TicketNetwork Blog

Taylor Swift is going back on tour, meaning there really was no competition in November. When added together, 65% more tickets were bought for Taylor Swift concerts than the nearest contender, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. She will likely continue to do well for at least the next couple weeks as more shows go on sale.

Meanwhile, TSO tickets are selling even better now that the holiday season is in full swing, and they've been joined in representing the holiday-themed shows by Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Also doing better is One Direction, who is back in the Top 3 after dropping to sixth place last month. Most of the rest of the Top 10 is pretty much the same, just with switched positions. The exception is the one other new event, Disney on Ice: Rockin' Ever After.

The major story of last month is George Strait's Cowboy Rides Away Tour with Martina McBride. I don't believe I've seen a higher number of tickets bought for a performer (or a duo) in a month than I have for them. In fact, their tour accounts for 22% of all the tickets in this month's Top 10. I guess it just goes to show that it helps to be the king, and even more so when you're retiring in two years.

Meanwhile, singer-songwriter P!nk was the leading solo performer, with a strong showing all throughout the month. Trans-Siberian Orchestra moved up, which isn't unexpected since their tour is quickly approaching. On the other hand, One Direction moved down quite a bit after spending the previous two months in the Top 3. However, this also isn't surprising. Their current tour is soon ending, and the next doesn't begin until June 2013, so sales will likely pick back up later.

Finally, Maroon 5 entered the Top 10 for the first time with extremely strong sales, especially when you consider what other performers and shows are on the list.

A lot changed last month in the Top 10. One Direction returned to the top, displacing the Ringling Bros. Circus, but just barely. Meanwhile, theater staple Wicked and the popular Book of Mormon moved up, thanks to a burst in orders.

Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra have entered the list for the first time, due to the fact that they haven't had tours since last year. Notably, Lady Gaga has not displaced One Direction. There was a time when she would have topped this list, perhaps alternating with Justin Bieber. However, tickets have been on sale for a little more than a week; we'll give her some extra time to climb.

Speaking of performers not doing as well, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan are slowly, but surely, slipping down the list. This isn't very surprising, given that their tour is wrapping up. But it is the first time since May that they haven't been in the top three.

As promised last month, there have been some changes to the Top 10. From this point forward, all events will be included in the tally, not just concerts. Let's get on with it.

Topping the list this month is the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The famous circus had a convincing lead in ticket sales compared to all other events, thanks to its multiple concurrent tours and affordable prices. It accounts for nearly 20% of tickets sold for the events in this month's Top 10.

Following that are many of the concerts seen before in previous Top 10 lists, including Jason Aldean, One Direction, Bruce Springsteen, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, and the KISS & Mötley Crüe tour. Finally, representing theater are the ever-popular Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Cirque du Soleil - Dralion.

As of July 31 both of the acts mentioned in the headline have been in the Top 10 for five months, so it's only fitting that they should claim the top two spots for the July list. While One Direction has never left the top 5, the Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan tour has slowly climbed its way up.

The big loser is Justin Bieber, who's dropped completely off the list after holding the top spot for the last two months. It's the biggest downward movement since Van Halen fell from #2 in March. However, it is possible that Bieber will return as the September 29 tour beginner gets closer.

What happened? I can only speculate, but I'll call it the Newbie Effect, which seems to work on sales in two ways. First, the initial excitement for Justin Bieber is long gone. Bieber Fever was at its peak back in 2010, when he was #1 or #2 for nine months. Second, much of that excitement has transferred to One Direction. It's likely that Bieber would be doing better right now if they'd never come along, but they did and so he's not.