Last week (Dec. 23), Billboard published the November Boxscore report, with Paul McCartney back on top as the biggest touring act of the month. But while the biggest stars of rock, hip-hop and more packed stadiums, comedians were road warrior-ing their way to sold-out theaters and arenas. Here, we’re looking at the five biggest comedy tours of November 2025.

Earlier this year, Billboard launched its comedy hub with rundowns of the biggest touring comedians of the midyear Boxscore period (Oct. 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025) and of the months that followed. Sebastian Maniscalco, Matt Rife and Weird Al Yankovic topped those lists, but another former chart-topper bulldozes ahead atop the November recap.    

This is Nate Bargetze’s fifth month at No. 1, and fourth in a row. He first dominated in May, and then returned for August, September and October. He’s grossed $13.2 million from 182,000 tickets across 13 shows. Not only is this the fourth straight month for Bargatze above $10 million, but it’s also the fourth in a row where he’s the only comic to pull eight figures.  

He went back-to-back with double-headers in Seattle (Nov. 6-7 at Climate Pledge Arena), Portland, Ore. (Nov. 8-9 at Moda Center), Tampa (Nov. 13-14 at Benchmark International Arena), Charlotte, N.C. (Nov. 20-21 at Spectrum Center), and in Greenville, S.C. (both on Nov. 22 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena). The first four of those brought in over $2 million.

Keep scrolling for a detailed breakdown of the top grossing touring comedy tours of November by the numbers. This month’s round-up includes one major comic (Ricky Gervais) who sports their first appearance on the monthly ranking.

Boxscore charts are based on figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. International grosses are converted to USD.

Most Billboard readers have at least a rough idea of the top albums and songs of each year but may be less familiar with the top box-office hits from each year. Fortunately, boxofficemojo.com has that information for each year dating back to 1977.

So what do we learn scrolling through the list of top-grossing films for each year since Jimmy Carter became president and Elvis Presley died? One thing that comes across loud and clear is the degree to which sequels and franchises have come to dominate the marketplace. Just five of the year-end box-office champs were films that were not part of franchises (or did not spark a franchise or a reboot of some kind). Those five films that stand alone are E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Ghost, Titanic and Barbie.

Star Wars is the top franchise on this recap, with six installments that have been the year’s top-grossing film. Batman is runner-up, with four installments that finished first for the year. Spider-Man is third, with three installments that yielded the year’s top box-office hit.

James Cameron and George Lucas are tied as the only directors who each directed three films that took the year-end crown. Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, Tony Scott, Steven Spielberg, Andrew Stanton and Robert Zemeckis are tied for second place, each having directed two year-end champs.

John Williams is far and away the top film scorer. The legendary composer scored 10 films that took the year-end box-office crown. Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri and Hans Zimmer have each scored films that finished first four times.

Let’s scroll back through the films that had the most success at the domestic box office (that’s the U.S. and Canada) in each calendar year since 1977, when Annie debuted on Broadway, Laverne & Shirley was the top TV show and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours dominated the Billboard 200.

Taylor Swift is not the only pop star football superfan showing up in style to cheer on her significant other as the NFL season rumbles to a close. Cardi B was once again in the stands on Sunday to support her boyfriend, New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and the mother of four — including a newborn with Diggs — showed up runway ready for the Pats’ blowout 42-10 victory over the lowly New York Jets.

Cardi was in the stands at the Patriots’ easy victory against the 3-13 New York Jets, walking to her seats with serious swag while wearing a pink tweed Chanel jacket over a white collared shirt and grey miniskirt, accented by pink tights, rose-colored pumps, a pearl belt and bleach blonde Barbie hair. The ensemble also featured a few eye-popping accessories, including a wildly oversized Chanel pearl necklace she wore across her chest like a sling bag. She was also spotted carrying another item, a jeans jacket featuring pink trim and golden buttons.

In an Instagram Story about game day, New York native Cardi can be seen sitting in a row all by herself and chanting what sounds like “beat the Jets!” and then walking with her jacket in hand through the tunnels beneath the stadium. The clip ends with Cardi lip synching along to Babyxsosa’s 2024 single, “Chanel” while striking some poses in her couture outfit.

Cardi and Diggs welcomed their first child together, a boy, on Nov. 4. The Bronx rapper shared a glimpse of her holiday celebration with the fam last week, including a slideshow of photos from Christmas Day that showed off her kids’ personalities and the chaos of being a busy music superstar mother of four. “The perfect Christmas picture don’t exist in this house,” she wrote alongside photos showing her trying to get all the kids on the same page for a sweet family photo.

In addition to showing up for Diggs, Cardi has been hard at work getting into shape for her upcoming Little Miss Drama tour, which is slated to kick off on Feb. 11 in Palm Desert, Calif. and run through an April 17 gig in Atlanta.


