Rihanna, 50 Cent and The Jonas Brothers are among those who have canceled their summer tours in Atlanta. Others like the Eagles, Lilith Fair, American Idols Live have canceled in other cities.

Pollstar, the concert journal, reports that gross revenue for the top 100 tours in North America in the first six months of 2010 is down nearly $200 million from last year. The $965.5 million was the lowest for the first half of the year since 2005, when gross revenue was $730.9 million, the magazine said.

“The economy is definitely taking a toll on entertainment. People are worried about eating on Friday. That’s really the bottom line,” said promoter Jason Lary, who has worked in the metro Atlanta market and successfully booked concerts at the Lithonia Amphitheater and other venues.

Lary said many musicians are now teaming up to get fans to the box office.

“That’s why you see so many artists playing together now. You might have two or more headline groups at one show, where normally you would have one headliner,” Lary said.

Lary points to the Budweiser Super Fest, which is scheduled Aug. 20 at Chastain Park in Atlanta. Kem, Jaheem and Raheem DeVaughn are all performing at the Super Fest. Tickets range from $49.75 to $89.75.

“Kem sold for $80 as the headliner at Stone Mountain more than a couple of years ago,” said Lary, who put on that concert.

Live Nation Entertainment’s “No Service Fee June” underscores the toll the economy is taking on entertainment. The concert promotion giant eliminated service fees for more than 700 shows at its amphitheaters.

Jonathan Simmons, a radio host on Atlanta’s WIGO-AM, says another indicator of the slump is the fact that many artists are playing at smaller venues including churches, hotels and boutiques and dinner clubs.

Maurice Starr, a Boston-based producer who created New Kids on the Block, says that while the economy is impacting concert tours, the industry is also suffering because of an over abundance of promoters and acts.

“Atlanta used to be the place that always sold out concerts,” said Starr. It’s changed because more people are into the game than are qualified.”

Starr said that sponsorship is the key to bringing in touring musicians.

“You’ve got to have it. This is a very risky business. If you don’t know it and haven’t lived it, it’s probably better to be a brain surgeon,” Starr said. “It’s expensive to book a venue, pay to promote it and every body coming while you’re waiting on ticket sales.”

Simmons says the internet may be hurting the entertainment industry as well.

“I think you’re going to continue to see this kind of upheaval in the entertainment industry, as long as you have technology and people devaluing the work of artists’ intellectual property,” Simmons said. “People are using video cameras to tape movies, concerts and everything else and they’re putting them on the internet. Fans don’t have to go out and see a concert. They can watch one on the internet for free.”

Who’s on Top?

Pollstar said Bon Jovi is the top North American tour so far this year with $52.8 million in gross sales. James Taylor and Carole King are next at $41 million and Swift is third with $34.2 million. Paul McCartney ($31.6 million) and George Strait ($29.8 million) tours are No. 4 and No. 5 respectively.

AC/DC had the No. 1 ticket sales worldwide with 1.8 million. No other act has reached 1 million. The band has grossed $177.5 million.