Although U2 lapped the competition, making more than $20 million above the next competitor, there were plenty of success stories on the road this year.

The Dublin band’s Elevation Tour, with its focus on performance and that amazing fan-friendly stage setup, made close to $109.7 million when all was said and done. That’s the second biggest tour of all-time, right behind The Rolling Stones’ 1994 tour, which made $121.2 million.

Coming in second and third were the teen bands. The monstrous stage show of *NSYNC, who played mostly stadiums, made $86.8 million. The Backstreet Boys came in third with about $82 million.

Then came Dave Matthews Band with about $60 mil and the pairing of Elton John and Billy Joel, which grossed about $57 million.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Madonna, Aerosmith, Janet Jackson, Eric Clapton and Neil Diamond.

If you thought less people were going to see shows in 2001, you’re an astute observer. For the Top 100 tours of 2001, there was a 7 percent drop-off in ticket sales with 34.4 million sold versus 37.1 million in 2000.

So, how did the tours make more money, then? For one thing, the cost of tickets on average rose three bucks from the year before. The average ticket price for the Top 100 tours was $43.86. In 2000, it took on average $40.74 to walk through the turnstiles.

The new year could fare pretty well for the music fan, all things considered. The Rolling Stones are planning on touring in the States, but that outing is still in the planning stages. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young have announced dates. The Elton John & Billy Joel pairing continues to roll across the country, stopping for five arena shows in Boston and six in Philadelphia.

Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and the band that caused a stir at The Concert For New York City – The Who – are expected to hit the road in 2002. Rumors abound that Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney will also launch tours.