DarkAcrobat

mamoggio, you write in a blue and ugly font, you write absurd predictions, you disqualify any positive comment, you seems to hate u2 nowadays, what are you doing here then ?, what you want to show ? How retard a troll can be ?

Yahweh

I would say The Eagles are also up there at least the size of U2 AC/DC id argue is a bigger world wide seller of albums then U2 and are comparable in touring although their ticket prices are lower, Queen id also say is a huge band. Metallica probably around the same area as U2 as far as overall history. Other bands that could be considered to be as popular although they didnt last as long would be The Police, Guns and Roses, The Who, Dire Straits. Right now id probably agree with you that U2 are the biggest band out there but that was not always the case, and as I have said music is severly watered down right now.

I would say this would be my current list:

1. The Beatles
2. Rolling Stones
3. Led Zeppelin
4. Pink Floyd
5. AC/DC
6. The Eagles
7. Queen
8. U2
9. Metallica
10. Guns and Roses


This obviously doesnt include solo artists either or U2 would be further down the list then that. This is not a slight against them. They are popular and have been for over 25 years. But I would say their are far too many people that hate U2 and specifically Bono for them to ever make the top 4. They are a well loved band yes but they are also a hated band as well. If you go to any movie theatre right now that is playing the Blackberry ad there is undoubedly people there that talk about how much they hate Bono/U2.

If I was to include solo artists on the list U2 would probably be in the top 15 but no higher then that. U2 were considered to be the Alternative band in the 80s and even in the 90s, it wasnt till this decade that they started to be considered Pop/Adult Alternative.

U2 have made a great career for themselves but I wouldnt call them untouchable.

Could U2 have sold out 50 shows in 2 hours at the O2 arena like Michael Jackson did, I doubt it.

Beatles
Michael Jackson
Elvis

Those are the top 3 artists in music history and I dont see them being beat.

fedeu2

From your list (regardless of U2´s position which I don´t agree) I would take out The Eagles and Guns n` roses and replace them by Bruce Springsteen and the E street band and Black Sabbath. I am aware both of them sold less records than Eagles and Guns n´roses but hey it´s not only a matter of albums. Otherwise, we should place ABBA right there at the top below The Beatles. Didn´t Genesys sold an awful lot quantity of records too?

As for U2 being unable to sold out all those shows that Jacko did, I don´t know, maybe you´re right. We should have them split or go inactive for a decade and then reunite and see what would happen

Maoilbheannacht

Actually its not that simple. Lets consider a few key facts.

1. Vertigo Tour Europe had 32 shows total, POPMART had 31 shows, while just the first leg of U2 360 Europe has 24 shows. So even if your only going to compare just the European 1st leg to the entire Vertigo tour, your only looking at 25% less shows.

2. Next consider that the average attendance for each of those 24 shows is larger than the average attendance for each of the Vertigo shows do to the brand new stage design that allows full 360 seating in the venue. Its the first time any tour has done this in stadiums. Average attendance for Vertigo Europe was about 62,000 per show. Average attendance for U2 360 Europe after the first 6 shows is over 87,000 per show! So while the number of shows is 25% less, attendance per show is 40% higher.

3. The total Gross of Vertigo Europe was $155 million from 32 shows. The first 6 shows of the 1st leg of U2 360 Europe have already grossed 36% of that total figure.

4. What you fail to mention is that the current structure in terms of scheduling the tour is not something new. U2 did multiple legs of Europe back on ZOO TV, and have always done multiple legs of North America. The latest tours by the Rolling Stones and Madonna each did multiple legs of Europe, spaced out with other places visited in between those legs. Markets not visited on the 1st legs of the Rolling Stones and Madonna's previous tours were visited on the 2nd leg. So really, there is NO need to mention it.


Your alleged claim for top concert draw in the world, Madonna, tours exactly the same way, as do the Rolling Stones and many other artist.


Each stadium show has seats that are not used because there are certain parts of the production that do block seats out. The number of seat kills you have in any particular stadium will vary because of the differences in size and shape of the structure. In addition, there are different laws in each venue governing the number of people that are actually allowed to be in the whole venue, as well as certain area's within the venue that impact what the maximum capacity for the show can be. Since these variables in each case are unknown, no one can say whether the maximum technical capacity was used or whether a reduced capacity was used. What is known is that Paris 1&2 soldout within hours of going on sale. Milan 1 soldout with hours as did Barcelona 1. Milan 2 was soldout after one week. Barcelona 2 soldout 48 hours before show time.

Regardless, U2 have set the attendance and gross records for all 3 venues with these performances and will likely be setting records in almost every venue the tour visits through 2010!

andyuk

You are joking arnt you?

Its laughable that i can see AC/DC & The Eagles above U2 in your list!

