(01-20-2006) U2 Tops Billboard's Money Makers Chart - Billboard*

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U2 Tops Billboard's Money Makers Chart

With $255,022,633.35, U2 reigns supreme on Billboard's inaugural Money Makers chart, which brings together Nielsen Music data and the magazine's Boxscore numbers to create a master top 20 chart of acts that generated the most income during 2005. The list includes album and digital sales as well as accumulated box-office receipts. U2 ranked 27th in album sales, ninth in digital sales and No. 1 at the box office.

The chart calculates aggregate album and digital sales for the 11-month window that stretched from the first Nielsen SoundScan sales week of 2005, which ended Jan. 9, through the week that ended Dec. 4, and marries that data with accumulated box-office receipts that reflect the same tracking period.

Album sales data are not just for an act's current titles, but for all titles, including catalog, tracked during the first 11 months of 2005. Digital data, likewise, includes all tracks available via paid downloads.

With $152,356,754.50, the Rolling Stones came in at No. 2, thanks to a No. 2 Boxscore rank and a top 25 showing with digital tracks. Kenny Chesney finished a distant third with $87,731,463.50, propelled by a No. 4 album sales rank and a No. 8 finish in Boxscore.

Paul McCartney was close behind at No. 4 with $84,263,375.10, followed by Elton John with $77,150,061.65. Without credit for the 1.3 million units that the Beatles sold during this 11-month period, McCartney's album rank would be lower than No. 100. Such an adjustment would move him from No. 4 to No. 7 on the Money Makers list.

The top 10 is rounded out by Celine Dion ($76,137,905.65), 50 Cent ($75,351,514.85), Green Day ($71,753,415.60), Neil Diamond ($70,203,895.50) and the Eagles ($67,524,283.25).

For point of reference, the Money Makers chart includes a column that shows how artists fared in terms of radio play, utilizing Nielsen BDS tracking from all stations of all formats -- including those that do not belong to Billboard or Billboard Radio Monitor chart panels -- for the same 11-month window.

However, since artists are not compensated for radio play, and because there is no industry standard that can be applied to the performance rights that publishers and writers receive for radio airplay, a monetary value was not assigned to the Nielsen BDS detections. Thus, radio play does not have any bearing on Money Makers' standings.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001882362
 
I think this is the first time I've ever seen an amount that high with pennies included.

Some serious bean counters out there.
 
biff said:
Is it correct to assume this is for the US only?

I presume so - although I had thought the Stones were number 1 at the box office in the US for this period (with U2 number 1 in terms of worls box office receipts).

Mike
 
biff said:
Is it correct to assume this is for the US only?

Thats difficult to say, if the 255 million is the result of total GROSS then I would say it is the result of only sales in the United States. If its the result of actual income going to the band, then its definitely a worldwide figure.

The Vertigo Tour GROSSED $295 million dollars in 2005 worldwide. By December 4, the cut off period, the tour had grossed $260 million dollars worldwide. Total GROSS for the North American tour both legs was $139 million dollars.

As far as album sales go, most of HTDAAB album sales are not included in these figures. The Bulk of HTDAAB album sales came in the last 6 weeks of 2004 with a total of around 2.2 million in the United States and a total of 6 milllion worldwide. Those album sales would not be included in this list which starts with the first week of January 2005.

Perhaps someone else has more specific information on whether the list is based on worldwide figures or US/North American figures and if it is total GROSS or total Revenue for the band itself.
 
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