[living proof]

This is the list of the biggest live acts in 2012.

Madonna is number one only because she charges more per ticket, interesting that Springsteen has had half a million more people attend his shows this year.

1
Madonna

Total Gross: $228,406,085 Number of Shows: 72
Total Attendance: 1,635,176

2
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Total Gross: $199,371,791 Number of Shows: 72
Total Attendance: 2,165,925


3
Roger Waters

Total Gross: $186,466,703 Number of Shows: 72
Total Attendance: 1,680,042


4
Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour by Cirque Du Soleil

Total Gross: $147,310,505 Number of Shows: 183
Total Attendance: 1,374,482


5
Coldplay

Total Gross: $147,188,828 Number of Shows: 67
Total Attendance: 1,811,787


6
Lady Gaga

Total Gross: $124,879,545 Number of Shows: 65
Total Attendance: 1,111,099

7
Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw

Total Gross: $96,458,890 Number of Shows: 23
Total Attendance: 1,085,382


8
Van Halen

Total Gross: $54,425,548 Number of Shows: 46
Total Attendance: 522,296


9
Jay-Z & Kanye West

Total Gross: $46,986,464 Number of Shows: 31
Total Attendance: 371,777

10
Andre Rieu

Total Gross: $46,785,717 Number of Shows: 99
Total Attendance: 490,165


11
Dave Matthews Band

Total Gross: $41,433,182 Number of Shows: 41
Total Attendance: 757,629


12
Barbra Streisand

Total Gross: $40,657,170 Number of Shows: 12
Total Attendance: 154,287


13
Jason Aldean

Total Gross: $39,956,703 Number of Shows: 59
Total Attendance: 984,229


14
Lady Antebellum

Total Gross: $38,358,801 Number of Shows: 88
Total Attendance: 860,065


15
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Total Gross: $33,911,873 Number of Shows: 42
Total Attendance: 549,028


16
Brad Paisley

Total Gross: $33,794,719 Number of Shows: 51
Total Attendance: 485,852


17
Nickelback

Total Gross: $33,790,267 Number of Shows: 50
Total Attendance: 492,492


18
Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Total Gross: $33,370,711 Number of Shows: 99
Total Attendance: 673,575


19
Elton John

Total Gross: $32,920,986 Number of Shows: 38
Total Attendance: 240,381

20
Justin Bieber

Total Gross: $30,667,737 Number of Shows: 29
Total Attendance: 402,710


21
Rod Stewart

Total Gross: $30,158,491 Number of Shows: 35
Total Attendance: 201,912

22
Neil Diamond

Total Gross: $29,910,078 Number of Shows: 30
Total Attendance: 317,824


23
Pearl Jam

Total Gross: $27,363,430 Number of Shows: 11
Total Attendance: 337,613


24
Taylor Swift

Total Gross: $26,310,160 Number of Shows: 21
Total Attendance: 285,715


25
Rascal Flatts

Total Gross: $26,155,360 Number of Shows: 45
Total Attendance: 612,243

[ItsRyanYall]

Florence.

[imarsh]

Thought this thread was going to be about who folks thought were the best live artist they'd seen this year, rather than a list of overcharging boring has beens

[living proof]

Originally Posted by imarsh

Thought this thread was going to be about who folks thought were the best live artist they'd seen this year, rather than a list of overcharging boring has beens

I'd suggest this list shows the people on it are nothing close to has beens?

Surly if you were a has been, no one would go to see you?

[DJames99]

The only one I've seen is Gaga she was great, would have loved to have got tickets to see Bruce and The E Street Band though, hopefully i'll get them for his next tour.

[Chris_Champion]

Originally Posted by imarsh

Thought this thread was going to be about who folks thought were the best live artist they'd seen this year, rather than a list of overcharging boring has beens

Yeah, bit of a nothing list with artists that charge stupid money to see them

[Chris_Champion]

Example. Maiden played 34 shows in North America to 500 Thousand, More shows and more people than Jay Z/Kanye but they came in at no 9, thats ripping fans off i think

[living proof]

Originally Posted by Chris_Champion

Example. Maiden played 34 shows in North America to 500 Thousand, More shows and more people than Jay Z/Kanye but they came in at no 9, thats ripping fans off i think

It's all relative though, if Iron Maiden charged more, their attendances would drop.

Springsteen easily had the most people attending his shows, but takes no sponsorship from any company and his tickets are reasonable when you consider that one show this year lasted 4 hr 6 mins, not including a 25 min acoustic set an hour earlier than the main set.

As he is doing this tour now through till September next year, the European tour is in even larger capacity stadiums, he'll be at the top next year also.

[Chris_Champion]

Originally Posted by living proof

It's all relative though, if Iron Maiden charged more, their attendances would drop.

Springsteen easily had the most people attending his shows, but takes no sponsorship from any company and his tickets are reasonable when you consider that one show this year lasted 4 hr 6 mins, not including a 25 min acoustic set an hour earlier than the main set.

As he is doing this tour now through till September next year, the European tour is in even larger capacity stadiums, he'll be at the top next year also.

Bruce is a national institution to americans and agree he will prob top the audience figures next year, he does put on a good show..

Maiden fans are pretty dedicated and will pay whatever they have to but the band to be fair always try to keep the costs down especially as they have a huge fanbase in some of the poorer regions of the world like South America...

[little-monster]

Wow

Barbra Streisand does 12 dates and yet makes more money with her shows than what Elton, Red hot chilli peppers and Nickelback did even though they did more dates

Good ol Babs

[tonypennys]

Status Quo are another who gig year in year out , charge a reasonable amount and give you top value for money

[TR252]

Originally Posted by Chris_Champion

Example. Maiden played 34 shows in North America to 500 Thousand, More shows and more people than Jay Z/Kanye but they came in at no 9, thats ripping fans off i think

I went to Kanye and Jay Z's Watch The Throne tour and it cost me £50 and it was one of the best gigs I've ever been to. Two of the biggest artists in the world performing hit after hit after hit with an impressive stage set for 2 and a half hours - excellent value for money.

[glynn12]

People complaining at the prices of tickets, these stages are huge and more technical than ever before and require a very large amount of staff. Its like running a small business.

[living proof]

Originally Posted by tonypennys

Status Quo are another who gig year in year out , charge a reasonable amount and give you top value for money

Do they charge by the chord?

[tonypennys]

Originally Posted by living proof

Do they charge by the chord?

Suppose if they did cost u a few hundred quid per gig

[Glawster2002]

Originally Posted by living proof

It's all relative though, if Iron Maiden charged more, their attendances would drop.

Springsteen easily had the most people attending his shows, but takes no sponsorship from any company and his tickets are reasonable when you consider that one show this year lasted 4 hr 6 mins, not including a 25 min acoustic set an hour earlier than the main set.

As he is doing this tour now through till September next year, the European tour is in even larger capacity stadiums, he'll be at the top next year also.

Not at all. Maiden have always set their ticket prices relative to what their fans can afford rather than trying to charge the maximum they think they could get away with.

For example when they played in India a couple of years ago they, at best, broke even, but the ticket prices meant that 55,000 Maiden fans could go and see them in Mumbai.

[mmeister2]

I didn't even know Barbra Streisand toured this year.

at the fact she only had 12 shows and made more money than those with 80 - 90.

[little-monster]

Originally Posted by mmeister2

I didn't even know Barbra Streisand toured this year.

at the fact she only had 12 shows and made more money than those with 80 - 90.

Yeah, Barbra isn't one for touring. She has only ever done one world tour in her whole career. But she did a small tour between october and november to celebrate her 50th anniversary in the US