The article:

"Stones Roll By U2 For Top Grossing Tour Ever


November 24, 2006, 12:50 PM ET

Ray Waddell, Nashville

Though they'll surely live to fight another day, U2's brief stint holding the title of top-grossing tour ever is over. That distinction now returns to the Rolling Stones, whose A Bigger Bang tour is now the top-grossing tour in history.

From March 28, 2005, to March 2, 2006, U2's Vertigo tour rang up grosses of more than $333 million. That put U2 ahead of the Stones' $320 million Voodoo Lounge tour of 1994-95, and the band's 10 stadium makeup shows this month will take the total to 121 shows and a gross of about $377 million.

But the Stones' numbers from their global A Bigger Bang tour shatter that mark. Since the fall of 2005, the band has grossed a staggering $437 million and drawn 3.5 million people to 110 shows. In addition, an estimated crowd of 2 million saw the band perform at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro back in February. The tour, like every Stones trek since 1989, is produced by Michael Cohl under the Concert Productions International banner, with Live Nation.

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Though no one's commenting officially, talk is that the Stones will stretch the tour into 2007, meaning a final mark of more than $500 million is easily in range."


Well, personally i don't give a shit for "gross records". But i'm very satisfied with this "3.5 million people", not including Rio's free concert, so far. While we are waiting for "Europe #2" and maybe for a few shows in Asia too. This is their 5th round since 1989 and the third in the last 9 years, but, despite the so high frequency of tours, Stones remain the most popular live act in the world...
I have a ...secret hope: Given that the Stones have already the title of top-grossing tour ever in their pocket, maybe they'll offer us lower ticket prices -i mean Europe 2007. What do you think, am i crazy hoping this?

This record- even if they don't tour Europe in 2007 may stand for awhile- maybe even forever.

Yes I know ticket prices have been going up up and away for the last ten years or so, but anything that goes up and up will eventually see a "correction" like the stock market, housing market etc. Ticket prices may come down to earth soon, and even if they stay the same It's hard to imagine U2 having a bigger tour than the Vertigo tour. After they are gone who will break the record? Bon Jovi? Coldplay? Don't think so.

Disclaimer; No I don't like the Rolling Stones because they are a high grossing act. I would still like them if their tour grossed 100 million. It's just nice to see they are kicking a-- and taking names.

Disclaimer2; As others have pointed out the Voodoo Lounge tour is probably the most successful when you take the difference in ticket prices into account. I wonder how much money that tour would have made in todays environment? Maybe 500 million?

stickydion Wrote:
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>> I have a ...secret hope: Given that the Stones
> have already the title of top-grossing tour ever
> in their pocket, maybe they'll offer us lower
> ticket prices -i mean Europe 2007. What do you
> think, am i crazy hoping this?


yes...in fact I would go as far to say you're f***in' nuts. ;-)

FrankM wrote:

"As others have pointed out the Voodoo Lounge tour is probably the most successful when you take the difference in ticket prices into account. I wonder how much money that tour would have made in todays environment? Maybe 500 million?"

Voodoo Lounge tour presents the biggest attendance in the entire music history: 6,575,000 people totaly. But don't forget about some differences between 1994/95 and today.

(A) VL was the first tour after 5 years and the second tour since ...1982. ABB tour is the first round after 3 years and third in the last 9 years. In other words, the frequency of tours since 1994/95 reminds of 70s, when the Stones were playing not to millions, but to 300,000 or 500,000 people on every round. I think this factor makes their success nowadays very, very remarkable.

( VL had a huge "virgin" market, as a very important "target" on the touring map. South America. Huger than Japan that had been the big "virgin" market 5 years earlier (1990). Now, after all these tours, for them there are only "virgin" small cities (like Regina) in the whole planet. And maybe a few "virgin" countries, as for example could be Serbia next summer.

(C) Ticket prices, of course. Do you think VL would be the most attended tour in the music history, with the prices of ABB? I don't think so...

The prices of 1989/90 and 1994/95 tours were speaking: "Çey, people, you have to know better what exactly the Stones on stage is". The current prices are speaking too: "Hey, people, you already know very well what exacltly the Stones on stage is, now you have to say: I know, it's very expensive rock and roll, but i like it and i pay for it...".

It's all just a dick waving contest. Bands that have press releases bragging how much money they pulled in is rude.