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Roger Sovine, who spent much of his four-decade career in country music as an executive at BMI Nashville and as a leader in Nashville’s country music community, has died. He was 82.

Sovine passed away peacefully on Dec. 23, surrounded by family at Alive Hospice in Nashville, Tenn.

Born Feb. 17, 1943, Sovine was immersed in music from a young age as the son of “Giddyup Go” hitmaker Woodrow Wilson “Red” Sovine, most widely known for his country truck-driving songs, and Norma Searls Sovine. The Sovine family relocated from Eleanor, W. Va., to Nashville when Roger was 12. After graduating from high school and serving in the United States Marine Corps, he embarked on a career in country music.

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Sovine got his career start at Nashville’s Cedarwood Publishing Company in 1965. In 1972, he moved over to BMI, where he was assistant vp of writer/publisher relations. Positions at Welk Music Group and Tree International followed, but by 1985 Sovine was back with BMI for the long haul, now as vp of writer/publisher relations — an executive position he held through 2001 when he retired.

In Sovine’s years with BMI, he fostered outlaw country (backing the likes of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson) and nurtured artists who’d become mainstream country hitmakers (Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban and more).

As an advocate for songwriters and a mentor to young professionals in the music industry, he served in various roles within Nashville’s community. He was a trustee of the Country Music Foundation and a trustee of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), for which he was also a member of the board of governors and four-term president of its Nashville chapter.

Previously he’d also held positions as chairman of the Copyright Society of the South, executive vice president and board member of R.O.P.E., and president and chairman of the board of the Country Music Association. He was a former commissioner of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment & Music Commission and a charter organizer and board member of Leadership Music. Additionally, he’d served as an executive committee member for the T.J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, Leukemia and AIDS Research, MusiCares and the United Way of Middle Tennessee.

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Sovine was the recipient of the Nashville Recording Academy’s Governors Award in 2000. He was honored for outstanding lifetime contributions to the music community and the Nashville chapter of the Recording Academy.

Sovine retired early to travel with his wife, Shirley, and to spend more time playing music with his grandchildren (he played guitar), fly fishing and golfing. He also dedicated time to advocating for children’s education and supporting Nashville Classical West Charter School.

A celebration of life for Sovine will be held Monday, Jan. 5, at 3 p.m. local time at BMI Headquarters (10 Music Square East, Nashville, Tenn.).

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Alive Hospice at 1718 Patterson Street in Nashville, where Sovine received care, and Nashville Classical West Charter School at 1015 Davidson Drive in Nashville, which established the Sovine Endowment in Roger’s honor; the arts endowment will “ensure that Nashville’s children have the foundation to discover their voices and hearts on stage and in life.”

Sovine is survived by his wife of 62 years, Shirley Sovine; his son, Jim Sovine (Belinda); his daughter, Amy Sovine; eight grandchildren, Roger Wayne Sovine III, Wesley Sovine, Hope Sovine, Haley Sovine, Nick Peterson, Hannah Meskimen (Bronson), Madison Peterson and Lily Elder, and two great-grandchildren, Jackson Sovine and Harvey Beau Meskimen.


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“Nothing beats being in a band.” That’s what singer Gary Barlow says in the first trailer for Netflix’s upcoming three-part limited series about 1990s British boy band Take That. The Take That series, set to drop on the streamer on Jan. 27, will feature a behind-the-scenes look behind the group that featured Barlow, as well as Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams.

The boy band in which Barlow served as the lead singer and songwriter, with Owen and future break-out star Williams mostly singing backing vocals, scored 17 top 5 singles in their native U.K. during their run, including five No. 1 hits.

After Barlow’s opening note about the beauty of being in a band, we hear him say in voice-over “there’s a strength… there’s a buzz,” over footage of the guys goofing around backstage before a gig in steampunk-style military outfits capped by goggles on their heads. “From the beginning, there was something within us that wanted to prove something,” says Owen.

The band members attest to being “tight amongst ourselves,” as well as a feeling of being “kings of the world” at the height of their fame, even as they admit that there is nothing that could have prepared them for the level of fame they achieved at their peak in the ’90s.

The series promises to document the group’s rise to fame and their tricky interpersonal relationships via never-before-seen footage, interviews and rare archive material gathered over the past 35 years, including new interviews with Barlow, Donald and Owen. According to Deadline, all five members of the band took part in the doc, even Williams, who split with the group in 1995, a year before they broke up.

They reunited, sans Williams, in 2005, for a documentary and subsequent world tour as a four-piece, releasing two albums (2006’s Beautiful World and 2008’s The Circus) before Williams rejoined in 2010 for their sixth studio LP, Progress. Williams was gone again by the time of 2014’s III album, as was Orange, reducing the band to a three-piece for the first time in its career.

