On Monday (Dec 8), in advance of Pollstar’s 2025 year-end issue, the concert trade publication ranked the top 25 “Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium”, based on ticket sales from Jan 1, 2001, to the end of 2025.

METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN and GUNS N’ ROSES are the three metal bands that made it to that list whereas artists like THE ROLLING STONES, Paul McCartney, Roger Waters and Bon Jovi are among the lucky ones.

METALLICA came in at No. 8 with over 15.5 million tickets sold at 562 concerts since 2001 (average ticket price $93.56),  GUNS N’ ROSES is at No. 16 with 10.7 million tickets sold at 486 concerts (average ticket price $102.06) and IRON MAIDEN is No. 19 with 10 million tickets sold at 620 shows (average ticket price $71.16).

COLDPLAY topped the list with 24.8 million tickets sold, followed by U2, with 20.2 million tickets sold, and Ed Sheeran, with 19.6 million.

Collectively, the average ticket price among all 25 artists is $104.83, but Swift has the highest average at $165.54, followed closely by The Rolling Stones, ranked No. 12, at $162.96.

Ticket prices and higher ticket sales are two of the primary engines driving the live industry’s unprecedented level of growth over the past 25 years. In 2001 the average ticket price for all events reported that year was $36.68; in 2025 it rose to $90.27, a 146% increase. The number of concert tickets sold increased even more, 214% in the last 25 years, while grosses leaped a staggering 673%.