K-pop band BTS topped the monthly list of tour grosses with the biggest attendees among global superstars in May, Billboard reported on Thursday (on US time).

"From only eight shows in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Sao Paolo, the South Korean superstars grossed $51.66 million and sold 384,498 tickets (in May)," Billboard said, citing figures from Billboard Boxscore.

"These towering earnings mark the biggest one-month total of 2019 so far," it said. 

In May, the septet held two shows at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, as well as double-headers at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and Soldier Field in Chicago, totaling $33 million and nearly 300,000 tickets sold.

Then, the South Korean act flew to the Allianz Parque in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to gross $7.7 million from 84,812 tickets.

"This swift sweep of the United States is not only massively impressive for a foreign-language act in the US but places BTS among the most powerful touring artists in the world," Billboard said.

In particular, the group's double-header at the Rose Bowl on May 4-5, grossing $16.6 million from 113,040 tickets (May 4-5) was the single highest-grossing engagement in the venue's Boxscore history, outperforming previous high marks by Taylor Swift and U2, as well as co-headline stints by Beyonce and Jay-Z, and Eminem and Rihanna, Billboard said.

Metallica came next with $28.64 million, trailed by Pink with $24.84 million, Spice Girls with $23.63 million and Ariana Grande with $19.87 million, according to Billboard. (Yonhap)