This year was an interesting one for rock music and we saw many bands and artists from the genre conquering the world once again. And what is also interesting is that the good old rock bands we loved for decades have proven that rock ‘n’ roll is far from being dead and forgotten. They not only have the energy but even sound better than ever. Here below is a list of the 15 highest grossing rock tours in the period of January 1 to June 30, 2017.
15. Roger Waters – $24.6 Million
The legendary Pink Floyd musician sure stirred things up this year with his politically charged live performances. But it still didn’t stop him from grossing more than 24 million in less than 20 shows in this period.
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14. Journey – $26.3 Million
Journey kicked off their 2017 journey on February 1 in Asia, visiting Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, China South Korea, Philippines, and Taiwan, and then took over the US and Canada in late February all the way until the end of June.
13. Iron Maiden – $27.9 Million
And after all these years Iron Maiden can still kick some ass. Their 2017 dates of “The Book of Souls” tour started on 22 April 2017, and after visiting Europe and North America with an average of 13,293 people on their shows, heavy metal legends grossed $27.9 million
12. Def Leppard – $28.6 Million
This year Def Leppard are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their “Hysteria” album and 40 years of the formation of the band. And what better way to celebrate it than with a multi-million grossing tour?
11. Neil Diamond – $29.7 Million
American musician Neil Diamond is well into his 70s, but that doesn’t stop him from having one of the most grossing tours in 2017. His 50th-anniversary tour started on April 7 and has included 25 cities in the first half of the year.
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10. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – $30.6 Million
Before his recent tragic passing Tom Petty embarked on a tour with The Heartbreakers this year, which lasted from April 20 to September 25. And up until June 30, they grossed more than $ 30 million.
9. Dead & Company – $31 Million
The band was formed in 2015 by Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti. They did a total of 20 shows, of which 19 were in the first half of the year, during which they grossed $31 million.
8. Sting – $34.3 Million
Legendary Sting is in the 7th decade of his life, but that sure doesn’t stop him from rocking on, and rocking well which you can hear in the audio footage below. This past February he embarked on a tour in support of his “57th & 9th” album.
7. Green Day – $38.1 Million
Billie Joe Armstrong fronted band is currently on a tour which kicked off in September last year and will have around 120 shows until its wrapping up in November 2017. With 36 shows in total in the first half of this year and average of 12,656 people in the crowd per show, he climbed up to 7th position on this list with $38.1 million.
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6. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – 38.1 Million
After having a successful 2016 tour, Bruce Springsteen continued on to perform in January and February of this year. With only 14 shows he and the E Street Band accumulated more than $38 million, with an average attendance of 29,020.
5. Bon Jovi – $39.1 Million
Bon Jovi’s “This House Is Not for Sale” tour went through 28 cities with 30 shows in total in the first 6 months of 2017. The attendance was 16,456 on average per show.
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers – $60.5 Million
RHCP was really busy in 2016, with their 11th studio album “The Getaway” launched in June 2016, and the tour which lasted throughout the entire year. This year was also all work for them, but it certainly paid off. With 55 shows in the first half of 2017, they grossed more than $60 million.
3. Metallica – $88 Million
Like it isn’t enough for them to be one of the most successful bands ever, Metallica continued to rage on with the release of “Hardwired…To Self-Destruct” album, and a “WorldWired” tour which in the first half of 2017 hit 19 cities with 25 shows.
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2. U2 – $118.1 Million
U2 embarked on “The Joshua Tree” 30th-anniversary tour in May this year, and with only 19 shows and an average attendance of staggering 61,973 they have the second highest grossing rock tour and second highest one in all genres for the first half of 2017, with $118.1 million in total.
1. Guns N’ Roses – $151.1 Million
Next time somebody says rock ‘n’ roll is dead or that only old people listen to it, remind them that Guns N’ Roses grossed significantly more than stars like Justin Bieber ($93.2 million), Adele ($59.0 million), Ed Sheeran ($57.2 million), The Weekend ($49.4 million), Drake ($43.6 million), and many others. In the first half of this year, they not only visited 27 cities with more than 50,000 people in the crowd on average, but they have put on some amazing shows with opening bands such as Babymetal, Royal Blood, Wolfmother, and many others. One of the most interesting moments on the tour was when legendary AC/DC guitarist Angus Young showed up and performed “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Riff Raff” with the band. This will surely be the tour that will go down as one of the most successful ones in history.
