Hutchinson News
December 24, 1993
The cultural phenomenon known as the Grateful Dead was the top grossing concert act of 1993, according to Performance magazine, a concert and touring trade journal.
The Dead’s large and intensely loyal following bought 1.6 million tickets to a total of 78 shows for box-office gross receipts of nearly $44.5 million, according to Performance, whose figures are based on reports from such sources as promoters, managers, concert venues and accountants.
Next in line was Paul McCartney, whose 24 shows drew 987,005 and gross receipts of $32.3 million. The Dead and McCartney were the only two acts on the list to play stadiums.
These were the concert acts that filled out the Top 10 after McCartney:
* Rod Stewart, whose 41 shows had an attendance of 627,537, with gross receipts of nearly $20 million.
* Bette Midler, 50 shows, 368,130 in attendance, receipts of $18.8 million.
* Garth Brooks, 56 shows, 1 million in attendance, $18.7 million in receipts.
* Neil Diamond, 50 shows, 720,177 in attendance, $18.7 million in receipts.
* Lollapalooza tour, 33 shows, 637,541 in” attendance, $17 million in receipts.
* Jimmy Buffett, 43 shows, 670,396 iu’attendance, $16 million in receipts.
* Billy Joel, 32 shows, 560,700 in attendance, $15.8 million in receipts.
* Madonna, 11 shows, 317,593 in at;tendance, $15.3 million in receipts.
Of the Top 10. McCartney, Brooks, Buffett, Madonna and the Lollapalooza tour were all done for 1993; the Grateful Dead, Joel, Midler, Diamond and Stewart still had a few of dates to play this month after Performance went to press.
