Madonna may not be the Mother of Dragons, but she’s certainly the Queen of Touring. According to Billboard, she’s one of five artists/bands to earn more than a billion dollars in touring since 1990, and the only woman. The rest of the top-five: the Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Bon Jovi. (The only post-1990 album I listen to from that quartet is U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind — it’s good to be a legacy act.) If you’re wondering where someone like Paul McCartney is, he’s only played 220 shows in the past 24 years, or fewer than half the times the Stones have wheezed out “Satisfaction.”
As for Sadgasm, they JUST missed the cut.
1. The Rolling Stones
Gross: $1,565,792,382
Attendance: 19,677,569
Shows: 538
2. U2
Gross: $1,514,979,793
Attendance: 20,536,168
Shows: 526
3. Bruce Springsteen
Gross: $1,196,116,507
Attendance: 15,010,773
Shows: 727
4. Madonna
Gross: $1,140,230,941
Attendance: 9,694,079
Shows: 382
5. Bon Jovi
Gross: $1,030,082,884
Attendance: 12,333,668
Shows: 578
6. Elton John*
Gross: $786,791,043
Attendance: 12,164,513
Shows: 956
7. Dave Matthews Band
Gross: $776,969,736
Attendance: 17,823,077
Shows: 992
8. Celine Dion
Gross: $737,573,927
Attendance: 6,546,109
Shows: 1,143
9. Kenny Chesney
Gross: $752,706,599
Attendance: 12,681,629
Shows: 755
10. The Eagles
Gross: $702,110,908
Attendance: 7,720,760
Shows: 484
