The most expensive music to love in 2022
At the risk of understating the point, being a music fan in 2022 is not reasonable. While artists claim that sales of their music output are declining in favor of offerings like Spotify, fans are paying massive amounts of money for tickets, legal merchandise, and other “music-related” stuff that might download over time.
Of course, some artists are more expensive than others. As you might expect, having a penchant for bands like Wet Leg or Black Country New Road doesn’t come with the same price tag as liking Drake, Harry Styles, or Adele. Here are some of the most expensive artists you could love in 2022. A recent article discussed how expensive it is to be a superfan.
Drake
Being a big Drake fan comes with a hefty price tag. In 2019, Drake was criticised for charging fans up to £200 for seated tickets, with status prices reaching £140. If you had attended every single Drake performance in the UK over the past five years, it could have cost you “£14,328”, according to analysis by Betway.
Of course, you’re probably not going to do that; after all, it’s a level of devotion that most lovers will never display. Still, there’s no denying that the price of being a Drake fan is high.
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran has certainly come a long way, going from a penniless musician strumming his acoustic guitar to a stadium-filling superstar. Resale prices for tickets are around £80 for Sheeran’s concerts; he goes all out for his shows, so it’s not like you’re just going to watch a guitarist playing on the street, but it’s still a huge amount of money to pay.
If you want him to perform hits like “Thinking Out Loud” or “Bad Habits” using just a foot pedal, this is a show not to be missed.
BTS
Given the massive growth of K-pop in recent times, it should come as no surprise that BTS has achieved phenomenal fame. The group is one of the most famous and beloved K-pop groups around, and that translates into the exorbitant price tag that comes with being a BTS fan.
Typically, BTS merch will cost you around $15, which isn’t too bad, but you’ll have to shell out around $5,460 throughout your life as a BTS fan, which is a bit more. But if you ask us, their music is worth it.
Metallica
You probably saw this coming, right? Metallica have earned themselves a reputation as the most expensive rock band in the world, and rightfully so. Metallica resale tickets often cost around $125, which means you’re going to be out of pocket to watch James Hetfield and his employer tear up the stage to a certain extent.
Still, it’s hard to argue with Metallica’s level of presence; the band puts everything they have into every show, playing extraordinarily technical and fast-paced songs every night, and for that, we salute them.
Elton John
Elton John is one of the biggest stars in the world today. His reputation has not waned even though he has been around for nearly sixty years, and he has managed to maintain this level of relevance through collaborations with huge stars and legends in the making like Rina Sawayama and Lil Nas X.
Unfortunately, if you need to travel and see Elton John in concert, this level of relevance comes at a price, as you’ll have to pay around €91 for a resale ticket. “I’m Still Standing,” yes. Seated tickets cost more, after all.
Adele
Incredibly, according to the Betway research we mentioned above, Adele tickets on resale can cost you almost €626, the same price as the last pair of AirPods Max headphones.
The “Easy On Me” and “Someone Like You” singer also lists a price tag of $4,795.50 in case you need to spend money on merchandise in addition to going to see her (again, this is along the fan journey), so it probably doesn’t make sense to be an Adele lover.
Bruno Mars
Research shows that you’ll spend around £2,500 throughout your Bruno Mars fan journey. If you’re going to travel to see the singer on tour and buy all his merchandise, you’ll be shelling out a pretty penny.
However, that sum includes both Bruno’s solo work and his time with the unfashionable R&B group Silk Sonic. For that price, you’ll also get Anderson Paak’s excellent performances, which we think makes it well worth the price.
Sam Smith
Given Sam Smith’s silky voice, we shouldn’t be surprised that he’s in high demand among fans, and he certainly is. Purchasing legitimate merchandise from the singer can set you back around $35 depending on the item, and you’ll pay an extra $7 if you want your purchase signed by Smith himself. Research indicates that being a Smith superfan will set you back around $2,960, so you should carefully consider whether or not you should just look and buy all the merch they’re selling!
As you can see, following a number of the most famous bands of the moment probably doesn’t come cheap. Of course, a number of these figures are lifetime expenses rather than one-off purchases, so they’re forgivable from that perspective. Still, be sure to ask yourself some careful questions about all your music-purchasing decisions!
