Photo by Ben Kaye
Last year, we counted down the most restless bands in music, those wayfaring warriors who forsake their own health, happiness, and personal relationships all in the name of our shared entertainment. As thorough as we may have been, though, we take our news caps off to the folks at Songkick, who took the cataloging to the next level by crunching the numbers and coming up with a logistical breakdown of the hardest working bands of 2013. If we weren’t so impressed, we’d give those dweebs a swirlie.
According to the website, they used the criteria of “how many shows a band has played, and the exact distance between each venue on their tour” to compile the list. Overall, Songkick found a 15% increase in the distance most bands traveled. “As artist incomes rely more and more on the live music industry,” they wrote, “it’s clear that bands are increasingly willing to tour further and tap into new and emerging markets.” While it doesn’t account for new music releases or other projects (collaborations, media appearances, etc.), it’s hard to argue with the legitimacy of their findings.
Here’s the top 10 artists who spent more time on the road then at home this year:
01. Local Natives – 188 shows played and 119,605 miles traveled
02. Kendrick Lamar – 171 shows played and 142,656 miles traveled
03. Alt-J – 164 shows played and 158,538 miles traveled
04. Imagine Dragons – 157 shows played and 128,021 miles traveled
05. Foals – 155 shows played and 135,110 miles traveled
06. Papa Roach – 147 shows played and 65,406 miles traveled
07. One Direction – 145 shows played and 64,473 miles traveled
08. Willie Nelson – 143 shows played and 45,942 miles traveled
09. Two Door Cinema Club – 142 shows played and 128,621 mils traveled
10. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – 138 shows played and 123,827 miles traveled
That’s over 1,112,199 accumulative miles, or 2.5 trips to the Moon and back. Plus, who knows how many Hart’s truck stops showers or Monster Slim Jim’s that equates to.
For a complete list of data, including the remaining top 20 and some helpful informative charts, read Songkick’s full breakdown here. And for the journeymen, here’s a little driving music for your next road trip:
