Are u2 really still THE biggest band in the world?

[elevated_u2_fan]

yes

 

[Zoocoustic]

They are. Still. But Coldplay is catching up very quickly.

 

[Irvine511]

yes

just for that ...

YouTube - Party in the FIP / Party in the USA / MUSIC VIDEO

 

[doctorwho]

They are. Still. But Coldplay is catching up very quickly.

Depends on what people mean as "biggest band".

Coldplay's last album outsold U2's current album. But would a Coldplay album well in 2009? There have been huge drops in album sales this year. In the U.S., no album released this year has sold 2M copies. U2 is one of just five artists that have had albums sell more than 1M copies. Worldwide, I believe NLOTH is the top selling album released this year (and in the Top 5 if albums released last year are included). In other words, given the huge decline in album sales, NLOTH is actually performing very well. I don't think Coldplay would surpass that.

Now throw in the tour. U2 clearly has sold out everywhere they've played - including nearly 100,000 in the Rose Bowl! Some of us were worried that U2 might not have success in the "smaller" markets, but this tour has proven this wrong. U2 have the biggest tour right now. In contrast, Coldplay has been unable to sell out arena shows in some cities.

Granted, U2 did not have a super hit from NLOTH - perhaps their one weakness (in terms of "biggest band"). But based on the strong sales of NLOTH - in this particular environment - and the super success of the tour, I would say U2 have retained the title. But, if the criteria for "biggest band" is dependent on huge hits with massive iTunes downloads - even if those artists don't have strong selling albums or big tours - then U2 may not be the "biggest band".

In other words, it really depends on how defines "biggest band". For me, it's always been album sales and touring - and U2 clearly are either near or at the top in those categories.

 

[cobl04]

don't go knocking the wiggles!

i loved them as a kid. how many of you know the original yellow wiggle is very ill?

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Ya know, if more people had bought this song, there wouldn't be a Wiggles.

YouTube - The Cockroaches - She's The One (1987)

I didn't buy this record.

It's my fault

 

[Rob33]

They are. Still. But Coldplay is catching up very quickly.

not really...this isn't even close...U2 by far

 

[cobl04]

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Wasn't censored on my Achtung Baby.

 

[Vlaco]

Yes, because they're the biggest band in MY world forever.

 

[65980]

cobl04, the thread was for biggest "band", not biggest "unit"...

 

[torn vinyl]

No, the Rolling Stones are the biggest band in the world. The biggest relevant band (young, people care about, not drawing crowds on the strength of decade old releases) is probably Coldplay or Radiohead.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

I was just thinking of a suitable question to ask...and i came up with this. Its not negative....just i am interested in your views.
When i ask this.....I ask you to consider album sales, are they still contempary etc. People bang on about NLOTH poor sales...but in this day and age, is anyone selling albums by the bucketloads?
And this is part of the reason i ask the question, coz i have little or no idea of goings on in music these days outside the acts i enjoy (none of which are modern acts). I couldnt even name two No 1 singles for the last 3-4 yrs! Thats no exhageration.
So....where does u2 really sit these days (in the overall scheme of things)?

Best Selling Albums in 2009 WORLDWIDE as of WEEK 43


1. Lady Gaga The Fame 3,811,000
2. U2 No Line On The Horizon 3,295,000
3. Kings Of Leon Only By The Night 3,037,000
4. Michael Jackson Thriller 3,029,000
5. The Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. 2,784,000
6. Michael Jackson Number Ones 2,762,000
7. Taylor Swift Fearless 2,714,000
8. Eminem Relapse 2,638,000
9. soundtrack Hannah Montana: The Movie 2,470,000
10. Beyoncé I Am... Sasha Fierce 2,466,000
11. Michael Jackson The Essential 2,265,000
12. Green Day 21st Century Breakdown 2,223,000
13. soundtrack Twilight 1,980,000
14. Pink Funhouse 1,946,000
15. Nickleback Dark Horse 1,770,000


U2 360 TOUR: TOTAL STATS TO DATE

GROSS: $275,995,259
ATTENDANCE: 2,708,207
Average Gross: $7,263,033
Average Attendance: 71,269
Average Ticket Price: $101.91
Shows: 38
Sellouts: 38

So far the tour has the highest average attendance and gross per show of any tour in history! By the time the tour finishes in 2010, it will be the highest attended and highest grossing tour ever in history!


