WGME Vol. 2: The Most Expensive Concert Tickets of 2008

Welcome to Vol. 2 of “Who's Got My Extra?” — Jamtopia's series all about the business and pleasure of concert tickets.
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StubHub recently released their 2008 Concert Ticket Annual Report. It's an interesting look at concert ticket sales figures for 2008, though a bit skewed as it's based exclusively on StubHub data.

Here's the short version:

The average price of a concert ticket on StubHub in 2008 was $159, up $3 from 2007, with Madonna, The Eagles, and Billy Joel commanding the highest average ticket price.

My favorite part of the report is the upfront by Chuck La Vallee, Head of Music Business Development for StubHub. La Vallee echoes John Barlow a bit, noting that nothing can replace the experience of seeing live music.

Despite challenging economic times, StubHub buyers are willing to invest in the experience they get for the price of admission.

So just how much are people willing to pay for concert tickets? Glad you asked.

Here are the 10 acts with highest average concert tickets prices on StubHub for tours that sold over 10,000 total tickets in 2008:

• 10 Michael Buble Tickets*

  $189 avg. ticket price
• 9 Bruce Springsteen Tickets*

  $191 avg. ticket price
• 10 Michael Buble Tickets*

  $189 avg. ticket price
• 8 Neil Diamond Tickets

  $193 avg. ticket price
• 7 Celine Dion Tickets*

  $198 avg. ticket price
• 6 Hannah Montana Tickets*

  $209 avg. ticket price
• 5 AC/DC Tickets

  $210 avg. ticket price
• 4 Bon Jovi Tickets*

  $217 avg. ticket price
• 3 Billy Joel Tickets

  $224 avg. ticket price
• 2 Eagles Tickets

  $234 avg. ticket price
• 1 Madonna Tickets

  $306 avg. ticket price
• * Also appeared on 2007 list

Not suprisingly, most of the top 10 have been touring for over two decades, so they've got a multi-generational fanbase resulting in high demand and short supply for concert tickets.

And if you'll allow me to break out my crystal ball for a second, I've got a prediction for who will be at the top of the list next year. One word. Britney.

P.S. If you're still reading this, you might be interested in the 2007 StubHub Concert Ticket Annual Report and the 2006 StubHub Concert Ticket Annual Report.