'Tis the season for Lists. So here's a few.
Billboard Boxscore's Top Ten Highest-Grossing Tours of 2008
1. Bon Jovi - $210.6 million
2. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - $204.5 million
3. Madonna - $162 million
4. Police - $150 million
5. Celine Dion - $91 million
6. Kenny Chesney - $86 million
7. Neil Diamond - $81 million
8. Spice Girls - $70 million
9. Eagles - $56.6 million
10. Rascal Flatts - $55.8 million
We all know that Kenny would be higher if he charged more for his tix!
The Pollstar figures are a bit different. They are also just for North America. Pollstar does say that worldwide Madonna made $280 million so that number is also different from Billboard's. Pollstar says that figure makes her the highest selling solo tour artist ever.
Here's the Pollstar tour numbers.
1. Madonna ($105 million)
2. Celine Dion ($94 million)
3. The Eagles ($73.4 million)
4. Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million)
5. Bon Jovi ($70.4 million)
6. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band ($69.3 million)
7. Neil Diamond ($59.8 million)
8. Rascal Flatts ($55.8 million)
9. The Police ($48 million)
10. Tina Turner ($47.7 million
The Nielsen/Billboard Top 10 Albums of 2008
1. Alicia Keys - "As I Am"
2. Josh Groban - "Noel"
3. Lil Wayne - "Tha Carter Three"
4. Eagles - "Long Road Out of Eden"
5. Taylor Swift - "Taylor Swift"
6. Kid Rock - "Rock N Roll Jesus"
7. Coldplay - "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends"
8. Various Artists - "NOW 26"
9. Carrie Underwood - "Carnival Ride"
10. Garth Brooks - "Ultimate Hits"
Yahoo.com posted a list of their Top 5 Celebrity Shockers for 2008. Here they are.
1. Heath Ledger's death: When news broke of Heath Ledger's death at 28, the response was a collective, "You're kidding, right?" The Brokeback Mountain star died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January. The Australia-born Ledger left behind a 3-year-old daughter and a bright career. He earned posthumous raves -- and Oscar buzz -- for his frightening performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
2. Jennifer Hudson's tragedy: The Oscar-winning actress and singer had a new fiance and solo album to boot when her worst nightmare came true. In late October, Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in the family home on Chicago's South Side, where Hudson grew up. Adding to the heartbreak, a frantic search began for her missing 7-year-old nephew Julian, whose body was discovered days later in the back of an abandoned SUV. Hudson's estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour, was formally charged with the triple murder the first week of December.
3. The Travis Barker/DJ AM plane crash: The punk musician and celebrity DJ went through hell and came out the other side -- changed forever. After performing in South Carolina on September 19th, they boarded a private plane bound for Los Angeles that crashed and killed the two pilots and two of their close friends. The surviving duo fled the burning wreckage; DJ AM, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, jumped through a fireball. The near-death experience left the performers emotionally scarred and badly burned, requiring weeks of treatment at various burn centers. Back in good form, the pair will reunite to headline a New Year's Eve party at a West Hollywood, California, nightclub.
4. Paula Abdul fan death: The American Idol judge has lived through her share of drama, but she wasn't prepared for the shocking death of Paula Goodspeed -- an aspiring pop star and obsessed fan. Goodspeed, who grew up Sandra May McIntyre in her home state of Maine, was found dead November 12th in a car near Abdul's Los Angeles home. The 30-year-old had dreamed of stardom and expressed her admiration for Abdul during a train-wreck audition on season five of Fox's Idol in which she was ridiculed for the braces on her teeth and a lack of talent. Goodspeed's family members said she struggled with depression and eating disorders as her show business dreams fell apart. Goodspeed died of a drug overdose the day before she was to have moved back home with her mother.
5. The death of Bernie Mac: Sending shock waves to his fans and celebrity friends, the comic actor died August 9th in the Chicago area from complications due to pneumonia. Mac, who starred in his own TV sitcom and numerous movies including the Ocean's 11 trilogy, did not live to see his final roles voicing the lion Zuba in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and starring alongside Samuel L. Jackson in Soul Men. Speaking before thousands of mourners at the 50-year-old's memorial service, Jackson said: "He never turned that kid down for an autograph. He always had time to shake a hand. He was always that kid from Chicago who wanted to make everybody happy and everybody laugh."
For me, number 1 and 5 hit the hardest. Loved Bernie Mac, but it was the death of Heath Ledger that still has me reeling. His Joker was brilliant, and I hope he wins an Oscar for his performance. As far as I'm concerned no one can ever play the Joker again. His will become/is now the quintessential Joker. I also loved him in Brokeback Mountain. I know that movie wasn't for everyone, but for me it was such a sad love story that I still get a lump in my throat when I think of the ending.