If anyone had any doubt that touring is where the money is in the music business, a quick look at the top moneymakers for 2008 should hammer the point home.
Regardless of genre, retail sales, or radio play, each of the top 20 acts on Billboard's Moneymakers list toured in 2008. For almost all of them touring generated the most revenue. And in a year when recorded music sales declined yet again, many earned more at the box office than ever before.

1. Madonna: $242,176,466
2. Bon Jovi: $157,177,766
3. Bruce Springsteen: $156,327,964
4. The Police: $109,976,894
5. Celine Dion: $99,171,237
6. Kenny Chesney: $90,823,990
7. Neil Diamond: $82,174,000
8. Rascall Flatts: $63,522,160
9. Jonas Brothers: $62,638,814
10. Coldplay: $62,175,555
11. The Eagles: $61,132,213
12. Lil Wayne: $57,441,334
13. AC/DC: $56,505,296
14. Michael Buble: $50,257,364
15. Miley Cyrus: $48,920,806
16. Taylor Swift: $45,588,730
17. Journey: $44,787,328
18. Billy Joel: $44,581,010
19. Mary J. Blige: $43,472,850
20. Kanye West: $42,552,402

The top 5 moneymakers are also the five acts that earned the most on tour, and in the same order, according to Billboard Boxscore. Eight of the 10 moneymakers are in the Boxscore top 10.
Even more remarkable,the top moneymaker - Madonna - only had the 50th best selling album in the U.S. She ranked 14 on the list digital track sellers and didn't place on the ringmaster chart.
Her place on moneymaker list, like her $242,175,466 income, comes from the highest earning tour that took place in 2008. In fact, those questing whether Madonna rates a reported 10 year 120 million 360 deal with Live Nation might want to reconsider. Madonna's Stick & Sweet tour was the highest grossing tour of 2008, production costs may cost up to 40% of the gross, according to Industry estimates.
Of course, nothing helps reduce tour production costs like more touring. So Madonna will perform another run of concerts this summer - 25 shows in the United Kingdom and Europe - which will add to the take of the top grossing tour by a female or solo artist. Outside the United Kingdom, all the of Madonna's shows will be stadiums, so she will gross several millions per night. By fall, 'Sticky & Sweet' will have run of 80 shows and earn a place in the top 5 grossing tours of all time.

From Billboard.com

Is there any place that breals this down by #tickets sold vs price per ticket?

Graycap23 said:

i'm sure there is, but i've not been able to find it. i'm sure someone here will post it eventually.

Damn! I don't think most of these people are affected by the economic crisis at all,lol.

This just reinforces what I keep saying: TOURING is where the real money is.Madonna has no reason to worry about CD sales anymore.She knows where the real money is.

SoulAlive said:

I wonder why touring didn't help Janet? Isn't she an icon with a huge fanbase too? I just don't get how a Journey or Duran Duran can do well but Janet can't.

mookie said:

Well,for one thing....Janet didn't even bother to show up for many of her shows She cancelled a bunch of shows and didn't even have a full schedule to begin with.In many cities,she didn't even play multiple dates.

It's too bad that she can't follow Madonna's lead and do a properly planned tour.

Interestingly,the top 4 people on this list are artists who are considered "past their prime".

SoulAlive said:

Of course not. They didn't spend their money too lavishly either because all of them already had good fortunes prior, lol.

true

Timmy84 said:

smart business acumen

Damn Celine must've packed the asses in because I didn't hear anything on her at all...

I wonder how Tina Turner's tour did?

StarCat said:

I am wondering who made more money on something other than touring.

Cinnie said:

maybe downloads and merchandise? i'm sure Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana rakes in the money.

ABeautifulOne said:

I thought she was doing that Vegas thing,where she plays the same venue night after night? I guess it has ended.

Honestly, Madonna? I don’t even understand why that lady is considered a legend? She thrusts her pelvis, acts like a ***** on stage and barely sings and has a 1 octave range? she’s crap!

midiscover said:

and yet millions of fans around the world pay BIG MONEY to see her in concert.She must be doing something right

SoulAlive said:

No that's been over for a while. I was saying that because I recall the huge tour she plotted around her last album but I don't think the album was that successful and I heard no comments on the tour which made me wonder how she sold so many tickets and not much publicity, etc.

ABeautifulOne said:

Yeah,I didn't hear much about her tour,either.

StarCat said: