2's "Claw" and land in the top-grossing slot.

"Sheerios" obsessed with the English singer-songwriter's syrupy-sweet ditties bought an estimated 8.9 million tickets, leading to his crowning as the all-time king of concert cash.

What, you thought number one would be another Rolling Stones tour? You're not alone.

Bottom Line: Ed Sheeran '÷ Tour'

Step back, Bono. After touring six continents, 2019 saw Ed Sheeran leap over U2's "Claw" and land in the top-grossing slot.

Related: Richest Singers l Richest Musicians

Highest-Grossing Concert Tours

Edit source

The Beauty Behind The Madness World Tour by Jesse Del Rey is the highest grossing tour of all-time.

This is a complete list of the highest-grossing concert tours . Only tours using reliable references have been added to the list. Billboard provides the official figure of concerts' gross revenue worldwide.

Tours that span multiple decades are included in the decade that they concluded.

In bold , the tours which, when completed, became the highest-grossing of all time.

In 2017, Jesse Del Rey 's Beauty Behind the Madness World Tour became the highest grossing tour of all-time surpassing Brianna Danielle 's Goddess of Love World Tour .

1 Highest-grossing tours of all time

Highest-grossing tours of all time [ ]

Highest-grossing tours by decade [ ].

1 Highest-Grossing Concert Tours
2 Vogue (Madonna song)
3 Like A Virgin (Madonna song)

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It’s Official: Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour Is the Highest-Grossing Tour of All Time

Ed Sheeran has set a new record for the highest-grossing tour of all time with The Divide Tour.

By Eric Frankenberg

Eric Frankenberg

Since launching in Turin, Italy, on March 16, 2017, Ed Sheeran has taken The Divide Tour around the world and back with 246 shows across Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and North and South America. As Billboard projected in December 2018 and again in May , Sheeran has broken the record for the highest-grossing tour of all time. The trek has grossed $737.9 million and sold 8,503,496 tickets according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

It was Sheeran’s Aug. 2, 2019, concert in Odense, Denmark, that pushed The Divide Tour over the edge, with a one-night gross of $6,862,620.

The record has been the property of U2 since 2011, when the 360° Tour (2009-11) wrapped with a total gross of $736.4 million. When the Irishmen broke The Rolling Stones ’ record (A Bigger Bang Tour; $558 million; 2005-07) in April 2011, they were accompanied in the top five by AC/DC ’s Black Ice Tour ($441 million; 2008-10), Madonna ’s Sticky & Sweet Tour ($408 million; 2008-09) and U2’s own Vertigo Tour ($389 million; 2005-06). Since then, Sheeran has disrupted the elite group, alongside Guns N’ Roses with the Not in this Lifetime Tour ($529.6 million; ongoing) and Coldplay ’s A Head Full of Dreams Tour ($523.3 million; 2016-2017).

Ed Sheeran's 'No. 6' Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart, Beyonce & Nas Bow…

Sheeran is managed by Stuart Camp and represented by Marty Diamond with Paradigm in North America, and internationally by CAA’s John Ollier . Sheeran works with a coalition of promoters on his global tours, including Messina Touring Group founder Louis Messina in North America; Frontier Touring and Michael Gudinski in Australia; and Kilimanjaro’s Stuart Galbraith in Europe; along with Simon Jones at AEG and promoter firms DHP and FKP Scorpio.

The Divide Tour previously passed Roger Waters ‘ The Wall Live Tour ($459 million; 2010-13) to become the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist when his Aug. 11-12, 2018, shows at the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland, grossed $7.3 million, sending the tour’s to-date gross to $460.6 million.

Sheeran’s tour has been in support of his third LP Divide . The set was released March 3, 2017, and arrived atop the Billboard 200 on the chart dated March 25, 2017. Divide claimed a second consecutive week at No. 1 and went on to net 53 weeks in the top 10 and 125 weeks on the chart (as of the Aug. 3, 2019, tally). It sent two singles to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: “Shape of You” for 12 weeks and “Perfect” for six. Sheeran was named Billboard ’s Top Artist of 2017, while “Shape of You” was the year’s top Hot 100 song.

The Divide Tour has nine dates left to play and will finish on Aug. 26 in Chantry Park in Ipswich, England, with a projected gross of $770-775 million. Billboard will have more reporting to come on this record-breaking tour.

