LOS ANGELES 鈥� While this year鈥檚 pop charts have been dominated by young singers, it鈥檚 veteran music stars, led by Madonna, who are commanding big money in tour ticket sales, according to a new Billboard list released Tuesday.
Madonna, 54, topped Billboard鈥檚 list of highest-grossing live tours, earning an estimated $228.4 million in ticket sales from her sold-out ninth worldwide tour in support of her 12th studio album MDNA. The singer will wrap up her tour in South America this weekend, after performing more than 80 shows across the world, starting in Israel in May.
Madonna came ahead of pop star Lady Gaga, who landed at No. 6, with ticket sales of $124.9 million from her worldwide Born This Way Ball tour. Gaga, 26, is currently midway through her tour, which kicked off in South Korea in April, and will wrap up in Oklahoma in March.
Music publication Billboard compiled its list through estimated gross ticket sales figures from Billboard box scores, which track concert tours, ticket prices and sales.
The top five highest-grossing tour acts of 2012 included Bruce Springsteen, 63, and the E Street band at No. 2 with $199 million from 72聽shows and Pink Floyd鈥檚 Roger Waters, 69, at No. 3 with $186 million.
Cirque Du Soleil鈥檚 homage to late singer Michael Jackson in The Immortal World Tour ranked No. 4 with $147.3聽million over 183 shows, and British rock band Coldplay was fifth with $147.2 million over 67 shows.
Pop star Justin Bieber, 18, was at No. 20.
