It's the time of year again! Here are the 100 top tours of 2017.
List is from Pollstar, other data from 2016, 2015, 2014; and of course Wikipedia.

Scroll down for the full list (who do you think is number 1??), including performance videos specifically selected to best represent what the best of the best were doing in 2017 (find links throughout the post).

Below each video are key numbers from the tour, background information on the act and particularly impressive feats are highlighted. Comparing this list to the same ones from the last 3 years shows an overall growth in the live entertainment industry.

100. Tool

gross $19 mil
245k people attended
18 shows

99. Backstreet Boys

gross $19 mil
150k people attended
33 shows in 12 cities

98. Matchbox Twenty & Counting Crows

gross $20 mil
478k people attended
52 shows

97. Scorpions

96. George Strait

gross $20 mil
160k people attended
10 shows in 5 cities

ranked 16th in 2014

95. John Legend

gross $20 mil
290k people attended
63 shows in 55 cities

94. Chance The Rapper

gross $21 mil
450k people attended
39 shows in 34 cities

93. Lionel Richie

gross $22 mil
270k people attended
37 shows in 30 cities

92. Sam Hunt

gross $22 mil
575k people attended
37 shows in 34 cities

91. Santana

gross $22 mil
280k people attended
73 shows in 45 cities

89. Twenty One Pilots

gross $23 mil
520k people attended
45 shows in 44 cities

88. Gloria Travi & Alejandra Guzman

gross $23 mil
360k people attended
42 shows in 35 cities

87. Eric Clapton

gross $23 mil
110k people attended
42 shows in 35 cities

86. Hall & Oates / Tears for Fears

gross $24 mil
320k people attended
31 shows in 30 cities

85. Cher

gross $24 mil
160k people attended
31 shows in 30 cities

ranked 18th in 2014

84. Jennifer Lopez

gross $25 mil
130k people attended
32 shows in 11 cities

83. Rod Stewart

English – Rock – active since 1961

gross $25 mil
330k people attended
44 shows in 29 cities

82. Jason Aldean

gross $25 mil
510k people attended
41 shows in 40 cities

ranked 19th in 2014

81. Springsteen on Broadway

gross $26 mil
52k people attended
55 shows in one city
– concert Residency in New York

notice how few are in attendance, 
yet Springsteen on Broadway made it to the list 
=> highest average ticket price of the year, well north of $500

79. Imagine Dragons

gross $27 mil
460k people attended
37 shows

78. Marc Anthony

gross $27 mil
270k people attended 
27 shows in 24 cities

77. Katy Perry

gross $28 mil
270k people attended
42 shows

ranked 5th in 2014 & 11th in 2015 
in 2014-2015 she was on her PRISM tour which was the highest grossing female tour at the time and in 2015 she was the highest paid musician of the year

76. Bryan Adams

gross $28 mil 
430k people attended
83 shows in 76 cities

75. Future

gross $28 mil
800k people attended
60 shows in 59 cities

74. Dierks Bentley

gross $28 mil
720k people attended
58 shows in 57 cities

73. Phish

gross $28 mil
430k people attended
25 shows in 6 cities

ranked 24th in 2016

72. Harry Potter in Concert

gross $29 mil
510k people attended
207 performances in 126 cities

71. Jimmy Buffett

gross $29 mil
390k people attended
29 shows

69. Olly Murs

gross $30 mil
530k people attended
52 shows in 41 cities

68. Stevie Nicks

gross $30 mil
320k people attended
37 shows in 34 cities

67. Hans Zimmer

gross $30 mil
330k people attended
55 shows in 52 cities

66. Def Leppard

gross $31 mil
450k people attended
38 shows

65. The Chainsmokers

gross $31 mil 
550k people attended
77 shows in 70 cities

64. Journey

gross $33 mil
410k people attended 
68 shows in 58 cities

63. Chris Rock

gross $33 mil
400k people attended
97 shows in 60 cities

62. Janet Jackson

gross $33 mil 
450k people attended
56 shows

61. New Kids On The Block

gross $33 mil
500k people attended
48 shows in 47 cities

59. Volta – Cirque du Soleil

gross $36 million
480k people attended
246 shows in 30 cities

58. Zac Brown Band

gross $37 million 
780k people attended
53 shows in 42 cities

57. Kings of Leon

gross $37 mil
700k people attended
75 shows in 72 cities

56. Iron Maiden

gross $37 mil
550k people attended
45 shows in 41 cities

ranked 14th in 2016

55. Shawn Mendes

gross $38 mil
700k people attended
59 shows in 57 cities

54. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

gross $38 mil 
260k attended 
14 shows in 9 cities (!! => that's $4 mil per show on average)

ranked 13th in 2014 & 2nd in 2016
note that 'Springsteen on Broadway was number 81, so this is his second entry on this list

