Pollstar has wrapped up twenty five years of data, tracking the biggest touring acts of the millennium, and metal fans can claim a rare brag, two heavyweights have muscled their way into the Top 25.
It’s no surprise who they are, the two bands who’ve turned global touring into a long form endurance sport.
Metallica, who’ve spent the better part of the past two decades picking their battles instead of hammering the road nonstop, still landed at Number 8 overall.
That’s despite performing fewer shows than many of the pop giants they’re ranked alongside. Pollstar’s numbers show they moved 15,567,194 tickets since 2001, averaging nearly 28,000 fans a night.
Their ticket price sits at $93.56 (US), which feels almost charitable in today’s economy, across 562 shows, Metallica pulled in $1.456 billion, proving a band doesn’t need a relentless schedule to dominate.
Iron Maiden
Further down the rankings, but just as crucial to metal’s touring legacy, sits Iron Maiden at Number 19.
The British titans have long treated their stage show like an airborne military operation, so it tracks that the production alone draws crowds.
Per Pollstar, Maiden shifted 10,070,915 tickets, with an average of 16,243 fans per show, grossing $716,639,584 over 620 dates. Their average ticket price of $71.16 (US) makes them one of the more accessible acts on the list, especially considering the theatrical shows they unleash each night.
On the other side
Outside metal, Pollstar’s rankings lean heavily toward pop rock and stadium sentimental acts, Coldplay take the crown with 24.8 million tickets sold, followed closely by U2.
The rest of the Top 10 reads like a cross section of the last two decades, Ed Sheeran, Dave Matthews Band, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and Elton John.
There are a few other rock names holding strong, The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, Eagles, Phish, and Roger Waters, among others. A reminder that even as the mainstream shifts, the live space is still a battleground where legacy artists rule by sheer force of demand.
The 25 Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium
(Tickets Sold + Total Gross in AUD)
Coldplay — 24.8M • ~$3.75B AUD
U2 — 20.2M • ~$3.27B AUD
Ed Sheeran — 19.6M • ~$2.62B AUD
Dave Matthews Band — 19.6M • ~$1.50B AUD
Taylor Swift — 18.9M • ~$4.65B+ AUD
Bruce Springsteen — 18.6M • ~$3.24B AUD
Kenny Chesney — 18.2M • ~$1.95B AUD
Metallica — 15.6M • ~$2.19B AUD
Bon Jovi — 13.9M • ~$1.50B AUD
Elton John — 13.8M • ~$1.95B AUD
P!nk — 13.0M • ~$2.16B AUD
The Rolling Stones — 11.5M • ~$2.70B AUD
Beyoncé — 11M • ~$2.40B AUD
André Rieu — 10.5M • ~$900M AUD
Madonna — 10.2M • ~$2.10B AUD
Guns N’ Roses — 10.7M • ~$1.87B AUD
Eagles — 10.3M • ~$1.95B AUD
Phish — 9.7M • ~$825M AUD
Iron Maiden — 10.1M • ~$1.07B AUD
Luke Bryan — 9.5M • ~$1.12B AUD
Roger Waters — 9.2M • ~$1.65B AUD
Paul McCartney — 8.9M • ~$1.80B AUD
Toby Keith — 8.5M • ~$780M AUD
Billy Joel — 8.1M • ~$1.57B AUD
Depeche Mode — 7.9M • ~$975M AUD
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