The clip ends with the predictably cheeky Williams, wearing a shiny silver helmet, turning to the camera and joking, “We all kissed before the show… in a butch way.”

Take That will hit the road next summer for their The Circus Live tour, slated to kick off on May 29 at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southhampton, U.K.

Watch the Take That trailer below.


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It’s been almost 10 years since “Baby Shark” debuted and then went mega-viral, which means you’ve probably only just gotten the impossibly catchy tune out of your head. Prepare for that to change once again, with some help from Peppa Pig.

On Monday (Dec. 29), two of the biggest titans of children’s music and TV, Baby Shark and Peppa — courtesy of The Pinkfong Company and Hasbro, respectively — teamed up to release a “Baby Shark x Peppa Pig” dance remix and music video, which Billboard is exclusively premiering. The animated visual finds England’s favorite porcine protagonist delving into the underwater world of Baby Shark by way of submarine, the former adding her own vocals to the latter’s hit.

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“Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo/ Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo/ Baby shark,” the original lyrics repeat, followed by the addition of Peppa & Company: “Oh, Peppa Pig, Peppa Pig!/ She’s Peppa Pig, Peppa Pig!/ I am Peppa Pig!”

The two characters are some of the most influential in 2000s children’s media, with “Baby Shark” first making a splash in 2016 before catching on like wildfire around the world. The song reached a peak of No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, and its video crossed the 10 billion-view threshold on YouTube in 2022.

Meanwhile, Peppa Pig has been a beloved British TV show since 2004, and a staple in kid’s music for almost as long. The adorable swine has covered a number of hit tracks — including BTS’ “Dynamite” and Katy Perry’s “Roar” last year — and has released several original albums over the years, most recently dropping Happy Holidays With Peppa Pig Vol. 2 this past November.

“With colorful worlds colliding, familiar characters singing together, and an infectious soundtrack to match, the collaboration is designed to capture imaginations and bring joy to fans of all ages,” a press release for the new remix reads. “This milestone is more than a duet — it’s a cultural crossover between two preschool powerhouses and the first time PEPPA PIG has joined forces with another family entertainment music artist!”

Check out the music video for the “Baby Shark x Peppa Pig” dance remix below.


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Miley Cyrus knows how to work a room. The 33-year-old pop icon has been a Hollywood staple for much of her life and when it comes to pitching herself to directors for projects, Miley has a surefire method that seems to be working out for her: go to where they all are.

A perfect case in point is Cyrus’ dramatic end credits song “Dream As One” in the new Avatar: Fire and Ash movie from director James Cameron, which opened on Dec. 19 and has already raked in nearly $220 million in the U.S. and more than $760 million globally.

Speaking to People, Cyrus said the Avatar job came about because she threw it out there, “as I always do,” in describing her first meeting Cameron at the 2024 D23 Expo, where they were both honored as Disney Legends. “I already knew the answer to, ‘So what have you been up to? I know he’s been up to Avatar for a very long time,” she said.

So, Cyrus reminded Cameron that she was available if he ever needed some movie music, which was perfect timing as the director was developing the third in a planned five-movie series. “It just kind of organically happened,” she said of the soundtrack job. “James actually calls us ‘Legends in law.’”

Cyrus revealed that she also landed her Golden Globe-nominated song “Beautiful That Way” from the Pam Anderson drama The Last Showgirl last year by going directly to the movie’s co-star, Jamie Lee Curtis. “That’s how I ended up doing Last Showgirl and now being a part of Avatar,” she said.

As it turns out, directly offering original songs to movie makers is a pretty efficient method for scoring soundtrack gigs. In fact, Cyrus just cut out the middleman this year and said she specifically attended the 2025 Oscars intending to offer up her services. “No, literally that’s why I went to the Oscars this year,” she said. “Everybody that came up and introduced themselves, I said, ‘Well, if you need any music, I’m around.’”

She even pronounced herself available for shows that might not have second seasons. “I don’t know what I would write for Baby Reindeer season two, but I threw that out there!,” she said of her offer to the team behind Netflix’s Emmy-winning psychological thriller Baby Reindeer.


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Festive classics from Michael Bublé and Wham! have earned 2025’s final U.K. No. 1s.

The final chart tally, which included sales and streams up to Dec. 26, sees Bublé’s Christmas take the No. 1 spot on the Official Albums Chart, while Wham!’s beloved classic “Last Christmas” rules at No. 1 on the Official Singles Chart.

Bublé’s Christmas was first released in 2011 and has since earned eight non-consecutive weeks at the summit of the U.K. charts. The LP contains a number of arrangements of festive classics such as “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Baby,” and also scored the U.K.’s final No. 1 trophy of 2024. Last week, a 50th anniversary reissue of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here was named the Official Christmas No. 1 Album in the U.K.

