Chesney tops 2008 concert ticket sales

"It's not about the money, it's about the fans," Chesney said. "There will always be tours that gross more than us because I believe in trying to make it possible for anyone who wants to come out and rock with us to be able to do it. To me, I measure how successful these tours are by the faces we see - and last year, I saw some pretty happy people everywhere we went. That they're a lot of fans there makes me feel like we're part of their summer, and part of how they're living their life."

Chesney played to 1,012,804 fans, according to touring trade Pollstar. The Jonas Brothers' 949,943 was the second most attended tour for 2008. With a $71.24 average ticket - for a $72.2 million tour gross, Chesney followed Madonna with $153.88/average ticket and a total of $105 million, Celine Dion at $119/average ticket and a total of $94 million and The Eagles at $128.82/average and a total $73.4 million.

"People make all kinds of claims about how many tickets they sell or how much they make, but they do it before the numbers are published," he said. "I don't think anybody in my camp's head is there; it's always been about how do we make this show the best thing we can for the fans.

"And our fans know every year, we're gonna bring it even hotter and harder than the year before. It's kinda been the thing that drives me and the guys. And those fans... well, you hear 'em and you wanna give even better than you get, and they give pretty good."

Chesney's Poets & Pirates Tour featured LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Sammy Hagar, Gary Allen and Luke Bryan.

"It's weird to realize these shows could be some people's memories, the way the concerts were for me and my friends growing up are so much a part of who we were - and are," Chesney said. "But I know how important those moments are, and I think our fans know that, too. It's why they come out early and tail-gait... It's why they cram into the Sand Bar... and why they sing even louder than we do on 'Back Where I Come From'... I think it's why they keep coming out, and why we keepp pushing harder to be more every year. They know that, and we do, too."

Chesney's 2009 Sun City Carnival Tour already sold out Boston's Gillette Stadium - in less than 10 minutes, marking his fifth straight year in Foxboro, Mass.