Metallica dominated the 2023 Rock and Metal concert scene in the United States, securing the top spot for the biggest tour, as revealed in the latest Billboard data shared by the Stream N’ Destroy newsletter. The numbers further underscore the monumental success of Metallica in the music industry.
Unsurprisingly, Metallica claimed the lead by selling an impressive 1.2 million tickets across the 19 concerts considered in the survey. Following closely behind were Muse, with 1 million tickets sold during their 45 performances, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, amassing 914,000 tickets through a staggering 98 shows.
The Top 5 also featured Guns N’ Roses, who sold 888,200 tickets in 31 shows, and Nickelback, accumulating 731,000 entries over 50 dates. The comprehensive list, detailed at the end of this article, showcased other notable performers such as Måneskin (6th), blink-182 (7th), Red Hot Chili Peppers (8th), The Cure (9th), and Jelly Roll (10th).
In case you missed a familiar name, Metallica also made waves on TikTok recently. The band’s official account posted a seemingly random picture of a pizza while the opening chords of “Harvester of Sorrow,” a track from the 1988 album …And Justice for All, played in the background. As previously reported, Metallica joined in on a viral meme trend circulating on the social media platform.
This interaction on TikTok highlights Metallica’s awareness of contemporary trends, proving that James Hetfield and the rest of the band are staying connected with their audience.
For those interested, below is the full list of the top Rock and Metal tours in the United States for 2023:
- Metallica – 1.2 million tickets sold in 19 shows
- Muse – 1 million tickets sold in 45 shows
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra – 914,000 tickets sold in 98 shows
- Guns N’ Roses – 888,200 tickets sold in 31 shows
- Nickelback – 731,000 tickets sold in 50 shows
- Måneskin – 713,000 tickets sold in 55 shows
- blink-182 – 696,000 tickets sold in 45 shows
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – 658,000 tickets sold in 18 shows
- The Cure – 643,000 tickets sold in 43 shows
- Jelly Roll – 629,000 tickets sold in 50 shows.