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List of highest-grossing concert tours
List of highest-grossing concert tours. Coldplay 's Music of the Spheres World Tour and Taylor Swift 's Eras Tour are the only concert tours in history to yield over $1 billion in revenue. The following is a list of concert tours that have generated the most gross income, largely from ticket sales. The rankings are based largely on reports by ...
List of highest-grossing live music artists
The Rolling Stones are the highest-grossing live music act of all time, collecting over $2.6 billion according to Billboard Boxscore. The band is followed by U2 and Elton John, who both also passed two-billion mark in concert revenue. The concert industry is very male-dominated, [1] and only four women have grossed more than $1 billion (as of ...
List of highest-grossing concert tours by women
Taylor Swift performing at the Eras Tour, the highest-grossing concert tour of all time.. The following is a list of the highest-grossing concert tours by women (soloists and all-female groups), divided in all-time terms and by decade.Many reported figures are taken from Billboard and Pollstar, two major publications that regularly provide the official figures of concerts' gross revenue ...
These Are The 10 Highest-Grossing Tours Of All Time
The final spots on the list of the highest-grossing tours of all time are occupied by Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams Tour (No. 7, $524 million), Roger Waters' The Wall Live (No. 8, $459 million ...
The 10 Highest Grossing Tours of All Time
9. The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour (2005-2007) // $558 million. This lucrative two-year outing for the Stones included two nights at the Beacon Theater in New York City—filmed by ...
Highest-grossing Concert Tours of All Time
Looking back on the top 10 highest-grossing tours, the list may surprise you. Harry Styles' most recent marathon Love on Tour propelled him to become the first of his contemporaries to crack the list. However, these numbers are all under fire as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are expected to shatter tour totals and breaking the billion mark.
List of highest-grossing concert tours
The Eras Tour by Taylor Swift is the highest-grossing concert tour of all time and the first to yield over $1 billion in revenue. The following is a list of concert tours that have generated the most gross income, largely from ticket sales. The rankings are based largely on reports by trade publications Billboard and Pollstar.
Ranked: The 10 Highest-Grossing Concert Tours of All Time
The 10 Highest-Grossing Concert Tours. This was originally posted on our Voronoi app.Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has been a trending topic worldwide since its first show in March 2023.
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Concert tours generate income mostly from the sales of tickets. Billboard and Pollstar are two major publications that regularly provide the official figure of concerts' gross revenue worldwide. Billboard launched the boxscore ranking in 1975 through its spin-off magazine Amusement Business, and it
List of highest-grossing concert tours
List of most-attended concert tours List of highest-grossing live music artists bold indicates tour was the highest grossing of all-time at some point. Tours highlighted are ongoing.
Live Music Industry Shatters Records in Post-Covid Comeback
Apr 29, 2024. Three years after Covid-19 temporarily muted live music around the world, the industry shattered its previous record in 2023. According to Pollstar, a company that has tracked the ...
PDF Top Touring Artists Of The Pollstar Era Boxoffice Grosses
both ranking the top 150 headlining acts during our entire history. Each listing is comprised of cumulative totals for each artist and compiled from all the thousands of box-office reports we have received since the early 1980s. Both charts present the Top Touring Artists, but one is ranked by gross and the other by the number of tickets sold.
List of most-attended concert tours
Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour is the most-attended tour of all time, with a total of 9.3 million tickets sold in 156 shows. The following is a list of the most-attended concert tours with at least 3.5 million tickets sold, as well as the tours with the most tickets sold by year and the most tickets sold in a single day. The number of attendances is often considered to measure the ...
Chart: The World's Highest Grossing Tours of 2023
The following chart is based on data collected by Pollstar on the world's highest grossing tours of 2023. It reveals that at the top of this list, comes Taylor Swift with her record-breaking ...
The Highest-Grossing Concert Tours Of All Time
360° Tour Total Gross (Estimated): $736.4 Million. U2 is regularly ranked as one of the greatest rock bands of the modern era - full stop - making it exceedingly unlikely any of their tours wouldn't be well-attended.. U2's 360° Tour remained the highest-grossing concert tour of all time for eight years — until Ed Sheeran's ÷ Tour dethroned it in 2019.
List of highest-grossing concert tours
Eagles ' Hell Freezes Over Tour grossed $79.4 million in 1994, $63.3 million in 1995, and $10.2 million in 1996. U2 's 360° Tour grossed $311,637,730 in the 2000s decade (2009) and $424,783,856 in the 2010s (2010 and 2011). Celine Dion 's Taking Chances World Tour grossed $236.6 million in 2008 and $42.6 million in 2009.
Ranked: The 20 Highest-Grossing Concert Tours Of All Time
Renaissance World Tour: $606 million. Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour was a massive money spinner in 2023, becoming the highest-grossing tour by a Black artist in history. The Single Ladies ...
Highest-Grossing Concert Tours of All Time
The high-concept show, with its over-the-top costumes and stage sets, sold so many tickets it set a record for the highest-grossing ever by an artist making their tour-headlining debut. 41. Justin Timberlake 'The 20/20 Experience World Tour' Justin Timberlake during "The 20/20 Experience World Tour" at Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2013.
Elton John's Farewell Tour Is Highest-Grossing Tour of All Time
Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour Is the Highest-Grossing Concert Tour of All Time. It is the first trek in Billboard Boxscore history to gross $800 million. By Eric Frankenberg ...
16 highest-grossing concert tours of all time
In 2019, it was the highest-grossing tour by an American act and currently stands as the fourth highest-grossing concert tour of all time. It officially started on 1 April 2016 at the Troubadour in Hollywood and the curtains were officially drawn on 2 November 2019 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, US. The trek covered six continents, sold over 5 ...
Highest-Grossing Concert Tours
This is a complete list of the highest-grossing concert tours. Only tours using reliable references have been added to the list. Billboard provides the official figure of concerts' gross revenue worldwide.Tours that span multiple decades are included in the decade that they concluded. In bold, the tours which, when completed, became the highest-grossing of all time. In 2017, Jesse Del Rey's ...
list of highest-grossing concert tours
list of highest-grossing concert tours. Wikimedia list article. Statements. instance of. Wikimedia music-related list. 0 references. is a list of. concert tour. 0 references . Sitelinks. Wikipedia (11 entries) edit. enwiki List of highest-grossing concert tours; eswiki Anexo:Giras musicales más recaudadoras;
Ed Sheeran's Divide Tour Is the Highest-Grossing Tour of All Time
The Divide Tour previously passed Roger Waters ' The Wall Live Tour ($459 million; 2010-13) to become the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist when his Aug. 11-12, 2018, shows at the PGE ...
The Eras Tour
The Eras Tour is the ongoing sixth concert tour by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.It commenced on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and is set to conclude on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver, consisting of 149 shows that span five continents.With a cultural and economic impact across the globe, the Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour in history and the first tour to surpass ...

