Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Pink among Pollstar’s Top Touring Artists of the Decade

ABC/Paula LoboSince the end of this year marks the end of a decade, every publication is creating a retrospective list.  The latest is the touring trade publication Pollstar, which has rounded up a list of the Top 20 Touring Artists of the past 10 years, based on box office gross.  Among the top earners: Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Pink.

Number one on the list is U2, followed by The Rolling Stones. Ed comes in at number three on the list, having grossed just over 922 million bucks on the road — not bad for a guy who, in 2010, was pretty much unknown outside of England. 

Pollstar notes that, even though he didn’t make the most money on tour, Ed sold the most tickets of any act in the last ten years: about 11,330,00.  His ticket prices were also the lowest of any other act on the list.

At number four, Taylor Swift has grossed just under 900 million bucks on tour in the past 10 years, and Pollstar says when her Lover Fest shows launch in July, she’ll probably have crossed the one-billion-dollar mark, career wise.

Beyoncé is number five on the list, with just under $860 million bucks grossed in the past 10 years, thanks to her solo tours and her On the Run joint treks with her husband, JAY-Z.

Pink is number 16 on the list with a decade-long haul of $626 million, including her recently concluded Beautiful Trauma Tour, which was the biggest female tour of the entire decade, grossing about $398 million.

Even though his last world tour was cut short, Justin Bieber still makes it to #19 on the list, having grossed just over $554 million in the past ten years.

And Bruno Mars rounds out the list at #20, with just under $546 million.

Here’s the full list:

1. U2, $1,038,104,132
2. The Rolling Stones, $929,196,083
3. Ed Sheeran, $922,361,663
4. Taylor Swift, $899,627,048
5. Beyoncé,  $857,405,819     
6. Bon Jovi, $836,661,584     
7. Paul McCartney, $813,811,559     
8. Coldplay, $731,805,591     
9. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, $729,789,815     
10. Roger Waters, $702,231,419     
11. Elton John, $675,886,369     
12. Metallica, $661,907,247     
13. Guns N’ Roses, $648,112,698     
14. Eagles, $630,066,670     
15. One Direction, $628,242,521     
16. Pink, $626,026,122     
17. Jay-Z, $611,837,214     
18. Kenny Chesney, $608,693,967     
19. Justin Bieber, $554,229,462     
20. Bruno Mars, $545,585,346

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