It's no secret that Metallica make a lot of money. They sold the most albums in 2016, they were among the most streamed rock artists of 2016. Seriously, they make a lot of money. Even former bassist Jason Newsted has said that he never has to work again.
But things really come into perspective when you look at the receipts from their massive WorldWired tour. These shows all happened in stadiums and have massive productions, and they make absolutely massive bank. Keep in mind, these are gross sales – so this is before all the expenses are taken out, like the venue cut, road crew payments and manager payments. But this still gives you an idea of the massive amount of money Metallica make. The report comes from Billboard's Boxscore report, via ThePRP.
Artist: Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat
Venue: Denver, CO – Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Date: Jun. 07th, 2017
Gross Sales: $5,884,163
Attendance/Capacity: 51,955 / 58,913
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50
Artist: Metallica & Volbeat
Venue: Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
Date: May 19th, 2017
Gross Sales: $5,713,499
Attendance/Capacity: 47,778 / 52,086
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50
Artist: Metallica & Volbeat
Venue: Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field
Date: May 12th, 2017
Gross Sales: $5,421,187
Attendance/Capacity: 49,722 / 53,836
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50
Artist: Metallica & Avenged Sevenfold
Venue: Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Date: Jun. 18th, 2017
Gross Sales: $5,313,715
Attendance/Capacity: 51,041 / 52,360
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50
Artist: Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat
Venue: East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Date: May 14th, 2017
Gross Sales: $5,196,437
Attendance/Capacity: 46,941 / 51,468
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50
Artist: Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat
Venue: Houston, TX – NRG Stadium
Date: Jun. 11th, 2017
Gross Sales: $4,854,471
Attendance/Capacity: 46,720 / 51,023
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50
Artist: Metallica & Avenged Sevenfold
Venue: San Antonio, TX – Alamodome
Date: Jun. 14th, 2017
Gross Sales: $4,527,655
Attendance/Capacity: 45,343 / 49,271
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50
Artist: Metallica & Avenged Sevenfold
Venue: Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium
Date: Jun. 16th, 2017
Gross Sales: $4,247,778
Attendance/Capacity: 45,860 / 48,348
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50
Artist: Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat
Venue: Baltimore, MD – M&T Bank Stadium
Date: May 10th, 2017
Gross Sales: $4,220,421
Attendance/Capacity: 40,850 / 55,705
Ticket Prices: $160.50, $60.50
Artist: Metallica & Volbeat
Venue: St. Louis, MO – Busch Stadium
Date: Jun. 04th, 2017
Gross Sales: $4,192,393
Attendance/Capacity: 38,778 / 43,366
Ticket Prices: $155.50, $55.50