Wednesday, January 14, 2009

On Tour: Old Farts Ruled In 2008

The concert industry bucked the recession in 2008 on the backs of older, well-established artists. Box-office receipts from North American concerts through December were $4.2 billion, up 7.8 percent, although the total number of tickets sold for the 100 top-grossing shows fell 3 percent, the second consecutive year of declines. (The revenue growth was the result of rising ticket prices.)

Madonna had the top-selling tour of the year, grossing $105.3 million. Celine Dion was next ($94 million), followed by the Eagles ($73.4 million), Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million) and Bon Jovi ($70.4 million). Dion and Chesney, at age 40, are the youngsters in that line-up, with most of the Eagles AARP eligible. Wow!

Photograph by Getty Images

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