The Highest Grossing Concert Tours of All Time

Now more than ever, major concert tours translate to mega bucks for superstar artists.

The Highest Grossing Concert Tours of All Time

Old hippies love to brag about the time they paid a mere $6.50 to see Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden in 1973.

How times have changed.

Today when your favorite marquee act comes to town, you'll plunk down the equivalent of a new car payment (plus those fun processing fees!) for a pair of seats you hope are in the same zip code as the concert stage.

Now more than ever, major concert tours translate to mega bucks for superstar artists who otherwise earn only fractions of a cent per digital song download or stream. To help ensure arena and stadium sellouts, today's stage sets and audio-visual razzle-dazzle must go bigger than ever, which means obscenely high productions costs that are passed on to ticket buyers.

The result is box office numbers that routinely reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars. To give you an idea of how much scratch there is to be made from playing "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" for the thousandth time, we've rounded up the highest grossing concert tours ever, based on reporting from Pollstar and Billboard.

Each gross amount is in the original U.S. dollars and hasn't been adjusted for inflation.

15. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band "The River Tour"

Years: 2016-17

Number of shows: 89

Gross: $306 million

For most (if not all) of the tour's U.S. leg, after opening with an outtake from the "The River" LP, Bruce and cohorts played the much-loved 1980 double album in its entirety—fulfilling the wildest dreams of so-called Bruce Tramps, as hardcore fans are known.

Along with rarely played gems "Stolen Car" and "Wreck on the Highway," the faithful also rocked out to old faves like "Hungry Heart" and "Out in the Street." Many gigs ran more than 3-1/2 hours, offering lots of bang for your Bruce bucks.

14. The Rolling Stones "Licks Tour"

Years: 2002-03

Number of shows: 115

Gross: $311 million

This hit parade in support of the Stones' 40th anniversary "Forty Licks" compilation album found "The World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band" rocking a mix of small theaters, indoor arenas and stadiums. Yet no matter the venue's size, then as now, Mick and the gang charged among the steepest ticket prices in the biz.

A treat for Stones freaks, the set lists occasionally featured deep cuts like "Loving Cup" and "Neighbours." And lucky fans at a handful of gigs saw AC/DC's Malcolm and Angus Young join the band for a cover of the blues classic "Rock Me Baby."

13. U2 "The Joshua Tree Tour 2017"

Year: 2017

Number of shows: 51

Gross: $317 million

In the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, U2 began to realize the themes of their signature 1987 album, "The Joshua Tree," were as relevant as ever. So the band embarked on a five-month string of stadium concerts that featured the platter played in its entirety, plus some of their early hits.

Snooty critics charged U2 had become a nostalgia act, but those who missed the album's original tour clearly weren't concerned — snapping up more than 2.7-million tickets for a joyous journey through the past.

12. The Rolling Stones "Voodoo Lounge Tour"

Years: 1994-95

Number of shows: 124

Gross: $320 million

Following the release of "Voodoo Lounge" — the Stones' first album sans original bassist Bill Wyman — the band embarked on a global trek that'd become the highest grossing tour of the 1990s. Replacement bassist Darryl Jones (still playing with the Stones to this day) joined drummer Charlie Watts in laying down the beat as Keith Richards riffed and Mick Jagger aerobicised across stages in 31 countries.

Also earning nice tour paychecks were the variety of opening acts (Blind Melon, Spin Doctors, Stone Temple Pilots), now buried in a mid-'90s time capsule.

11. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band "Wrecking Ball World Tour"

Years: 2012-13

Number of shows: 133

Gross: $340.6 million

The first outing after the death of Springsteen's legendary saxophonist Clarence "The Big Man" Clemons, the tour was a cathartic experience for the band and fans alike. With Clemons' nephew Jake taking over sax duties, and backed by a larger-than-usual ensemble — including backup singers and a horn section — "The Boss" showcased several tracks from 2012's "Wrecking Ball" album, which featured some of his rawest songwriting in years.

During the encore, fans heard classics like "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," performed as a tribute to the late Clemons.

10. The Police "Reunion Tour"

Years: 2007-08

Number of shows: 151

Gross: $362 million

After enduring the band's 21-year hiatus, not to mention Sting's string of snoozer solo albums, Police devotees were ultimately rewarded with a reunion tour that revisited all the hits — from "Roxanne" to "Every Breath You Take."

Early in the tour, it seemed as if old rivals Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland might soon be back at each other's throats, but there's nothing like big box office bucks to help smooth troubled waters.

9. Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood "World Tour"

Years: 2014-17

Number of shows: 390

Gross: $364.3 million

After the country superstar's thirteen-year "retirement," fans again got the chance to hoist a $14 cup of Bud Light and sing along to "Friends in Low Places" on this extensive North American tour co-headlined by Brooks' wife, Trisha Yearwood.

If you're wondering why it took four years of gigs for this tour to gross what others earn in a year or two, it's largely due to Brooks' longstanding policy to charge the same price for every ticket in a given venue, regardless of seat location.

8. U2 "Vertigo Tour"

Years: 2005-06

Number of shows: 131

Gross: $389 million

Bono counting off "Uno, dos, tres, catorce!" kicks off this hugely successful tour's title song, "Vertigo." Want more numbers? The tour sold some 4.6-million tickets across five continents. During Vertigo's Latin American leg, more than 700 hours of footage were shot for the concert film "U2 3D."

Throughout the endeavor, the band played 60 different songs, including rare tracks from their 1980 debut album "Boy." And for concert goers who arrived early, the tour featured 17 different opening acts, including The Killers, Kanye West and Arcade Fire, who at the time were arguably a hotter band than U2.

7. Madonna "Sticky & Sweet Tour"

Years: 2008-09

Number of shows: 85

Gross: $408 million

While M maniacs generally agree nothing can ever touch the controversial, legendary heights of 1990's Blond Ambition Tour, this worldwide jaunt in support of the underrated "Hard Candy" album was no slouch.

Performing in front of more than 3.5 million fans in 32 countries, Madge underwent countless costume changes and worked a monster stage backed by dazzling video screens and a platoon of dancers. A sweet treat for longtime fans, the stripped-down "Old School" segment of the show featured Miss Ciccone strapping on an electric guitar for a head-bangin' version of "Borderline."

6. AC/DC "Black Ice World Tour"

Years: 2008-2010

Number of shows: 168

Gross: $441.6 million

AC/DC may do dirty deeds done dirt cheap, but when it comes to concert tickets, you'll pay through the nose. The Aussie rockers averaged a $2.6 million per-show gross on this tour, which would be the last for founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young (he passed in 2017) and longtime drummer Phil Rudd. It was also the last full tour for lead singer Brian Johnson, forced to quit the subsequent "Rock or Bust Tour" due to serious hearing damage.

The band's future is up in the air. So consider yourself lucky if you attended, no matter the cost, and played air guitar to "T.N.T." and "Hells Bells" for what may have been the last time.

5. Roger Waters "The Wall Live"

Years: 2010-2013

Number of shows: 219

Gross: $458.6 million

A politically charged concert spectacle showcasing Pink Floyd's landmark 1979 concept album "The Wall," the tour found the band's chief lyricist and bassist traveling to four continents and playing before some 4 million fans to the tune of nearly half a billion dollars in ticket sales.

While that's an unfathomable fortune to the layman, all in all it's just another brick in Waters' behemoth financial wall.

4. Guns N' Roses "Not in This Lifetime...Tour"

Years: 2016-2018 (in progress)

Number of shows: 125

Gross: $480.9 million (estimated)

In the '80s, when up-and-coming GNR was hitchhiking home from their own gigs, they surely never imagined becoming the biggest metal band in the world, let alone splitting up and ultimately regrouping for one of rock history's most lucrative tours.

Sure, Axl Rose has a pot belly, but he's still got the pipes (sort of) to belt out "Welcome To The Jungle," bringing more than 4 million fans to their sha-na-na-na-na-knees-knees!

3. Coldplay "A Head Full of Dreams Tour"

Years: 2016-17

Number of shows: 122

Gross: $523 million

If you gambled the number three slot would belong to yet another Cher or KISS "retirement tour," you lose. The winners are Chris Martin and company, who put on a massive laser/pyro extravaganza that sold over half a billion tickets worldwide, including four sellouts at London's 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium.

2. The Rolling Stones "A Bigger Bang Tour"

Years: 2005-07

Number of shows: 144

Gross: $558.3 million

This Stones tour was so hot, even then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was scalping tickets — charging his political donors $100,000 to join "The Terminator" in his VIP box for the opening concert at Boston's Fenway Park.

Mick and Keith were not happy, but by journey's end it was all smiles as a Bigger Bang busted all box office records and became the top grossing tour of all time, until...

1. U2 "360° Tour"

Years: 2009-11

Number of shows: 110

Gross: $736.4 million

Behold "The Claw"!

That's the nickname given to the gargantuan, 165-foot-high arachnid-like structure that towered over U2's stage on the top grossing tour of all time. Loaded with video screens and stacked with an ear-splitting sound system, The Claw cost an estimated $25 to $30 million, and was so massive it took 120 semi trucks to move it between stadium concerts where seating was in the round — hence the tour's "360°" moniker.

Over three years, more than 7.2-million fans enjoyed a set list spanning the band's formidable catalog, including Bono donning a laser-light suit for encore numbers like "Ultraviolet." And if you're wondering what ever became of The Claw, in 2019 it'll be permanently installed at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, Utah.