“Rock is dead” has been floating around for decades. It’s true that four-quadrant pop success in the traditional sense still dictates the touring circuit’s biggest earners.
In 2019, Billboard’s Year-End Top Tours ranking was dominated by Ed Sheeran, P!nk, and Elton John – three artists with an average of five No.
1 singles each on the Billboard Hot 100. But while top-40-formatted radio, social media, and streaming data favor hip hop and dance music as the more influential pieces of the greater ‘pop’ mainstream, rock bands have continued to develop long-lasting careers, fueled by success on the road.
Throughout the 2000s, bands like Green Day, Coldplay, The Killers, and more graduated to stadium and arena status on the back of globally