The 10 Highest Grossing Tours of All Time

10. The Rolling Stones’ No Filter Tour (2017–2021) // $547 million

9. The Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang Tour (2005–2007) // $558 million

8. Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour (2023) // $579 million

7. Guns N’ Roses’ Not in This Lifetime… Tour (2016–2019) // $584 million

6. Harry Styles’s Love On Tour (2021–2023) // $617.3 million

5. U2’s U2 360° Tour (2009–2011) // $736 million

4. Ed Sheeran’s The ÷ (Divide) Tour (2017–2019) // $776 million

3. Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (2018–2020, 2022–2023) // $939 million

2. Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour (2022–2024) // $945 million

1. Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour (2023–2024) // $1.04 billion (and counting)

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Highest-grossing Concert Tours of All Time

Who has hauled the highest-grossing tour total of all time? From Elton John to Harry Styles, find out who made the top 10 of all time.

Highest-grossing Tours of All Time: The Top 10

2. Elton John — Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (2018-2023)

3. Ed Sheeran — The ÷ (Divide) Tour (2017-2019)

4. U2 — U2 360° Tour (2009-2011)

5. Coldplay — Music of the Spheres World Tour ( 2022-2023 )

6. Harry Styles — Love on Tour (2021-2023)

7. Guns N’ Roses — Not in This Lifetime… Tour (2016-2019)

8. Beyoncé — Renaissance Tour (2023)

9. The Rolling Stones — A Bigger Bang Tour (2005-2007)

10. The Rolling Stones — No Filter Tour (2017-2019)

10. Coldplay — A Head Full of Dreams Tour (2015-2017)

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6 Harry Styles - Love On Tour

How Did Harry Styles Become One Of The UK's Youngest, Wealthiest Figures?

5 U2 - 360° Tour

Whatever Happened To U2's $30 Million "360", The Most Expensive Concert Stage Ever?

4 Ed Sheeran - ÷ (Divide) Tour

Ed Sheeran's Net Worth Gives Us 'Shivers'

3 Coldplay - Music Of The Spheres World Tour

Yellow Brick Gold: How Elton John Earns And Spends His $550 Million Net Worth

2 Elton John - Farewell Yellow Brick Road

The Most Expensive Outfits Worn By Taylor Swift In Her Eras Tour, Ranked

1 Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour

List of highest-grossing concert tours

Timeline of the highest-grossing tour

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Highest-grossing tours

Ranked: The 20 Highest-Grossing Concert Tours Of All Time

Highest-Grossing Concert Tours of All Time

47. Depeche Mode 'Global Spirit Tour'

Bottom Line: Depeche Mode 'Global Spirit Tour'

46. Bon Jovi 'Lost Highway Tour'

Bottom Line: Bon Jovi 'Lost Highway Tour'

45. Metallica 'World Magnetic Tour'

Bottom Line: Metallica 'World Magnetic Tour'

44. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'The Rising Tour'

Bottom Line: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 'The Rising Tour'

43. Justin Timberlake 'The Man of the Woods'

Bottom Line: Justin Timberlake 'The Man of the Woods'

42. Lady Gaga 'The Monster Ball Tour'

Bottom Line: Lady Gaga 'The Monster Ball Tour'

41. Justin Timberlake 'The 20/20 Experience World Tour'

Bottom Line: Justin Timberlake 'The 20/20 Experience World Tour'

40. Bon Jovi 'This House Is Not for Sale Tour'