STING2 said:
The Stones still do incredible business when it comes to concerts, but they have surprisingly slipped up in this respect since the Bridges To Babylon Tour. All though some would say this is a reflection of the industry as a whole, the Stones last tour and this current tour have cut way back on Stadium sized shows. Very surprising for a band that was #1 in this area since 1975. U2 recent tour of Europe crushed all of the Stones past tours of Europe in terms of total Gross. Whats more, U2 was able to do that with only 32 shows, all of them instant sellouts the day tickets went on sale. In the United States, things are closer, and I would probably still give the edge to the Stones in the USA. With the exception of the USA, Japan, and maybe Germany, U2 is now ahead of the Stones in concert drawing power worldwide. This was not the case as little as 8 years ago and whats more is that U2's concert drawing power is rising and is likely to increase for some time to come. The band is currently more popular in Europe than they have ever been at any time in their career.
On the Album sales side, the Stones have not had a big selling album since Tattoo You back in 1981 when the band was still in their 30s. In contrast, HTDAAB is approaching the 10 million mark in sales and is on track to be one of the 10 biggest selling albums worldwide of the past 3 years.
So U2 have already outlasted the Stones in many ways. But the amazing thing is, we may still be talking about a new Stones album and tour in 15 years.
All of this data is fascinating, but has nothing to do with my original statement. I did not say that The Stones were selling more records or concert tickets in 2005. My point is that The Stones are doing remarkably well considering the fact that they are over 60 years of age. If U2 can still draw the crowds into their 60's and sell modest amounts of records in the year 2020, then I will be very impressed (and happy). Until then, I think the ignorant (mostly young) U2 fans who dismiss the Stones simply because they're old, or constantly compare them to a band that is almost 20 yrs their senior should SHUT THE BLEEP UP. To maintain that level of success for 43 years is astounding.
As for the Stones not selling albums, that is rubbish. Your assertion that Tattoo You was their last hit album is flat out wrong (it sold 7 million though). When I was 13 years old, Steel Wheels (1989) was a massive worldwide hit. It sold over 9 million copies worldwide. It spawned a huge hit, Mixed Emotions, which was as ubiquitous as Vertigo was in 2004, and many kids my age became fans for the first time. The tour was also massive, and if memory serves me correctly was the 4th biggest grossing tour of all time. I guess my basic point is that in 1989 the Stones had been together for 27 years, which is roughly the same age as U2 is right now as we speak. You say HTDAAB has sold 10 million. Well, Steel Weels sold 9 million. Not a big difference, if you ask me.
Fast forward to 1994, when the Stones released Voodoo Lounge. It sold 8 million copies worldwide. Love Is Strong was only a minor hit, yes, but the tour remains the BIGGEST GROSSING TOUR OF ALL TIME. The live album souvineer from the tour, Stripped, sold an astounding 3.5 million copies in 1998 (which is amazing for a live album). So, I guess that if U2 put out an album in 2010 and match the Voodoo Lounge tour in terms of gross then U2 will have kept up to the Stones. It will be tough. I don't know if they will do it.
Next came Bridges To Babylon in 97. This is when the Stones really dipped in terms of record sales. Still, 3 million units is still very respectable for a bunch of 55 year olds, who are supposedly washed up. The tour is was also one of the highest grossing tours of all time......I could go on, but I've already proven my point, which is that U2 still has a way to go to keep up to the Stones in terms of longevity. This is not a dig at U2. I'm sure that Bono and the boys know this too.
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