Biggest album Worldwide + Biggest Tour Worldwide = Biggest Band Worldwide

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Like it or not, the biggest artist in American popular music today is Taylor Swift. Check the numbers. Walk down the street and see what song is bumpin out of the stereos. Check the cultural impact and, yes, relevance.

Now, that doesn't exactly answer the original question, because she's not a "band." And, I'm only intensely familiar with the popular music scene in America.

Other artists that are legitimately bigger than U2 in America right now:

Lil Wayne
Kanye West
Jay-Z
Lady Gaga
Miley Cyrus
Rihanna

All are more relevant and more on the pulse of the youth of America.

Again, none of those are "bands", per se...but they're close enough. If we're looking at bands specifically, it's Coldplay. Indeed Coldplay has trumped U2.

For a band that hasn't had a radio hit in America in over 4 years, U2 is still doing alright for themselves, though. Still putting on a fantastic live show.

Actually thats not necessarily the case. NLOTH has outsold several albums by the artist you mention in the United States.

More importantly though, can any of the artist you name sellout a stadium on their own anywhere in the United States? The answer to that question is NO, not even close.

These artist cannot even sellout 20,000 seat arena's with cheap tickets:

Lil Wayne
Kanye West
Jay-Z
Lady Gaga
Rihanna

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Depends how you measure it. Do you look at popularity as overall, or based on the performance of the most recent output? If the album sold enough to be one of the year's top releases but didn't generate any big hits and didn't really resonate in the wider mainstream, is it truly a success? Does it matter if the band fills the stadiums largely on the back of their older material? Is it really fair to compare the bands like U2, who rose to popularity in a completely different musical climate, to the newer bands from this decade?

Yes, U2 have been around a long time, but so have REM, Pearl Jam, Aerosmith, Def Leppard and several other artist and most new artist this decade can outsell those other bands in albums and concert tickets, but there not anywhere near what U2 can sell.

In addition, 60% of the set list on the current tour is from the past 3 albums all released since the year 2000! Their selling out because of their more current material!

The only thing other artist have is airplay which is determined by radio programmers NOT consumers! What the consumer decides to spend their money on determines what is popular.

 

[LemonMelon]

they're the biggest band in MY world. i don't really care about anyone else's.

How did this thread reach 6 pages when this post exists?

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

U2 sell the most concert tickets, AC/DC, Coldplay, Kings of Leon, and Metallica all sell more albums. So decide for yourself

Thats easy. U2 concert ticket sales are 4 times what Coldplay and Metallica can do on the road. Over 10 times what Kings Of Leon can do on the road, at least in the United States. Plus, more than double what AC/DC can do on the road.

Now can any of those artist double NLOTH sales with their current album? The answer to that question is NO.

 

[gvox]

These artist cannot even sellout 20,000 seat arena's with cheap tickets:

Lil Wayne
Kanye West
Jay-Z
Lady Gaga
Rihanna

Where do you get that data from? Jay-Z has sold out MSG like 6 or 7 times and the only cheap seats available at ACC for this Saturday's show are obstructed views. His London show sold out in something like 15 seconds or some crazy time.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Where do you get that data from? Jay-Z has sold out MSG like 6 or 7 times and the only cheap seats available at ACC for this Saturday's show are obstructed views. His London show sold out in something like 15 seconds or some crazy time.

Its called Billboard Boxscore. Every week Billboard Boxscore list the top grossing concerts for the week. Madison Square Garden is probably the easiest arena to sellout on the planet since it is located in the biggest market in the world, New York City. Selling out arena shows is not evidence of strong demand when they are only in big cities like New York and London.

