Irish group U2 receive an award at the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards at Wembley Arena in London, Britain, November 12, 2017. Photo: Reuters 

 

LOS ANGELES: Veteran, white male rock stars raked in the most cash from world tours in 2017, according to an annual list released on Thursday, while the highest-ranked women ? Celine Dion and Lady Gaga ? failed to make the top 10.

Irish band U2 grossed a leading $316 million from its 30th anniversary, 50-date ?Joshua Tree? tour. It was followed by hard rock band Guns N? Roses which took in $292.5 million, according to trade publication Pollstar?s ranking of the Top 20 worldwide tours of 2017.

British band Coldplay came in third, with $238 million, on a list where Bruno Mars, 32, of Puerto Rican and Philippine descent, was the only musician of colour in the top ten. Mars grossed $200 million. Ed Sheeran, 26, was the youngest singer in the top ten, pulling in $124.1 million.

At a whopping $1,500 average, Bruce Springsteen?s limited Broadway run had the highest ticket prices and grossed $87.8 million to give the ?Born to Run? singer 14th place.

In 11th place, Dion was the top female act with $101.2 million, while Lady Gaga?s ?Joanne? tour grossed $85.7 million for 15th place.

The touring numbers mark a strong contrast with US music sales and streaming preferences, where hip hop and R&B music this year became the most consumed music genre, according to a July Nielsen Music report.

The top 20 tours grossed $2.66 billion in 2017, a record high and an increase of more than $264 million from 2016, Pollstar said.

Pollstar?s ranking is based on ticket sales data and does not include revenue from merchandise which can add a sizable chunk to tour earnings.