These are the ‘hardest touring’ bands and artists of 2018

Who gigs the hardest?

The ‘hardest touring’ bands and artists of 2018 have been revealed – based on the amount of gigs they played and miles they travelled.

The data was gathered by Norman Records, who collated data from the top 1,000 artists on Songkick and then cross-referenced across over gig listing sites to see just how much artists had been gigging across the last year.

“It’s a golden age for live music, with artists hitting the road more often and for longer stretches,” said a spokesman from Norman Records. “Getting sweaty with a bunch of like-minded fans provides the tangible experience lacking in an age where algorithms dominate listening habits. Which got us thinking. Who are the hardest touring artists?”

They continued: “The answers surprised us. We crunched some numbers based on the 1,000 most popular artists on Songkick this November and December. From that data we’ve cobbled together a bunch of Top 10s from across six loosely-defined genres – rock, metal, dance, electronic, hip-hop, and good old singer-songwriters – to reveal the hardest-gigging artists of 2018.

“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.”

Overall, metal band Shinedown came out on top – having played 136 gigs and travelled 47470 miles throughout the year. It was found that rock, metal and hip-hop artists had travelled the furthest of acts from other genres. Check out the hardest touring bands by each genre below.

Rock/Indie

Hip-hop

Metal

Singer-songwriters

Dance

Electronic

For more of the year’s round-ups, check out NME’s:

– Best Albums of 2018
– Best Songs of 2018
– Best Films of 2018