Which Classic Rock Acts Played The Most Concerts in 2025?

Some of classic rock’s most beloved bands spent a whole lot of time on the road in 2025.

With numbers from SetList.fm, here’s a look at the 13 acts who played the most concerts over the past years, along with a quick preview of what they have planned for 2026:

12 (Tie). Heart: 73 Shows

Heart had to cut their 2024 tour short due to Ann Wilson’s cancer treatment, but the singer successfully completed her treatment and made a triumphant return to the stage alongside her bandmates in late February 2025.

The group encountered a couple of obstacles as the year went on – including a busted elbow that had Wilson performing seated and in a sling for a while, and the backstage theft of two beloved guitars – which, luckily, were recovered. But Heart powered their way through to earn a tie for the No. 12 spot on this list, and they’ve already announced plans to hit the road again in 2026.

12 (Tie). .38 Special: 73 Shows

In addition to releasing Milestone, their first new album in over 20 years, .38 Special kept busy on the road in 2025, performing 73 shows. “When you’re reintroducing yourself to the world, ‘good enough’ doesn’t work anymore,” co-founder Don Barnes said of the new record. “If you’re gonna do it, you might as well go big.” The same thinking seems to have applied to their tour schedule.

Read More: Which Classic Rock Acts Played the Most Concerts in 2024?

11. Rod Stewart: 74 Shows

Despite the fact that his current tour is named ‘One Last Time,” Rod Stewart doesn’t seem to be slowing down. He played 74 shows in 2025, up from 50 the previous year. That included a Glastonbury set with his former bandmate Ronnie Wood, at which he was honored with his own leopard-skin toilet. And the fun’s not over, as Stewart has already extended the ‘One Last Time’ tour into 2026.

10. Foreigner: 77 Shows

It was a year of transitions for Foreigner, as longtime singer Kelly Hansen retired from the band at the end of their summer tour. However, three years into what was originally planned as the group’s farewell tour, the band changed course, promoting multi-instrumentalist Luis Maldonado to a new role as their lead singer and canceling their retirement.

To make things even more exciting, original singer Lou Gramm has been accompanying Foreigner on tour in a guest starring role. The band has already announced some big plans for 2026, including a string of orchestral shows and a tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

9. Kansas: 78 Shows

2025 was a rather hectic year for Kansas. Singer / keyboardist Ronnie Platt endured a (successful!) battle with cancer, guitarist Rich Williams was forced to reduce his tour schedule due to a serious eye issue, and drummer Phil Ehart was still recovering from a major 2024 heart attack. But the band carried on, retooling their lineup and performing 78 shows – including one very special reunion concert – before confirming more dates for 2026.

8. The Darkness: 79 Shows

After releasing another typically exciting new album, Dreams on Toast, the Darkness hit the road hard, performing 79 shows in 2025. That included a November show in Austin, Texas which led our reviewer to declare them “one of the best purveyors of killer riffs and arena-sized hooks in the business.”

7. Styx: 80 Shows

Styx, as usual, maintained one of the busiest tour schedules in classic rock this year, racking up 80 shows. What’s different now is that they’re almost as busy in the studio as well. After going 12 years without releasing a new album, this year’s Circling From Above was their third release since 2017.

6. Bob Dylan: 82 Shows

Bob Dylan turned 84 in 2025, and almost matched that number with an 82-date tour schedule. He’s now entering the sixth year of the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, which features a set list dominated by songs from his 2020 album of the same name.  He’ll be back on the road again in March, with 27 2026 dates already on the books.

5. Cheap Trick: 83 Shows

Cheap Trick rang up another typically busy year in 2025, performing 83 shows including what was billed as a Japanese farewell tour. They also released a new album with the self-deprecating title All Washed Up – although the music proved they are anything but. They’ll be back on the road in 2026, both headlining and alongside Styx.

4. Alice Cooper: 93 Shows

Age ain’t nothing but a number to 77-year-old Alice Cooper, who reunited with the surviving members of the original Alice Cooper group for a terrific new album ( The Revenge of Alice Cooper, his fourth in eight years) and took his red-hot touring band out for 93 dates in 2025.

In addition to plotting new solo and Alice Cooper group albums, the king of theatrical hard rock is already filling in his 2026 dance card with U.S. and European dates.

3. Chicago: 94 Shows

With three founding musicians – keyboardist Robert Lamm, trumpeter Lee Loughnane and trombonist James Pankow – still serving as active members of the group, Chicago powered their way through 94 shows in 2025, demonstrating no signs of slowing down anytime soon. They’ll spend the summer of 2026 playing outdoor venues with Styx.

2. ZZ Top: 107 Shows

After winning last year’s edition of this list with 99 shows in 2024, ZZ Top played eight more shows in 2025, good enough for a silver medal. Frontman Billy Gibbons tops the list outright if you add the 33 solo shows he played over the past twelve months, bringing his 2025 total to 140. Both Gibbons and ZZ Top already have dozens of tour dates lined up for 2026.

1. Melvins: 117 Shows

It was a relatively slow year in terms of releasing new Melvins music, at least by their workaholic standards. In February they collaborated with Napalm Death on the Savage Imperial Death March EP, and in April they released their 28th full-length album, the innovative and uncompromising Thunderball.

They kept extra-busy on the road though, blasting through 117 dates with a four-man, two-drummer lineup. The Melvins have got just one date on the books for 2026 so far – April at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas – but don’t be surprised if much bigger plans are announced.

Here’s How Many Shows Other Classic Rock Stars Played in 2025:

Mammoth 66Toto 66Marshall Tucker Band 65David Byrne 56Judas Priest 54Billy Idol 52Blue Oyster Cult 52Santana 51Robert Plant and Saving Grace 50Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 49Paul McCartney 46Guns N’ Roses 45John Fogerty 43Oasis 41The Who 39Kevin Cronin Band 38AC/DC 37The Cult 36Scorpions 33Neil Young and Chrome Hearts 33Def Leppard 33The Doobie Brothers 32Metallica 32Iron Maiden 32 (and Bruce Dickinson 25)Peter Frampton 31Grand Funk 29Eagles 28Bruce Springsteen 25The Black Crowes 24David Lee Roth 23Sammy Hagar 22Stevie Nicks 18Journey 6