U2's Vertigo tour started out with demand so huge that it overloaded the ticketing system, forcing the band to apologise to its infuriated fans, and it will end as one of the top-grossing treks of all time.

In between, the trek has produced some of the most critically acclaimed concerts of the Irish band's career, showcasing innovative production amid brilliant songs in stadiums and arenas around the world.

With dates still left to play, Vertigo is easily the top-grossing tour of 2005, reporting grosses totalling more than $260 million and attendance of more than 3 million from 90 sellouts, as reported to Billboard Boxscore through November 15.

Amid all the to-do about Vertigo, the Eagles quietly put together one of the biggest touring years in the band's history, much of it within its home state of California. The Eagles reported almost $117 million in grosses from 77 shows. Major stadium and arena dates in Australia added to the band's coffers.

Rolling Stones tour producer Michael Cohl opts to report his numbers at the conclusion of a tour, so data for the Bigger Bang shows will influence the 2006 charts -- and likely again earn the Stones chart-topping status.

Another veteran road warrior, Neil Diamond, also put up some career-milestone numbers. Touring Australia late last year and North America this fall, Diamond reported grosses totalling more than $71 million and attendance of more than 1.06 million. Another leg of the tour began this month in support of his new Rick Rubin-produced record, "12 Songs."

Country superstar Kenny Chesney is another artist who continues to outdo himself, reporting more than $63 million in grosses from a route that included stadiums, amphitheaters and arenas. His A Place in the Sun tour drew 1.1 million in attendance, topped only by U2.

Two other country acts cracked the top 25 this year. Toby Keith reported nearly $32 million from 62 shows, and up-and-comers Rascal Flatts notched an impressive $26 million from a hard-working 83 dates.

Chesney's melodic godfather, Jimmy Buffett, embarked on an efficient year of touring. Buffett grossed $41 million from 26 shows. The biggest of all was an $8 million box-office take at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Rod Stewart continues to draw crowds, moving 564,223 tickets this year for a gross of nearly $49 million. His pal Elton John also raked it in, reporting more than $45 million from touring dates and another $30.6 million from his resident booking at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Had John's Colosseum run been counted as part of his "touring," he would have ranked third among all touring acts.

Meanwhile, Dave Matthews Band continues to be one of the most consistent touring acts in the world. With dates still left on the books after Billboard's reporting period ended, DMB grossed more than $45 million and sold 984,697 tickets to 51 shows. That does not count the thousands who heard the band at festivals like Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn.

One of the great touring success stories of 2005 came from Green Day. The band found another gear this year, managing double-bookings in many arenas and even adding stadiums to the route. On the strength of the much-praised "American Idiot" album, Green Day cracked the top 10 tours for the first time with a gross of $36.5 million from 76 shows.

While pop, country and rock of various styles are represented in the top 25 tours, Latin is absent, and it took combining hip-hop's two biggest names for rap to make the top 10. Though they represent millions in album sales between them, the Eminem/50 Cent Anger Management tour finished 21st among touring acts in 2005, grossing $21 million from 21 shows that drew 191,803 fans.