Plus, I bet he did not sellout in the in the round set up. Anyways, if you have the boxoffice figures for each of these shows, lets see them.

Here are U2's totals for the current tour:

U2 360 TOUR: TOTAL STATS TO DATE

GROSS: $275,995,259
ATTENDANCE: 2,708,207
Average Gross: $7,263,033
Average Attendance: 71,269
Average Ticket Price: $101.91
Shows: 38
Sellouts: 38


The Gross is far more than any thing Jay-Z has done in his entire career combined and were only 38 shows into just this one tour!

 

[gvox]

Lookit. You made a statement. The statement was that Jay-Z cannot sell out 20,000 seat arenas with cheap seats.

It took me all of 3 seconds to find out that that statement was completely false. He has, and is continuing to even up to this month. End of story, all the other stuff you just wrote is irrelevant. Noone here is claiming that Jay-Z is outselling U2.

 

[nielsgov]

No, the Rolling Stones are the biggest band in the world. The biggest relevant band (young, people care about, not drawing crowds on the strength of decade old releases) is probably Coldplay or Radiohead.

Coldplay yes. But almost nobody (young people) cares about Radiohead. They only know Karma Police, Paranoid android and Street Spirit.

 

[mcaito]

Torn Vinyl is probably right.

While we're sitting here counting attendance numbers and peeling off those dollar bills, slappin' 'em down....

Mick Jagger and Co. are concocting ways to top U2.360 in sales and profit. And they will do it.

Over the past couple of decades, whenever U2 has toured the world with record-breaking gigs, the Stones have been right on their heels with a tour of their own to topple U2's feats and prove (at least in their fans' eyes) who's still on top.

 

[nielsgov]

But the Rolling Stones' albums don't sell that much anymore. If you count album sales and touring then I think U2 are on top.

 

[ozeeko]

Coldplay yes. But almost nobody (young people) cares about Radiohead. They only know Karma Police, Paranoid android and Street Spirit.

Based on my own experience i'd have to say the opposite. Almost all young people i've had conversations with about music love radiohead and despise U2. And i'd say you gotta go back to classic U2 and you'll be surprised.

 

[ozeeko]

BTW, The Stones are fucking ancient. How old are they? The fact that they're still touring and ripping it up on stage like guys in their 20's is fucking amazing. I don't know what their recent albums sound like, but i can bet you there really aren't panicking over having a #1 hit song that will convert the Lil' Wayne crowd.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Lookit. You made a statement. The statement was that Jay-Z cannot sell out 20,000 seat arenas with cheap seats.

It took me all of 3 seconds to find out that that statement was completely false. He has, and is continuing to even up to this month. End of story, all the other stuff you just wrote is irrelevant. Noone here is claiming that Jay-Z is outselling U2.

I got news for ya, just because an artist plays Madison Square Garden does not mean they sold 20,000 tickets. Again, if you have the boxoffice numbers of the Jay-Z show or shows, lets see them!

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Torn Vinyl is probably right.

While we're sitting here counting attendance numbers and peeling off those dollar bills, slappin' 'em down....

Mick Jagger and Co. are concocting ways to top U2.360 in sales and profit. And they will do it.

Over the past couple of decades, whenever U2 has toured the world with record-breaking gigs, the Stones have been right on their heels with a tour of their own to topple U2's feats and prove (at least in their fans' eyes) who's still on top.

Thats true, but the Rolling Stones have been way behind on the album selling side the past couple of decades:


Rollilng Stones album sales since 1989:

Steel Wheels 5 million worldwide
Voodoo Lounge 4 million worldwide
Bridges To Babylon 3 million worldwide
A Bigger Bang 3 million worldwide, although many of the albums shipped were never sold. Example in the United States it shipped plantinum, but sold less than 600,000 copies

U2 album sales since 1989:

Achtung Baby: 17 million worldwide
Zooropa: 7 million worldwide
POP: 6 million worldwide
ATYCLB: 12 million worldwide
HTDAAB: 9 million worldwide
NLOTH: 3.5 million worldwide.


