They’ve produced 32 No. 1 albums among them, have a combined net worth of over $1.3 billion and account for 32 total years of marriage. There’s no denying that Tim McGraw & Faith Hill and Jay-Z & Beyonce are two of music’s biggest power couples. They’re each hitting the road this summer for blockbuster tours, but how exactly do they stack up against each other? We took a look at their impressive touring history to find out.
First, let’s break down Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, who have been country music royalty since marrying in 1996. Since then, the pair have embarked on three co-headlining tours. Their popular Soul2Soul concert series continues to grow in grandeur – and revenue – with each new installment. The first outing back in 2000 became the fifth highest-grossing North American tour that year and sold out all but a handful of dates on the itinerary. They returned for a second round in 2006, which went on to become the highest-grossing country concert tour ever. The duo held that record for several years before being dethroned by Taylor Swift‘s Red Tour. Coincidentally, Swift served as an opening act on select dates of the Soul2Soul II Tour.
In 2012, McGraw and Hill took their Soul2Soul magic to Las Vegas for a residency show at the Venetian Theatre. It proved to be a hit, consisting of 78 shows that ran from December 12 through April 2014. Despite all these successful ventures, the couple had yet to collaborate on a full-length album. Until now, that is.
The singers revealed they’d take the Soul2Sour tour on the road once more in 2017 in support of their first joint album, The Rest of Our Life. They proved they still had the fire on stage and in sales, as each of the 80 shows on the North American trek sold out. The overwhelming popularity of the tour led McGraw and Hill to extend it by 29 additional shows, set to run through this summer.
Upon first glance of the above chart, which compares their touring data from the past few years, it would appear that the tour’s popularity has gone down over time. However, the rather steep average ticket price of $371.45 during the Soul2Soul residency is a bit skewed. Single-performance tickets were harder to come by at the 1,800-seat Venetian Theatre versus arenas that could hold thousands. Last year’s leg saw concert-goers dishing out nearly $155 on average. That number jumped to $161 and change this year. It all proves that Tim and Faith’s popularity continues to soar as time passes. But how do they compare to a certain other musical couple?
Together since 2003 and married since 2008, Jay-Z & Beyonce have built a new level of celebrity empire. Their respective solo careers are impressive enough, but their union simply drives fans wild. So much so that their 2014 co-headlining On The Run Tour raked in nearly $100 million in just 19 shows. The Carters have since welcomed twins Rumi and Sir, and released acclaimed solo albums (Lemonade for her, 4:44 for him). While their highly publicized marital strife was a focus on their latest albums, Jay-Z & Beyonce have come out stronger than ever and are ready to hit the road again. They sent fans into a frenzy after announcing their On the Run II Tour would commence this summer, consisting of 30 stadium shows.
Jay-Z & Beyonce’s recent tour data proves that two really is better than one. Their first On the Run outing saw tickets sell for about $170 on average. This figure is slightly higher than Bey’s solo Formation World Tour in 2016 and nearly double the price of tickets to Jay-Z’s 4:44 Tour last fall. Tickets are in even higher demand for On the Run II’s 30 tour dates, averaging roughly $185 apiece.
Both couples have made their mark on the music industry and in fans’ hearts. And the longer they continue to perform together, crowds will line up to see them every time.