There is a pressing question that continues to bother many of us: how do singers make so much money? While you may think that they become so rich by selling their music through online music stores, this is definitely not the case. Instead, musicians make most of their fortune by touring around the world and performing for their millions of fans in sold-out concerts.
This is exactly how the legendary singer Madonna has been able to reap in hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of her career. As of 2018, her net worth was estimated to be over half a billion dollars, most of which has come from the revenues she has been able to generate through her tours.
The Highest-Grosser
As of 2016, Madonna emerged as the number one musician when it came to the total gross earned by solo artists through their tours. She managed to earn the top spot, which had been held by Bruce Springsteen before her; after her concert tour for her album called Rebel Heart became very successful, bringing in a total of $169.8 in gross income with an average of around $2.1 million per show.
After the conclusion of the Rebel Heart tour, it has been estimated that Madonna, over the course of her entire career, has been able to generate a total of $1.31 billion when it comes to the total gross she has earned through her tours. Although she is number one when it comes to solo acts, when it comes to all touring acts, Madonna is still at a third place when it comes to total gross income.
Many Locations
The Rebel Heart tour must not have been an easy ride for the 60-year-old. After having kicked off in Montreal, Canada, in September 2015, the entire tour spanned over a period of around seven months, requiring the singer to perform in a total of 82 shows that had been scheduled in 55 cities around the world. The show culminated in March 2016, with her final show in the beautiful city of Sydney, Australia, which was a location of great significance considering the fact that the singer had not performed in the country for around 23 years.
There were many other locations that the singer visited for the very first time during her Rebel Heart tour, including the Auckland, Bangkok, and Manila. Her performances during the tour received mixed reviews, with some praising her performances while others commenting that she looked out of her element.
A few performances became quite notable, especially the one she delivered in Houston, Texas, where Madonna delivered a heart-touching tribute to singer David Bowie. But the ones she gave in Australia were marred by criticism, most likely because it was the end of her tour and Madonna was simply tired.
Stars Join In
Madonna was not the only superstar that fans got to see at the Rebel Heart tour. Katy Perry, Amy Schumer, Jessica Chastain, and Idris Alba, to name a few, also made surprise appearances at some of her shows.