Idolator

Ticket reseller StubHub released its 2007 "State Of The Market That We Won't Refer To As 'Scalping'" report yesterday, and perhaps surprising no one, the Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana "Best Of Both Worlds" tour was all over it. Its $258 average ticket price and 55 dates resulted in it becoming the first tour to gross over $10 million in sales on the site, not to mention that it outsold bands like the Police, Van Halen, and Genesis—you know, old guys.

THE GOOD: Is sanity finally setting in to the secondary-ticketing market? Perhaps: "The average price of concert tickets sold through StubHub in 2007 was $117. That price DECREASED $28 per ticket when compared to average prices in 2006 ($145). The drop in average ticket prices has increased YOY, average ticket prices declined 19% in 2007, compared to 12% in 2006."
THE BAD: Or perhaps not: "Celine Dion's Las Vegas tour topped the average ticket price category at a whopping $352 per show."
THE WHAAAA? In the "Rising Stars Under $100" category, the average price of a ticket to an Arcade Fire show was $94—making them the highest new band in the field. Surely if that average had factored in these peoples' dignity, the price would have gone waayyyy higher.

Top 10 Selling Tours of 2007 (Based on total dollar volume of tickets sold)
1. Hannah Montana
2. The Police
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. Van Halen
5. Justin Timberlake
6. Kenny Chesney
7. Jimmy Buffett
8. Dave Matthews Band
9. Bon Jovi
10. Genesis

Highest Average Tour Ticket Prices (For tours that sold over 3,000 total tickets)
1. Celine Dion - $347
2. Elton John - $260
3. Hannah Montana - $257
4. Eric Clapton - $253
5. Bon Jovi - $239
6. Bruce Springsteen - $226
7. Van Halen - $217
8. Genesis - $210
9. The Police - $209
10. Michael Buble - $195

Super Stars Over $150
Artist/Per Tix Avg.
Hannah Montana $258
Eric Clapton $253
Bon Jovi $239
Bruce Springsteen $226
Van Halen $217
Genesis $210
The Police $209
Justin Timberlake $182
Soul 2 Soul Tour Featuring Faith Hill and Tim McGraw $173
Kenny Chesney $161

Shining Stars Over $100
Artist/Per Tix Avg.
Bob Seger $149
Rascal Flatts $143
Gwen Stefani $142
Dave Matthews Band $138
Jimmy Buffett $136
John Mayer $133
Keith Urban $131
Nickelback $125
Tool $122
Incubus $105

Rising Stars Under $100
Artist/Per Tix Avg.
Dispatch ** $97
Arcade Fire $94
Beastie Boys ** $91
Killers $87
The Fray $86
Cheetah Girls $86
Smashing Pumpkins ** $83
Fall Out Boy $81
Daughtry $78
Snow Patrol $77
**Some exceptions do exist within the "Rising Stars" section. These acts have some well established fan bases and legacies though their average ticket selling prices did not reflect a typical pricing trend on StubHub in 2007.

2007 StubHub Concert Ticket Annual Report [MarketWire via CNN]
[Photo: Getty]