The picture for the overall health of the concert industry looks good, with gross ticket sales revenues hitting a new record of $1.05 billion and total tickets sold by the Top 100 tours up by a half-million or 2.9 percent when compared to figures from a year ago.

And in news that’s sure to warm the hearts of the ticket buying public, the average ticket price for the Top 100 tours was $58.61. That represents an increase of only 50 cents, or less than 1 percent, over last year.

While that modest increase could be written off to the absence of big ticket shows like 2006’s Madonna and Rolling Stones tours, it might also be an indication that artists and promoters have learned the limit of what the primary ticketing market will support.

70’s rocker Rod Stewart scored the No.1 spot on the Top 100 tours chart with $48.1 million in ticket sales, besting his 2004 total of $42.5 million in just six months.

Proving there is indeed life after a boyband, former N’Sync frontman Justin Timberlake claimed the No. 2 spot with $42.3 million in sales on what is arguably his biggest outing to date.

Rounding out the top three are ’80s icons The Police at $41.9 million. However, with most of their U.S. dates still ahead of them, the reunited trio will most likely claim the top spot on Pollstar’s year end chart with an estimated $100 million in ticket sales for 2007 in North America.

Country artists continue to be well represented on the chart with 11 tours making the mid-year list. Once again it looks like Kenny Chesney and the husband and wife team of Tim McGraw & Faith Hill will end up battling for bragging rights to the top country spot for the year.

The biggest change on the chart so far this year is the continued emergence of Latin acts into the mainstream concert business. Spanish language artists scored eight of the Top 100 slots on the mid-year chart compared with five last year. Interestingly, the only performer to land spots on both years’ lists is another fave of female fans, Ricky Martin.

It’s also worth noting that the No. 6 artist on the North American chart, Roger Waters, landed the No. 1 spot on the Top Ticket Sales Chart, which includes worldwide revenues. Waters was the only artist to move more than 1 million tickets – two-thirds of them overseas – so far this year.

For a look at Pollstar’s Top 50 North American tours for the first six months of 2007, click here.