LOS ANGELES: The Rolling Stones were the top concert draw in North America for a second consecutive year, while Barbra Streisand came in at No 2 with her first major tour in a dozen years, trade publication Pollstar magazine says.
The energetic British rockers sold $US138.5 million ($NZ198.
84 million) worth of tickets for 39 shows across the United States and Canada. The haul ranks as the third-highest on Pollstar's all-time list, behind the Stones' 2005 tour ($US162 million)), and Irish rock band U2's trek that same year ($US138.9 million).
Streisand, hitting the road for her first big tour since 1993-1994, pulled in $US92.5 million for just 20 shows, thanks to an average ticket price of $US298. By contrast, Stones shows were a relative bargain with an average price of almost $US137.
Husband-and-wife country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were No 3 with $US88.8 million for 73 shows. They were followed by Madonna with $US85.
9 million (34 shows) and the Cirque du Soleil's Delirium tour with $US82.1 million (156 shows). Pollstar said ticket sales for the top 100 shows rose about 13 percent to $US2.
3 billion, breaking last year's record of $US2.1 billion, thanks in part to an eight percent jump in the average ticket price to $US61.45 from $US57.
Other costly acts included Madonna, with an average price of almost $US184, and the Who with $US100. The British veterans, No 13 on this year's list, charged an average $US77 during their last outing in 2002. The top 100 acts sold a combined 37.
9 million tickets, up four percent from 36.3 million last year, but barely changed from 2004's 37.6 million.
Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the Fresno, California-based publication, said it was a "good year overall" for the concert business. "There's definitely a substantial appetite for live music," he said in an interview. The situation contrasts with the continued sorry state of the recorded music business, where album sales were down about five per cent from 2005, according to Nielsen SoundScan data.
As usual, there was not much fresh blood among the top touring acts, many of whom have been around since the 1970s and 1980s. Other veterans included Elton John at No 10, Billy Joel at No 11, the Def Leppard and Journey double-header at No 14, Aerosmith and Motley Crue at No 18, and Crosby, Stills, Nash Young at No 20. Only country has succeeded in bringing a whole new generation of acts, including Kenny Chesney (No 7), Rascal Flatts (No 12) and Toby Keith (No 16).
The Stones have not confirmed plans for 2007, but they are expected to return to Europe to make good on summer dates that were scrapped after guitarist Keith Richards and singer Mick Jagger were laid low. Streisand also has talked of taking her show overseas. But other "oldies" acts will fill the void in North America, among them Rod Stewart and British progressive-rock band Genesis, reuniting with Phil Collins.
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