Top 5 Acts Worth Seeing Live (2007)

At any given time in the United States, there are over 2000+ different concert acts currently on tour. With so many musical acts to choose from, how does the average concert goer narrow down the list to those acts that are really worth seeing live and up close?

Using the current total gross ticket sales numbers from the most recent issue of BillBoard Magazine, the following article takes a look at the Top 5 most popular (currently touring as of November, 2007) concert acts of 2007 in terms of overall concert ticket sales.

If your looking to attend a concert in the near future, take some of the guesswork out of the decision by choosing from one of the below currently touring acts. Millions of satisfied concert-goers can’t be wrong.

1. Hannah Montana: Hannah Montana is currently touring with the Jonas Brothers as well as her own Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Tour. The shows non-stop choreography, lighting, and costume changes only add to the exceptional lyrics and singing. The high-tech presentation gives you multiple big screens for additional views and fireworks add to the excitement. The crowd pleasing Hannah even struts her stuff on a crowd splitting ramp that puts her as close to her fans as possible. The Jonas Brothers are a treat themselves, but when combined with Hannah, it truly becomes a show to remember.

2. Billy Joel: Along with a list of Rock and Roll stars coming back to tour this year is the Piano Man, Billy Joel. From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to the small piano bar sets he started in, Billy Joel still has the same sharp piano fingers that he had in his younger days. Pulling out some old, rarely heard songs, and new songs alike, the performer shows that he is still at it, and so is his band; with Carl Fischer on trumpet/flugelhorn and Mark Rivera on Sax there is little missing from the original sound. With a rotating piano and a piano cam at his fingers, there is nothing you will miss in this tribute to many years of rock and roll.

3. The Police: An oldie, but a goodie, the Police are back at it again with their new tour Fiction Plane. Their Paris, France, twin concert shows sold-out with gross sales of over $15,000,000 (Reuters) showing that they are still as popular as ever. After all these years Sting’s voice is still holding strong and the Police have added some new twists to your old favorites. Andy’s guitar riffs are brilliant and Stewart is all over the stage with drums and crowd interaction. This is a great show for music fans of all ages.

4. Fall Out Boy: Moving into the spotlight and out of their post-hardcore scene Fall Out Boy has expanded their sound to include pop, r&b, and an occasional ballad. This band puts on an immersive show of pyrotechnics and projected content to enliven all your senses. The band’s suburban Chicago-style sound, contrasts nicely with each member’s disparate personality and their easy to sing-a-long choruses only add to the audience experience common at their concerts.

5. Bruce Springsteen: With two sold out shows at Madison Square Garden last month grossing over $2 Million (billboard.com), at 58, Springsteen shows that “The Boss still has it. With age and experience he brings a soulful abandonment to his new album “Magic” that attests to the vitality of rock and roll. Searching for all that we have lost or missed through our years, Springsteen touches the hearts and minds of concert goers moving through the compromises and disillusionment of life. The rambling keyboards, the electric guitar high-lights, and the raging piano solos give way to a slow melancholy Irish folk song that leaves you gliding across the moors on your journey home.

A concert, any concert, should be an experience to be felt. The ticket holder should not only be a spectator, but an active participant riding on the tails of the musical notes. With any good concert there is the emotional high, the physical exhaustion, and the mental stimulation to relive the concert through every repeat chorus you hear on the radio thereafter.

The above top 5 acts are certainly worth seeing this holiday season and are all well worth your time. As many of us remember from our very first concert so many years ago, nothing is more exciting then seeing your favorite artist or band live on stage singing your favorite songs. It truly is an experience of a lifetime.