adding a bit to the top concerts of 2003
it is the end of the year, and there’s no doubt that a lot of wrap-up stuff is going to appear. since i talk about the high end of the music business here, i thought this set might be worth echoing.
pollstar says these are the top-grossing concerts of 2003. just to give you a tiny bit for thought, consider how many of these would be considered “new” acts… to that end, i’ve expanded on the pollstar data by including the date of their first album release, according to the all music guide (we run a value-added service here at meta-roj!):
1. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band $115.9 million. (1973)
2. Celine Dion $80.5 million. (1990)
3. Eagles $69.3 million. (1972)
4. Fleetwood Mac $69 million. (1968)
5. Cher $68.2 million. (1965)
6. Simon & Garfunkel $64.5 million. (1964)
7. Aerosmith-Kiss $64 million. (1973 / 1974)
8. Dixie Chicks $60.5 million. (1992)
9. Billy Joel-Elton John $50.9 million. (1971 / 1969)
10. Summer Sanitarium Tour with Metallica $48.8 million. (1983)
11. Dave Matthews Band $47.1 million. (1993)
12. Toby Keith $44.2 million. (1993)
13. Shania Twain $40.8 million. (1993)
14. The Rolling Stones $38.5 million. (1964)
15. Phish $35.8 million. (1988)
16. Kenny Chesney $34.5 million. (1994)
17. Tim McGraw $32.7 million. (1993)
18. Justin Timberlake/Christine Aguilera $31.8 million. (2002 / 1999)
19. Jimmy Buffett $29.3 million. (1970)
20. Pearl Jam $29.1 million. (1991)
justin’s cheating a little, because he got a 4-year headstart with ‘nsync. anyway, i just want to leave you with a thought about the value of longevity in this business of music. once you find your audience, they can be yours forever.