It shouldn’t come as any big surprise that concert tours are bigger than ever. Yes, the economy’s still not in great shape and we need to cut down spending wherever we can, but with so many people not buying music, touring is the only way bands can survive these days.
And these days, bands are really thriving on the road. According to Blabbermouth and Pollstar, the concert business is at what is being reported as an all time high of $5.1 billion. (Back in 2000, the concert business made $1.7 billion.)
Some of the biggest grossing artists on the road have been metal bands, and this shouldn’t be a surprise either, because metal’s always had to deliver in the live arena, especially in the days when radio and MTV wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole. Black Sabbath made $19.7 million for 21 shows, and other big earners this year included Rush, Motley Crue, Kiss, Iron Maiden, and more.
Taylor Swift was top of the charts with $112.7 million, followed by Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, The Stones, Beyonce, Jay Z, Fleetwood Mac, Pink, The Eagles, and Justin Bieber. So even with all the changes we’ve gone through in the music business and with the economic situation in recent years, people still crave the thrill of seeing bands in the live arena.
