July 20, 2009

By By Ray Waddell, Nashville

Despite the uncertain state of the economy, Billboard's midyear touring charts indicate a pattern of success that could well carry through the end of the year.

And, even more so than usual, the top 25 list is dominated by acts that first achieved success a quarter century ago or more, including Madonna, Tina Turner, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Metallica, the Dead, Neil Young, Iron Maiden and Leonard Cohen. That said, there's still a freshness to the chart, with some names not typically associated with the box-office elite.

The time period for the midyear numbers is Dec. 6, 2008, through June 20, 2009. When tardy reporting is factored in, overall numbers stack up favorably to the same time period last year. In the period covered, global concerts grossed $1.8 billion and drew 30.6 million attendees from 8,744 shows reported. That's down slightly from the $1.9 billion for the period in 2008, when 9,172 shows were reported. And attendance is up so far this year by almost 20,000. While that figure amounts to just about one good sold-out arena date, the fact that ticket sales are up with some 450 fewer shows reported is impressive, given global market conditions.

In terms of the upper echelon of midyear tours, the top tier is all about the divas:

Click here for the full story including some noteworthy appearances on the chart, acts that caught the business off guard and more.

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