53. Chris Stapleton

gross $38 mil
820k people attended 
68 shows in 63 cities

52. Jay-Z

gross $39 mil
380k people attended
32 shows in 28 cities

ranked 8th in 2014 on tour with Beyoncé

51. Phil Collins

gross $39 mil
280k people attended
24 shows in 12 cities

49. Kendrick Lamar

gross $41 mil
450k people attended
36 shows in 33 cities

48. Jerry Seinfeld

gross $42 mil
385k people attended
101 shows in 60 cities

47. Varekai – Cirque du Soleil

gross $42 mil
675k people attended 
282 shows in 41 cities

46. Little Mix

gross $42 mil
675k people attended
71 shows in 57 cities

45. Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull

gross $43 mil
470k people attended
41 shows in 40 cities

44. Bon Jovi

gross $45 mil
535k people attended
32 shows in 30 cities

ranked 23rd in 2014

43. Radiohead

gross $48 mil
635k people attended
23 shows in 21 cities

42. André Rieu

gross $48 mil
580k people went
89 shows in 74 cities

ranked 20th in 2014, 17th in 2015 & 23rd in 2016

41. Amaluna – Cirque du Soleil

gross $48 mil
600k people attended
290 shows in 38 cities

39. Take That

$50 mil
530k people attended
39 shows in 21 cities

ranked 23rd in 2015

38. Dead & Company

gross $52 mil
610k people attended
33 shows in 26 cities

ranked 20th in 2016

37. Queen + Adam Lambert

gross $52 mil
530k people attended
51 shows in 49 cities

36. John Mayer

gross $54 mil
800k people attended
64 shows in 61 cities

35. Ovo – Cirque du Soleil

gross $54 mil
750k people attended
308 shows in 44 cities

34. Drake

gross $56 mil
600k people attended
46 shows in 28 cities

ranked 22nd in 2014 & 10th in 2016

33. Luke Bryan

gross $56 mil
+1 mil people attended
71 shows in 63 cities

ranked 14th in 2014, 10th in 2015 & 11th in 2016
every year he performes 55-72 shows
which over a million people attend 

32. Florida Georgia Line

gross $56 milla
+1 million people attended
76 shows in 73 cities

31. Eric Church

gross $58 mil
950k people attended 
71 shows in 63 cities

ranked 25th in 2015 with a tour 2/3rds the size 
(55 shows, 630k people, gross $30 mil)

29. Toruk – Cirque du Soleil

gross $60 mil 
750k people attended
169 shows in 31 cities

28. Lúzia – Cirque du Soleil

gross $60 mil
700k people attended
403 shows in 49 cities

27. Trans-Siberian Orchestra

gross $61 mil
+1 mil people attended
102 shows in 62 cities

26. Kurious – Cirque du Soleil

gross $62 mil
770k people attended
31 shows in 23 cities

25. Robbie Williams

gross $62 mil
570k people attended 
31 shows in 23 cities

24. Neil Diamond

gross $63 mil
630k people went
56 shows in 52 cities

ranked 14th in 2015

23. Elton John

gross $64 mil
684k people attended 
90 shows in 65 cities

ranked 15th in 2014 
(worth noting with a tour of a similar size: 
60 shows grossing $60 million 
=> means that there are more big tours year on year!)

19th in 2015 (grossing $39 mil then)

22. Green Day

gross $64 mil
1.1 million people attended
95 shows in 91 cities

21. Sting

gross $61 mil
+1 mil people attended
102 shows in 62 cities

19. Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman tour got attacked in Manchester by terrorists.
23 of Ariana Grande's fans lost their lives, and other 500 were injured.

After the trauma, Grande decided not to bow to fear, returned to Manchester to hold a charity concert for the victims and their families and then resumed her tour.

18. Red Hot Chili Peppers

gross $73 mil
880k people attended
67 shows in 58 cities

17. Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

gross $79 mil
930k people attended
79 shows in 70 cities

16. The Weeknd

gross $80 mil
990k people attended
76 shows in 70 cities

15. Billy Joel

gross $82 mil
715k people attended
76 shows in 70 cities

ranked 11th in 2014, 8th in 2015 (grossing $2.3 mil per show)
& 9th in 2016.

14. Lady Gaga

gross $86 mil
740k people attended
41 shows in 35 cities

ranked 9th in 2014

13. Roger Waters

gross $92 mil
750k people went
63 shows in 46 cities

12. Justin Bieber

gross $94 mil
+1 million people attended
29 shows in 26 cities

ranked 5th in 2016

11. Celine Dion

gross $101 mil
680k people attended
90 shows in 29 cities

9. The Rolling Stones

gross $120 mil
750k people attended 
14 shows in 12 cities

ranked 3rd in 2014, 4th in 2015 & 8th in 2016
What's interesting about the Rolling Stones is that they never play more than 20 shows in a year. High ticket price in giant venues lands them in the top 10 every year which you can read more about here – grossing almost $10 mil per performance (highest of all).

8. Ed Sheeran

gross $124 mil
1.5 million people attended
111 shows in 86 cities

ranked 15th in 2015

7. Paul McCartney

gross $132 mil
900k people attended 
36 shows in 27 cities

grossed 6th in 2014 & 13th in 2016

6. Depeche Mode

gross $141 mil
1.8 million people attended
73 shows in 66 cities

ranked 21st in 2014

5. Metallica

gross $153 mil
1.6 million people attended
45 shows in 39 cities

4. Bruno Mars

gross $200 mil
2 million people attended
121 shows in 92 cities

ranked 7th in 2014 (gross $97 mil, so he's doubled in revenue since then)

3. Coldplay

gross $237 mil
2.5 million people attended
54 shows in 40 cities

ranked 3rd in 2016

2. Guns N'Roses

gross $293 mil
2.7 million people attended 
81 shows in 74 cities

ranked 6th in 2016
the tour seems pretty unaffected by change in band members

1. U2

gross $315 mil
2.7 million people attended
50 shows in 38 cities

ranked 3rd in 2015
U2 also holds the record of the highest grossing tour of all time for their 360° tour (2009-2011)

listen to 2017's top acts on Spotify

Explore previous years' lists!