Maoilbheannacht

andyuk

What a Idiot! all these shows were completely sold out! the attendence is not going to be exactly 90,000 or whatever because cetain seats are not useable because of the stage set up and local laws stating the Max number of people allowed in the stadium.

Maoilbheannacht

Actually, current projected cost for the 18 month 100 date tour are only $150 million to $200 million based on figures reported by the Irish Times. But the tour is projected to gross $600 million to $750 million!

Starting with POPMART, the band has walked away with more than half the gross total after cost are taken out.

[QUOTEStill it doesnt seem to be helping Horizon sales on a global scale.][/QUOTE]

Best Selling Albums in 2009 WORLDWIDE as of WEEK 28

1. U2 No Line On The Horizon 3,043,000
2. Lady Gaga The Fame 2,703,000
3. Eminem Relapse 2,182,000
4. Kings Of Leon Only By The Night 2,015,000
5. Taylor Swift Fearless 1,972,000
6. Beyoncé I Am... Sasha Fierce 1,946,000
7. Soundtrack Twilight 1,850,000
8. Soundtrack Hannah Montana: The Movie 1,808,000
9. Green Day 21st Century Breakdown 1,696,000
10. Pink Funhouse 1,577,000

U2 have the biggest selling album around the world so far in 2009, just like they did back in 1987 with the Joshua Tree.

They would be in the top 5 easily, but more importanly, they are still going and setting brand new records currently!

The last time they were the biggest little cult band was back in 1985 during the Unforgettable Fire Tour. They have consistently overall been the biggest band worldwide since the summer of 1987. Not always the top album or concert ticket seller, but still having the best average of both when it comes to the latest album and tour sales.

phommel

Well, the 50 shows of MJ are 1 million tickets.
If U2 would have started selling their concert tickets all at teh same day, they would definitely sell many more than 1 million tickets..
But you cannot compare this. MJ hadn't been touring since 1998?

And imagine Bono announcing a U2 This is it Tour....how many tickets would they sell?

Maoilbheannacht

Maybe in the United States, but not worldwide. The Eagles popularity is at a lower level when you leave the United States.


AC/DC for most of their career have stuck to arena's, while U2 has been a stadium band since 1987. None of AC/DC's tours are in the top 20 tours of all time in terms of gross, but the Black Ice tour will make it in to that group and will be AC/DC's first to rank so high. But the results of the tour will seem small compared to U2 360.

AC/DC is currently unable to sellout a single stadium show in the United States. They have lowered the ticket prices in Boston and New York City, but are still unable to sellout.

They have been a bigger catalog album seller, but they have never achieved the level of popularity that U2 has experienced in any single year with a new album. They are also not really on U2's level when it comes to touring.

Not really at all. U2 have stronger album sales worldwide, and when it comes to touring, there is no contest. In fact, Coldplay are a better match for Metallica right now when it comes to touring. Metallica have never done a stadium tour independent of having multiple popular opening acts in the United States.

The more popular you are, the more that certain segments of the population dislike you. So thats actually evidence to support them being near the top of the list.

Since 1987, U2 have always been considered to be rock, alternative, pop, mainstream, and everything in between.

Only the Beatles are untouchable.


I believe they added shows after the first day of sale. Michael Jackson was going to play the O2 arena in LONDON to a reduced capacity of roughly 15,000 people per night, no behind the stage seating was to be used. The average ticket price was less than what U2 is currently charging in stadiums.

But more importantly, Michael Jackson announced these shows as being the last ones he would perform. If U2, The Rolling Stones, or Madonna announced that 50 arena shows in one of the largest cities in the world would be their last shows ever, I think they would sellout to, especially at those ticket prices.

Also consider the fact that Michael Jackson had not toured anywhere in 12 years, and had not played any shows in North America since 1988. That, and announcing that these were the last shows he would perform certainly drives up demand.

Maoilbheannacht

Actually it was the summer of 1997 for area's outside North America. He had not actually toured North America since 1988! His 1988 North American tour was officially the only solo tour of North America he ever did, although the Jacksons Victory tour 1984 was really more of a Michael Jackson solo tour for Thriller.

phommel

This means that about 1/3 of the costs of this years Tour has already be earned back.....

mikeuk

I read recently that they had sold 94% of all the tickets that had been put on sale so far Mike

DontExpect

All very true.

However.

Michael Jackson could probably sell out 100,000 venues (if they existed) in Cambodia, Khazakstan, Namibia, Uraguay...his music/dance/name is known around the world in places that U2 simply isnt.

Not a knock on U2 by any means, but I've spent the past year teaching English throughout South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland, and the moonwalk and Billie Jean draw reactions from 5 year olds. Meanwhile, Vertigo, With or Without You, and Bono don't.

Maoilbheannacht

Thats correct, which makes Moggio's predictions seem even more off the mark.