The biggest band in the world or biggest artist in the world is usually judged based on two factors, global album sales of the latest album released and the concert ticket sales of that artist or bands latest tour. In general who the biggest artist or band is for any year or group of years should be based on that criteria, meaning an artist or group would be eligible for the title in any given year, even if they did not release an album or tour that year, as long as they were still an active band.
This thread is about the biggest band in the world in any given year not biggest artist in the world. Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Prince are solo artist, not bands. U2 is the perfect example of a band.
Here are the biggest band in the world from year to year, based on a combination of the bands album selling strength and concert selling strength of their latest album and tour.
1964 Beatles
1965 Beatles
1966 Beatles
1967 Beatles
1968 Beatles
1969 Beatles
1970 Rolling Stones
1971 Rolling Stones
1972 Led Zeppelin
1973 Led Zeppelin
1974 Led Zeppelin
1975 Rolling Stones
1976 Rolling Stones
1977 Rolling Stones
1978 Rolling Stones
1979 Rolling Stones
1980 Pink Floyd
1981 Rolling Stones
1982 Rolling Stones
1983 The Police
1984 The Police
1985 The Police
1986 The Police
1987 U2
1988 U2
1989 U2
1990 U2
1991 U2
1992 U2
1993 U2
1994 U2
1995 U2
1996 U2
1997 U2
1998 U2
1999 U2
2000 U2
2001 U2
2002 U2
2003 U2
2004 U2
2005 U2
Led Zeppelin was not yet popular enough in 1970 and 1971 to be the biggest band in the world, but definitely by 1972 they had the title. The Rolling Stones regained it in 1975 with the worlds first true Stadium tour since the Beatles last tour in 1966. Pink Floyd came close to the top in 1977 with their first stadium tour, but album sales of "Animals" were less than the previous two albums and about the same as the Rolling Stones latest at the time which kept the Stones at the top. The low sales of the Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue combined with the Pink Floyd's strongest selling album over a 12 month period with "The Wall" allowed Pink Floyd to rise to the top in 1980. While its true Pink Floyd only played a few shows that year, had they done a proper tour for the album it would have been more successful than their first Stadium/Arena tour in 1977.
The Rolling Stones came back strong in 1981 with Tattoo You and the following tour which allowed them to regain the title for 1981 and 1982. The Police in 1983 finally took the title from the Stones with their biggest selling album Synchronicity and their global Stadium/Arena tour for the album with the band breaking attendance and GROSS records in several different cities and the Synchronicity album selling over 11 million copies in less than a year worldwide. The Police kept the title through 1984 as well.
In 1985, its a big question if one still considers the Police to be a band with Sting's new solo release. In hindsight now, we know the band by that time was no more, but back then people still thought they were a band and promoters were offering the band massive amounts of money to tour again. So its difficult to say, but by 1987, U2 definitely took the title from the Police or any other band that may have had it at that time. Genesis obviously would be the biggest band in 1986 if one considers the Police to be officially over at that time. Dire Straits also deserves to be mentioned for 1985 and 1986 as a possible contender. Brothers In Arms had sold over 20 million copies worldwide by 1989, but their concert selling strength was not nearly as high.
U2 has been the biggest band in the world since 1987. Through Grunge and Metal of the late 80s and early 90s, through the low selling year of POP in 1997 and the Boyband years that followed, U2 has consistently had the highest average of global album sales and concert ticket sales of any band out there. It may not seem like it to many, especially during POP because one remembers how things felt that year in their individual country or city. But when one is talking about the biggest band in the world, one has to consider album sales and concert ticket sales from every region of the globe. Album sales and concert ticket sales count equally each counting for 50% of the equation that determines the biggest band in the world.
This thread is about the biggest band in the world in any given year not biggest artist in the world. Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Prince are solo artist, not bands. U2 is the perfect example of a band.
Here are the biggest band in the world from year to year, based on a combination of the bands album selling strength and concert selling strength of their latest album and tour.
1964 Beatles
1965 Beatles
1966 Beatles
1967 Beatles
1968 Beatles
1969 Beatles
1970 Rolling Stones
1971 Rolling Stones
1972 Led Zeppelin
1973 Led Zeppelin
1974 Led Zeppelin
1975 Rolling Stones
1976 Rolling Stones
1977 Rolling Stones
1978 Rolling Stones
1979 Rolling Stones
1980 Pink Floyd
1981 Rolling Stones
1982 Rolling Stones
1983 The Police
1984 The Police
1985 The Police
1986 The Police
1987 U2
1988 U2
1989 U2
1990 U2
1991 U2
1992 U2
1993 U2
1994 U2
1995 U2
1996 U2
1997 U2
1998 U2
1999 U2
2000 U2
2001 U2
2002 U2
2003 U2
2004 U2
2005 U2
Led Zeppelin was not yet popular enough in 1970 and 1971 to be the biggest band in the world, but definitely by 1972 they had the title. The Rolling Stones regained it in 1975 with the worlds first true Stadium tour since the Beatles last tour in 1966. Pink Floyd came close to the top in 1977 with their first stadium tour, but album sales of "Animals" were less than the previous two albums and about the same as the Rolling Stones latest at the time which kept the Stones at the top. The low sales of the Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue combined with the Pink Floyd's strongest selling album over a 12 month period with "The Wall" allowed Pink Floyd to rise to the top in 1980. While its true Pink Floyd only played a few shows that year, had they done a proper tour for the album it would have been more successful than their first Stadium/Arena tour in 1977.
The Rolling Stones came back strong in 1981 with Tattoo You and the following tour which allowed them to regain the title for 1981 and 1982. The Police in 1983 finally took the title from the Stones with their biggest selling album Synchronicity and their global Stadium/Arena tour for the album with the band breaking attendance and GROSS records in several different cities and the Synchronicity album selling over 11 million copies in less than a year worldwide. The Police kept the title through 1984 as well.
In 1985, its a big question if one still considers the Police to be a band with Sting's new solo release. In hindsight now, we know the band by that time was no more, but back then people still thought they were a band and promoters were offering the band massive amounts of money to tour again. So its difficult to say, but by 1987, U2 definitely took the title from the Police or any other band that may have had it at that time. Genesis obviously would be the biggest band in 1986 if one considers the Police to be officially over at that time. Dire Straits also deserves to be mentioned for 1985 and 1986 as a possible contender. Brothers In Arms had sold over 20 million copies worldwide by 1989, but their concert selling strength was not nearly as high.
U2 has been the biggest band in the world since 1987. Through Grunge and Metal of the late 80s and early 90s, through the low selling year of POP in 1997 and the Boyband years that followed, U2 has consistently had the highest average of global album sales and concert ticket sales of any band out there. It may not seem like it to many, especially during POP because one remembers how things felt that year in their individual country or city. But when one is talking about the biggest band in the world, one has to consider album sales and concert ticket sales from every region of the globe. Album sales and concert ticket sales count equally each counting for 50% of the equation that determines the biggest band in the world.
i'll get back to you on that one 
Did Amnesty really go to Chile? I seem to recall the tour played Mendoza symbolically because it is near Chile since they weren't allowed to actually perform in Chilean territory.
