McCartney 2002’s Top Live Act
Paul McCartney‘s lengthy U.S. tour behind his 2001 release,
Driving Rain, pulled in $103.3 million in 2002, making it
the top-grossing American tour of the year, according to
Pollstar, the concert industry trade publication. Overall,
more than $2 billion was made in ticket sales last year, a record
figure.
The Rolling Stones’ Licks Tour earned $87.9 million, as the
second most profitable tour, followed by Cher’s seemingly
never-ending farewell tour ($73.6 million), Billy Joel and Elton
John’s sometimes troubled joint tour ($65 million), and the Dave
Matthews Band’s various tours ($60 million). The top ten also
included Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which will
continue its world tour behind The Rising through this
year, Aerosmith, Creed, Neil Diamond and the Eagles.
The top twenty tours were dominated by veteran acts, with the
DMB, Creed, ‘N Sync, and Britney Spears as the only relative
newcomers among established acts like Crosby, Stills, Nash and
Young; the Who; Rush; and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. If
younger fans made a lesser impact, it might have something to do
with money. The DMB was the year’s biggest ticket seller with 1.5
million sold (according to the numbers more than 400,000 more than
the next best act). But the band’s almost populist price of close
to $40 a ticket paled in comparison to the veteran horses like
McCartney ($130) and the Stones ($120).
The new year brings some of these acts back around. Springsteen
and the Stones are still on tour. The DMB is good for scores of
dates annually. There is buzzing about another Eagles tour. And
another band of reliable road warriors, Phish, have lined up their
first tour in more than two years.