U2 outsells the Stones in albums often by 2 to 1 or 3 to 1. When it comes to concert ticket sales, the number of tickets sold on the last tours A Bigger Bang and Vertigo was about the same 4.8 million tickets sold to 4.6 million tickets sold. The Gross was only 43% higher.

So once you combine albums and concert ticket sales, U2 has a significant lead over the Stones based on current new album sales and the concert ticket sales of the latest completed tour.


U2 360 though is hitting record in nearly every venue it plays in, both in attendance and gross. The last Stones tour rarely set any gross records or attendance record for individual venues and only the final gross total was a record.

In fact, if you exclude the United States and Canada, U2's gross was actually equal to that of the Stones outside of the USA/Canada.

Attendance at Stones tours has been consistently falling. The Stones make up for it buy charging higher prices. By contrast U2's average attendance per show keeps rising with the average ticket prices worldwide rising as well.

Based on that trend, its unlikely the Stones will be able to outgross U2 on their next tour unless they were to announce it as their last tour.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Based on my own experience i'd have to say the opposite. Almost all young people i've had conversations with about music love radiohead and despise U2. And i'd say you gotta go back to classic U2 and you'll be surprised.

Yet, U2 is selling out stadiums with 60% of the material being played from the last 3 albums, 2000-2009.

Many of Radiohead's shows at amptitheaters in 2008 failed to sellout, even though tickets were as low as $30 dollars and there were only a total of 25,000 tickets available.

U2's DC area show played to 84,754 people at FEDEX Field grossing 6.7 million dollars, while Radiohead struggled to fill the Nissan Pavilion in the same area with 23,000 people and grossed less than 1 million dollars.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

U2 are the biggest brand, but there's little to no excitement around them anymore. They are a touring monster, but their releases create no ripples (Sales, yes. Critical thumbs up in some circles, yes. Daggy industry awards, yes, but lets be honest, it's been 15+ years since there's been any real excitement around U2's music).

Kings of Leon have the biggest momentum (or had, they're kind of in the 'off' cycle between albums now aren't they?). I think they took a turn for the very dull on Only by Night, but it certainly blew them right up. If whatever comes next from them is both genuinely good while still highly commercialy viable, then they'll go another level. That they are where the excitement and momentum is at the moment is undeniable. Also remember it is actually not that common for a band to go ballistic in the UK, Europe AND US all at the same time.

Coldplay are probably the safest steady investment. They've built a very large, very solid, very loyal fanbase. In general, people have goodwill towards them. They have a really really wide reach. Your kid cousin probably likes a few Coldplay songs. Your mother probably does. You probably thought Parachutes was fantastic and Rush of Blood was great too, until they made those songs sound awful on X&Y. They could get larger -but not by much, they could get smaller - but likely not by much, and most likely they'll just stay very big and will do so for some time to come.

The Killers will go as fast as they came. I don't know why people see the Killers as anything other than a bit of fun. There's nothing unique or special or interesting about them at all. They're just great fun for blasting in you car on your way up the coast, or whatever.

Of course I don't think any of these bands are all that good, or unique or interesting or whatever. Just this is where the size/momentum is at the moment. The really great/exciting bands these days are all too niche to ever break out wide.

 

[boorock74]

It's simple.
REM, Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Guns N Roses, Oasis, The Who, Smashing Pumpkins, Et. al.
All are hugely popular and successful bands. You know what else they all have in common? Line-up changes, absolute album FLOPS, poor ticket and album sales, etc.
Then there is this little band from Ireland -
U2 - Bono, Larry, Edge, & Adam. All 4 original members.
30 Years. Backlash be damned, they've stayed together, and stuck it out.
They sell millions of albums, and play to millions of people. Was popmart a failure? Not to me, I saw 2 of the 3 shows in Chicago. NLOTH has no hit singles? Maybe not, but it does have UC and MOS. It's all relative.
They are our favorite band. Their music actually MEANS something to us.
We have an emotional attachment and don't want anyone slagging the band.
But even if they're not the biggest, they're probably still the most important, and what matters other than that?