A new study has revealed which acts toured the hardest over the past year. According to the findings, Foreigner, Def Leppard and Judas Priest were among the hardest-working bands of 2018.

Norman Records looked at the 1,000 most popular artists on Songkick and created a formula that factored in the number of gigs played and how many miles they traveled. They then broke down the artists into six "loosely defined" categories -- rock, metal, dance, electronic, hip-hop and singer-songwriters -- and published the Top 10 for each.

Foreigner finished fourth in the rock category, playing 105 concerts across 60,949 miles, while Def Leppard (86 shows, 50,500 miles), Judas Priest (86 shows, 38,814 miles) and Marilyn Manson (86 shows, 38,333 miles) took the last three spots on the metal list. Bob Dylan (68 concerts, 61,226 miles) finished in ninth place in the singer-songwriters category.

Shinedown topped the list in terms of the number of gigs (136), but didn't travel comparatively long distances to play them (47,470 miles). Dutch DJ R3hab, on the flip side, traveled the farthest -- 287,550 miles -- but for only 118 dates.

Noting that all 60 acts on the lists toured enough in 2018 to circumnavigate the globe at least once, Norman Records concluded, "It’s a golden age for live music, with artists hitting the road more often and for longer stretches. Getting sweaty with a bunch of like-minded fans provides the tangible experience lacking in an age where algorithms dominate listening habits. ... Whether you love them, loathe them, have never heard of them, or are just plain indifferent towards their existence, you've got to respect the work ethic."

 

 

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