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Music Tours Take in Record $2.1B in 2002

By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
AP Music Writer
Saturday, January 4, 2003; 8:45 AM 

NEW YORK  Classic acts such as Paul McCartney, the
Rolling Stones and Cher lured more people to concerts
in 2002 and helped the industry make a record $2.1
billion in ticket sales, according to figures released
Friday.

This was the fourth straight year concert receipts
reached record levels in America. There were $1.75
billion in sales in 2001, according to trade
publication Pollstar, which tracks the concert
industry.

In 2001, ticket costs rose and sales declined,
Pollstar said. Last year, increased ticket sales
helped push concert receipts higher.

"We had some very big marquee names out on tour this
year," said Pollstar's Gary Bongiovanni. "Paul
McCartney has not worked in a long time, and the
Rolling Stones only come out every couple of years."

McCartney had the top-grossing tour, raking in $103
million. Fans paid an average of $130 per ticket to
see the former Beatle, who hadn't toured the United
States in about a decade.

The Rolling Stones tour placed second, coming in at
$88 million, with an average ticket price of $119.
Pollstar said it was the first time the Stones hadn't
hit the No. 1 spot with their U.S. tour.

Cher's tour  which the singer said would be her last
 was in third place, at $74 million, followed by the
Billy Joel & Elton John concerts, which grossed $65
million, and the Dave Matthews Band, at $60 million.

Other acts in the top 10 were Bruce Springsteen & the
E Street Band, Aerosmith, Creed, Neil Diamond and The
Eagles.

Creed and the Dave Matthews Band were the only acts in
the top 10 that aren't veteran acts  and that
represents one of the industry's problems, Bongiovanni
said.

"The acts that are at the top have got to be reaching
the end of their touring life," he said. "Where the
next generation of headlining acts is going to come
from is anybody's guess."

-- 
-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com
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