Rolling Stones Break Sales Records

Tweet

The Rolling Stones are again rolling into a record-setting mode. The Bridges to Babylon tour opener set a new gross record at Chicago's Soldier Field, ousting the title from U2, whose $5.9 million total from July 1-2 shows was the previous high.

The Stones' Sept. 23 and 25 shows took in $6,260,600 from sellout crowds totaling 107,186 on $39.50-$60 tickets. The group followed that with a single show sellout at Columbus' Ohio Stadium Sept. 27, also a record-setter. The $3,553,069 gross topped the previous mark of $2,710,335, set by Elton John/Billy Joel in 1994. Ericcson Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., home of the Carolina Panthers, hosted its first concert when the Rolling Stones rolled in Oct. 10. The $3,126,945 gross and 54,436 attendance (a sellout) establishes the record for future concerts to beat. Of course, the Stones have a history of big grosses -- their 1994-95 Voodoo Lounge Tour grossed a total of $319,499,638 in 128 shows attended by 6,442,660 fans.

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES The 10 Best Zombie Movie Scenes
• 
  TV The Most WTF? Moments of 'Mad Men'
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“He Will Break Your Heart”

Jerry Butler | 1960

A lightly swinging Latin-influenced, almost cha-cha groove and close harmonies decorated Jerry Butler's early soul hit "He Will Break Your Heart," delivering a stately warning that his rival would never love his girl like he did. The melody came to Butler as he was driving on the highway from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Philadelphia with Curtis Mayfield, and as Butler told Rolling Stone, "I just sang the melody and Curtis put the chords to it." The song's premise, Butler added, "was something that I'd lived ...The lyric was an experience rather than a revelation. Whereas music is usually a revelation."

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter