Pollstar has just released its list of the 25 Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium, and several heavier bands have made the cut.
According to Pollstar, the list is based on worldwide ticket sales reported to Pollstar from 2001 through the end of 2025. The 25 headlining acts on the list have collectively sold over 340 million tickets in the past 25 years, generating a staggering $35.7 billion in gross sales. This list showcases the most popular artists globally, ranked by the sheer number of tickets sold.
As expected, Metallica leads the pack among heavier music acts, but Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden have also had impressive runs. The rock and rock-adjacent acts that made the list are:
- No. 8 is Metallica, with 15,567,194 tickets sold and a total gross of $1.4 billion.
- No. 9 is Bon Jovi, with 13,904,391 tickets sold and a total gross of $1.2 billion.
- No. 12 is The Rolling Stones, with 12,569,802 tickets sold and a total gross of $2 billion.
- No. 15 is Guns N’ Roses, with 10,733,957 tickets sold and a total gross of $1 billion.
- No. 19 is Iron Maiden, with 10,070,915 tickets sold and a total gross of $716 million.
- No. 25 is Depeche Mode, with 8,747,699 tickets sold and a total gross of $715 million.
The top spot on the list went to Coldplay, who have sold an impressive 24,805,126 tickets and grossed $2.4 billion. It’s worth noting that this figure represents gross income, which is the total amount earned before expenses and other deductions are taken into account.
Pollstar also noted that ticket prices have played a significant role in the live industry’s growth over the past 25 years. The average ticket price for all events reported in 2001 was $36.68, while in 2025 it rose to $90.27, representing a 146% increase. Meanwhile, the number of concert tickets sold increased by 214% over the same period, and gross sales jumped by a staggering 673%.
