Music is a subjective artwork kind, and what’s commercially profitable doesn’t all the time instantly relate to the standard of the product. Nevertheless, when a musical act can promote thousands and thousands of tickets over a number of a long time, their longevity suggests they have to be doing one thing proper, and may work as a barometer of brilliance.
Whereas the present act holding the document for promoting essentially the most tickets in historical past will seemingly be surpassed by Taylor Swift if she carries on taking part in stadiums at this price, because it stands, she nonetheless has an extended strategy to go earlier than the achievement is inevitably surpassed. The Rolling Stones have been on the forefront of tradition for the reason that Sixties and helped pioneer large-scale rock live shows.
For many years, The Rolling Stones have been frequenting big venues wherever they go. In accordance with Pollstar, an organization who’ve specialised in monitoring live performance attendances for many years, The Stones have bought over 22 million tickets to their headline reveals since their information started.
Their knowledge doesn’t depend audiences from competition appearances, comparable to The Rolling Stones’ heroic headline present at Glastonbury in 2013. Remarkably, regardless of promoting tens of thousands and thousands of tickets all through their profession, The Rolling Stones can solely accept third place. Nevertheless, if information started when The Stones began their profession, they’d maybe be on the prime of the checklist, however Pollstar solely began charting attendances in 1982.
Different notable artists featured within the prime ten are Metallica, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen & The E Road Band, Bon Jovi and Billy Joel. The Dave Matthews Band have bought over 23 million tickets and are in second place, based on the 2022 examine.
When attendances began to be recorded, it was good timing for U2, who had begun their ascent to superstardom. The Irish rock band have been one of many greatest teams on the planet for many years, taking part in to thousands and thousands on each tour, and in whole, they’ve bought 26,178,043 tickets since information started.
U2 pleasure themselves on their reside performances, and whereas they haven’t launched a basic album in latest reminiscence, many thousands and thousands will nonetheless flock to see them throughout the globe as a result of they supply assured leisure.
As a reside act, U2 additionally pleasure themselves as innovators. The proper instance of their forward-thinking method to their reveals is their collaboration with the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, which guarantees to have a sound system, in contrast to some other venue on the planet.
Talking in regards to the residency with Apple Music, Bono commented: “Most music, over taking part in a theatre, most music venues are sports activities venues. They’re stadiums, they’re arenas. They’re constructed for sports activities. They’re not constructed for music, they’re not constructed for artwork. So this constructing was constructed for immersive experiences in cinema and efficiency. It was not constructed for [sports], you may’t come right here and see an ice hockey sport.”
He added: “There aren’t any audio system. Your entire constructing is a speaker. So wherever you might be, you may have good sound is the plan.”
Watch the footage under of U2 performing ‘The place The Streets Have No Identify’ at a live performance in Paris from 2015.
