Madonna has 2012's highest grossing tour

Madonna's massive, controversy-skirting MDNA tour has paid off: the Material Girl raked in $228 million from the live shows, making her muscular jaunt around the world the year's highest grossing tour, Billboard reports.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were a somewhat distant second, claiming a total of $199 million after playing to a little more than two million people. The rest of the top five: Roger Waters at $186 million; Cirque Du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: THE IMMORTAL World Tour" with $147 million; and Coldplay, clocking $147 million. Out of those elite five, only Waters placed on last year's list - the founding member of Pink Floyd filed close to $150 million as 2011's tour revenue.

From www.spin.com

Comments

[Diamond Girl]

What's up people? I saw some excerpts of her tour on YouTube. I'm a pretty fussy person, an old school musician, and never really anyone's "fan" ever - I just support good music when I see it. She did a great job, very class act. Like I said, what's up, people? PS thanks for the good laugh somebody, that said she should reinvent her look and come up with a good album or two. I'm not even going to comment about why that would be funny.

[fitsy]

Her tours are repetative, and the ending to them says it all, a rude cliche... she thinks its "cool" to just disappear and then.... well thats it, just disapear! Its not cool, it comes across as selfish and a bit unfriendly. As for the actual touring, she is over exposed and a bit annoying of late, she is being pushed to fulfill contractual agreements, and her artistry is suffering because of it. There is no creative flair, and i suspect there is no real joy to what she is doing anymore which may explain her total disinterest in promoting MDNA. She probarbly thought it would sell by the millions on her name alone, it didnt, and i think that may be the wake up call she needs! The press have picked up on her cliches too, her repetative garbage that she is feeding her fans, MDNA tour brought nothing new to the live arena, its as if she has leveled, flatlined. I'd like her to go away and think about her place in the world before she and her managers ruin any possibility of a shinning 4th decade. Based on the disasterous reception to MDNA, its lacklustre singles and tour, i'd say she is heading for a slide... and that is a shame. In the UK she missed out on ensnaring a 4th generation to her music, now they are learning about her through her awful tribute act, Lady GaGa! Its hilarious! Its also sad, how the great have fallen, in reality, because of greed.

[scott]

I always look forward to reading ngl's posting and I have to say that I agree with him/her. Now i'm a long standing Madonna fan...love her very much but I do feel that she has lost some of the orginality that she first had. With all of the touring that she has done over the past years, since 2001, she has repeated herself on a number of things and looks. I still say that the Blonde Ambition and the Girlie Show tour were two of her best tours....bar none. Not one tour has really come close to the two of them. With the exception of maybe the Drowned World and the Confession Tour no other tour that she as done has really come close to what she had with the Blonde ambition and Girlie Show. I agree with NGL...she needs to regroup and revamp her image a bit. Looking at how things have been over the past 8 years her image has been recycled in some ways. Now don't get me wrong the MDNA tour is incredible, but I do wonder if Live Nation has too much of a hold over her. Anytime you are a part of a big corporation like that there is that added stress that you never had before. I also wonder if Live Nation is using her in some way because they know Madonna is a "cash cow" so to speak. I would like to hear NGl's input on this. Madonna will always be number one in my heart and soul, but she needs to take some time and really get back to what made her...well her. Candy shop was a desperate nod to fitting in with the current music scene. madonna is about reinventing the music scene and going against the grain, not pushing the crap that is already out there. When it comes to going against the grain not one album will ever come close to both like a prayer and erotica. Both albums were both highly genious and both gave us the real Madonna. I think it would be good for madonna if she took a little bit more time before her next tour and really got back to what made her who she is. Madonna didn't even tour as much when she first came out as she does now. I do have to wonder if Live NAtion has a hand in that too. In the 80's and 90's her touring didn't appear to be on a conveyer belt like it does now. It was spontaneous and fun and highly inventive. Now it's almost as if her touring production and image is recycled over and over again, because Live nation knows that she will bring in the cash regardless. The originality and image that madonna had before all of this is not as present. I think the only good nod to how it used to be is the section of the MDNA tour where she appears dressed as a man for Erotic/vogue/human nature. I do wonder how much power and control Live Nation has over the touring aspect of her business.

[Calin]

To me it was worth every penny, I love the MDNA tour, it was fantastic, to me her concerts are always an event. I always take the day of the concert off from work to go to a spa for a relaxing day, get ready etc, andthe day after the concert to recuperate since I always party hard during and after the concert. I agree with some of you about maybe touring less frequently, but I might get M withdrawals and even thought I like the MDNA album, I know she can do so much better!!!!

[ngl]

I think Madonna needs to tour less frequently, so it's more special when she does! In the 80's & 90's Madonna only did 3 worldwide large concert tours! Back then, when Madonna finally chose to tour it was a really big deal!!! Madonna used to put on amazing, highly original tours without repetition in terms of outfits, setlist, staging etc. Since 2001 Madonna has done 5.5 looong concert tours- so the magic & anticipation surrounding Madonna performing live has diminished a lot. Yes, I know the money is now all in the touring, but its clear that Madonna has lots of money. Madonna needs to concentrate on making a few decent albums (exploring new territory, with great music videos & promotion)& appear in some movie musicals, reinvent her look/ image & after a number of years then tour again- remember 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'. Sadly, I think 'Live Nation' has got too much control over Madonna and she has to please their demanding schedule.

[tracy]

not to mention its probably been touring way longer than the other artists tours aswell-8 months!!!!astronomical!!!dont know how she does it ;) xxxx

[Miss Stone]

@Kelly: agree re: the eye-watering ticket prices. Also, since this tour has been six months long, it is pretty clear it would be a high-grosser. Doncha just love statistics!

@Jojje: agree totally with you, too!

[Kelly]

When you charge those prices, of course it's highest grossing. But it's totally worth it. MDNA was a fantastic tour. I'm sad it's over. Maybe she'll do a second leg.....who knows.

[Jojje]

Highest grossing but surely the most expensive one to be touring with for the an artist since it's such a big creative production with so many costs. The stage that has to be transported, the dancers, the managements, the skin care specialist etc etc etc. It would be interesting to hear how much M herself gets in her wallet per ticket after all other costs are paid. I would guess Springsteen gets more per ticket because his production costs must be very less expensive. Madonnas tour may most probably be the one with most so called cash flow as well ad highest grossing.