It may have been an improvement over 2020, but the 2021 concert touring season still faced enormous challenges from the ongoing and mutating Covid-19 pandemic. The Rolling Stones, who had to cancel their North American shows planned for May and June, 2020, finally performed the postponed U.S. stadium dates in late 2021. Billboard’s Nov. 2020 through Oct. 2021 tally only counted eight of these gigs, but the total gross topped $72.3 million, enough to put the Stones in the top spot. (The band’s total gross for calendar year 2021 probably topped $130 million, with an additional $58.6 million from their six shows in November.)
Billboard’s 2021 touring stats also logged gross receipts for the Hella Mega Tour (with Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer, topping $67.2 million for 20 shows), followed by Harry Styles ($64.7m, 29 shows); the Eagles ($54.3m, 20 shows); Dead & Company ($53.7m, 31 shows); Los Bukis ($49.7m, 9 shows); Guns N’ Roses ($47.3m, 23 shows); Jonas Brothers ($42.5m, 42 shows); Chris Stapleton ($33.9m, 32 shows) and Luke Bryan ($33.4m; 35 shows).
Here are the top 10 tours, as ranked by Billboard, for the 2021 touring season, along with the production companies that made them happen. For more details on the creative teams, production crews and lighting and video gear supporting these shows, follow the links to FOH’s full Showtime listings online.
1 Rolling Stones
The No Filter tour, which ran from Sept. 2017 to Nov. 2021, grossed a total $546.5 million, putting it in the top 10 tours of all time. Clair Global once again supplied the sound system. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-Stones.
2 Hella Mega Tour
The Hella Mega tour, with Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer, traveled the U.S. from late July to early September after overseas gigs earlier in the year had to be canceled. More shows are set for Europe and the UK in 2022. Eighth Day Sound supported the tour. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-Hella.
3 Harry Styles
Britannia Row provided sound gear for One Direction alum Harry Styles, who released his first solo album in 2017. His Love on Tour trek, originally set for an April 2020 launch, ran from Sept. 4 to Nov. 28, grossing an estimated $94.6 million from 42 shows (29 of which were included in Billboard’s 2021 tally). More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-Harry.
4 Eagles
The Eagles’ Hotel California 2020 Tour, commemorating the band’s best-selling album from 1976, ran from Sept. 2019 to March 2020, then resumed after the Covid shutdowns eased from Aug. 24 through Nov. 6. More shows are set for February and March 2022. Clair Global provided the sound system. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-Eagles.
5 Dead & Company
After having to cancel their 2020 tour, Dead & Company toured the U.S. from mid-August through October. Longtime sound provider UltraSound provided audio gear. As of mid-December, Dead & Company were still planning to perform their Playing in the Sand gigs in January 2022 in Cancun, Mexico. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-Dead.
6 Los Bukis
Fans of this popular Mexican band were thrilled to see them perform live after more than a 25-year hiatus, and demand for tickets was strong enough to generate nearly $50 million from just nine shows. The band performed with a sound system provided by Sound Image. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-Bukis.
7 Guns N’ Roses
After overseas treks had to be canceled throughout 2020, GNR focused squarely on their U.S. fan base for the summer of 2021, racking up at least $43.7 million from the We’re F’N’ Back tour shows stretching from late July through early October. Clair Global was there with the audio assist. The band has plans to head overseas again in 2022, with tour legs in Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-GNR.
8 Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers’ Remember This tour included more than 40 shows, kicking off Aug. 20 at the Park Theater in Las Vegas and wrapping up Oct. 27 at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A., and pulling in more than a cool million, on average, per concert—$42 million in all. The band then capped off their 2021 tour schedule with shows in New York, Boston, Washington DC and Atlanta in mid-December. Clair Global served as sound vendor for the shows. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-Jonas.
9 Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton’s All American Road Show tour, which kicked off in May 2017 and continued until the March 2020 detour forced by Covid-19, resumed in late July 2021, ran through Dec. 11, and picks up again with a full roster of North American gigs set for 2022 from March through September. Clair Global is providing sound support. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-Stapleton.
10 Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan’s Proud to Be Right Here tour generated more than $33 million in ticket sales from July through October, 2021. The 35-show trek included the artist’s Farm Tour performance in September and wrapped up Oct. 28 in Brandon, MS to make up for a show that had to be postponed due to Hurricane Ida. Clair Global supported the tour’s audio needs. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/FOH-TT21-LukeBryan.
