Metallica are well-known for their touring expertise, but turns out they may just be the world’s biggest touring band ever.
Metallica is massive. Huge. All-encompassing. But you knew that. Turns out there are now stats to support the idea that Metallica are the biggst touring band in the world. Yep, the whole world. Not just rock. Well, at least that’s what concert industry trade publication Pollstar is claiming.
The report reveals that since 1982, Metallica have sold 22.1 million tickets, grossing $1.4 billion along the way. This number is considerably higher than other household rock and metal artists such as AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne, who have sold 14.3 million tickets and 10 million tickets, respectively. Ozzy’s number soars to 13.2 million tickets if you add Black Sabbath’s total in there too.
Monetarily, Metallica’s earning figures towers over the impressive near-$800 million brought in by Guns N’ Roses.
Metallica are just behind U2, who have sold more tickets than the metal band. However, with U2 forming in 1976 and Metallica starting in 1981, Pollstar still argues in favor of the thrashers, who over the last five years have done enough concert business to be sitting in the good seats with The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
Drummer Lars Ulrich told Pollstar, “I keep thinking and forcing myself to think all our best years are still ahead of us. We may even turn professional and do this full time one day. That’s the MO. It’s always, ‘What’s your favorite record?’ It’s the next one, the one we haven’t recorded yet. it’s always about the possibilities, always about what can be, what’s coming. That, to me, is what this is all about and I think that attitude is a big part of the why Metallica still connects to so many people around the world.”
The report also realises that Metallica haven’t relied on nostalgic tours, gimmicks or farewells that tend to drive fans to shows in today’s concert climate and are, instead, still growing as they continue their “WorldWired” tour supporting their 2016 record, Hardwired… To Self-Destruct.
