Pop music has long been a young person's game.But when it comes to pocketing the biggest returns,oldsters rule.

The Rolling Stones,Madonna and Elton John are no one's idea of fresh-faced talent.Yet they and other veterans account for most of the top-earning artists as measured by Forbes.

From June 2006 to June 2007,the geriatric Stones earned an estimated $88 million.The Material-Girl-turned-middle-aged mom pocketed $72 million.And nearly 37 years since he first reached the American Top 10 with "Your Song",Mr.Crocodile Rock pulled down an impressive $53 million.

That's not to say the occasional green upstart can't boast some serious earning power too.Relative youngsters 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake made our list as well,with "Fitty" earning $32 million and ex-N'Sync frontman Timberlake getting $20 million.Of course,smarts and business saavy help too,as in the case of hip-hop entrepreneur Jay-Z,who has enjoyed an exceptionally lucrative 12 months with earnings of around $83 million.

But at the end of the day,most of the music industry's top earners are of vintage age.At a time when the recording industry is reeling from plunging sales and rampant piracy,how do they accomplish such commercial success? Here are a few things to consider:

Tour,Tour,Tour
It goes without saying that recording artists establish their fame through sales of their music.And even with all the industry's problems,established favorites can still count on strong demand for their recorded product.Country star Tim McGraw,another member of our top earners list,released his new album 'Let It Go' in March and has already sold 1.1 million units in the U.S.,according to Nielsen/Soundscan.

But the really serious money comes from touring.And no one can pull in the bucks like an older,established music act.The Stones had the highest-grossing tour in North America last year,pulling in a cool $139 million.Madonna's 2006 "Confessions" Tour was the biggest ever for a female artist,grossing $194 million worldwide.

Helping drive those big grosses are eye-popping ticket prices.Madonna charged an average of $183.76 during her 2006 North American tour,while tickets to the Stones' concerts here averaged $136.63 and seats to Celine Dion's "A New Day..." show at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas averaged $135.33,according to Pollstar.

How do they--or more specifically,their concert promoters--get away with such prices? Simple: because they can.These older artists' fans aren't cash-poor college kids waiting tables to earn beer money.They're Baby Boomers and Gen X'ers who have the means to pay up to see their favorite stars.

By contrast,younger bands,even those that have enjoyed massive buzz or considerable commercial success,can't come close to commanding such prices.During the first half of this year,Arcade Fire charged an average of $30.74 per concert ticket,while the average ticket to a Snow Patrol show cost $31.27,according to Pollstar.

Be Big In Japan (and the Netherlands and Mexico and...)
Cracking the U.S. music market is the dream of every would-be pop star,American or otherwise.But there's no accounting for popular taste in any one country.What's hot one minute is stone cold over the next.Even platinum-selling recording artists can experience being "in" and "out" and then back "in".Just ask veteran acts like Mariah Carey or Aerosmith.

Many of the top-earning artists maximize their earning potential by going out of their way to cultivate a fan base outside the U.S. as well,particularly in Europe or Asia.Madonna,Bon Jovi and Celine Dion aren't just popular artists.They're worldwide pop stars.

"That's not something that happens by accident,that's not something that happens overnight," observes Los Angeles entertainment attorney Chris Castle."That's something they work at.And they work at it because they want a career."

Because developing an overseas fanbase takes time and effort,foreign markets tend to have the most commercial significance for older,established pop stars.Being able to count on their fans in,say Japan,Germany or Brazil opens a myriad of additional touring and retail opportunities for older artists.

"Outside of the United States,fans tend to stay loyal much longer," Castle says."They aren't as influenced by the youth culture as we are here".

"the geriatric Stones" - COLD SHIT

CalhounSq said:

SoulAlive said:

Yet who does the American market tend to cater to?
A demographic that will download (for free) instead of purchase.




Jazz artists have known this, and survived on this fact, for years.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Yeah but there again 50 cent isnt making money OFF music, hes making 99% of it off Gunit clothing line. Its about time someone said that fans overseas are more loyal than fans here, yet another reason for the decline in sales of music in this country