BTS Returns To Pollstar’s LIVE75 Chart As This Week’s Hot Shot, Dwight Yoakam Makes Noise

Matt Sayles / Invision / AP –
This picture was taken at a performance at the American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles Nov. 19.

Ed Sheeran is No. 1, again, joining Metallica as the only headliner to top Pollstar’s LIVE75 chart four weeks in a row. He manages it based on an average ticket tally of 58,739 from 11 concerts during the final weeks of his “Divide” tour. The shows occurred at venues in seven European countries as the tour moves closer to an Aug. 26 finale in his native England.

Following closely on Sheeran’s heels is South Korea’s BTS, this week’s HOT SHOT debut artist, with a stadium-sized sold ticket average of 52,176 from two-show performances in two venues in Japan. Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka drew 101,554 fans for concerts July 6-7 and, the following weekend Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa welcomed a crowd of 107,153 over both nights. The concerts were the most recent dates on the “Love Yourself Speak Yourself” tour that began in May with events in select cities in the Americas and Europe.

With an inaugural showing on the chart at No. 17, rock musician Mark Knopfler is one of five artists in the Top 25 making their initial appearance this week. Among them, he hits the chart with the most shows – 19 in all – from European cities on the tour supporting his November release “Down the Road Wherever.” Joining Knopfler and BTS are Billy Joel, John Mayer and Lionel Richie, all making their first entrance on the chart with sales from summer tours.

Joel takes the fourth ranking with stadium shows at London’s Wembley Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The 66th performance of his monthly residency at New York City’s Madison Square Garden also contributes to his overall attendance count that hits 115,716 from sellouts at all three events for an average of 38,572.

Mayer’s seven performances that earned him No. 6 came at arenas in Albany, N.Y.; Providence, R.I.; Philadelphia; Washington; New York City (with two shows) and Pittsburgh. The Live Nation-produced concerts racked up $10.6 million and 95,571 sold seats for an average ticket count of 13,653 per show. Richie’s debut at No. 24 with a 5,690-ticket average from six shows is based on sales at arenas in Norfolk, Va.; Uncasville, Conn.; and Tampa, Fla.; along with an outdoor event at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va.; and two nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Rolando Otero / South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP – Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam plays at the Pompano Beach Amphitheater in Florida March 4.

Thirty-five-year country music veteran Dwight Yoakam makes a leap of 20 positions to notch the No. 38 ranking as this week’s NOISE MAKER. With reported boxoffice data from two concerts in North Carolina and two in California, he averaged 2,836 tickets. His jump from No. 58 last week is due to a concert with special guest Midland at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, Calif., July 28 during the Orange County Fair. Attendance for the sold-out event was 7,919.

Finally, Lena makes it two weeks in a row as the BREAKTHROUGH artist with 100% sellouts at six concerts. The pop artist played shows in Stuttgart, Munich, Ravensburg, Dresden and Berlin in her native Germany.