It's a close call, but Coldplay edges out Ed Sheeran in overall touring popularity of the millennium (2001-2025) by ticket sales, though Ed Sheeran had the biggest single tour ever with his '÷ (Divide)' tour. Coldplay leads in total tickets sold for the millennium, but Sheeran's record-breaking '÷' tour grossed more than any other tour before it, showing massive, albeit slightly different, global impact for both acts.
Leading the list? Coldplay with 24.8 million tickets sold. Next, is U2, with 20.2 million tickets sold, and Ed Sheeran, with 19.6 million. Rounding out the top five is Dave Matthews Band, with nearly 19.6 million tickets sold, and Swift, with roughly 18.9 million.
Having secured numerous accolades in recognition of their impact across the music industry, Coldplay are often labelled as successors to U2 as the biggest band in the world.
Justin Bieber claims the top spot thanks to a boost in streams following his new album SWAG. There are new entries from Ed Sheeran and KAROL G at number five and ten respectively, who have both released new music in the last couple of months. They have pushed Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga out of the top 10.
In addition to setting the new record for the largest stadium concerts of the 21st century, Coldplay's Music Of The Spheres World Tour is the most attended tour ever by a group, with over 12 million tickets across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania.
Ed Sheeran: What can fans expect from the upcoming tour? | 60 Minutes Australia
Which tour is bigger, Taylor Swift or Coldplay?
Highest Grossing tours in History: 1️⃣. Taylor Swift “The Eras Tour” - $2B 2️⃣. Coldplay “Music of the Spheres World Tour ”- $1.1B 3️⃣. Elton John “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” - $939M 4️⃣.
The biggest concert crowd ever was for Rod Stewart's free New Year's Eve show on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1994, drawing an estimated 3.5 million people, a record for a free concert, with some sources suggesting even higher numbers. Other massive events include Jean-Michel Jarre's 1997 Moscow concert (3.5 million) and Jorge Ben Jor's 1993 Rio concert (3 million).
There's no single "number 1 artist of all time" as it's subjective, but The Beatles consistently top many lists for sales and cultural impact, while Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and Madonna are also major contenders, with Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift leading recent streaming eras, showing different metrics for greatness.
Both Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift are global superstars, but Taylor Swift generally edges out as the bigger overall artist due to her massive cultural impact, massive touring, and higher engagement across platforms like Spotify (often #1 or #2 most-streamed/followed), while Ed Sheeran frequently leads in specific metrics like UK's most-played artist and massive streaming numbers (especially in the 2010s) with huge album sales and consistent hits, making it a close call depending on the metric.
It became a global phenomenon, clocking up more than 16 billion views - YouTube's most watched video ever. That song was the incredibly catchy Baby Shark.
The best-selling band of all time is The Beatles, with estimates of over 600 million records sold worldwide, making them the top music group by a significant margin, followed by other legendary acts like Queen, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd in overall band sales, though solo artists like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson also rank among the highest-selling artists overall.
Yes, Coldplay strongly supports the LGBTQ+ community, demonstrated through frontman Chris Martin often wearing rainbow colors, flying Pride flags at shows, and publicly embracing inclusivity, even prompting protests from conservative groups in places like Indonesia who oppose this stance. The band integrates themes of human rights and diversity into their tours, with recent examples including Martin correcting himself to use correct pronouns for a nonbinary fan during a song, showcasing direct allyship.
The "#1 hot new band" is a self-proclaimed, long-running title for the emo/pop-punk band Hot Mulligan, known for their witty lyrics, energetic shows, and a dedicated fanbase that embraces the ironic moniker. While not literally the newest, they've been recognized with this title for years, celebrating their status through tours, new music, and social media, with fans often using it to find them.
With over 160 million records sold worldwide, Coldplay are one of the best-selling music acts of all time. They are also the first group in Spotify history to reach 100 million monthly listeners. Fuse listed them among the most awarded artists, which includes the record for most Brit Awards won by a band.
The most-streamed artist of all time on Spotify is Taylor Swift, having surpassed 117 billion streams, with Bad Bunny and Drake close behind, while Bad Bunny was Spotify's top artist for 2025 (a record fourth time), and Swift dominated 2024, showing both artists are consistently top contenders.
As of early January 2026, Ariana Grande is typically ranked number 2 on Spotify for monthly listeners, just behind The Weeknd, though rankings fluctuate daily, with artists like Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars often close behind. For overall popularity (not just monthly listeners), Taylor Swift has also been a top contender.
Coldplay, U2, and Ed Sheeran lead the most popular touring artists of the 21st century, according to a new report from Pollstar. Pollstar's findings are based on worldwide ticket sales reported to the platform from 2001 through the end of…
As of January 2026, Bruno Mars is often cited as the #1 artist on Spotify by monthly listeners, breaking records with over 150 million, though The Weeknd and Taylor Swift are consistently close contenders, with Bad Bunny holding the title for most-streamed artist ever and in 2025, showcasing different ways artists rank.
There's no single #1, but Taylor Swift is often cited for current fame (IFPI's top artist for 2023), while Michael Jackson is legendary as the "King of Pop" for historical impact. Other contenders for overall fame include Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, and modern stars like The Weeknd, depending on whether you mean currently the most popular or historically the most iconic.
The "Big 3" of modern hip-hop refers to Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, recognized for dominating the 2010s with massive commercial success, critical acclaim, and lyrical prowess, with the debate over their supremacy igniting further discussion and recent high-profile rap beef. While Drake brought unparalleled commercial appeal, Kendrick is lauded for lyrical depth, and J. Cole for storytelling and consistency, though their eras' end brings questions about who's next.
There isn't one single "number one artist" as it depends on the metric, but Taylor Swift is widely considered the top artist globally for recent years (2023-2024) by organizations like the IFPI and on Billboard, while Bad Bunny was Spotify's most-streamed artist for 2025. Swift leads in overall sales and streams across platforms, but Bad Bunny topped Spotify's 2025 Wrapped for the year, highlighting different measures of success.
Art is a broad human activity using skill, imagination, and creativity to express ideas, emotions, or a vision, resulting in works appreciated for beauty, emotional power, or concepts, encompassing visual arts (painting, sculpture), performing arts (music, theater, dance), literature, and more, evolving from a general term for skill to focusing on aesthetic expression. It's a way of communicating experiences, from purely functional to deeply symbolic, and its definition constantly shifts across cultures and time.
What is the biggest Coldplay concert ever recorded?
Coldplay made history by performing to an estimated 134,000 fans at Ahmedabad's massive stadium, marking the largest ticketed concert ever held in India.
The largest paid concert ever is debated but often cited as Marko Perković Thompson's July 2025 show in Zagreb, Croatia, with over 450,000 paid attendees, or Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto in 2003 (489,176 attendees). Vasco Rossi's 2017 Modena, Italy concert (225,173 paid) and Jean-Michel Jarre's 1997 Moscow performance (500,000 ticketed, millions watched) are also significant, though Jarre's involved massive free attendance alongside ticket sales, while other huge free events exist.
Did Coldplay surpass Taylor Swift's record for highest attended concert tour?
In a historic milestone, Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour has broken the record for the highest attendance for a music tour, surpassing Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. With over 10.3 million tickets sold and eight months of touring still left, Coldplay's tour has cemented its place in the Guinness World Records.
