With 2019 already at its halfway point, it’s only fair to ask ourselves what bands and musicians are truly having big years. Luckily for you, Pollstar has combed through the empirical data so you don’t have to. The question is this – what are the most popular tours of 2019 so far? The list is led by plenty of familiar names, of course, but there’s also plenty of surprises on the list as well.
Coming in at #1? The legendary Elton John, who came in just ahead of Pink in worldwide profitability on his farewell tour, and luminaries like Metallica (#4 overall), Kiss (#7 overall), and Travis Scott (#10 overall) are right behind the superstar.
Also in the top 50? Panic At The Disco, whose Pray For The Wicked tour never really seems to end, is at the #43 position with over 250,000 tickets sold, while twenty one pilots clocked in at #30. The 1975, riding a wave of international success, has also climbed (barely) into the top 100. Rock veterans Disturbed, Aerosmith, Shinedown, and Def Leppard are notably also inside the top 100, and interestingly, the annual Winter Jam festival is a mainstay as well – despite having by far the lowest ticket prices on the list.
Here’s the top 10, courtesy of Kerrang!:
1. Elton John – $82.6 million
2. Pink – $81.8 million
3. Justin Timberlake – $75.5 million
4. Metallica – $69.7 million
5. Fleetwood Mac – $67.7 million
6. Ed Sheeran – $63.6 million
7. KISS – $58.1 million
8. Trans-Siberian Orchestra – $57.3 million
9. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – $52.8 million
10. Travis Scott – $51.7 million
Essentially what this data says, is that music is alive and thriving. For those who might scream “rock is dead!”. well, there’s plenty of data to disregard that statement.