Christmas saw off competition from Olivia Dean’s smash hit sophomore LP The Art of Loving which finished the week at No. 2. The record topped the Official Vinyl Albums Chart which tracks physical sales, indicating it was a strong contender for festive gifting.

Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl closed the week as a non-mover at No. 3 while Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend lifted one place to No. 4. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours ends at No. 5, but there’s a brand new peak for EsDeeKid’s Rebel at No. 8 following the rumour-busting collaboration with Marty Supreme actor Timothée Chalamet.

On the Official Singles Chart, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” is back to No. 1 after seeing off Kylie Minogue’s “XMAS.” The latter took the coveted Official Christmas No. 1 Single after a closely-fought battle, but falls to No. 4 this week. Over the years, Wham!’s 1984 classic “Last Christmas” has notched up 12 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the U.K, and was last at the No. 1 spot in December 2024.

Festive music dominates the Singles Chart with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” at No. 2, Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” at No. 3 (a new peak for the 1962 classic) and “Fairy Tale of New York” by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl closing at No. 5 behind Kylie.

Following the news of his death, Chris Rea’s “Driving Home for Christmas” lifts 20 spots to No. 10. The Middlesbrough-born rocker passed on Dec. 22 aged 74 following a short illness.


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Britney Spears shared a pointed message on social media over the weekend, criticizing her family after they appeared to celebrate Christmas together without her.

On Sunday (Dec. 28), Spears posted a message to Instagram alongside a photo of a decorated Christmas tree, using sarcasm to address what she described as long-standing hurt tied to her family relationships.

“Merry late Christmas to my beautiful family who have never disrespected me, harmed me, ever done anything completely unacceptable or caused unbelievable trauma, the kind you can’t fix,” Spears wrote. “To my dear sweet innocent family… so so sorry I was busy this Christmas but I will definitely show up and surprise you soon.”

The post appeared to be in response to a festive photo shared earlier in the week by her younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, which showed Jamie Lynn celebrating the holiday with her husband Jamie Watson, daughters Maddie, 17, and Ivey, 7, as well as their mother Lynne Spears and Britney’s son Sean Preston Federline.

In a separate line within the same post, Spears directly referenced her niece Ivey, writing, “Hello, beautiful Ivey… I just want to hold you, my love… Godspeed, friends.”

According to People, Spears spent Christmas Day with her younger son, Jayden James Federline, 19. “Britney had a fun time celebrating Christmas with Jayden,” a source told the outlet. “It’s been such a special holiday.”

Spears shares Jayden and Sean with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.

The singer has remained estranged from several members of her family since the end of her 13-year conservatorship in November 2021, a legal arrangement that governed both her personal and professional life.

Since its termination, Spears has repeatedly spoken — often through social media — about the emotional toll of that period and her fractured relationships with relatives involved in the arrangement.

While Spears’ relationship with her family has remained strained, she has recently suggested that her bond with her sons is improving.

In recent months, she has posted more positively about her children, including acknowledging time spent together and expressing optimism about their connection moving forward.

John Lydon has said his former Sex Pistols bandmates did not contact him following the death of his wife, Nora Forster, who died in April 2023 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

In a recent interview with The Times, Lydon — who performed as Johnny Rotten during his time with the Pistols — said he did not hear from guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock or drummer Paul Cook after Forster’s passing.

“I expected some kind of connection when Nora died, but nothing,” Lydon said.

Forster was married to Lydon for nearly five decades. In the final years of her life, Lydon served as her full-time carer, frequently speaking publicly about the emotional and physical toll of Alzheimer’s disease and how it reshaped his outlook on life.

“All the things I thought were the ultimate agony seem preposterous now,” he said at the time. “It’s shaped me into what I am. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.”

Lydon’s comments arrive amid continued tension between the singer and his former bandmates, who have toured in recent years without him, performing Sex Pistols material with former Gallows frontman Frank Carter as lead singer.

The former band member has been openly critical of the decision, describing the live shows as “karaoke” in previous interviews and questioning the group’s artistic direction while speaking to British publication The i Paper about the tour, explaining that he largely felt “annoyed” by the whole affair and feared it would tarnish the group’s legacy.

“When I first heard that the Sex Pistols were touring this year without me it pissed me off,” he explained. “It annoyed me. I just thought, ‘they’re absolutely going to kill all that was good with the Pistols by eliminating the point and the purpose of it all.’ I didn’t write those words lightly.”

“They’re trying to trivialise the whole show to get away with karaoke but in the long term I think you’ll see who has the value and who doesn’t. I’ve never sold my soul to make a dollar. It’s the Catholic in me – that guilt I don’t want to trip.”

The Sex Pistols initially existed from 1975 until 1978, releasing their sole studio album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols in 1977.

Famously, the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, though refused to attend the ceremony, labeling the institution a “piss stain.”