Madonna's MDNA tour sold out all 72 of its worldwide dates, raking in a whopping $228,406,085 in grosses. The tour also generated plenty of publicity for the controversy-friendly singer, from superimposing a swastika on the image of French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen, to supporting jailed Russian girl group Pussy Riot, to flashing her nipple at her Istanbul stop and mooning concert goers in Rome, the tour was nothing short of outrageous.
The Boss brought in $199,371,791 on his 72-date trek across the globe this year.
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With The Wall Returns, Roger Waters's tour raked in $186,466,703 in 2012.
The show, honoring the late Michael Jackson and backed by the Jackson family, saw an astounding 183 dates and brought in $147,310,505.
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Mother Monster kicked off her Born This Way Ball in April 2012 and will continue touring until March 2013. Lady Gaga sold out all 65 of her 2012 dates, earning $124,879,545.
Coldplay hit North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand during a whirlwind 2012. All in all, the band brought in $147,188,828 with their ticket sales. But fans might be waiting a while for the next go-around, with lead singer Chris Martin hinting at a three-year hiatus during one of the band's recent shows.
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Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney brought double the trouble to their Brothers of the Sun tour, kicking off in June for a 23-day trek. The venture raked in $96,458,890.
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Despite canceling 30 dates and postponing several more due to illness, Van Halen still earned a spot on Billboard's annual list with $54,425,548 earned this year on tour.
Among the most buzzed-about collaborations of the decade, Jay-Z and Kanye West brought their Watch the Throne on the road for a 31-date tour. And at the end of the day, Jay and Ye made $46,986,464.
Violinist Andre Rieu played nearly 100 shows this year, bringing in $46,785,717.
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A staple of the touring music world, the Dave Matthews Band played 41 dates in 2012 and earned $41,433,182.
Just 12 sold-out shows placed Barbra Streisand at No. 12 on Billboard's list. Her touring intake: $40,657,170.
Jason Aldean's Night Train debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's 200 album chart earlier this year. His tour proved to be among the hottest tickets in the nation this year, and his momentum is still rolling. His July 2013 show at Boston's Fenway Park sold out in just 7 minutes, prompting the country singer to add a second date. His 2012 tour earnings: $39,956,703.
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Lady A may have canceled several tour dates next year due to Hillary Scott's pregnancy, but the band did plenty of touring in 2012 to make up for that. The trio performed 88 shows and brought in $38,358,801.
2012 was a big year for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In April, the band was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. They rallied for the re-election of President Obama with a free show in Cleveland, Ohio, to drum up volunteers for the campaign. And in October, Flea celebrated his 50th birthday with a fundraising bash. All the while, they continued to tour and raked in $33,911,873 along the way.
One of five country acts (six if you count Taylor Swift) to make the list, Brad Paisley's tour brought in $33,794,719 this year.
Earlier this year, Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger asked punk rocker Avril Lavigne to be his wife with a massive sparkler. Luckily for him, the band earned $33,790,267 on the road this year.
No. 18 (Not Pictured): The Trans-Siberian Orchestra earned $33,370,711.
This pop icon still knows how to entertain an audience, drawing 240,381 eager concert-goers to his 38 shows this year. In total, John brought in $32,920,986.
He may still be waiting for that coveted Grammy award, but Justin Bieber sure knows how to sell out a stadium. The pop sensation filled 28 out of the 29 venues at which he performed this year, drawing in $32,920,986 and 402,710 audience members.
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Audiences are still finding Rod Stewart sexy, pushing him to No. 21 on the list. For Stewart, 2012 marked a new deal with Universal, a Christmas album, the release of his autobiography and $30,158,491 in touring dollars.
While promoting The Very Best of Neil Diamond, the legendary singer performed 30 dates and earned $29,910,078.
Performing only 11 shows this year, none of which were sold out, Pearl Jam still secured a spot on Billboard's list with $27,363,430 in touring dollars.
Touring for more than a full year, Taylor Swift wrapped up her Speak Now Tour with 21 sold-out shows and $26,310,160 in revenue in 2012. She'll embark on her next tour, promoting her latest album Red, in early 2013.
Country duo Rascal Flatts brought in $26,155,360 over the course of 45 tour dates.