So Much For The Concert Business Saving The Music Industry’s Behind

noah | December 26, 2007 4:45 am
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Pollstar’s list of the top 20 concert tours of 2007 had good news for Sting and bad news for pretty much anyone else trying to figure out if the road life would help make up the money lost by nosediving album sales. The 20 top-grossing tours–which were led by the Police’s reunion jaunt, which grossed $131.9 million–made a total of $996 million, a number that’s down 15% from last year’s top 20 total.

THE GOOD: Despite being shut out of rock radio formats that aren’t saddled with the word “classic,” the aging rock fan still has a place in the big-ticket music industry because he can still spend money. Namely, on tours by classic-rock staples like Genesis, Roger Waters, and Van Halen. OK, this isn’t “the good” as much as it is “the obvious,” but hey, something has to keep the music business hoping that its next gasp for air is slightly worth it, right? THE BAD: Miley “Hannah Montana” Cyrus–one of only two musicians on the list under the age of 25*–comes in at No. 15, which seems low until you remember that it was the low price of tickets on the legal market (they averaged $54 a seat) that led to the sellouts, the “secondary market” freakouts, and the 400-pound Miley Cyrus statues. THE WHAAA? Not that I like Genesis all that much, but it has to smart that their big reunion tour (which made $47.6 million) was outgrossed by the umpteenth leg of Rod Freaking Stewart’s “Trampling On Any Legacy I Still Have Left” jaunt ($49 million).

* The other: Wolfgang Van Halen. You forgot about him, didn’t you?

1. The Police ($131.9 million) 2. Kenny Chesney ($71.1 million) 3. Justin Timberlake ($70.6 million) 4. Celine Dion ($65.3 million) 5. Van Halen ($56.7 million) 6. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill ($52.3 million) 7. Rod Stewart ($49 million) 8. Genesis ($47.6 million) 9. Josh Groban ($43 million) 10. Rascal Flatts ($41.5 million) 11. Dave Matthews Band ($41.1 million) 12. Billy Joel ($39.1 million) 13. Roger Waters ($38.3 million) 14. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band ($38.2 million) 15. Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus ($36 million) 16. Elton John ($35.7 million) 17. Jimmy Buffett ($35.6 million) 18. Barry Manilow ($34.8 million) 19. Toby Keith ($34.3 million) 20. Maná ($33.9 million)

U.S. concert business slumps despite reunion tours [Reuters] The Police Lock Top 2007 Tours Spot [Pollstar] [Photo: Getty]