Veteran male rock'n'roll acts had biggest 2017 world tours

Veteran, white male rock stars raked in the most cash from world tours in 2017, according to an annual list released on Thursday, while the highest-ranked women - Celine Dion and Lady Gaga - failed to make the top 10.

Irish band U2 grossed a leading US$316 million from its 30th anniversary, 50-date "Joshua Tree" tour. It was followed by hard rock band Guns N' Roses which took in US$292.5 million, according to trade publication Pollstar's ranking of the Top 20 worldwide tours of 2017.

British band Coldplay came in third, with US$238 million, on a list where Bruno Mars, 32, of Puerto Rican and Philippine descent, was the only musician of colour in the top 10. Mars grossed US$200 million. Ed Sheeran, 26, was the youngest singer in the top 10, pulling in US$124.1 million.

At a whopping US$1,500 average, Bruce Springsteen's limited Broadway run had the highest ticket prices and grossed US$87.8 million to give the "Born to Run" singer 14th place.

In 11th place, Dion was the top female act with US$101.2 million, while Lady Gaga's "Joanne" tour grossed US$85.7 million for 15th place.

The touring numbers mark a strong contrast with U.S. music sales and streaming preferences, where hip hop and R&B music this year became the most consumed music genre, according to a July Nielsen Music report.

The top 20 tours grossed US$2.66 billion in 2017, a record high and an increase of more than US$264 million from 2016, Pollstar said.

Pollstar's ranking is based on ticket sales data and does not include revenue from merchandise which can add a sizable chunk to tour earnings.