In December, the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees list was released which included names like Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits and Leon Russell. One nominee that did make the cut this year is Bon Jovi, but that did not stop the group from having the worldwide highest-grossing concert tour of 2010, netting $201.1 million. Other top grossing tours mostly went to other classic rock groups like U2, AC/DC and Metallica, with Lady Gaga being the only recent artist to crack the top five.

With record sales down, the always important tour income has become even more crucial in recent years, to stars like Jon Bon Jovi and struggling indie bands, alike. Even though ticket sales dropped 15% since 2009, tour revenue, including merchandise sales, can help artists make up for albums that have been declining at a steady rate for years. So, booking agreements and contracts become all the more important, particularly to bands scraping to make their living on the roads.