ONTD

9:50 am - 01/01/2013

Madonna Crushes Concert Competition In 2012 With $296 Million

The music industry has minted some new arena and stadium stars lately, but one look at the top-grossing tours of 2012 and you might think we're in a time warp.

Though her album sales are not on par with her 1980s heyday, Madonna can clearly still put glittery butts in seats. According to Pollstar, she easily topped the list of the year's highest-grossing tours with $296.1 million, besting another Reagan-era rival, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, whose tour raked in $210.2 million. Former Pink Floyd leader Roger Waters had a very good year as well, pulling in $186.4 million on a list of the top 50 worldwide tours whose combined gross was $3 billion.

Both Madonna and Springsteen sold more than 2.1 million tickets each, averaging more than 31,000 fans per night. But, of course, Madonna also managed to make headlines on an almost nightly basis thanks to the usual flesh-baring and cage-rattling antics, which ranged from her musical tweaking of Lady Gaga, to the waving of fake firearms, flashing of naughty bits and a feud with French right-wing national Front party leader Marine Le Pen.

There were some newer names on the list as well, including Coldplay at #4 ($171.3 million), Lady Gaga (#5, $161.4 million) and the Cirque du Soleil "Michael Jackson: The Immortal" tour (#6, $140.2 million).

Among the other notable names: Metallica (#8, $86.1 million), Red Hot Chili Peppers (#10, $57.8 million), Jennifer Lopez (#13, $52.6 million), Drake (#19, $43.4 million), Radiohead (#21, $42.5 million), Justin Bieber (#23, $40.2 million) and the Black Keys (#27, $38.1 million).

Source
vampireweekend 1st-Jan-2013 06:02 pm (UTC)
bow
lovely_tunes 1st-Jan-2013 06:52 pm (UTC)
♥ Jessica
likeomgitsalice 1st-Jan-2013 06:06 pm (UTC)
"but shes more established than gaga, gaga is just starting out, gaga is number 12 on the highest grossing concerts that's amazing for a newcomer, gaga will beat her in 2013" fucking save it.
carazon 1st-Jan-2013 07:12 pm (UTC)
mte.
vanishingbee 1st-Jan-2013 07:15 pm (UTC)
You sound pressed.
fred2265 1st-Jan-2013 07:30 pm (UTC)
mte..
bradentastic 1st-Jan-2013 09:18 pm (UTC)
i literally hate every argument on ontd that starts with "but _____________ tho"

apparently the btw ball isnt selling as well as expected here in america anyway
davetvs 1st-Jan-2013 10:57 pm (UTC)
lmao yas drag them before they even come
__orangeglo 1st-Jan-2013 06:11 pm (UTC)
It must help when your shows sell out on Ticketmaster because a bunch of reseller websites grab them before normal fans. SMH at you, StubHub, TicketsNow, etc.
zharia 1st-Jan-2013 06:28 pm (UTC)
I actually got 100$ floor tickets through ticketmaster for Springsteen and he does this thing where he's got a front stage floor section divided off from the rest with a smaller longer stage and he comes and performs quite a few songs on that. It was like paying 100 bucks for front row. Amazing.
gorlplz 1st-Jan-2013 06:13 pm (UTC)
kween of pop <3
theblackwidow 1st-Jan-2013 06:13 pm (UTC)
I wanted to see radiohead so much but tickets were like $250
pacificway 1st-Jan-2013 06:21 pm (UTC)
Always wanted to see Madonna in concert.

I just get the feeling they are just her cardio workouts, though. lol

Edited at 2013-01-01 06:22 pm (UTC)
zharia 1st-Jan-2013 06:26 pm (UTC)
excuse me but can we talk about The Boss instead? Motherfucker stars his show on time with no openers and plays for almost 3+ hours (at least every time I've seen him/people I know have seen him).

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. FLAWLESS LIL MAN.

I got to grope his thigh at the last concert. My pics were all crotch shot. Love him so.
brokenbeauty08 1st-Jan-2013 06:28 pm (UTC)
mikeblitzz 1st-Jan-2013 06:43 pm (UTC)
UGH I will see her on the next tour. I refuse to live a life where I will have not seen Madonna in concert.
carazon 1st-Jan-2013 07:13 pm (UTC)
Me too. :(
mikeblitzz 1st-Jan-2013 07:15 pm (UTC)
it's like whenever she comes through I always manage to be financially tied up to other things. I don't care what I have to do to see her next time.
powerbottom 1st-Jan-2013 07:43 pm (UTC)
Tickets sold out too fucking fast here. I wasn't expecting the damn site to crash and then all the tickets gone in a matter of minutes.

Fucking queens in Seattle robbed me.
mikeblitzz 1st-Jan-2013 08:01 pm (UTC)
UGHHH you can't fuck with Madonna and the gays
troy_macclure 1st-Jan-2013 08:00 pm (UTC)
you won't regret it.
mikeblitzz 1st-Jan-2013 08:06 pm (UTC)
I'll probably be screaming and crying the whole time
troy_macclure 1st-Jan-2013 08:56 pm (UTC)
an expected side effect
bradentastic 1st-Jan-2013 09:12 pm (UTC)
you've got to. its such a surreal experience.
leatherandjeans 2nd-Jan-2013 02:55 am (UTC)
I was going to see her this time, but then the bitch pulled out of her Australian leg. So pissed off.
vanishingbee 1st-Jan-2013 07:13 pm (UTC)
Filled with regret I didn't see the MJ cirque du soleil tour.
hahahey 1st-Jan-2013 07:49 pm (UTC)
it was so good, I had shitty seats and I still loved every second of it
carazon 1st-Jan-2013 07:16 pm (UTC)
Bowing to the Queen.

prophecypro 1st-Jan-2013 08:24 pm (UTC)
shes been one of the biggest acts in the history, of course she was gonna make dough touring
tiki876 1st-Jan-2013 08:36 pm (UTC)
get it <3
cincopasos 1st-Jan-2013 10:25 pm (UTC)
Omg your icon. Pure erotic love!
bradentastic 1st-Jan-2013 09:11 pm (UTC)
she's definitely reached the icon status of her career where the albums dont matter anymore. kind of disappointing in a way because i wish she was still revolutionary and setting trends but hey she just tours and gets her cash.

mdna was awesome though. i had fun.
78ml 1st-Jan-2013 09:58 pm (UTC)
Legendary reina diosa
lilo146 1st-Jan-2013 10:00 pm (UTC)
lol, people were giving away their tickets for the now infamous chilean show. i dont think she is ever coming back to do a show here, and i dont think people want her
cincopasos 1st-Jan-2013 10:26 pm (UTC)
DUH.
vagabonden 1st-Jan-2013 11:51 pm (UTC)
I have a love/loathe thing with Madonna but she definitely knows how to work the shit.
leatherandjeans 2nd-Jan-2013 02:56 am (UTC)
Well that's no surprise.

Lol at Bieber being so low.
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