LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Veteran, white male rock stars raked in the most cash from world tours in 2017, according to an annual list released on Thursday (Dec 28), while the highest-ranked women - Celine Dion and Lady Gaga - failed to make the top 10.
Irish band U2 grossed a leading US$316 million ($423 million) from its 30th anniversary, 50-date Joshua Tree tour. It was followed by hard rock band Guns N' Roses which took in US$292.5 million, according to trade publication Pollstar's ranking of the Top 20 worldwide tours of 2017.
British band Coldplay came in third, with US$238 million, on a list where Bruno Mars, 32, of Puerto Rican and Philippine descent, was the only musician of colour in the top ten. Mars grossed US$200 million. Ed Sheeran, 26, was the youngest singer in the top ten, pulling in US$124.1 million.
At a whopping US$1,500 average, Bruce Springsteen's limited Broadway run had the highest ticket prices and grossed US$87.8 million to give the Born to Run singer 14th place.
In 11th place, Dion was the top female act with US$101.2 million, while Lady Gaga's Joanne tour grossed US$85.7 million for 15th place.
The touring numbers mark a strong contrast with US music sales and streaming preferences, where hip hop and R&B music this year became the most consumed music genre, according to a July Nielsen Music report.
The top 20 tours grossed US$2.66 billion in 2017, a record high and an increase of more than US$264 million from 2016, Pollstar said.
Pollstar's ranking is based on ticket sales data and does not include revenue from merchandise which can add a sizable chunk to tour earnings.