It's good to be in country music these days, and the numbers prove it. StubHub released its concert ticket sales rankings for 2014, and George Strait and Luke Bryan came in at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on the list.

While pop group One Direction claimed the top spot, and Justin Timberlake came in at No. 4, it's the country music stars who are gaining the most attention. Strait broke sales records with his farewell The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, while Bryan played to sold-out stadiums and arenas on his That's My Kind of Night Tour.

"I don't think we realize how huge country music is," StubHub lead rep Glen Lehrman says (quote via Ad Week). "Traditionally, we think of pop music as the one that is going to drive the most interest in ticket sales ... George Strait didn't do that many dates, but his last concert ever was by far one of the biggest events we had in 2014."

Ticket sales for Strait's final show in Arlington, Texas, on June 7, were so massive that the combined ticket sales from both Bryan and Timberlake's tours as a whole didn't match his single concert, which grossed more than $18 million in ticket sales. But while the musical icon's popularity is undisputed, farewell tours in general tend to draw in the largest crowds.

"There's a nostalgia factor," Lehrman explains. "If you look at Cher, the audience that goes to see her is the Baby Boomer audience. Her ticket prices are higher than many others, but her fans don't mind because they have the most means ... It's an excuse for a night out."

While Strait is now off the road, Bryan will spend much of 2015 performing. The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year will continue his That's My Kind of Night Tour with shows in Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky, as well as several shows overseas. Keep track of his schedule here.

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