In an era where it is particularly difficult (nearly impossible) for older acts to maintain any sense of relevance, it seems that

touring on a grander scale has become the best way to keep everyone aware of their worth. Sure, album sales can always keep an act in the headlines, but touring is where the money is, and in all honesty, some older acts are outselling current ones by alot.

This past week it was announced that Prince would be continuing his sell-out Welcome 2 America tour by adding an unprecedented 21 dates in Los Angeles (with a majority of shows at the Forum). In even bigger news, with a date in Sao Paulo this past Sunday, U2 will officially claim the title of “Highest Grossing Tour of All Time” with their 360 Tour, a record once held by another old act, the Rolling Stones. With about 20 more shows to go, this record will most likely not be broken again for a long time. Last year, even, the highest biggest tour was Bon Jovi followed by U2 and AC/DC. Also included in the top-10 were James Taylor and Carole King, The Eagles, Metallica, Dave Matthews Band, and Paul McCartney. Even in recent years, Madonna claimed the title of biggest solo tour with her Sticky & Sweet Tour, and Michael Jackson was gearing up to make serious history with his This Is It Tour.

While artists such as Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas, and Katy Perry have been embarking on highly publicized world tours, it seems that they are no match for their legendary peers. In many ways this makes alot of sense. These other acts have been around longer and have built up huge fan bases. But then again, it’s hard to argue with Lady Gaga’s success and her ability so sell out any venue anywhere. Certainly it’s not the scale of the shows, either. Prince, for example played four massive sold out dates at Madison Square Garden, and U2 have pretty much played every major venue in the world! So what sets these guys apart? Quite simply, they’re just that good. Even acts such as Madonna and Kylie Minogue, who have maintained relevance well into their 40’s and beyond, are still dwarfing the competition with elaborate and show-stopping shows. People just know what’s good.

While many of these artists pretty much don’t have a prayer when it comes to top-40 radio (outside of one or two exceptions), with all of their energy focused in touring, it seems that the “old guys” are getting the last laugh. They’ll always be big album sellers, but when it comes to touring, they’re running away with it.